For the rest of this week (5/14-5/18), new patients can get their first treatment at Down to Earth for just $10! Mention the “new patient special” at your appointment to get this pricing. Tell your friends!

Unfortunately, Marina will be leaving us early next month. She is moving to New York City to take an acupuncture internship there. We are so grateful to Marina for all the energy and caring she has brought to our office and we wish her the best of luck in her new endeavor. Marina’s last day will be Wednesday, June 5.

Although we are working hard to find another Licensed Acupuncturist for our team, we cannot predict when we will be able to fill Marina’s position. Emily will be adding a few hours to her shifts starting June 4 (Tuesday/Thursday will start at 3:30pm and Wednesday/Friday will stay open until 1:00pm), but overall there will be a reduced number of open shifts and appointments.

We suggest that you book appointments in advance to ensure that you can get the times you need. We also ask everyone to please observe our 24-hour cancellation policy so that we can accommodate as many people as possible. We appreciate your understanding.

From April 15-April 27, if you become a member of the People’s Organization of Community Acupuncture (POCA) for $25 (or more, on a sliding scale), you will receive 5 acupuncture treatments– 2 for you and 3 for friends!

Here’s how it works:
1- Sign up online to become a member of POCA.

2- Bring your receipt to our office between 4/15-4/27, and you will get a free treatment (appointments recommended).

3- Once your membership is processed, you will receive 4 free treatment cards. One is for you, to be used on your birthday. 3 are for friends who have never tried acupuncture before. These can be used at any POCA clinic across the country.

Along with your membership, you will also receive a monthly newsletter, and voting rights in the POCA cooperative.

POCA membership fees go toward expanding community acupuncture services to areas in need across the country.

POCA members are also automatically qualified for volunteer positions in our office!

Thank you for supporting community acupuncture!

Do you have friends or family who have always wanted to try acupuncture? We are having another free day for new patients on Friday, March 15. This is valid for both our morning and afternoon shifts, but for one day only! Please tell your friends!

Friday, February 22 will be our second annual fundraiser for Abby’s House in Worcester. Abby’s House provides many important social services for women and children, including shelter and transitional housing.

50% of the proceeds from all acupuncture treatments on 2/22 will be donated to Abby’s House. In addition, we will have a donation jar in our waiting area for the entire week, so you can donate even if you can’t make it on 2/22.

Last year we raised almost $300 for Abby’s House. We would like to beat that number this year!

Please join us on February 22. We will have snacks, and door prizes! Some of the available prizes are:

Massage/ Bodywork:
Leo McCarthy, LMT
Deep Relief Massage Therapy
In Balance Massage
Back to Nature Massage and Reflexology
Healing Hands Massage Therapy

Chiropractic:
Sjogren Chiropractic
Dr. Karen M. Griffin

Personal Training/ Fitness:
Studio Joy (Nia class)
Committed Fitness
Leo McCarthy, CPT (personal training)

Life Coaching:
The MotivAct Group (Tom Ingrassia)

Household/ Beauty:
Shaklee cleaning (representative Lea Cristo)
Pampered Chef (representative Sharon McLaughlin)
Arbonne (representative Sue Nesbitt)

Food/Nutrition:
Budget Cuisine Coach (Paula Denoncourt)
Healing Journey
Isador’s Organics

Gifts and Wellness Products:
Generations Gifts

Plus acupuncture treatments from Down to Earth!

Schedule your appointment through our website or by calling the office at (508) 890-8899. See you then!

We have many exciting events coming up! Mark your calendars for 2/15, 2/22, 3/3, and 4/3!

Due to the snowstorm, we have rescheduled our free day for new patients to February 15. Do you have friends or family who have always wanted to try acupuncture? Please let them know about this opportunity! This is valid for both our morning and afternoon shifts, but for one day only!

Friday, February 22 will be our second annual fundraiser for Abby’s House in Worcester. Abby’s House provides many important social services for women and children, including shelter and transitional housing. 50% of the proceeds from all acupuncture treatments on 2/22 will be donated to Abby’s House. In addition, we will have a donation jar in our waiting area for the entire week, so you can donate even if you can’t make it on 2/22. We will post more information about this event soon!

Down to Earth Acupuncture also will be participating in health fairs on February 22, March 3, and April 3, and we could use some help! Would you be willing to join us for some or all of the time, to help staff the table (so Emily can take breaks) and answer questions from a patient’s perspective?

The Friday, February 22 fair is at Assumption College (Plourde Recreation Center) from 3-6pm. The Sunday, March 3 fair is in Webster, MA (at Bartlett HS) from 10am-2pm. The Wednesday, April 3 fair is in Worcester at UMass Medical School from 3pm-6pm.

Any help would be appreciated! Please contact Emily at emily@downtoearthacupuncture.com or (508) 890-8899 if you can volunteer. If you can’t help out, please consider stopping by and telling others about the fairs. Both the March 3 and April 3 fairs are free and open to the public.

Do you have friends or family who have always wanted to try acupuncture? On Friday, February 8, we will be having a free day for new patients! This is valid for both our morning and afternoon shifts, but for one day only! Please tell your friends!

Many of you have already commented on the lovely and serene new paintings in the office. The artist, Kathy Hebert, has paintings, prints, and a book for sale. Her website is here, and some more information about her and her work is below.

Kathy Hebert is a local artist who has lived Worcester for almost 20 years. Born in Burlington, Vermont, she studied Fashion Design and Art at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York where she received a BFA degree in 1973. Hebert did not start out as an artist, in fact, before she went to Pratt, her only experience with art was with paint by numbers she received as gifts each Christmas. Teachers often singled out her art work as “what not to do.”

She moved to Boston in 1975 to work as a lounge singer at the Sheraton. Her singing career spanned 10 years performing her folk songs five or six nights a week. Because she loved to paint and draw, she continued to take art classes during this time but continued to struggle, never showing any special talent. She moved to Framingham in 1978 and one thing led to another.

In 1986, Hebert began her first “Beginning Art” class, teaching art to people like her – adults who didn’t have any talent but always wanted to learn to draw. Then, after studying with Rockport artist, Helen Van Wyk, she began teaching these same beginners how to paint. She taught in several adult ed classes in the area until she moved to Worcester in 1994.

Hebert found a home teaching her “Beginning Art” class to adults at Assabet Valley’s After Dark program. From there students started coming to her home to continue their art education. She currently has about twenty students who meet at any of her morning, afternoon or evening classes at her studio.

Finally, after two years, Hebert finished her first book, “No Talent Required: My Journey from Paint by Numbers to Art Instructor.” She wrote the book hoping to encourage anyone who had a dream to draw and paint to give art a try. No Talent is Required! The book records her long journey, her summer studying with Helen Van Wyk and ends up with some tips and tricks to help beginners get a good start. The book is available at Amazon for soft cover and Kindle and at Smashwords.com for other ebook options.

Hebert loves to paint everything. Still life, landscape, portrait – whatever the moment brings. She often works from her own photographs and concentrates her attention on color and light. Down to Earth Acupuncture is displaying a small sampling of her work. Enjoy.

Our Living Social deal will be available starting January 3! New patients can get 3 treatments for just $30. Returning patients can also buy a deal for a friend or family member.

Please tell your friends! You can sign up for the deal on the Living Social website.

Since we anticipate selling a high volume of deals, returning patients should schedule your appointments at least 2 weeks in advance, to ensure that your preferred day and time are open.

We will be closed on December 24, 25, 26, and 31. We will also be closed on January 1. Enjoy your holidays!