Acupuncture is hard to understand living in the West. We have a very sledgehammer approach to our lives. Instant gratification is how we live nowadays with mobile phones being constantly by our sides and the expectancy to answer emails, texts and Facebook messages quickly. Internet is getting faster, downloading speeds means no buffering and we can watch 4g films from our phones. Our lifestyles are extremely over stimulated. This is how life is at the moment, it is out of balance. No time to relax and switch off, no time to calm down. So when our bodies become out of balance we become poorly and we instantly want to fix it. A visit to the Drs, some prescribed medicine to make us feel better and life is back on speed dial again.
Out of balance, out of harmony.
Acupuncture is a very subtle and gentle approach to restore the body’s natural balance. An opposite.
The Taoists thousands of years ago developed an understanding of opposites. Day and night, black and white, up and down, right and left, dry and damp. They understood that the world was filled with opposites. It made sense to them that these opposites are also on the inside of the body too. In Chinese medicine these opposites formed the bases for their theory. The body, if balanced, has an equal in opposites. Hot or cold, internal or external, yin and yang, excess or deficient, damp or dry. They understood it requires balance to function harmoniously and discovered ways in which to bring the body back into balance.
What an acupuncturist is interested in is the symptoms. How the body is showing signs of imbalance. It can be in the form of headaches, pain, disease, fatigue, mental disturbances, emotional outburst, etc the list goes on and on. The more symptoms the practitioner knows about, the more they can put together an idea of what is out of balance.
Cells in our body work by using the mitochondria, the DNA, oxygen and glucose to create energy. This energy is Qi, this is what the practitioner can plug into and stimulate or sedate. It makes sense that the body produces different Qi. For example the heart Qi is unique and different to the other Qi produced in the body as the heart cells are slightly different to other organ cells. After all they have gone on to form the heart. Kidney cells are unique and they have formed the kidneys. The spleen cells are unique so are the small intestines, the liver, the gall bladder and so on and so on. All organs in the body produce their own unique Qi. Understanding this is fundamental to understanding acupuncture.
We have something in our bodies that takes control of our opposites. Something in our body that regulates the internal organs without any conscious recognition or effort by you! It is known as the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS). This is fundamental in our bodies being balanced. The ANS regulates the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous systems (PSNS). The sympathetic nervous system is our fight or flight response, it’s our daytime. It’s what gets us running away from a dangerous situation or keeps us on the move creating energy, heat and movement – known as Yang. Our parasympathetic nervous system is our nighttime. It is our rest and recovery, its our relax state, it’s when were watching TV, meditating or going to sleep. Its our Yin, our feminine.
There are some things that can help restore the ANS.
Simply breath. Taking deep slow breaths calms the SNS down and brings more oxygen into the body, reducing stress levels and restoring a balance between the SNS and the PSNS.
Reduce stress. Living in a fast pace life creates an imbalance of the ANS. Slowing the life style down means more time to calm down, relax and to restore balance in the body.
Regular exercise. Increasing the heart rate increase the blood flow and oxygen levels to the muscles reducing the SNS. Yoga and Pilates are highly recommended as they focus on breathing and can help realign the body correcting any postural problems.
Meditation. Meditation reduces our heart rate, reduces our stress level and focuses on breathing techniques. it also helps us to recognise stress and help us deal with stress triggers.
Diet. Food is medicine and putting into the body stimulants will increase the SNS. Its important to take control of what you eat in regards to process food and bring back foods that are pure.
Massage. Regular massages helps to restore the balance between the ANS and the PSNS.
Acupuncture. Regular acupuncture treatments can help maintain the body’s natural homeostasis state. Fine needles are inserted into the meridian flows which can either stimulate or sedate the qi in the body creating a balance. The practitioner can identify through the symptoms what imbalances are happening and can help return the body back to harmony.
Please contact Joanna 07853 490831 to talk about the treatments available or to book an appointment.