"Wellness"

What Is Wellness?

if you want something to change, then you have to change.

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(aka what wellness actually is)

Change takes time.
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I generally tell clients that it takes 10 weekly sessions to really feel that life-changing magic that makes acupuncture so delicious and a thing you prioritize as a regular and essential practice in your life.

Why?

Because nothing of substance happens overnight.

Even taking a pill (which people often confuse acupuncture with) isn’t something that’s as immediate as you think, and even if it is — often with immediacy comes a crash, indicating that there’s not longevity in the practice. Alternatively, pharmaceuticals can have detrimental effects to our various bodily systems in the name of “fixing” something else.

And then you have to layer on top of wanting to fix what’s wrong with the fact that much of our experience in the world is unconscious: behavior, attention or lack there of, acceptance that “it’s just the way it is”…

As an acupuncturist and coach, I see it for my clients all the time: hell, I live it myself. Wanting the thing to change right away is part of the human condition, but actually health is found in the process.

Ultimately, whether it’s said out loud or not, not wanting to do the work is where much of the prodromal processes to disease develop.

Trying to hack things, push boundaries, have things done for you… it’s all so adorably human, because we’re optimizers!

If we don’t have to work for it, our bodies and brains are like, “hard pass, I should rest and store this up for a rainy day or what if that mountain lion attacks our camp again” because at the end of the day, rain or shine, we are creatures of habit and survival.

But the survivalism eeks out in such bizarre ways in modern life that we have to actively redirect the energy. After all, modern life isn’t exactly about survival in the ways our bodies think it is.

How many of you can’t fall asleep even though you’re exhausted, because your brain won’t shut off? It’s so silly. It’s dumb. It’s infuriating when you’re in that position!

But anxiety that anxiety keeping you up at night is our way of projecting out into the future — see the aforementioned mountain lion.

The what-if’s that could potentially save your cave(wo)man butt are keeping your modern ass up at night with a smart phone that’s going to wake you up at 6 am for your Zoom meeting at 8.

so why 10 sessions?

• WELL, HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO GET HERE?

  10 isn’t exactly arbitrary, but there’s no exact amount. The point is that it takes some time. Why have you called about or considered acupuncture in the first place? After all, most Americans’ first thought when something doesn’t feel right isn’t exactly to the person who they pay to stab them with tiny little needles.

  How long have you been suffering? Why are you reading this?

  Acupuncture is not a magic pill. You may feel better at first, but that’s temporary. Why? Because, as mentioned above, things takes time, and it takes time to relearn and undo of all (or any) of the patterns your body and mind has set in place to feel otherwise and keep you at your status quo. So 10 ensures a nice, steady, sustainable rate of change.

• DO YOU HOP ON THE SCALE AFTER YOUR FIRST TRAINING SESSION WHEN YOUR PLAN IS TO LOSE 15 POUNDS?

  No.

  Do you feel awesome and strong and capable after that first session?

  Yes!

  Does it mean you’ve reached your goal?

  No.

  And you can visualize why that’s the case with exercise and weight loss. So, same with acupuncture. Just on the inside. (Unless it’s a feminist facial: those before and afters are delicious to behold.)

• LIKE ANYTHING WHERE YOU LEARN, ACUPUNCTURE TREATMENTS HAVE A LAYERING EFFECT.

  Treatment one is lesson one with a teacher.

  Treatment ten is lesson ten.

  You are much smarter after ten lessons than you were after one, believe me.

  Signed, your teacher.

• WE DON’T INVEST IN OURSELVES, AND THAT’S DANGEROUS.

  (Investing means time or money — or both).

  Why is that dangerous? I’m so glad you asked.

  When there’s no investment, there’s no accountability.

  When there’s no investment, there’s no reflection on worthiness.

  When there’s no investment, the small but unhealthy changes go unchecked.

  When there’s no investment, you remind yourself that you’re not worth it.

  And when there’s no investment, you’re ok with looking for the cheap way out and with your health, the cheap way out can be dangerous.