The importance of engaging with our healing process.
Our physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual aspects are all interconnected.
As we take an active role in our healing we gain an understanding that our health is cultivated with every choice we make, in every aspect and in every moment of our life.
Indeed our “feeling healthy” has more to do with how engaged we are with our healing process than with the actual condition we may suffer.
Choosing what to feed our body as well as our mind. Choosing how we “prepare” for resting as well as choosing to exercise. Choosing how we relate to our friends, our family, our ailments and our self. Every choice we make, and how aware we are in recognising the intent behind our choices, is a major part of what our healing process is all about.
Our feeling healthy is not only reflected by the presence or absence of illness, but is mainly reflected by the level of ease, or lack of it (dis-ease), we experience each moment, as we live through the constant transformation of our physical, emotional and spiritual energies.
Our healing process is an opportunity to carefully reassess whichever aspect of our life is out of balance. It requires our ongoing attention, wise choices, and appropriate action.
When we start to live our life in alignment with our healing process, HEALING and GROWTH in some form or another are already happening.
The more we become familiar with the dynamics of our energy (the QI manifesting through our body/mind/spirit) , the more we learn about our unique healing process and the more empowered we feel. The sometimes amazing outcomes from this healing approach (and indeed to our life) are merely a natural by-product of cultivating our health.
I only see one client at the time, therefore you will have my full undivided attention for the duration of your session.
If feeling healthy is a subjective experience, healing is a dynamic process through which we are able to craft an exceptional life and live it to our full potential.
How do we learn to cultivate our health?
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Daoism (the philosophy behind TCM), provides an exceptional framework to describe and understand how the energies of the seasons, of our environment, of our food, as well as the energies (Qi) of our body, mind and soul are all interconnected and therefore influence each other.
Like an experienced gardener, TCM show us how to cultivate our health beyond the absence of disease in to crafting an exceptionally healthy life. Like TCM, gardening provides an ideal framework to learn how to cultivate our health.
My commitment to you through my Ashgrove acupuncture and massage clinic is to apply my knowledge and experience in helping you to connect, understand and support your healing journey.
By integrating TCM (acupuncture, acupressure and Chinese herbs), mindfulness and gardening (yes, cultivating health and tomatoes have more in common than you might think) we can achieve some great health outcomes for you.
Ashgrove Acupuncture and Massage: How we can work together to achieve the best outcome for you.
Let’s look at how we can translate the concepts above in to something relevant to your healing process and the way I work.
As mentioned above, our health is reflected by the absence of illnesses as well as the level of ease, or lack of it (dis-ease), we experience each moment.
To be at-ease or at peace within one’s self is to notice a lessening or an absence of contraction, of struggle. In TCM this would be described as a free flow of Qi. To be at ease is a direct consequence (and the most significant one) of being connected with our healing process.
In the clinic I always listen carefully to the description of my clients condition and try to differentiate between physical/objective “dis-ease” and mental “dis-ease” (or struggle) and, when appropriate, we address both.
A chronic sore low back sometimes is just ..a sore back (eg: Qi stagnation in the meridian). Clients ask for help with the objective physical pain and restricted function of the back.
This type of back pain respond very well with a combination of acupuncture and massage. Click here for research details.
On the other hand some clients might add a mental resistance to the sore back. They might feel resentful towards being bed ridden or struggle with accepting their condition and therefore add another layer of discomfort to the original sore back. Some clients might also be going through “stress” in their relationship which could also add muscular tension to the already tight muscles in the back.
To be at-ease or at peace within one’s self is to notice a lessening or an absence of contraction, of internal struggle and tension.
Some clients are well aware that their sore back (or insomnia, sore neck, headaches) is “stress” related, or at least acknowledge that their mental struggle is a major factor in their physical problems. These people still ask me to address the sore back but it is easier for the client to understand the importance of addressing the mental struggle as well.
These “mental struggle” types of problems or energy imbalances (Eg. Liver Qi stagnation) are better addressed when we combine mindfulness and breathing to acupuncture, massage and herbs.
By using fine, sterilised, single-use needles, which are inserted at specific points on the body, acupuncture acts as catalyst in the transformation of your Qi.
What acupuncture and herbs do
An obstruction in the flow of Qi (causing Pain along a meridian in the neck) might need clearing. A cold pathogen might need to be warmed and dislodged.
Energy rising from anger might need grounding. The digesting (transforming) energy of our digestive system might be weakened by too many sweets or too much thinking (churning over and digesting challenging issues) and might need strengthening. That’s what acupuncture and Chines herbs do.
What Massage does
Applying pressure to specific trigger points releases a tight muscle. Rubbing over a sore muscle improves the flow of Qi and blood to the area.
Pressing points on the feet draw the energy away from the top (head) and help grounding. Massaging the diaphragm will ease our breath as well as releasing our shoulders. That’s what Massage does.
If you want to know more about my working approach or if you are an existing client and would like to develop a better understanding of some of the concepts we talk in your Brisbane Acupuncture clinic session, you can read about the following topics in the articles/blog section.
Understanding Qi
Qi is the energy/force from which everything is constantly formed and transformed into something else, it is at the basis of all phenomena in the universe. Qi is not good nor bad … it is … just Qi … the substrate of everything formed and formless.
..Indeed the more we learn about our Qi and how it transforms, the better we become at cultivating it. The interesting thing is that we cannot cultivate a healthy Qi without cultivating our diet, our sleep, our relationships, our job satisfaction, our character and our soul. In cultivating a healthy QI we don’t only cultivate a healthy body and mind, we craft an exceptional life. It goes hand in hand.. Read more
Mindfulness. Cultivating and befriending our mind
The process of wisely cultivating our Qi and our health, starts with becoming familiar with our current habits.
It starts with an interesting curiosity and a gentle awareness in what’s happening right now. It starts by observing and listening in order to understand the energies that shapes our life and the world around us.
It starts by being mindful of our habits constantly at work, often in the back of our mind.. Read more
Our intention as a medicine
When our intent is to get rid of some thoughts, the energy “wanting to get rid of” is activated in opposition to the other energy we don’t like or want (the thoughts produced by our mind).
These opposing and contracting energies, both activated within our self, can only lead to further internal contraction/friction/tension resulting in our energy being consumed.. Read more
Cultivating our tomatoes.. cultivating our health
Gardening is a process where we learn first hand how the natural laws that regulate the cultivation of our garden also apply to the cultivation of our health, our relationships and our world.
A process in which we can learn as much about our soil and our tomatoes as we can learn about our self and how to cultivate our health.. Read more
Cultivating our breath
In my practice, when appropriate, I guide clients in connecting with and exploring their breath.
Bringing qualities (another way to describe how we can activate our energy/Qi) like curiosity and gentleness to our breathing, noticing how our breath, body, thoughts and feelings are all interconnected (in fact they are all different manifestations of our Qi).
Observing how, the kind of intention we set out when we explore our breath, act as catalyst in the constant transformation, not only of our breath, but of anything that becomes the object of our attention. Connecting with the “letting go” quality of our outbreath, for instance, can ease so much of our body tensions and mind struggles.. Read more