SACRED JOURNEY
ACUPUNCTURE
A CALM ESCAPE
In a world that continuously demands from us, it’s imperative to slow down, rest, and reflect on our health and well being. To many of us, this comes last. I invite you to rethink and invest in yourself as you traverse this life’s journey. In order to complete a long journey you need to have a strong reserve and endurance that is built with proper rest and training. Maybe you are experiencing an injury or chronic disease that has stopped you from your constant output and is asking for repair. The beautiful art of Chinese medicine invites you to bring yourself back into balance. It provides sustenance to see you through. It can be experienced through a rapid change or very subtle ones over time but it is an invaluable tool for your health.
An Intentional Setting
I believe in the power of seeing an individual as just that, an individual. On their own experience in this life, unique to them. They come layered with diverse experiences that have allowed them to interpret and interact with the world in their own spectacular way. My intention is to hold an awareness of that during my treatments. Health is a collaborative experience between practitioner and patient. It is an intricate dance that requires attention to detail and the ability to allow things to unfold appropriately.
THE WISDOM OF THE ANCESTORS
The earliest written record of Chinese medical literature is believed to be written in the 3rd millennium (2001-3000) BCE during the Bronze Age by Huangdi (Yellow Emperor). The Huangdi neijing (The Yellow Emperor’s Canon of Internal Medicine) is still the foundation of all Chinese medicine theory today and continues to be expanded upon. It is a system based on the dualism of Yin and Yang with disease resulting from disharmony between the two in the body.
The medicine encompasses more than just Acupuncture and includes, Meridian Theory, Acupressure, Herbs, Moxibustion, Cupping, Tuina (manipulative therapy), Diet & Exercise, Food Therapy, Qigong (meditation/exercise), Tai Chi, and Lian Gong.
Your Chinese medicine doctor will select the best therapies to treat your condition. Many ailments can be treated with these therapies and some tend to be superior for specific issues, for example, acupuncture is best selected to treat external diseases such as a sprained ankle, whereas herbs and food can treat an internal disease such as a chronic health condition in a reasonable amount of time with fewer side effects. Herbal remedies, food therapy, and acupuncture can have long-lasting effects but are not as drastic in action as Western interventions and chemical-based drugs, which often produce unpleasant side effects
Chinese medicine is used in China as a first-line intervention in their healthcare system and has prevented needless surgeries, morbidity, and disease. With my background in emergency medicine, I have seen far too well where Western medicine has strengths and also where lies its weaknesses. The missing pieces I see are part of Chinese Medicine’s philosophy that the laws of nature apply to our internal structures and functioning system. We affect our environment and our environment affects us.
The World Health Organization has listed 43 diseases that acupuncture can help with and over 100 conditions they recommend acupuncture for, please see the following link
If you would like to learn a bit more about the history of Western and Chinese medicine there will be more to come in my blog.
