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If
you have had acupuncture before, you may want
to skip to Acupuncture Styles, to learn what makes
my approach different from others. If you have other questions about acupuncture,
click here to visit the FAQs.
What
does a good acupuncture treatment feel like?
It's a natural question for clients experiencing
acupuncture for the first time. While each condition requires a specific combination
of needles, I will describe what the experience is like in general.
In my clinic, you lie on your back on the
treatment table, under a hand-carved glass mural embedded in the ceiling, and
take a deep breath of anticipation. I will gently probe your hands, arms and
legs for sensitive points that correlate to the condition I am treating, or to
systemic imbalances. I'll ask you if these points feel achy when I apply
pressure, and you will notice a light tap when a needle is applied. My fingers
seek out a new spot, and there's another needle. You barely feel it go in, but
you may notice a slight tingling of electrical excitement as the needle
stimulates your qi (pronounced chee).
Once all the needles are in, you probably will
notice a gentle, purposeful change in your body. It is not so much a localized
physical sensation. It's as though your limbs and organs are on friendly terms,
reconnecting and reaching out to each other in the soothing ambience of my
treatment room. A heat lamp warms your tight shoulders, helping them relax.
Outside, wind chimes tinkle gently in the soft breeze, which carries fragrances
from my garden through the windows. A feeling of relaxation pervades all your
senses, and you drift off in a peaceful sleep-like state, alternating with an
awareness of your body and the tingling of qi at work. Your body does have its
own intelligence - a natural tendency toward equilibrium that is fostered by
acupuncture. This intelligence is wakeful while you rest, calibrating and
adjusting in internal subtle ways.
This is how I explain it.
One of my clients wrote, "The needles somehow sew
my spirit back into my body and close the gaps." Another, less poetically
inclined, said, "It felt like I took two Xanax." You too will develop your own
unique perception of the experience.
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