Wants & Want Nots

Acupuncture is NOT:

• • Magic. Thought it might seem like it is and I have witnessed some pretty miraculous results, but it is a traditional medicine deeply rooted in experiential results and the natural world. After 2000 yrs, I think they’ve got a handle on it.

• • Culturally afixed. The practice of acupuncture is not limited to China and many variation and styles can be found world-wide from Asia all the way to Europe. The effectiveness of acupuncture has little to do with ethnic background and more to do with your connection with the practitioner and their level of experience. You don’t need to be Chinese to practice acupuncture.

• • Just sticking needles into the body. “My physio/chiro/sports medicine doctor does the same thing.” Other professionals may receive a few weekend seminars which “certify” them to use needles in their practice, which pales in comparison to the 1200+ hrs in a specialized 3-5 year certification program to become a Registered Acupuncturist. As previously mentioned, acupuncture is a traditional system. Please respect our practice, see an Acupuncturist for acupuncture.

• • Expensive. Sure, some clinics charge upwards of $140/session. Too rich for your blood? Mine too. Why not visit your local community acupuncture clinic and receive excellent treatment at $20-50/session. Affordable and sustainable – not only can you afford to come the first time, its also affordable to come again and again.

• • Painful. Yes, but so is your lower back pain. Acupuncture will illicit some sensation because we are puncturing through your skin, but the sensation is quick and temporary. It is also a valuable way to teach people to distinguish between different qualities of pain as not all sensations are considered bad. Not to mention that acupuncture needles are a 10th of the thickness of a typical hypodermic needle used for vaccinations.

• • A quick fix. This do not exist in the natural world – they only occur when unnatural interventions are involved (ie. pharmaceuticals). All things are a process whether it be a shift towards or away from balance, these shifts take time. If you have been out of balance for a considerable amount of time, you will need to respect that your body will require reasonable period to re-balance itself. Anything less and you’re cheating nature.

But, COMMUNITY acupuncture is:

• • A tradition. Practiced for centuries as a barefoot medicine, acupuncture is for the common man. There is nothing new age-y about it, its a simplistic, elegant and grounded way to maintain and restore one’s health the same way they did it hundreds of years ago.

• • A well-deserved pause. Admit it, we’re all too busy and I think we all deserve a small slice of time to be un-busy. There is something rarefied and precious about that momentary stillness and rest that so many of us lack in our daily lives. And to share that universal pause with a group of sleeping strangers is uniquely safe, welcoming and lovely. This isn’t a privilege or a luxury, this is a necessity that needs to take a greater priority in our society.

• • Strengthens community. Being treated in a group is a profound social experience. To be in the quiet presence of others during a treatment reminds us that we are not alone. Reducing isolation can strengthen a person’s resistance to disease and improve mental-emotional well-being. When people receive acupuncture together, this life energy is collectively amplified and the therapeutic value of the treatment increases.

• • A tool for social change. Acupuncture is health care and we hope to one day make it available for everyone. By making our service more accessible to more people in the community, our quality of life increases, it becomes inclusive and we shift the focus onto preventative health. It is a way to transform community health into community wealth.

• • A process. It can take time to unbalance your body-mind-spirit. Just as the seasons in nature wax and wane, so will your body of flesh, bone and soul. Quick fixes although helpful in the short-term result in negative side effects, masking symptoms and taxing your liver. Many external and internal factors will exert pressures on it, be it weather, food, illness or emotions. Remember, it will take time also to rebalance, rebuild and relearn just as nature intended.