Good for a laugh!

A Netherlands insurance commercial involving a guy getting acupuncture. Watch to find out what happens next!

"Your body tells me all I need to know"

A good friend of mine, a chiropractor, has a saying: "your body tells me all I need to know".

It is so true, and yet we walk around so often denying the sensations or signals our bodies are telling us.

Last night, I was watching a PBS documentary on Sierra Leone. The people and their stories are both horrifying and inspiring, a testiment to both the capacity of brutality and compassion of humankind. After going to bed, I found myself tossing and turning, unable to sleep, and replaying images over and over in my mind. I got angry with myself for not "doing" more to help these people, and for having a comfortable bed and a roof over my head where I can rest without fear.

Today, my head is fuzzy, my chest feels tight and my heart is beating faster. I feel anxious. It would be easy to deny that these sensations are to do with any TV program I watched last night, but I know in my heart of hearts that I would be lying to myself. As I mentioned in my last entry, we are social beings, and what happens to others in the world, happens to us too. Most of us can't help but feel compassion, even if that person is thousands of miles away. What a testiment to our sociability.

I need to sleep tonight, so I have emailed a friend who is working in the Congo to ask his opinion on how best to help, and for now, the sensations in my body are calming down. But I am taking note, and know that for me to be OK in this world, I must put my money where my mouth is.

My challenge to you, dear reader, is to check in with your body and see what it tell you.

In health,

Anna



Some links:
A friend's blog on human rights: http://humanrightsrespectingdiversity.blogspot.com/
Another friend's photos from the Congo: http://www.lionelhealing.com/

Community connections

It has been a long time since I wrote, and this time it is not me on holiday, but Angie. Sweet, dear Angie, without whom Lokahi Acupuncture would be in disarray!

I have been pondering the importance of having community lately. My husband and a friend have gone on a surf trip, leaving me without a husband, as well as without Angie. The two people in my life whom I rely on to keep me on track, to whom I voice concerns, bounce ideas off and trust for feedback.

In all honesty, I have been thoroughly enjoying the quiet space and some alone time. But I think I might feel a bit lonely had I not known that I have a whole community out there upon which I can rely if something goes wrong or it I need a chat. And that feels so amazing. Just now, a client emailed saying that he had made a huge batch of guacamole, and did I want some? About 10 mins later, I had biked to his house, picked up the guac and checked in with him. How cool is that? And on the way home, I passed another neighbor who asked about the boys surf trip.

It is so important for us humans to have interaction with others. We are such sociable beings, and I wonder just how much of this stress-related disease we see is due to our lack of connection not only with ourselves, but also with others.


~ Anna

reconnecting

It's been a busy last couple of weeks for me at Lokahi Acupuncture. Anna took a well-deserved vacation - and I have a feeling she will come back recharged, full of energy, and with lots of great thoughts to share on this blog!

Anna being gone left me treating both my own patients, as well as a number of hers, who were so kind to put their trust in me in Anna's absence. It's been a great and rewarding experience to be so busy, and our patients are all such lovely, dear, wonderful people that the interactions with them always leave me feeling uplifted and inspired. People come to us for their healing, but there is very much a mutual healing experience going on. I draw something of value from every patient I see. Some patients crack me up with their jokes. Others inspire me with their dedication to healing their body and spirit. Others yet take me on a mini-vacation by recounting their travels. Many share personal struggles, expanding my awareness of the spectrum of human experience and heightening my sense of compassion. Everyone, without exception, brings something that brightens my day or helps me grow in some way. It's beautiful.

The best part about this practice, for me, is when people walk in irritable, tense, frustrated, maybe angry, sad, or depressed... and walk out after the treatment with a smile on their faces, telling me how much calmer and more relaxed they feel. Oh, and, come to think about it, the pain is gone, too! They feel looser. Less tense. They feel like they can go back out into the world and deal.

Acupuncture puts you in a very deep and relaxed state. In my own experience of receiving acupuncture treatments, the sessions have often felt like an opportunity to reconnect with myself. Go within.

In the midst of the busy last few weeks - networking events and other appointments interspersed in my already busy schedule - I faced the need to maintain the connection with myself. Find the right balance, so that I would be able to give to my patients the best energy I could possibly give. Since my acupuncturist was away on vacation ;), an acupuncture treatment to achieve this goal wasn't an option.

Last weekend, my husband suggested going on a hike. I was reluctant at first, given that I had a long list of things which needed to be taken care of at home. But he talked me into it, and I was so glad he did. The hike refreshed my spirit. It was so invigorating and centering and left me with a sense of serenity, which I was able to carry with me through the week. I was reminded of the incredible power that nature has in helping us to reconnect. With ourselves, first and foremost. And, once we have established that connection with ourselves, it becomes that much easier to connect in a balanced and meaningful way with the world around us.

I know I will be going back for more of this wonderful, grounding energy this weekend. Back for another hike, maybe two.

Wishing you a relaxing Memorial Day weekend with plenty of time to reconnect - with yourself, with nature, with family and friends.

~Angie

Taking my own medicine

Many of my postings have been focused on learning to "take my own medicine". I think that it is so easy for us all to get caught up in everything but ourselves that sometimes we forget to simply check-in with ourselves and see how we are doing.
Today it became very clear to me that unless I manage my schedule in a manner which is consistent with what I urge others to do, then I am not 'practicing' my medicine, in the most literal sense of the word. But it takes time and introspection to figure out that we might need to take a sick day for our mental health, take the evening off and go to the movies, or book a holiday! Yes, people, we all need holidays! We cannot be on our game for 52 weeks of the year. The Europeans have got it right, and have the philosophy that we can only be as productive as our minds and bodies are healthy .... rest is the ultimate healer.
So, go for it - take a few minutes and plan a holiday. It dosen't have to be a 2 week extravanganza - it can be as little as an afternoon walking in the park. The idea is to take a break.

gratitude

Some days, I find myself overcome with a sense of gratitude for all the amazing people in my life. Today is such a day. I am flooded with a feeling of joy that makes my heart swell, and a sensation of warmth and expansion radiates through my chest. I feel blessed to have such wonderful people in my life, and I feel honored that they have chosen for me to be a part of their lives!

with love and gratitude,
- Angie

laughing baby