Ever try acupuncture? I started doing it in late August of 2011. Wow, is it fabulous!
I had only a handful of friends who had ever done it, and I used to be quite skeptical when people told me that it had helped them lose weight, quit smoking, feel happier...But, in the last couple of years, I think it is quite obvious that I have really opened myself up to a whole new realm of opportunities, and with that, an arsenal of weapons within my stadium of self healing. People go to acupuncture for their own very personal reasons; I was to the "point" that I was willing to go to any length to receive some reprieve from my insomniac tendencies. My inability to sleep through the night really began in early 2010, and slowly became more and more of a health concern and plain old bother as time crept on. By the time dad passed away, I was waking 3 to 4 times each night, and then my body would jerk into consciousness no later than 5am most mornings, no matter how late I hit the hay the evening before.
I began searching for a reputable studio to try out this ancient Chinese medicinal cure, and found out that it was not cheap! To hit any one of the new "holistic" treatment centres in the downtown core, I was looking at upwards of $80 per visit. Yowzers. And then one day, while out riding my bike through Roncesvalles Village, I came across a sign for "community" acupuncture treatments. Said sign was out front of "The Herbal Clinic & Dispensary", and the gorgeous scents of all things natural and pure lured me inside. As I soon found out, there were a couple of certified acupuncturists from the neighbourhood offering "sliding scale/pay what you can" treatments in the back room of the store, and so instantly I was sold.
My first treatment was divine. I biked on over one sunny afternoon, and upon arrival, slipped my $20 cash in to the envelope with my name on it, and took a seat on one of the 6 or 7 crisp-white-sheet draped cots. Naomi was the wonderful woman who then greeted me, asked many questions about my health history, current state of affairs, and emotional wellbeing. She took my pulse, looked at my tongue. Then she went to work. I think I probably had about 12 pins in me that first time, 3 of them stuck right in my forehead and scalp. Talk about a WEIRD sensation, that initial decent into "acu-nap" bliss. I konked out completely for over an hour, while yogic chanting and meditative music lulled me in and out of what I think must have been the deepest sleep I had had in months! I left that day feeling overwhelmingly serene and at peace. I was officially addicted.
Currently, I try and go for my acu-naps at least twice a week. I used to go because of my inability to sleep and to treat the associated headaches and fatigue that came along with that. However, since mid-October when I began getting up at 3:30am to head to work for my new gig, those issues have really taken care of themselves. Now, I go in an effort to get by every day with a level head. Lord knows, it has been a long road; a rough 16 months, and heaven forbid I erupt into chaos once again. I have had needles in all my limbs, had my ears "bled" to release tension, and have found a new avenue to explore in my trip to personal euphoria. Now, my new acupuncturists Daryl and Ash treat me to release anxiety, ease my underlying grief about Dad that is a constant low hum in my mind, and offer to work on anything and everything I ask. Just yesterday I was feeling bloated in my belly, and anxious about the impending holiday ahead, so I got pinned specifically for that, and I also received "ear seeds". This was something I had never really heard much about until a dear friend mentioned them a few months back, and so I jumped a the suggestion. "Ear seeds" are just as they sound - little seeds from the Vaccaria plant, that are adhered to the inside the upper ear, and then act as a pressure point for self treatment. Daryl referred to them as my "reset" buttons, so I left the studio armed with a seed in each ear, and the ability to squeeze them as needed to ease my antsy ways. Delightful!
So, if you have ever thought about acupuncture, even if just for a second, I encourage you to give it a go. It really has changed my life in ways I never imagined. If you are interested in checking out one of the Community Studios I visit, let me know! Just leave me a comment and I will put you in touch!
Thanks for reading, and happy holidays!
I had only a handful of friends who had ever done it, and I used to be quite skeptical when people told me that it had helped them lose weight, quit smoking, feel happier...But, in the last couple of years, I think it is quite obvious that I have really opened myself up to a whole new realm of opportunities, and with that, an arsenal of weapons within my stadium of self healing. People go to acupuncture for their own very personal reasons; I was to the "point" that I was willing to go to any length to receive some reprieve from my insomniac tendencies. My inability to sleep through the night really began in early 2010, and slowly became more and more of a health concern and plain old bother as time crept on. By the time dad passed away, I was waking 3 to 4 times each night, and then my body would jerk into consciousness no later than 5am most mornings, no matter how late I hit the hay the evening before.
I began searching for a reputable studio to try out this ancient Chinese medicinal cure, and found out that it was not cheap! To hit any one of the new "holistic" treatment centres in the downtown core, I was looking at upwards of $80 per visit. Yowzers. And then one day, while out riding my bike through Roncesvalles Village, I came across a sign for "community" acupuncture treatments. Said sign was out front of "The Herbal Clinic & Dispensary", and the gorgeous scents of all things natural and pure lured me inside. As I soon found out, there were a couple of certified acupuncturists from the neighbourhood offering "sliding scale/pay what you can" treatments in the back room of the store, and so instantly I was sold.
My first treatment was divine. I biked on over one sunny afternoon, and upon arrival, slipped my $20 cash in to the envelope with my name on it, and took a seat on one of the 6 or 7 crisp-white-sheet draped cots. Naomi was the wonderful woman who then greeted me, asked many questions about my health history, current state of affairs, and emotional wellbeing. She took my pulse, looked at my tongue. Then she went to work. I think I probably had about 12 pins in me that first time, 3 of them stuck right in my forehead and scalp. Talk about a WEIRD sensation, that initial decent into "acu-nap" bliss. I konked out completely for over an hour, while yogic chanting and meditative music lulled me in and out of what I think must have been the deepest sleep I had had in months! I left that day feeling overwhelmingly serene and at peace. I was officially addicted.
Currently, I try and go for my acu-naps at least twice a week. I used to go because of my inability to sleep and to treat the associated headaches and fatigue that came along with that. However, since mid-October when I began getting up at 3:30am to head to work for my new gig, those issues have really taken care of themselves. Now, I go in an effort to get by every day with a level head. Lord knows, it has been a long road; a rough 16 months, and heaven forbid I erupt into chaos once again. I have had needles in all my limbs, had my ears "bled" to release tension, and have found a new avenue to explore in my trip to personal euphoria. Now, my new acupuncturists Daryl and Ash treat me to release anxiety, ease my underlying grief about Dad that is a constant low hum in my mind, and offer to work on anything and everything I ask. Just yesterday I was feeling bloated in my belly, and anxious about the impending holiday ahead, so I got pinned specifically for that, and I also received "ear seeds". This was something I had never really heard much about until a dear friend mentioned them a few months back, and so I jumped a the suggestion. "Ear seeds" are just as they sound - little seeds from the Vaccaria plant, that are adhered to the inside the upper ear, and then act as a pressure point for self treatment. Daryl referred to them as my "reset" buttons, so I left the studio armed with a seed in each ear, and the ability to squeeze them as needed to ease my antsy ways. Delightful!
See that little black dot? That's my RESET button!
So, if you have ever thought about acupuncture, even if just for a second, I encourage you to give it a go. It really has changed my life in ways I never imagined. If you are interested in checking out one of the Community Studios I visit, let me know! Just leave me a comment and I will put you in touch!
Thanks for reading, and happy holidays!
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