Commitment to the Path of Enlightened Healing

Commitment is key to success within any endeavor. "The Tao Te Ching" chapter 10, entitled "What Can Be Done?" teaches, "by concentrating his vitality and inducing tenderness, he can become like a little child. By purifying, cleansing and profound intuition, he can be free from faults."

Symptoms of dis-ease and dysfunction, coming from the mind or body, can be seen as a calling for greater exploration of the self. We can continue to walk blindly for so long before our bodies will demand introspective attention. Classical Chinese Medicine, based on Taoist and Confucian philosophy, believes life is a spiritual endeavor: this is true even for the least "spiritual" of us. I often hear people despair, feeling their bodies are "betraying" them when they are struck with a medical condition. The calm of health has been disrupted; their bodies are calling for attention, which, in many cases, they are not used to providing.

We live in a largely extroverted culture, which encourages us to direct our attention outwards. We are a Fire Element society: focused on conquering, exploring the outside world and enjoying the pleasures of the senses. When we are struck with a disease or disorder, it can feel jarring to our habitual way of living. The body and mind are asking us to direct our attention inward. Many times, the body and mind ask us to stop altogether. For someone in a Fire Element society, this can seem devastating, scary and frustrating. We feel as if we are being distracted from life.

The acupuncture channels are presented in a way to address this struggle. We are born, and the first years of our lives are devoted to survival: breathing, sleeping and learning to digest food from our environment. This stage is represented by the lung and stomach channels. If we can graduate from this stage in our development, we move into the interactive stage. As a baby begins to crawl and walk, she shows her desire to go out into the world and explore, as represented by the heart and small intestine channels. However, everything the child discovers in her exploration, she must bring back into herself. This process is represented by the bladder channel shuttling information into the kidney, where it interacts with the self. From there, a personality is formed, as are perceptions of the world through the "self-differentiation" stage of the pericardium and gallbladder channels.

The challenge of health concerns; brought about by ageing, genetic-predispositions, lifestyle choices or trauma; are part of the natural spiritual unfolding in life. It is through these challenges that we are able to learn about ourselves and develop the virtues. This is a natural process that occurs within the "self-differentiation" stage of development. It is written into the code of the body; as represented by the progression of the acupuncture channels; that something will come into our lives and direct us inwards to modify our way of seeing ourselves and the world.

Perceptions of the world and ourselves are molded through the pericardium channel. This is the channel frequently used to treat trauma. As we venture out into the world as children, the pure "water" of our kidneys (or self) can become clouded with external influences. Disappointments, internalized perceptions from others and physical trauma can create a marshy environment within "the water." The pericardium can create a "barrier" between the heart and ourselves. We may begin to see ourselves, or the world, through the filter of our clouded perceptions, based on the "heart pains" experienced during our development.

When health concerns stop us in our tracks, we are being asked to "concentrate on our vitality, purify, cleanse," and "listen to our profound intuition," as suggested by the Tao Te Ching. Within the channels of self-differenciation, occur a process where we are able to sort through accumulated perceptions, experiences and beliefs. Our Hearts have pulled much information, and many experiences, into our Kidneys throughout life. It is the Gallbladder that determines what promotes and supports our health and true sense of self, and what eats away at it.

Through the introspective period of the healing process, a purification and rectification occur. We are able to refine our experiences and discard the garbage. We are hopefully able to redefine how we see ourselves and the world in ways that promote and support our health and growth.

Commitment to the purification and rectification processes are key to transformation in healing. Symptoms often increase in intensity when we resist the body's request to slow down and direct our attention inwards. The Gallbladder gives us the choice: do we wish to address our past, our lifestyle choices, our beliefs; or would we prefer to keep them in a state of repression?

There is no judgement attached to our choices, but there are consequences. Anything kept in a state of repression within the body will generate heat, which will slowly consume the resources of the body, leading to degeneration and ageing.

Taoist, Confucian and Buddhist philosophy all believe that eventually we will have to deal with our "heart pain." These philosophies believe in re-incarnation. If something is not resolved in this life, it will be carried onto the next. And for those of us who do not believe in re-incarnation, there is also the image of inheritance. That which we have not resolved can be passed on to our children through the genetic line.

Commitment to honoring our bodies and minds comes from self-care. Allowing time to be quiet, reflect and listen to the messages our body is trying to convey. Acupuncture is a type of body-oriented meditation, where the mind is focused on the body through the treatment.

When patients come to me with symptoms, my job is to listen and interpret the messages. The acupuncture treatment is a type of ritual where symptoms are honored and acknowledged. I use my medical knowledge to identify the switches that are asking to be turned on or off via the acupuncture points at any given time. Each treatment focuses the patient's mind in a specific way: bringing up sublimated information, moving blockages and fortifying the body's energy. The sun is allowed to shine through the clouds, illuminating the pristine water. From there, the patient's mind and body can make choices as to what they wish to discard, transform or cultivate.

It is through commitment to this ritualized practice that healing occurs. As with meditation or martial arts practice, cultivation comes through practice. Devoting time and space to being quiet and directing the attention inwards allows the transformation to take place. Freedom from suffering, confusion and pain are the results.

I find this process very supportive when in the midst of a health concern. Seeing health and disease this way has helped me step away from feeling like a victim. It is empowering to think that my health difficulties are part of my spiritual evolution; as is understanding that the body is not "betraying" me when I get sick. The body provides us with symptoms to alert us that there is something we need to pay attention to. The symptoms come from love; not from punishment. Our spirits want to evolve. Disease can simply be a vehicle to achieve this.

Who Am I Anyway?

"This above all: to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man." This wildly popular quote comes from Shakespeare's Hamlet. It is perhaps one of the most quoted lines from Shakespeare within our culture.

"To thine own self be true" is a lovely idea, often regarded as one of Shakespeare's pure lines of wisdom. However, when taken in context within Hamlet, it is ironic. This line is spoken by the character Polonius, who is neither known for his wisdom nor integrity. He is in-fact, seen more as an image-obsessed busy-body, mistaken in every judgement he makes throughout the play. It is interesting that our culture has adopted a line from this character concerning true self-expression as one of its most beloved, yet misunderstood, quotations.

What does it mean to be true to oneself? Who are we anyway? Are we what our parents have created us to be? Are we a product of our culture and environment? Or are we born with a seed of individuality that seeks to blossom and grow throughout our lives?

Classical Chinese Medicine has devoted the bulk of its medical philosophy to these questions. To the Taoists, life is continual interplay between the Shen (or spirit) and the Jing (the essence or genetic code). Confucian philosophy stresses the effect the social world has on the interplay between the "Jing Shen." Chinese Medicine is composed of theories from both of these dominant Chinese philosophies.

Within Chinese Medicine, we are created from the union of our spirit with the essential-genetic-code provided by our parents. The spirit chooses an essence to merge with so it may live out the life lesson it desires to explore. Within this "essence" is the family, ethnicity and environment.

Within Chinese Medicine, all phenomenal material, including personality types can be classified into the five elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water.

Conflict is seen as a given and necessary component to growth. It is also seen as endemic to life. There are certain elements that are harmonious with one another, and others that are naturally in conflict. Some elements nurture, and others balance and oppose. Through these conflicts, the drama of life is played out.

Medically, patients come into my office, often with physical, mental and emotional symptoms that are manifestations of elemental conflicts. Sometimes the conflict is between their spirit and their environment. Sometimes the conflict is between the two aspects of themselves: their spirits and their essence.

There is a frequent theme within Chinese Medicine, relating to trauma and its potential to disturb the mind and body. Much of my clinical practice directly or indirectly relates to this theme. A common complaint from patients is "stress." When stress becomes overwhelming, it creates trauma, which can alter a person's body, mind and even personality.

An example of the effects of overwhelming stress is rheumatoid arthritis, where the actual physical structure of the body is altered and damaged. Western Medicine likes to call these types of conditions autoimmune, and often explain them as "genetically based." However, from a Chinese Medical point of view, rheumatoid arthritis can be seen as the body's response to overwhelming stress. When physical or mental-emotional stress become overwhelming and threaten to damage the form or function of the internal organs, the body, in its wisdom, diverts the "issue" into the joints, where it can be kept dormant. The joints are a far safer place for an "issue" to reside than the vital internal organs. Anything being held within the body will create inflammation as the immune system contends with it. The inflammation will literally burn up the tissues of the body the longer the "issue" is being held. To hold an "issue" within the internal organs can be potentially deadly. Whereas, within the joints, degeneration is slower. The body buys itself time, in hopes that the issue can be treated and resolved before it burns up the body.

I like to use the term "issue," to be as general as possible. The "issue" can be a physical pathogen such as virus, bacteria and fungus, or an emotion such as grief, anger, fear. Within Chinese Medicine, body and mind are not seen as separate.They follow similar pathogenic progression and cause similar destruction to the body and mind.

Western treatment of rheumatoid arthritis often focuses on cooling the inflammatory process. From a Chinese Medical point of view, this is treating the body's immune response instead of treating the issue itself. The inflammation is causing pain and tissue destruction. Yet, it is not the root of the condition. Drugs such as anti-inflammatory steroids actually weaken the immune system, potentially driving the issue deeper into the body, eventually to the internal organs themselves. This is similar to treating psychological issues with drugs that dull the emotions. The drugs do nothing to help resolve and release the underlying issues: they merely mask them, ultimately weakening the person overall.

Examples of mental disorders from overwhelming stress are personality changes and behavioral disorders. Both examples; physical and mental alteration; can come from the same source: stress. Stress can be defined as any force, mental-emotional or physical, that challenges the body. Overwork is an example of this, as are interpersonal and introspective conflicts. A person who physically pushes his body beyond its natural limits will create stress. This can include overwork, heavy lifting and improper diet. Mentally, stress is created when emotions are inadequately processed or expressed.

Why do we push ourselves beyond our body's limits? Why do we pretend to be someone we are not? Why do we hold emotions in, instead of expressing them? Many of us do these things because of the demands and expectations put upon us by the external environment.

This process can begin very early in our lives. We are born a certain elemental type. Our spirit chooses the family we are born into. However, the family we are born into can be composed of conflicting elemental types.

Here's an example: a water type girl is born into a family led by two fire personalities. Her natural tendency is to be introspective and quiet. She prefers to play on her own, and has a tendency to be rather fearful and controlling at times. Her parents, being outgoing, expansive, social and exuberant Fire types, think there is something wrong with their daughter. They wonder, "why is she so quiet? Why is she playing alone all the time?" They encourage her to be more social, more excited and outgoing; in other words, more like them. This puts stress on the young girl. Perhaps it even gets to the point where she is criticized for being quiet and introspective. Perhaps this causes difficulties in her social life as well. Maybe she was born into a Fire community. Overtime, this stress could lead to an alteration of the young girl's personality, as well as her body. Her psyche, conscious or unconscious, decides it would be better to change into a Fire type personality in order to fit in with her parents and community.

One could argue that the young girl's personality change was merely "evolution" within the "survival of the fittest" idea. However, years later, I see this girl in my office, complaining that she cannot sleep at night, has panic attacks and is incapable of maintaining a successful relationship. Something was thrown out of balance.

As I examine this young lady, and ask her questions, I am reminded that panic attacks are classical symptoms which can relate to a disturbance in the communication between the heart and kidney energies, or the Shen and the Jing. I have the feeling her symptoms relate to a constitutional trauma within the early years of her life. A different idea than that of Western Medicine, regarding genetics. In this case, the genetic code, or Jing-essence was traumatized, blocking its natural blossoming through her spirit. She exhibits other classical symptoms of this scenario: beam-like tension along her abdomen. These "beams" physically show the blockage between the area of the essence in the lower abdomen and the spirit in the chest.

To treat this young lady, I use constitutional acupuncture channels, to help her transform and expel the trauma blocking her true self-expression. Through this process, she will be reminded, from deep within, of her true elemental nature. She may gain conscious insight of the trauma, or she may simply release via physical and/or emotional detox. She may cry tears that lack a storyline, or expel via a common cold. Consciousness is not always necessary when releasing trauma.

The young lady may also begin to see the world more like when she was a young girl. Her eyes may lose the tint of the Fire elemental mask, and return to that of the Water. Her behavior may slowly revert back to being introspective and quiet. But, most importantly, she will become more comfortable being a Water personality, letting go of the stressful demands on her body and mind from being a false Fire personality.

"To thin own self be true" is a quote more brilliant and insightful than many people understand. Within the play, Polonius, is one of the people who least understand his own wise words. Hamlet in general is a mess of this theme: people acting against their own true nature, causing behavior and judgement problems, which ultimately lead to mass destruction.

This subject is one of the most misunderstood within our culture. I commonly see patients whose imbalances come from wearing a mask, putting their focus on the outer world instead of the inner, and acting primarily from another person's point of view.

To me, "to thine own self be true" hinges upon answering the question, what is our true self? Which self are we living? Herein lies the empowerment. To release any trauma, shed the masks and expel "issues" held in the joints: can set us free, and return us to the innocence of our younger days.

Acupuncture as Spiritual Cultivation and Self-Exploration Therapy

Acupuncture treatment is a way to alieviate symptoms, heal from chronic conditions, let go of sadness and anxiety, change thought patterns. Some patients come with specific ailments that they want gone asap! Others come to maintain health and a sense of balance. I have used acupuncture to support my own spiritual cultivation and mental processing. It has also been a powerful way for me to get to know my body and mind, and to connect to my spirit.

Chinese Medicine, as practiced within my tradition, sees acupuncture as a therapy to support the soul: the embodiment of the spirit. Taoist philosophy believes our spirit chooses the life we are born into as a way to live out its chosen curriculum. Our spirit chooses our parents, our ethnicity, where we live, the body we have, even the difficulties we endure through life. Addictions, health problems, relationships filled with conflict: all of this has been chosen by the spirit.

This is not the concept of Karma, as believed by Buddhism. There is no good or bad connected to the life we are given within Taoist thinking. We do not struggle with alcoholism because we commited some sin in our past life, for example.

The spirit desires completion. It chooses situations and experiences so it may transcend what it does not understand, or has not made peace with. The goal of the spirit is transcendence. Ultimately, this is the path to peace.

Classical Chinese Medicine is based on Taoist spiritual philosophy. Health and disease is seen as the spirit's movement towards transcendence, as played out through the soul. This process becomes our life.

We are born with a temperment: a personality, also chosen by the spirit. Personality profiling is popular within Chinese Medicine, especially within the Five Element Tradition. People can be divided in 5 basic personality types based on the 5 Basic Elements that create the universe: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. We possess all elements within our make-up, however each of us tend to favor one or two elements.

In looking at myself, my body is largely metal in its features. Astrologically, I was born a wood personality. As I was created into physical form, the energies from my parents merged to create my morphology (or physical attributes). This was combined with the energy from the cosmos, or my astrology.

Metal and Wood. There is inherent conflict between these two elements, which has created the conflicts within my life. Wood has a tendency to become stuck in the past, seeing the present through the eyes of the past. Whereas, metal desires living in the moment, and letting go. I often struggle with letting go of the past, which manifests physically as tension in my diaphragm and chest.

The Taoist belief system will not let me see myself as a victim, however. My spirit chose to be born into a Metal body under Wood astrology. My tendency toward weak lungs and overactive liver energy brings experiences into my life so this conflict can be played out, and my spirit can transcend the places I am stuck.

I started going to an acupuncturist many years ago to treat my lung weakness. My intentions were merely physical at the time, until I saw potential to work through underlying reasons for my weaknesses. I am a spiritually-minded person anyway, and the process of working with my temperament and addressing the conflicts within my life, appealed to me. It felt empowering. It gave me understanding and greater insight into who I am. I learned the parts of my self I should work on: to strengthen my constitutional weaknesses and balance the areas I was over-active in.

I've used acupuncture as a way to begin to understand myself. I've also used it as a way to clean up my life, create resolution, work through conflicts. It has been a positive by-product of this process that my physical body has also strengthened.

I no longer suffer from chronic asthma. My digestive problems have disappeared. My compulsive tendencies are easing. The deep, unconscious depression and sadness I lived with for years, is gone. I feel fully supported by the universe, in touch with my spirit. I am working through my poverty-minded belief system. I sleep well. I am able to be productive and successful in a world in which I no longer feel alientated.

These have been revolutionary, life-changing shifts for me. When I first went into acupuncture treatment, all of these areas were big problems in my life. I used to feel very weak. Now I feel strong.

It is a blessing to be able to support others through their transformative process. It is fulfilling to have a part in helping people's pain and physical symptoms disappear. It is truly joyful to witness someone transform their life, find their spirit and let go.

Endocrine Disorders and Acupuncture: Willingness to See the World Differently

Chinese Medicine has a great deal to offer within the understanding and treatment of hormonal-endocrine conditions. Classical Chinese Medicine sees the body, mind and spirit as inseparable; the endocrine system can also be seen in this way.

The endocrine system provides regulation of the body through hormonal secretions. Within Western Medicine, the endocrine system is acknowledged in its effect on structural aspects of the body, such as tissue growth; functional aspects such as metabolism; as well as mental-emotional aspects, such as mood.

The Western concept of the endocrine system can be seen as a body, mind and spirit mechanism through its widespread effect on the entirety of the human system. If we are injured playing basketball, the endocrine system responds to this. Also, if we just went through a trauma such as a breakup from someone we love, the endocrine system will also deal with this. It is the job of the endocrine system to manage the stress within our lives: be it on the physical or mental-emotional level.

Western Medicine is slowly integrating its understanding of the mind-body connection: how the mind and emotions effect the physical body, and vice versa. Classical Chinese Medicine, in its 2000 year history, has always acknowledged this connection.

As I've learned from my clinical practice, acknowledging the effect of the mind and emotions on the physical body is very important. Often patients will come to me with concerns that have not been successfully treated through conventional Western Medicine. More often than not, the missing elements within prior treatment were the mental and emotional aspects to their condition. Treating someone physically for something that is being perpetuated by emotional trauma from the past is likely to continue coming back (or never fully go away in the first place).

All systems within the body are seen as synergistic within Chinese Medicine. The Kidney energy supports the Spleen-Pancreas and Stomach energies. The Heart and Lung energies support the Kidney energy, ect. When trying to effect a therapeutic change within the Stomach for example, support from other systems is often called for. If the Stomach is weak, the Kidney energy may be called upon to help rebuild the fluids and/or function of the weak organ. If the Stomach is overactive with inflammation, the Lung or Pericardium may be called upon to help release the toxic heat.

A common criticism of Western treatment of endocrine disorders is the failure to acknowledge the synergistic relationship between the glands of the body. I frequently see patients being treated for thyroid conditions with medications that only focus on the thyroid. Sometimes they are even encouraged to undergo treatment to have their thyroids destroyed. From a Chinese Medical point of view, this type of treatment strategy is seen as insufficient, even harmful.

The thyroid roughly relates to the Stomach energy within Chinese Medicine. There are physical, mental-emotional and spiritual functions of the Stomach channel. The thyroid sits under an acupuncture point called "The Welcoming of Humanity." However, the thyroid is also seen as a gland relating to the adjustment of the adrenals to the pancreas. Translated into Chinese Medicine: the Kidney energy as adjusting to the Stomach energy.

The "spirit" of the acupuncture point "The Welcoming of Humanity" relates to judgement. The Kidney energy represents the true self, the Stomach represents the social self. The thyroid, as represented by "The Welcoming of Humanity" is the interface between these two aspects of the self relating to discernment and judgement. One can imagine the mental-emotional implications this relationship has on a person.

When a person experiences a trauma that violates the connection between the two aspects of the self, or the Kidney-Stomach connection, this can manifest through the point "The Welcoming of Humanity." It is interesting that symptoms of hyperactive thyroid: heat intolerance, palpitations, nervousness, increased bowel movements and fatigue, are also symptoms of the Stomach Channel. Philosophically, the Stomach relates to our primitive emotions: how we feel about something. When we are uncomfortable with an experience, the Stomach channel will become exuberant, manifesting its discomfort through heat signs and emotional discharge.

Treatment of someone within this scenario may involve supporting them to metabolize the uncomfortable experience, and/or come to peace with that which is unsettling about the inner self or the outer world. To achieve this "healing," the Heart, Spleen or Kidney channels may also be called upon to support the Stomach. To treat the Stomach channel on its own is probably not going to cut it, especially when working with the thyroid. The treatment must acknowledge the connection between the Stomach and its fellow channels, or the thyroid and its fellow glands.

To adequately affect endocrine conditions, one often has to work with a person's perception of the world. This strategy involves working with the sense organs. As acupuncture is mind-body medicine, this strategy carries both physical as well as mental-emotional connotations. This can include working on a person's environmental allergies, manifesting through the eyes or nose; or food allergies, as relating to the mouth and throat. Or, a person can be "allergic" or highly sensitive to the world. To treat all of these areas, one must work with the sense organs. It is the Stomach channel that travels to all of the sense organs of the face.

The Stomach is supported by the Small Intestine channel both physically and spiritually. After the Stomach has begun the initial assimilation of food or worldly experience, it is the Small Intestine that further "sorts and separates." Philosophically, it is the Stomach that "welcomes" and "feels" the stimuli. The Small Intestine gives meaning to the stimuli, judging it as "good" or "bad," as it relates to one's inner self (the kidney).

What all of this philosophical-medical imagery means is, changing perception of either oneself or the world can be key to treating endocrine disorders.

I will not discount the fact that people do come with conditions that are purely physical. Not everyone wants to work on the mental-emotional-spiritual level. What is nice about acupuncture is the fact that all acupuncture points treat both the physical and mental-emotional-spiritual simultaneously.

It must be said that it's not merely the application of needles into acupuncture points that creates healing: it is the rapport created through the therapeutic relationship between healer and patient. The acupuncturist may lead the way. But it is the willingness of the patient that allows the change. The body possesses a natural desire for health. The therapeutic work is often the process of clearing away all that blocks the natural capacity of the body to heal; be it thoughts, emotions, virus, bacteria, or stagnant blood and fluids.

The willingness to change and let go is the most powerful event within the healing process. To see the world differently can be life and health-changing.

The Body is a Self-Healing Mechanism

Years ago, I had a Reiki client who was an environmentalist by vocation. It was his job to heal the country's rivers. The river he was in charge of at the time was the Hanalei River in Kauai, Hawaii. I was always intrigued by his work. He told me rivers possess self-regenerative capacity. If they cease being poisoned, they will find their way back to health. Rivers will clean themselves, restoring their natural balance.

My friend and his work healing rivers came to mind in light of the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. I am heartened by the words of my friend, reminding me of the Earth's capacity to heal itself and restore natural order.

I'm also inspired by the story of the Hanalei River as a metaphor for the human body. We, as humans, are part of the earth. We are just as "natural" as the trees and rivers. Only, perhaps not as wise or "connected" all the time.

As an acupuncturist, I believe in the body's ability to regenerate and heal itself. Often, the process of healing is merely stopping behaviors or thought-patterns that are poisoning or blocking the rivers within the body.

There is a quote I particularly like from one of the medical classics, stating there is no such thing as "true deficiency," only relative deficiency from the misappropriation of the body's resources. None of us are truly weak or lacking. We may appear to be weak, deficient in blood, without adequate money, love or confidence. However, the classic Nan Jing would say this is only "our foolishness" obscuring, or blocking things.

Within my acupuncture practice, I support people to heal themselves. The acupuncture channels of the body were named after the 12 major rivers of China. They behave like rivers that dump into the "sea" or organ they are associated with. When blockages are removed, and poisonous behavior and/or thoughts are stopped, the rivers can restore natural balance, resulting in systemic health.

This is the true work that is done within my office: working to let go of that which damages the body. Thoughts created from past experiences, or emotions that have not been released can often be some of the most toxic offenders to the body.

It is believed within Chinese Medicine that unresolved mental or emotional material stagnates the blood and congeals the fluids. Stagnant emotions and thoughts create heat in the body. Heat can become so strong, it literally burns up the fluids and structures of the body. Heat also congeals blood and fluids into masses or tumors, called "fire toxins" within Chinese Medicine. This is believed to be one of the etiologies that cause Cancer.

Toxic heat can also be produced through inappropriate diet, smoking, recreational drugs, and other lifestyle choices incompatible with health.

Addiction and habit are two of the most challenging blocks to letting go of toxic thoughts and behavior. However the addictive behavior is only the symptom. The cause of addiction is frequently a trauma having occurred to the mind or body sometime in the person's past.

Acupuncture excels in helping people release trauma from the past, allowing them to let go of toxic behaviors or thought patterns. Once toxic material is released, the person can allow the rivers and seas within their bodies to regenerate and heal.

Acupuncture Before Surgery

Many people seem to undergo acupuncture treatment as a last resort, after conventional medical intervention has failed.

Yesterday, a patient of mine, suffering from severe and unrelenting pain, said he wished he'd known about acupuncture before he'd underwent surgery several months ago. The surgical process appeared to have caused further weakening to his body without helping the pain. I was happy to hear that the acupuncture treatment he received in my office greatly reduced his pain without any negative side-effects. He seemed upset that he'd underwent surgery before trying acupuncture first.

Many people have heard acupuncture works, yet distrust its effectiveness based on scant scientific evidence or its lack of support from their doctors.

It can be challenging to have full trust in a non-traditional therapy like acupuncture, as most Western doctors have very little understanding of the theory and potential of Chinese Medicine.

Clinical studies, which are rooted in the Western Scientific method are inappropriate in assessing the efficacy of acupuncture treatment. These studies focus on treatment of the disease or condition. Chinese Medicine focuses on treatment of the individual, and does not treat conditions. Three people with the same symptoms will inevitably be given different treatments by a competent acupuncturist. No two people possess the same physiological and pathological makeup. To treat the individual requires a tailor-made acupuncture treatment that will address the specifics of the person with the symptoms. This type of therapy cannot be measured in the standard Western scientific method. It is a very different process then proscribing pills or procedures based on symptoms.

To develop trust in acupuncture, the principles of the medicine must be understood.

I had a phone conversation the other day with a patient who was under the impression that acupuncture was merely palliative care for pain: most likely an idea given to him by his doctor. I understand why this thought exists. It can be difficult to wrap the mind around the concept of acupuncture. How can the insertion of needles into the skin have the power to alter the structure of the body? It is merely the orientation of the mind that causes this difficulty. In Chinese Medicine, the body is acknowledged as having regenerative capability. Incidentally, Western medicine believes this as well. The Liver can regenerate itself after alcohol abuse: this is acknowledged. Yet, somehow this capacity to regenerate is not extended to the rest of the body within the Western mindset.

Central to Chinese Medical theory is the understanding that function effects form. When the body's function is strong, the regenerative force will also be strong. The body can rebuild any damaged part of itself. However, if there is blockage within the regenerative force, this capacity will be weakened.

It can be quicker to have a surgeon cut into the body and manually rebuild a damaged structure. However, this process does nothing to strengthen the body's innate self-regenerative mechanism. The trauma of the surgery will cause further damage for the body to deal with. If the patient is strong, this may not be such a problem. However, if the function of the body is already compromised, the regenerative capacity will most likely also be weakened.

A strength of acupuncture is the capacity to strengthen the body's function, without causing the burden of further trauma. It frees any blockage to the regenerative force as it supports the expulsion of pathology.

I am not suggesting that surgery is a bad thing. A good friend of mine feels the back surgery he underwent saved his life. He felt instantly better after the procedure, and healed rather quickly. He obviously possessed a strong constitution, which allowed him to recover quickly from the surgery. However, I'm not confident that this is always taken into account when a doctor suggests surgery.

It is my hope that understanding of acupuncture will continue to expand within mainstream consciousness. A minimally invasive therapy such as acupuncture, with very little side-effects, can be a tremendous help to those suffering from pain and debility. I think many people would be happy to forgo the difficulty of surgery if they can avoid it.

West and East: Two Different Ways of Looking at the Body

Two weekends ago I was happy to see a major article about acupuncture in the New York Times. While the article provides greater exposure for acupuncture treatment, I was struck by the overall lack of understanding of the medicine. To understand eastern therapies such as acupuncture, one must become familiar with the way the ancient east viewed the body.

During my acupuncture studies, I quickly became aware that the western biological view is not the only truth relating to physiology and pathology within the human body. The ancient Chinese developed a method of viewing and understanding the body that is equally as valid as the west.

The main difference between east and west can be seen through the aspects of the body the medical systems focus upon. The west has developed its system based on the material aspect of the human body: that which can be seen. The Chinese model focuses on the part of the body that is immaterial: that which cannot be seen. Both of these aspects, however, can be measured. The west uses blood tests, machines, x-rays and microscopes to measure health and disease within the body. Chinese medicine uses the pulse to measure the flow of the invisible energetic chemistry of the body, able to discern health and disease based on highly sophisticated methods of measuring 12 distinct pulses on the radial artery.

To the Chinese, the superior medicine is that which can detect disease before it has manifested within the physical body. The pulse shows physiological disturbances before they have given rise to symptoms, changes in the blood, body fluids, or perhaps even cells.

When I refer to the "energetic chemistry" of the body, I am speaking of the "qi" that is the root of all movement, and therefore all life within the human body. I like to describe qi in this manner: we know that the heart beats and pulses blood throughout the body. Western medicine often refers to the beat of the heart as an electrical energy. This electrical energy is the qi. It is qi that makes the heart beat, the lungs respirate and the bowels have peristalsis.

The Chinese medical model has mapped out pathways of qi movement throughout the body. Each major organ possesses a channel that circulates qi throughout various parts of the body. For example, part of the Stomach channel flows through the stomach and pancreas organs up to the sensory orifices of the face. The qi of this channel can be measured on the right wrist. The qi of the Stomach channel governs all peristaltic activity within the body, as well as perceptive capability of the senses.

There is confusion surrounding the acupuncture channels. As qi is invisible, the channels of qi are also invisible. The channels do not travel along the nerves or within the blood vessels. Of course, there is qi within these structures, as there is qi within everything. However, the channels themselves are invisible structures that conduct an invisible humor that allows for all movement within the body. The qi moves the blood and body fluids; the qi rebuilds the tissues of the body. Food and air are converted into types of qi in the body that become the body's resources.

The networks by which qi flow can be felt, if not seen. It is common to feel the qi move through an entire channel during acupuncture treatment. When a popular Stomach point near the knee is needled, it is common to feel the qi shoot down the leg into the foot along the Stomach channel. The sensation is not travelling through the nerve, but through the invisible acupuncture channel. As points are needled during acupuncture treatment, the pulses will change, as the qi has been adjusted. The pulse may speed up or slow down, loosen or tighten up, become fuller or thinner, beady or thin, stronger or weaker. Each of these qualities indicates a change within the energetic chemistry of the body as relating to the qi, blood and body fluids.

As eastern and western methods of viewing the body are vastly different, it is impossible to use measurement from either system to validate or invalidate the other. Western medical tests are completely unsuitable to measure that which is invisible, therefore unsuitable to measure or validate the acupuncture channels of Chinese Medicine: just as one wouldn't use the pulse to describe what was occurring withing the cells of the Liver. The pulse can tell what is going on in the Liver, but it is an unsuitable method to describe the manner in which Western Medicine is looking at the body. The pulse cannot describe cell growth, cell division ect., just as cellular tests cannot describe whether there is stagnation or deficiency of qi within the Liver channel.

My greatest hope is that east and west will discover that they are two sides of the same coin. They are not in competition. They need not invalidate one another. Each describes an aspect of the body. Each have developed highly sophisticated methods of viewing and measuring human physiology. The West focuses on the material aspect of the human being, while Chinese medicine focuses on the immaterial as it becomes material. One cannot fully understand either system without honoring the unique way that system sees the body. To use Western medical tests to validate and understand Chinese Medicine is counter-productive. It would be more productive to understand the richness of pulse diagnosis, and open to the eastern view of the world. The Chinese have done this in regards to the West. In China, eastern and western medicine are practiced side-by-side in hospitals. In one such hospital, the stroke ward is made up of mostly acupuncture, while other areas of the hospital are highly western. Wouldn't it be wonderful to see Western hospitals taking a similar approach? I feel that the medical system in general, as well as its patients, would benefit.

Treatment of the Spirit and the Blood

The spirit desires freedom, completion and movement. The ancient Chinese say the spirit resides within the blood. Western medicine warns of the danger of diminished blood flow within the body and its effects on the heart. According to the Center of Disease Control, heart disease is the leading cause of death within the United States. Within Chinese Medicine, the heart is seen as the residence of the spirit.

Classical Chinese Medicine always contains a thread of spirituality within its understanding of the physiology of the body and the pathology of disease. The chief medical text within acupuncture states, "all diseases are rooted in the spirit." To translate this into modern Western Medical language, one could say, all diseases are rooted in the blood.

The blood requires uninhibited free movement for its health. The heart is free from stress, the breath is deep and unimpeded, and the mind is clear.

There is a school of Classical acupuncture which focuses on treating the blood. The basis of this school of thought believes blood stasis is the root of all degenerative conditions, mental illness, addictive behavior, and emotional distress.

To treat the blood is to treat the spirit. To treat the spirit is to connect to the higher self to move beyond mental, emotional or physical blockages creating disease and dysfunction.

How can acupuncture treat the blood? Acupuncture is the process of moving energy within the body. This movement affects the flow of blood within the body. There are many acupuncture points with the chief function of invigorating blood flow.

The art of acupuncture is being able to assess where a person's blood flow has become stagnant. The state of a person's mental and emotional state is a good indicator. As are various other physical symptoms, including swellings.

What does the blood have to do with the emotions and mind? The spirit resides within the heart. The heart controls the blood. The spirit expresses itself through the mind and emotions. This may sound like a stretch for some. Yet, to the ancient Chinese, this was elementary. An entire system of mental-emotional assessment and treatment was created based on this understanding. The most powerful way to validate this theory comes through the powerful results treatment can provoke.

Here's an example: A brain tumor. All conditions are specific to the individual presenting them. Within Classical Chinese Medicine, it is the individual that is being treated, not the condition. Each person is unique. Therefore, each condition an individual possesses is unique as well. Conditions can come from dysfunction within the body, mind or spirit. Therefore, all examples are simply possibilities.

A brain tumor can result from a dysfunction within the blood flow relating to the Stomach channel. Fascinating, right? The Stomach governs a person's ability to have feelings. We know the Stomach helps digest food, but it also helps digest experiences of the world. It is the initial internal contact with the world. It relates to the way we feel about the world in a relatively primitive way. When the Stomach's blood is affected, it can result in extreme emotional expression to the point of irritation and mania. As this process progresses, a person can develop weakness within their lower legs, feelings of loss of direction in life, and swellings along the course of the channel, which travels into the Brain.

Swellings are often associated with blood stasis conditions. The blood is associated with mental-emotional movement. The term "stasis" means something is stuck: often some type of emotion, thought or experience. In the example, to treat the tumor, one would need to treat the spirit via treating the blood. Treatment would focus on helping the person resolve and let go of the stuck material within the Stomach Channel.

Simply needling the acupuncture points may not be enough. When treating the mind and emotions, the spirit must be engaged through talking. An acupuncturist trained in this type of treatment knows the type of questions to ask. Each channel possesses physical, mental and emotional functions and associations. The Stomach channel relates to family, boundaries, assimilation, contentment, integrity and thought. It often amazes me, as I needle certain acu points, patients will begin talking about subjects that relate to the associated acupuncture channel or point. It's the patients who continually validate the system for me.

A person comes for treatment often for a physical symptom, comes to understand the deeper mental-emotional root of the condition, and ideally resolves both the symptoms as well as the underlying conflicts. Through working with the spirit, a person can regain freedom, break out of mental-emotional patterns, change destructive behavior, as well as heal the physical body.

Chinese Medicine possesses an extremely sophisticated understanding of the energetic physiology of the body. To me, however, it is the understanding of the development and movement of the mind and emotions that sets Chinese Medicine apart. I have seen the power of the spirit to heal. A wise teacher told me "symptoms, including behavior, are merely messages from the body." To her, it was the spirit that carried these messages into consciousness. The spirit desires freedom. To work with the spirit affects all levels within the body. Therapy that can work on all these levels can be truly life-changing.

Acupuncture is Empowerment Therapy

As I continue to experience the power and wisdom of Chinese Medicine, I myself gain illumination into my own healing process. A large part of my acupuncture practice is the treatment of mental-emotional issues. It is very common for people to come to me for treatment of a physical ailment, which becomes a jumping off point for deeper work they've been wanting to do.

I myself always view conditions of the body and mind in a spiritual light. It is helpful for me to find meaning within the suffering endemic to life. I want to know why the shoulder hurts. And if the shoulder pain can be an entrance into discovering a hidden truth about myself, this is very exciting to me. Of course, sometimes shoulder pain can simply be from lifting too many weights at the gym. And that is fine. Let's treat it and be done with it! But if the pain is a manifestation of something stuck on a deeper level, I am the type of practicioner that is willing to support my patient work through it, release it and move on.

Within my search to understand myself and my own suffering, I came to the profession of acupuncture. All it took was working with an acupuncturist in East Hampton. Somehow working with her allowed me to develop an understanding and respect for myself and the wisdom of my body. Through studying the medicine myself, I've been able to understand my patterns, see where I'm stuck, and develop compassion, patience and understanding for my "issues."

I bring this compassion and patience to the people I work with. I'm often asked by patients how long it will take until the condition will get better. This is frequently one of the first questions I'm asked. The true answer is, it's hard to say. The process of healing is first a detective search for the cause of the condition. Sometimes we have the answers, sometimes it takes some digging and waiting for them to appear. I use the word we, since both me and the patient are working together within the treatment room. I believe the patient has the answers. They may be buried or hidden. It is my job to open the layers of the body and clear away the obstructions that may be blocking awareness of these answers. I support and fortify the energies of the body to help in this process. But it is the patient that is doing a lot of the work. First of all, it is the patient that has the courage to come in for treatment, to look at themselves, to talk and surrender to the experience of learning about themselves. I am always greatly moved by this courage.

Through the theories and experience I possess as an acupuncturist, I can guide a patient through their process of opening, clearing and rebuilding. It's not my job to push, or expect anything. I follow the lead of the patient. Through the clues I receive via the symptoms they are presenting, or the topics they choose to speak about, the patient leads me to the appropriate treatment. I remain patient: it is up to the person I'm working on to decide how long they need to take within any level we are working. How long will it take? As long as you need.

I am always amazed at how many people judge themselves harshly concerning the difficulties in their physical or mental life. Some people come to me feeling as if they are guilty or at fault for their condition. I'm moved to my core. I recognize myself in this. It has been tremendously redemptive for me to learn about the progression of emotional and/or physical conditions. I am understanding why it was such a big deal for the ancient Chinese when a medical book was published which explained why people get sick. Before that, the people believed they were getting sick as some sort of punishment for their sins. Amazingly, this type of thinking still occurs. Often from some of the most educated, worldly people.

It may sound strange, but it has been redemptive to learn how an emotional experience can get stuck in the chest and progress all the way to obsessive-compulsive behavior, constipation or even cancer. There is a pathway that opens up: a way back to health and freedom. Once the person can return to the original stuck material, they can work on letting it go, regaining health and freedom. Compassion can be cultivated, as well as a sense of direction. I always say acupuncture is an empowerment therapy at its root. The obsessive-compulsive addictive behavior is not because you are crazy or sinful or bad: it may be simply because there is an emotional trauma stuck in the chest, having gone into the level of the unconscious, and is expressing itself through behavior instead of thought. There is a rational wisdom here that encourages forgiveness and active surrender.

Who is it that said "whatever doesn't kill you will make you stronger?" This is also my view. The healing process empowers a person. How great does it feel when we accomplish something challenging and see results? It can feel even better to heal from a condition, especially one that doctors say is "severe" or "serious." It certainly makes us stronger: it gives us tremendous insight into ourselves, and if we allow it, self-respect and self-love. And if we can reflect all of that outwards toward our fellow man, the good as been amplified ten-fold.

The fact that a collection of needles inserted shallowly into points on the body can do all of this is miraculous. The treatment and medical theory is impressive. Equally impressive and necessary is the effort and commitment of the patient and practicioner: working together to heal.

Detox and the Return to Innocence

There is a term used within acupuncture treatment known as "the healing crisis": a rather dramatic name for a common occurrence. This "crisis" is perhaps more palatable when called a "detox period."

Many conditions that afflict the body-mind-spirit are the result of stagnation and accumulation. Some illustrative examples of this are: allergens getting stuck in the eyes, ears and nose. Otherwise known as allergies. The immune energy keeps the condition stuck in the head to prevent it from moving into the interior of the body where more serious harm could result. The body experiences an inflammatory immune reaction as it repeatedly tries to expel and/or contain the condition.

The same process can occur with psycho-emotional material as well. An experience occurs, and the body is unable to brush it off and let it go. The experience and the thoughts or emotions created from it become stuck in the chest. Agitation, restlessness and chest tightness result. The body tries to bring the emotions and thoughts up to the tongue to be released through the voice. Yet, if that fails, the unreleased energy moves back into the chest. The body will continue to try and release the stuck emotions via bringing it to the shoulders, maybe to the skin, and then to the ears and mouth: manifesting as physical and/or mental-emotional symptoms. If the issue is still not able to be released, it can move into the lower back, ribs, and finally stomach and intestines. Just like the example with allergies, similar stuckness can occur with unreleased emotions and thoughts.

When something is stuck it creates pain. Stuck energy also contributes to the accumulation of blood and fluids: a fibroid, weight gain, nasal polyps, acne: these are all examples.

Healing becomes the process of letting go of the stuckness, as well as expelling the accumulations that have occurred as a result. This is often achieved through the detox process of the healing crisis.

Acupuncture treatment works in two main ways: through building the strength and resources of the body so a full release can be achieved. Both the allergies that continually manifest in a low-grade manner, as well as the emotional holdings that progressively manifest as psycho-somatic symptoms are the result of an underlying insufficiency of energy and fluids to fully expel whatever is stuck. Perhaps the immune system has become taxed from the diet, or a person is caught up in guilt that has depleted his ability to let go of the past. Both of these scenarios can contribute to the creation of an insufficiency of energy, preventing the body from fully letting go and expelling a physical or mental-emotional pest.

Acupuncture, as it has been taught to me, owes its power to its ability to treat the individual. It does not treat diseases: it treats people who possess certain symptoms and imbalances. The treatment focuses upon the unique condition of the patient. Two persons complaining of wheezing will most likely be treated in totally different ways. Even though they possess the same symptom, they are two different people, with two different stories that have caused their symptoms. Perhaps one man's wheezing comes from a physical weakening of the kidney energy from longterm use of steroidal medications. And perhaps the other's wheezing comes from longterm unresolved fear or grief disturbing the harmonious relationship between his lung and kidney energies. Different points and different strategies will be used for each case, always based on the individual.

Once the patient's energy has been strengthened, he will begin the process of the release. It may take the form of a fluid release: nasal discharge, urination and sweat in the form of a common cold. Perhaps it will come out through the bowels. Or maybe it will be released through emotional discharge: crying or instant understanding of the issue.

I write this blog entry from inspiration I have received this week. I have been home all week with a cold. My nose has been runny, my head has ached, my throat was sore, and I've been urinating constantly. Interestingly, these cold symptoms have also been joined with a great deal of emotional release as well. Did I catch a cold from someone around me? In this case I don't think so.

I have been receiving acupuncture treatment weekly for quite awhile, understanding that a detox period was coming. During my week of detox many insights and memories arose. A new understanding of past disappointments, a rectification with the past occurred. Also, a sense of renewed innocence, hope and excitement sprung forth quite surprisingly. Who knew a cold could be such a sacred experience?

Perhaps one of the nicest things about a cold is the body's demand for calm and rest. It can be very difficult to allow a full release of "the baggage" when one's life is filled with the busyness of daily responsibilities and distractions. The body is wise. It knows what it needs. When one has made the decision to let go of the junk, the body will create a situation for this to occur.

Of course, retreating from the world for an entire week, layed up in bed with a messy cold could cause many people great frustration, perhaps even a sense of depression. Many people just keep going, refusing to acknowledge that anything is happening.

I've always seen acupuncture as a spiritually-based healing method at its root. It is no mistake that most spiritual disciplines require stillness and quiet reflection as pre-requisites for developing inner clarity and freedom. Within the spiritual "medical" treatment that is acupuncture, the healing crisis is the body's call for attention and focus as release is occurring.

The clearing of accumulations and stagnations can be seen as a return to innocence. The Buddhists often describe the enlightened state as the ability to see the world as a baby sees it: full of wonder, as if seeing it for the first time. Think if it: fluid being released from the nose, mouth and eyes: quite a physical metaphor for clearing from the organs of perception anything blocking the enlightened state of experiencing the world.

Acupuncture and "Serious" Degenerative/Autoimmune Conditions

I am very excited to share my experience treating patients with so-called "serious" conditions, such as autoimmune, cancer and degenerative diseases. My excitement comes from the positive healing experiences I've witnessed treating these conditions with acupuncture.

The power of acupuncture lies in its ability to fortify and rebuild the body's self-healing mechanism, while expelling pathogens damaging the tissues, blood and organs. Strategies within Chinese Medicine acknowledge the need to support the body's strength when eradicating harmful pathogenic factors causing disease and degeneration. A delicate balance must be maintained during treatment to prevent a further weakening of a patient's system while trying to clear inflammation or break up tumors.

Chinese Medicine was developed during the Han Dynasty of 200 B.C.E. This was an agrarian society which was centered around agriculture and very connected to the land. Pathogens, viewed through germ theory within the Western Medical tradition, are seen as wind, cold, heat and dampness within Chinese Medicine. The ancient Chinese viewed the human body as a microcosm of the Earthly elements. Therefore the body was seen to possess "weather," just like the Earth. A "wind" condition is seen as such from the nature of how it presents. Wind moves and travels, it can come on sudden, and it is often volatile and unpredictable. Cold causes things to become stuck, putting out the healthy heat of the body. Dampness congeals; it is wet and is often sticky and heavy. Heat consumes, it is hot, red and often very volatile. Germ theory can be seen through the filter of Chinese Medicine, just as the climatic factors of Chinese Medicine can be viewed through the filter of the germ theory.

Treatment through acupuncture aims to expel these pathogenic factors from the body to prevent further damage. In actuality, acupuncture supports the body in doing this itself. The body possesses self-healing, self-regulating and defensive mechanisms to prevent and resolve any pathogenic invasion. It is only when the body is over-run by a particularly strong pathogen, or when the body is weak that it requires the help of medical intervention. Chinese medicine intervenes to support the natural mechanisms of the body in healing itself.

The body possesses many ways of expelling harmful pathogens. When the body is strong, a wind-cold or wind-heat (viral or bacterial) pathogen is released from the body via the fluid system. The body sweats, sneezes or urinates the pathogen out of the body. However, if the immune system, associated with the Lung and Large Intestine Channels within acupuncture, are weak, a pathogen can gain entrance into the deeper layers of the body. This process creates inflammation, which ultimately consumes the resources of the body. The system becomes weakened, while the pathogen becomes lodged. Degeneration begins to occur: the body's strength diminishes, while intermittent attacks occur. The condition seems to come and go, all the while reeking unseen damage on the interior of the body.

Acupuncture helps to reverse the process of degeneration. The inflammation is cleared. To do this however, the body must be supported in creating adequate fluids to expel the heat. The system is strengthened at the same time it is purged. The immune energy must also be supported, so as to prevent the treatment from further weakening the patient.

I've seen numerous patients who've complained treatment from their Western doctors have drastically weakened their systems, sometimes seeming as if the treatment was hurting them more than the condition. Side-effects of drugs and surgeries are common complaints of patients.

Acupuncture treatment merely supports the body's innate self-healing mechanisms. It does not put the added stress on the body. Medications and surgeries have helped numerous people heal, however they can also put more stress on the body during the healing process. Medications need to be metabolized: this can put tremendous stress on already weakened digestive systems, further draining much needed energy. Surgeries damage the tissues of the body, requiring additional energy to repair. For a patient suffering from a degenerative disease, they may not possess the energy reserves to devote to the added stress brought on by medications and surgeries.

Acupuncture allows the body to do what it knows how to do: maintain health and restore natural order. When there is excess heat or dampness in the digestive system, the body in its innate wisdom, causes diarrhea to flush it out. When there is wind or cold in the lungs, the body coughs it out in the form of phlegm. No matter how serious the pathogen, the mechanisms for clearing remain the same. No foreign substance need be injected or swallowed to allow this healing to occur. Mere topical stimulation on acupuncture points on the skin can spark the immune system to regain its power to heal itself. This is the reason there are so few side-effects to acupuncture treatment. Nothing is added but energetic support, which reminds the body to do what it knows how to do better than any outside human medical mind.

Once the inflammation is cleared from the body, treatment can focus on resolving the root cause of the condition. Causes can be from external or internal toxins. Pollution, poisoning and weather are examples of external causes; while the emotions, diet and lifestyle are internal causes.

The true goal of acupuncture treatment is eradication of the process that has caused the condition to manifest altogether. This is why there is such a strong psycho-emotional aspect to acupuncture treatment. Often it is a patient's lifestyle or unresolved emotions that cause their medical conditions. Lifestyle choices must be examined. Emotions must be resolved.

Acupuncture is empowerment therapy. It educates patients about their bodies; helps people own their emotions and gain control of their choices. It empowers people to free themselves from the forces that weaken them. This is also the image of the acupuncture needle in treatment. The needle does not put anything into the body: it merely empowers the body and mind to regain control and claim responsibility for its own health and healing. It is one of the most natural, organic healing modalities in existence: and also one of the most effective.

The Power of Energetic Medicine

A different type of thinking is required when accepting acupuncture's therapeutic power. A patient of mine didn't believe me when I said acupuncture could penetrate the joints without needling to go into the joint with a needle. Yes, this is true. Acupuncture is energetic medicine. Energy is something that cannot be seen. It can certainly be felt. Modern physics is perhaps the closest way of seeing acupuncture. The biological way of looking at the body is largely structure-based, while physics concerns itself with energy which is often invisible.

The body is composed of roughly 72 energy channels that travel through all of its exterior and interior. The acupuncture points are located on the external anatomy of the body. However the channels connected to these points delve deep into the interior of the body: into the organs, joints, bones, blood vessels, even the DNA.

There are layers of energy flow within the body. Superficial energy of the skin and muscles, deeper energy of the blood vessels and flesh and the deepest energetic level of the bone and marrow. Each of the these energetic layers can be accessed through acupuncture points along the skin.

When we are able to shift our thinking from the concrete view of substance into that of energy, the science of acupuncture can be grasped. Chinese scientific philosophy sees the universe as composed of energy that takes on different degrees of density. Modern physics shares much of this view. Energy in its most dense form becomes substance: what we feel as solid. The next subtler form is liquid: we can still see it, yet it is less solid, with the ability to change shape. The most subtle degree of energy is the gaseous state. Gas cannot be seen, sometimes it can be felt.

The body possesses each of these degrees of energy: the bone, flesh and organs are solid, the blood and fluids are liquid, and the energy within the channels of the body are gaseous. The fact that each part of our bodies are interconnected, as well as the law that energy can be transformed (not created or destroyed), shows how utilizing the subtlest substance within the body can effect the less subtle substances. Working with energy within the channels of the body sends messages to the flesh, bone, blood and organs. This energy can be transformed from its gaseous state into the liquid state of blood, or even into the solid state of flesh. The subtle, invisible energy manipulated by acupuncturists can build blood or rebuild the flesh; it can even transform pathological substances within the body into something usable by affecting function of the organs of the body.

Energy, like blood, flows and moves. The respiration process described in Western biological science illustrates how subtle energy flows via the blood to all of the tissues of the body, sending messages, exchanging, transforming, promoting healing and growth. The blood moves from the heart into the lungs via blood vessels: the blood carries the oxygen-gas of the lungs throughout the entirety of the body.

The Chinese discovered points along the exterior of the body where the subtle energy flow could be communicated with. Thousands of years of study allowed the Chinese to document which points communicate with which areas of the body. It was discovered that points on the toes for example, communicate with areas as far away as the sense organs of the face; or a point in the lower leg communicates with the genitals; or a point of the arm with the heart.

Beyond simple point energetics, however, channel energy flow shows how the deeper layers of the body are communicated with. Within the energetic anatomy of the body, there are 12 muscular channels that communicate with the muscles and skin of the body; 16 Blood-related channels that communicate with the body's blood vessels; 12 channels that communicate with the internal organs; 12 channels that communicate with the joints and bones; and finally 8 constitutional channels that communicate with the brain, uterus, marrow, spine, as well as the DNA.

Each of the body's roughly 72 channels possess points along the external anatomy of the body. The acupuncturist can access these channels through needling points on the skin. There are various methods of opening the energetic layers of the channels, via needling technique and point combinations.

Through opening the Divergent Channels, which communicate with the joints and bones, conditions within these areas can be addressed. The subtle energy of the channels can be used to clear out or transform any swelling, debris or inflammation within the joints. It can also be used to rebuild the bone and/or cartilage through its transformation into blood and substance, as well as its ability to effect function of the internal organs.

When someone has a problem within a joint, they can go for surgery, have their doctor cut into the joint and remove the debris, or they can take a pill to dampen the fire burning within the joint. Or they can allow an acupuncturist to place a few very thin, painless needles along specific points on the skin, which will send the subtle, gaseous energy of the body into the site of injury to expel the inflammation through urination, rebuild the structure through transforming into nourishing blood, and clear the debris through breaking it down and expelling it.

Addressing the joint problem with acupuncture, however will have very few side-effects. There will be no surgery to recover from, no medication for the body to metabolize, no disruption of the body's natural healthy functioning. While the problem is cleared away, the body will actually be strengthened. To insure the problem is resolved, and doesn't come back, the digestive and immune systems will be fortified at the same time the injury is cleared. This is the beauty of systemic medicine like acupuncture: one can treat the site of pain or disharmony, as well as strengthen the body's health and strength in general.

More people should know about this.

Strengthening Immunity Through Acupuncture

Chinese Medicine is due to take its place as one of the best ways to resolve chronic conditions that are degenerating the body. In order for this to happen, the truth about chronic degenerative conditions must be explored and understood. What is it that causes the body to weaken and become overrun by forces that break it down?

Within classical Chinese medicine, immunity is the most important force within the body. The energy that is the equivalent of the modern concept of the immune system is "yang qi." When the yang qi is strong, outside forces cannot get into the body to cause damage. It is only when the yang qi is weak that germs can cause illness. Why is it that some people do not catch the colds of those around them, and others pick up anything that is going around? The person who remains healthy probably has strong yang qi. Preventative medicine therefore focuses on optimizing the body's yang qi.

Unfortunately, many of us have weakened our yang qi through the use of over-the-counter cold medications, antibiotics, steroid medications, inappropriate diets, emotional overwhelm or overwork. Growing up in Nebraska, every time I caught a cold, my doctor would give me an antibiotic. The cold would go away. However, knowing what I know now, I understand that the antibiotic didn't resolve the condition: it didn't kill the germs as my mother believed, but pushed them deeper into my body. The steroid inhalers I used for years to control my chronic asthma symptoms weakened my body's yang qi.

The ancient Chinese saw the inflammatory response of the immune system as a positive aspect of the healing process. Cold and wind (climatic metaphors for virus and bacteria in Chinese Medicine) were seen as outside forces that come into the body to cause damage. The inflammatory response that cause symptoms we associate with cold and flu is the body's yang qi attempting to resolve the condition. Even within classical Western medicine this was accepted medical thought. "Give me a chance to create a fever and I will cure any disease:"a famous quote by Parmenides. Louis Pasteur is quoted as saying" "the germ is nothing: the terrain is everything."

Yang qi is seen as a heat mechanism within the body that essentially burns up the germs, creates sweat and fluid discharge to flush out the germs. The symptoms of a cold or flu are the positive healing mechanisms to fully resolve a condition in its initial stages. When the symptoms are suppressed, the yang qi of the body is weakened, allowing the germs to make their way into the deeper terrains of the body where they lurk. A lurking condition begins to consume the resources of the body, eventually weakening the person. Anything stuck within the body will create heat. At this stage the heat is different from the productive heat of the yang qi. The heat produced from a stuck external germ is stagnant heat. Almost like the heat produced when we are feeling frustrated. This heat burns us up.

When yang qi is weakened, the problem can be sublimated into the joints. The yang qi is shuttled with the germ into the joint where it continues to fight. This diversion of the yang qi bastardizes it. Instead of remaining on the outer borders of the body where it belongs, it is brought inside, where it causes internal damage.

This brings to my mind the image of a battle within a walled ancient city. When the battle is being fought outside the city gates, there is little damage to the homes and people within the walls of the city. Yet, if the walls are breached, the battle comes inside: homes are burned, people are killed and big problems begin to occur. Imagine this scenario: a city is under attack. The soldiers rush to the outer walls of the city to fight. Yet for some reason, the king of the city decides to remove some of the soldiers from the borders because he needs them to run the shops within the city, as to not disrupt daily city life. The borders become overrun, and the fight continues within the city. Houses are burned, civilians get caught in the crossfire. The internal problems are due to a bad decision by the king. If he would have continued reinforcing the outer borders of the city, the invaders could have been stopped, and internal damage would have been avoided. However, to do this, daily activity within the city would have been interrupted for a time. To me, this seems acceptable if it would prevent the internal domain of the city from being attacked.

This is essentially the process that occurs in the body. Unwillingness to interrupt daily activity allows the battle to move into the internal terrain of the body, allowing temporarily relief, yet causing damage overtime. The deception is: once the condition is allowed into the interior of the body, symptoms may disappear for awhile. The cold symptoms go away, and everything seems fine. Yet, inevitably the condition will reappear in a different form: often that of degeneration.

My mother was taught that fever was dangerous, and needed to be stopped. So she inadvertently gave me medicine that weakened my defenses, allowing the condition to move inside my body, creating internal degeneration: chronic asthma, digestive problems, susceptibility to infection.

It must be stressed that a condition must be controlled through working with a medical professional. At times of attack, the body does require support: fluid regulation, boosting of yang qi. Also, symptoms of the healing process can be eased with acupuncture without weakening the immune energy.

A teacher of mine said he believed acupuncture to be such a powerful healing modality for the simple fact that no substance is put into the body. Acupuncture adjusts the energy within the body; it does not rely on any foreign medication. It strengthens without any residue to be metabolized or detoxed. It is a powerful way to rebuild and maintain the body's defenses against foreign invaders.

Faith and Courage Within Insecurity

This seems to be a time of great fear and uncertainty. I don't recall so many people around me feeling as vulnerable as they appear lately. Certainly the economic difficulties of the past year contribute. Being in a time of war, and the memory of the war being brought to our own land is also contributing to a sense of insecurity. One can retreat into fear and despair at times such as these. However, periods of uncertainty can also allow us to examine the issue of security in general: where does our sense of security come from? What is the base upon which our lives are built? In a world that is constantly shifting, how do we keep from falling apart every time we are faced with change, instability and uncertainty?

Many of the greatest innovations within Chinese Medicine occurred during times of great instability. The time of the Warring States allowed the birth of the great medical classic The Nei Jing, upon which Chinese Medicine is based. Times of epidemic also brought revolutionary contributions to the medicine. These times of difficulty pushed both the medical field and the common folk to examine what it takes to maintain and restore health.

During the time of the Nei Jing a greater emphasis was placed upon personal responsibility in maintaining health. The word responsibility is not meant as a judgmental term. Its intention is not to shame people, but to help set them free. Responsibility gives a person back a sense of control and action. It is very easy to feel a victim when difficulty arises in life: in one's health, financial security or relationships. Being a victim strips a person of responsibility and therefore the ability to change or improve their circumstances. It is a self-defeatist state.

Fear is the biggest hindrance to a sense of responsibility. The Buddhists often describe the habitual human mind as caught in fearful resistance to pain and discomfort, addictively grasping for pleasure and comfort. This puts a person into a state of bondage. Both states cause suffering: the pain for obvious reasons, the pleasure for the simple fact that sooner or later it will end.

Taoist philosophy views human life as possessing a curriculum, or lesson the spirit has chosen to explore. The spirit calls to a person challenges to cultivate wisdom. Within each challenge is the opportunity to transcend the difficulty.

Transcendence within Taoist philosophy comes from letting go of resistance. The more we fight, the tighter our internal knots become. Fear of pain causes us to resist the pain, causing suffering to increase and endure. It's like being caught in a giant spider web, panicking, struggling: allowing ourselves to become more tightly enmeshed.

I'm not suggesting for a moment that non-resistance is easy. I have experienced many sleepless nights in my life: caught in nameless fear, unable to relax: spinning myself tighter into the web of my insecurity. When I've asked myself what it is I'm afraid of, the only answer I can come up with is: uncertainty.

A great Chinese physician of the ancient time, has said all fear is fear of oneself. Within Chinese Medicine, fear is associated with the Kidneys and Gallbladder. The Kidney is associated with the essential self. To many of us, our true selves are a mystery. The imagery of the Kidney suggests this is natural. One of the chief acupuncture points on the Kidney meridian associated with fear is called "The Mysterious Dark Gate." When one looks into oneself, they look into a mysterious space filled with darkness. The idea of meditation is shining the light of the Heart down into the mysterious darkness of the Kidney.

If looking into the mysterious depths of the self is associated with such fear, why do it? It is the Gallbladder that answers this question. The Gallbladder is the bridge between the meridians representing our normal daily life, and those representing our evolution: past and future. Taoist philosophy believes the curriculum is a given: one has chosen to explore certain issues. There is no escape from these lessons. If one cannot transcend these lessons in this life, they are brought by the Gallbladder into the next. The Buddhist teacher Pema Chodron calls this "the wisdom of no escape."

As I am worrying myself into a tight net of suffering, all I am trying to do is escape. From what? The Gallbladder would say: myself. I am running away from my true self from lack of faith. If the challenges I'm being faced with were brought to me by my spirit, running from them is running from my spirit. Why would I want to run from my spirit; from myself? Another Kidney point provides an answer to this question. The point "Yin Metropolis" teaches that one must be within society to learn lessons to cultivate the spirit and know the self. The "Yin" aspect of the metropolis is the calm focus rooted in the self. The faith that comes from connection to the mystery of the self allows a calm demeanor amidst the busyness of the city. When one lacks faith and focus on one's inner self, focus is directed outwards into the unpredictable world. It is like the ocean: on the surface the water is choppy and rough; yet below the surface, the water is calm and easier to navigate.

The fear in diving below the surface of the ocean, into the darkness of the self is rectified by the Gallbladder, which has the power to connect a person to his "marrow." Within Chinese Medicine, the Brain is seen as the "Sea of Marrow:" the depository of the experiences of all lifetimes. At the very top of the head lies the point "100 Meetings:" a point containing the image of meeting with the ancestors. When one is brought out of the small minded fears of daily survival into a greater view of where we come from, we can be emboldened. Taoist philosophy believes we inherit all that is unresolved within the family line. It is passed on to us. Therefore, "100 Meetings" can provide the awareness that we have the entire family line standing behind us: they all want us to succeed in resolving our lessons, as they will benefit as well. Courage can take the place of fear.

I cannot help but see all difficulties of health, mind and spirit in a spiritual light. For me, this has always been the way to transform my (sometimes debilitating) fear into courage. This is the main reason I decided to become an acupuncturist. I needed a compass along my journey. There needed to be a reason for my suffering. As well as a way out of it. I desire freedom. The Nei Jing provides this compass. I was not finding within the "metropolis" the compass I needed. It is very moving to me that the name of the second book of the Nei Jing is translated as "The compass of the soul." To me, this is powerful medicine. A way to maintain and restore health, as well as a way to move toward freedom and wisdom.

When the insecurity comes, when fear overwhelms, when worry ties a knot in the abdomen, or anxiety puts a brick in the chest: meditate on the very top of the head, asking for the courage and expanded view from "100 Meetings." Bring that energy down through "The Mysterious Gate" at the meeting on the ribs under the chest, through the "Yin Metropolis" near the center of the abdomen, down into the Kidneys. Breathe. Know that your spirit chose this: not to punish you, but to set you free.

The Valor of the Healing Process

Healing can be a fascinating process when we surrender to it. At times it can become the center of our lives: requesting our time, our energy and focus.

We all lead busy lives: especially those of us who live in New York City. It can be rare for us to slow down. Many of us are resistant to slowing our pace. There are many people to see, so much to accomplish. The great food of the city, late night excitement and competitive drive to be better can keep us in constant motion.

The process of unraveling an old knot takes times and focus. This is a metaphor frequently used to describe a stubborn condition of the body, mind or spirit. When we lack energy, time or willingness when confronted by an environmental and/or emotional issue, the issue can become sublimated into the deeper areas of the body. The sublimated material, be it a virus or emotional conflict, gets placed into a type of "closet" within the body. These include the joints, the throat, the "spare tire" around the belly and the blood vessels.

Whatever has been shoved into the "closets" of the body does not go away: it lurks. The body uses its resources to keep the sublimated material hidden from the conscious mind, or primary systems of the body. Resources that would normally be used to support daily activity and growth are diverted toward managing the old sublimated issues. We literally becomes depleted by repressed physical and emotional material we have not resolved.

The healing process within Chinese Medicine often involves allowing sublimated material to come out of the closets. Unresolved toxins and mental-emotional conflicts are brought to the surface level of the body where they can be fully resolved by the conscious mind and/or immune system. This stage of the healing process is known as "the healing crisis." The condition may appear to get worse during this time. Flu-like symptoms may arise: either through the respiratory or digestive system; emotions may become more volatile; hauntings from the past may come back into the conscious mind and/or dream-state.

The condition is not getting worse during the stage of healing crisis: it is being brought out of its parasitic, lurking state where it can be completely resolved. This critical stage requires the energy, time and focus the person was unable to devote to the condition in the past. This is why a healing crisis is often delayed within treatment until strength and willingness to handle it are cultivated.

Willingness is a major factor in the complete resolution of a condition. Conditions can be managed for a long time. Management is a valid choice which must be respected by the acupuncturist. I believe the true responsibility of the acupuncturist is to educate the patient about the process occurring in her body, so she can make a choice as to how she wishes to work with it.

The healing crisis can require a period of slowing down, nurturing oneself, going to sleep early, spending more time alone, managing cold symptoms without suppressing them, or facing uncomfortable memories and emotions from the past. A woman with a newborn baby probably will not have the time or energy to devote to this type of process, for example.

The power of the healing crisis can be life-changing. A patient came to me a few months ago with memory loss. She knew there were extremely traumatic events in her past, which she thought she' d worked through. However during treatment, memories began resurfacing. The patient was led into a period of despair and deep depression. She would sob during treatment, expressing tremendous grief. I continued to support her body's resources to allow her the strength to move through her healing crisis. She said the emotions she was feeling were those of a tremendous traumatic loss that occurred years ago. I explained this was the process of fully resolving them: getting them out of the body so they would cease to consume her blood and energy. The healing crisis hit a peak, after which the patient began to look years younger. She described feeling as if a great weight had been lifted from her heart. She said she had stopped feeling sorry for herself: a major change she'd not experienced since childhood. When her spirit had stabilized, we moved onto resolving chronic tension in the shoulders, which brought out more memory, emotion and redemption.

A healing crisis is like a spiritual quest. We encounter many challenges throughout our lives. Chinese Medicine views these challenges as necessary in the cultivation of our spirits. Within Taoist philosophy, anything not resolved in this life gets carried onto the next. They don't go away. Sooner or later they have to be faced. Challenges are not meant to torture us, but to help us evolve. The time and energy required for the resolution of physical and mental-emotional challenges is worth it. It is a path toward freedom. Often it requires tremendous faith and courage. It calls to mind the name of an acupuncture point along the Lung Meridian called "Valiant White." White represents the ability to let go of something. Valor is the heroic courage it requires to do so. Becoming free requires nothing less.