Although some of these suggestions may be old hat to some readers, they are worth another try to maintain that acupuncture "buzz" between visits:
1. Pet a puppy. Or full grown dog, either will work. Owning a dog has been proven to reduce stress levels and keep high blood pressure in check.
We live in a fast-paced world, full of obligations, deadlines, and stressors of all sorts. It’s hard not to feel tossed about in a sea of worries. Many of us manage to meet our daily demands, but it is usually at the expense of our spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical bodies. Physiologically, stress can turn into a sort of ‘stuckness’, or what is termed qi stagnation in traditional Chinese medicine.
Shoulder and neck tension, depression, poor breathing habits, and digestive disorders are some common embodiments of stress. Stress-induced qi stagnation can also impede circulation and create constriction where we would like to see suppleness, as in the body’s tissues and organs. The reproductive system (and every other system in the body!) thrives on the healthy circulation of energy and blood. How can we release constriction and encourage the free-flow of energy and blood? That’s right, by moving our bodies!
As acupuncturists, we want our patients to have the most relaxing acupuncture experience possible. Of the 361 acupuncture points on the body, my personal favorite to create that "acupuncture calm" during treatments is called Yintang. According to Peter Deadman, author of A Manual of Acupuncture, Yintang was first discussed in the Su Wen, the classic book of Chinese Medicine, in the 3rd century BC.
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