Every acupuncture experience is unique. Even within the same person, day to day, or week to week. Just like results coming from a meditation practice, in one sitting there may be drastic healing of pain, emotion, energy, etc., or it may be subtle. The work is being done in the foundation and the roots, yet the stem and the flower may or may not be ready to bloom. Specifically regarding the experience of you laying on the table and how you feel during the Acupuncture process, we have two major explanations for why some points are felt and others not.
There are an infinite number of acupuncture points and infinite patterns of circulation within your body. A primary concern of Chinese medicine is improving the circulation of your life force Chi and Blood and Fluids. By improving this circulation your body can better heal itself. If one point is particularly painful, or sensational in someway, there is a specific purpose. Possible and very common sensations are feelings of pressure, pinching, hot or cold, a radiating sensation to an organ or up or down your arm or leg, muscle twitching and many more. All of these are strong responses, and very good signs that the body will respond with healing itself.
The first reason acupuncture points can be particularly sensational at times, is due to what we call “Excess” or “Shi.” This is when there is something of “Excess” in your system. For example emotion, thought, physical injury, stress, dryness, phlegm, even cold can be built up in one of your Meridians circulation. That excess buildup creates a blockage of your circulating Chi and Blood. These blockages are always occurring every day on either subtle levels, or more major levels. Preventative medicine is when we fix these blockages when they are still more subtle and non-problematic. This is easier and quicker. When symptoms are strong, blockages are obviously bigger and more long-standing. This takes more time to work out for a practitioner AND this is why it is better to work on yourself when problems are still in the early beginnings. So, the first reason for the acupuncture being more sensational, is that we are removing that blockage which is in direct analogy of removing a dam from a rivers circulation. It is good for the health of the river to have open flow, but the moment of removing the dam, the acupuncture point being “needled,” the back up of the pressure that the dam was creating needs to adjust. This is the cause of the sensation.
The second cause of acupuncture points being sensational, is due to a situation of “Deficiency” or “Xu” in Chinese medicine. It is essentially a vulnerability. Our body is full of certain resources. We are a container. We are a container of energy, blood, fluid, fire, water, essence. We have varying amounts of all of these. Some people can be deficient in energy, others can be deficient in blood. Hence, another reason we needle an Acupuncture Meridian is to bring more energy and blood to the Meridian that is deficient. That Meridian lacks the given substance. Because of its lack of fullness, it is energetically weak and so less tolerant of any change or stimulus. This lack of tolerance or vulnerability creates the point to be more sensational. Given time, calling more energy and blood to that area, the sensation goes away and it becomes almost sensation-less, or at least more quiet. In both “Excess” or “Deficiency” cases, with repeated treatment, and the persons symptoms being worked out, this will normalize the point to a more healthy response. This healthy response typically means a very mild cramping sensation or a very mild pressure that is healing but not dramatic as when there are definite issues.
Chinese medicine and acupuncture is a small example of more universal energetic principles. The things we talked about regarding medicine and the human body, also can translate into life of all forms in this world. Here, we’re talking about excess and deficiency in our body and how it makes a more dramatic experience for ourselves. To the same liking, in external life, similar assessments can be made and we can deduce as to why karma comes about. It is a highly developed a system of Energy observation. The energy within ourselves, our environments, and our relationships. Anything can be medicine and anybody can be a medicine man, given the right environment and right timing, because of all things being relative. Be kind to yourself, learn, grow and may every day you get closer to your true self and life. Your friend Chris
