Creating Your Health: Part 1

The distinctive voice of American singer Tony Bennett is recognized by all of today’s generations who love music. I recently heard him say, responding to the news of the death of a fellow musician at age 27, that ‘life is about living long [enough] so that you can enjoy it’.

It is wise to look to our elders for advice about living, for indeed they have pearls of wisdom based upon experience. Much like Chinese Medicine which has been around for thousands of years – it has much wisdom, experience, and has helped countless numbers of people ‘live well and enjoy’.  ‘Enjoying’ is an important attitude for sustaining long life, but we need to recognize that our lifestyle choices affect our general health; that ‘living and enjoying’ doesn’t require excess but most certainly should be tempered.

Extremes often lead to pain, either physical or emotional. At the same time, it is difficult to enjoy life when you are in pain. That’s why balance – in life, in lifestyle, and in health – is so important.

You may not think about your health until you feel sick or out of balance, but preventative care is one of the simplest ways to take charge of your health and ‘live to enjoy’.  Balance and moderation hold different meaning for each of us and certainly we each have preferences in regard to how we like to find balance.

The choice of using acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) offers a natural, effective approach to preventative treatment.

In Chinese theories of Acupuncture, one of the most fundamental concepts is that of ‘qi’ (pronounced “chee”). There is no equivalent word or phrase for qi in English – it is often mistranslated as ‘energy’ – the Chinese character for qi originated with three horizontal brushstrokes, representing water vapor rising to form clouds. So qi originally meant something like mist – something moving, not quite solid. Qi has also been translated as breath, atmosphere, function, knowing-how, and connectivity.

One of the best ways to describe what Acupuncture does is to say it moves qi. When an acupuncturist inserts a needle, she is usually trying to “get qi”. To the patient, it feels like something distinct from pain, more like “something happening”; the sensation can be described as fullness, pressure, tingling or a dull ache. Acupuncture is not like other forms of medicine. Plainly, to an acupuncturist, all forms of pain or illness means that things have gotten stuck: somehow, qi is just not moving. It is out of balance. Qi means knowing-how; getting (moving )qi means helping the body remember to do what it knows how to do [Lisa Rohleder et. al.].

I have met many people who seek Acupuncture for pain relief usually as a ‘last resort for help’; once finding relief, many discontinue Acupuncture because they ‘feel better’. I always counsel them to continue a course of TCM (on a less intensive basis), so they don’t risk reverting back to the imbalances which caused the acute problems we’ve just addressed. 

Maintenance care is critical to support a healthier tomorrow. It’s best to be proactive with your health and not reactive.  Taking time for wellness involves healthy eating, exercise, proper rest, and balanced enjoyment that helps you to manage stress. Acupuncture plays an important role in wellness and preventative healthcare as it stimulates your body’s natural ability to heal itself. It treats the whole person—physical, emotional and mental—simultaneously. Some immediate results of treatment include reduced anxiety and depression, an improved sense of well being, relaxation and improved sleep. The long-term benefits are improvements in overall health, balance and wellness, and potential resolution of chronic health problems. In the instances where medication is a necessary medical treatment, be sure to question the terms of use including duration, dose for your constitution, interaction with not only other medications but lifestyle choices such as food and physical activity.

Taking time for wellness doesn’t just result in better health today – it can affect your future – so make the wise choice to invest in your body, mind and spirit now.