What is Acupuncture?
Telling the body a new story
“Acupuncture is a complex interventional therapy where solid fine needles are inserted in the body to produce a therapeutic effect.” - Stephen Cina, L.Ac.
What is acupuncture? Maybe you heard a friend gush about how acupuncture helped her lower back pain. Or helped someone else to conceive a child. Or you’ve read an article about its benefits. Perhaps you are completely new to this ancient system of healing.
Paragraph 1 of the Ling Shu, (a book written in 1 BCE China!) says that acupuncture is a healing art using fine needles to activate and aerate the channels, regulate blood and energy, and alter the flow of energy in the body. The effect of successful acupuncture is said to be “as if the winds blow away the clouds and clear the azure sky.” Ahhhh.
Acupuncture is a healing technique to bring the mind, body and spirit back into balance and harmony. Points are chosen to tell the body a new story and help the receiver to move forward in their path in life. Think about removing rocks that are clogging up a stream. We all want life to open up so we can realize our dreams. Whether your goal is to reduce pain, manage stress, heal your broken heart, clear up your skin or all 4, acupuncture can be a catalyst for deep life changes, greater health and a new relationship with your body.
The human reset button
Have you ever felt your shoulders tense up when a strong feeling of stress comes over you? Have you ever had a fight with someone and the next day you wake up with a knot in your back over your heart? Acupuncture views the body as a hologram with the mind, emotions and spirit. By accessing certain doorways into the microcosm of the body, we are able to remember our place in the big picture.
The first time I received acupuncture I was incredibly jet lagged and at a turning point in my life. I had just left an office job and was exploring schools in the Southwest.
Upon first receiving the needles, I could hardly feel the insertion. After some time I could feel a circulation sensation in my body, as if separate areas were becoming connected. I closed my eyes and felt a sense of being grounded and safe in my body that was rare for me at the time. After some minutes I remember feeling a deep sense of renewal and peace. My thoughts slowed to a meditative space and slowly I noticed a change in perspective. When the acupuncture needles were removed I felt that I had been reset. It was like waking up from the most restorative nap I’d ever taken.
