Acupuncture

the Eighth Stress Management Technique

in your Relaxed-and-At-Ease
Guide to Stress Management Techniques

I think acupuncture is a great stress management technique for a few reasons...

• It's easy - all you have to do is lie there and get treated!
• It feels good... Getting treated completely shifts my energy and sometimes my mood - It calms me down if I've been tense or energizes me if I've been tired.
• It's beneficial to our overall health and well-being because it re-balances us.

If you want to know more, click this link for an article by an acupuncturist that explains how acupuncture helps with stress.

I've been receiving acupuncture treatments for about ten years. I love it and I think it's great!

I use it both for when something's wrong and as a wellness practice for when everything's going okay.

As a wellness practice I get a treatment every season. If something's not okay... I might need to get a treatment every week or two for a few weeks or a month.

Sometimes life throws me a curve ball... and I need extra support. I count on acupuncture for that.

If you are new to acupuncture, you may be wondering what it's like...

I can tell you about my experience...

In the first session or two, my acupuncturist asked me a bunch of questions. Since then, at the beginning of most sessions, I get a chance to share about how I've been and what - if anything - is bothering me.

Then I lie down on a treatment table and she "takes my pulses." This means she holds my wrist and feels a few different points on it.

She's accessing the flow of chi or lifeforce in my body and energetic system. Some people think of chi as self healing energy.

Between what I've said and what my pulses feel like, my acupuncturist decides what to do for my treatment... Sometimes she puts needles in and leaves them for fifteen to twenty minutes... And sometimes the needles just go in and out.

Often I feel a stinging sensation when the needle goes in... sometimes I don't feel much of anything... and every once in a while it actually hurts.

After a few minutes, I notice a shift in my mood or my physical sensations. Usually I feel more balanced and energized after a treatment - but I'm guessing we're all a little different.

If you want to know more, click this link for a video of an acupuncturist talking a little bit about how it works.

If you're looking for an acupuncturist - ask for a referral, do a google search, find someone who's practicing at a local wellness center, or look for an acupuncturist's business card on a bulletin board at a local health food store. Try someone out and see if you feel comfortable with him or her.

If you can't find one in your area... that's too bad... come to Maryland - we've got lots of great acupuncturists!