Chinese Medicine was discovered in a time when we were living more in alignment with nature.

Our bodies are a reflection of nature and we use elements to describe the qualities of how our bodies function.  The five elements of chinese medicine are wood, fire, earth, metal and water.  Each of those organ systems correlates with many aspects of life such as time of day, time of year, emotion, tastes and sense organ.  The six healing sounds are a set of “qi-gong” exercises aimed at detoxifying and strengthening each internal organ.  You can choose to use them all at once or focus on one individually when treating a specific organ.  The sounds are specifically designed to release excess emotions from the tissues and organs of the body.  As a mind body practitioner, I know that even if the rational mind has moved on, the body can hold memory of trauma and stress for years.

These sounds help to release trapped emotions so that they don’t carry negative weight and impact health.

Also, a note on the Triple Warmer.

This is an organ that Chinese Medicine healers saw as a full body organ – most closely related to the lymphatic system and the immune system.

Qi Gong exercises incorporate posture, breath and visualization.  When you inhale visualize a color into a specific organ.  When you  exhale, release a sound and purge and release the emotion from that specific organ.

Start by breathing naturally into the lower abdomen.  On each inhale the abdomen will rise and on each exhale the abdomen will fall.  Breathe deeply and gently.  Don’t force the breathe. 

LIVER– Inhale and imagine GREEN light entering the liver

As you exhale the SHOE sound, imagine releasing ANGER from the liver

HEART – Inhale and imagine RED light filling the heart

As you exhale the HAW sound, release ANXIETY from the heart

SPLEEN – Inhale golden YELLOW light into the spleen/stomach/pancreas

As you exhale the WHO sound, release WORRY from the digestive system

LUNG – Inhale and imagine WHITE light filling up the lungs

As you exhale the SSSSSS sound, release GRIEF & SADNESS from the Lungs

KIDNEY – Inhale and imagine DARK BLUE light into each kidney

As you exhale the YOU sound, release FEAR from the kidneys

TRIPLE WARMER – Inhale and imagine CLEAR QI into the whole body

As you exhale the SHE sound, allow the vibration of love to fill your entire body

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As parents, we often focus on what we say to our children about health. While our words matter greatly when they are young, what ultimately leaves the deepest impression is what we model as they grow older. The way we respond to illness, injury, pain, and limitation teaches our children how to relate to their own bodies for the rest of their lives.

This matters deeply in my work as an acupuncturist with over 20 years of clinical experience. I regularly see adults who lack resilience in the face of health challenges and who hold rigid or dysfunctional beliefs about their bodies. Many people unconsciously operate from a binary framework: health is good, illness is bad. In reality, the human body is far more nuanced. This kind of black-and-white thinking often leaves people without the emotional tools they need when something inevitably goes wrong.

Being With Pain First, Addressing It Second

Children experience physical and emotional pain frequently—it is a normal part of being human & especially of childhood. When a child comes to us distressed, the most important first step is presence. Offer full attention without minimizing or amplifying their experience.

Underreacting can look like dismissing their pain with phrases such as “you’re fine” or “it’s okay.” While these statements may be factually true, they can feel invalidating in the moment. What a child needs first is to feel understood. Once the initial emotional intensity has passed, curiosity can follow. Instead of saying, “You barely hit your head,” try asking, “How hard did you hit it?” or “Is it feeling better or worse?” Only after this comes support: “I’m sorry that happened. What would help right now—ice or a hug?”

Overreacting, on the other hand, often involves rushing in with heightened anxiety: “Oh no! Are you okay?! Did you get hurt?!” This adds emotional intensity rather than meeting what is already there. Often, this response is rooted in a parent’s own anxiety about health and safety. Over time, this can unintentionally burden a child with the belief that they are fragile or that something is always wrong.

What we want to offer our children instead is a deep, internal sense of safety: No matter what happens, I am okay. Whether they experience injury, illness, bullying, or emotional hardship, they are still fundamentally safe, loved, and supported. This mindset fosters resilience, grit, and emotional endurance.

When a child shares any challenge—physical or emotional—the first task is not to fix or solve it. It is to see them. Emotional attunement goes a long way in helping people feel known and supported. After that, it’s appropriate to ask, “Would you like help thinking through this, or do you just need to vent?”

Normalizing Health Challenges

Health challenges are not only normal—they are expected. Living in a body means encountering pain, dysfunction, and limitation at times. When illness is framed as something shameful, people internalize beliefs such as “this is my fault,” “I should have prevented this,” or “I should have control over my body.” These narratives are both inaccurate and harmful.

Even with excellent nutrition, exercise, and self-care, the body will still encounter imbalance, illness, and injury. Acknowledging this reality can feel unsettling, even powerless, for some people—but learning to tolerate that feeling is important. When we can sit with a degree of powerlessness, we are better able to discern where our actions truly matter and where acceptance is required.

Unfortunately, healthcare messaging often oversimplifies this balance. Many people are left believing that if they just tried harder, followed the right rules, or took the right supplements, they could avoid illness entirely. This is not true, and living with that belief often leads to guilt, anxiety, and disconnection from the body.

Teaching Children to Listen to Their Bodies

One of the most valuable skills we can pass on to our children is body awareness.

When should you eat? When you’re hungry.
When should you rest? When you’re tired.
How do you know what you need? You learn to listen.

This applies to sleep, hydration, learning styles, relationships, and how we engage with the world. The more attuned we are to ourselves, the less dependent we become on external authorities to dictate our choices. This does not mean ignoring the wisdom of teachers, elders, or healthcare professionals—it simply means cultivating internal guidance alongside external knowledge.

Modeling this kind of listening means making accommodations when our bodies ask for them. I once treated a patient who went skiing during an acute back pain flare because he didn’t want to “hold his family back.” Predictably, his pain worsened and lingered longer than it would have if he had rested.  If he would have hit a bump the wrong way on the slopes, he may have injured himself for life. While there are moments when pushing through is appropriate, our culture consistently overvalues constant high functioning—often at the expense of long-term physical and mental health.

Teaching Critical Thinking

As our children grow, we cannot follow them around telling them what to do. Instead, we must teach them how to think critically and make informed choices.

I remember when my children were between eight and eleven—an age marked by constant questions as they began comparing our family’s values with those of others.
“Why do they drink soda at dinner?”
“Why can my friend stay up until 2 a.m.?”
“Why are they allowed to watch rated-R movies?”

Rather than responding with authority alone, I chose education. I explained that their brains were still developing and that sleep was essential for emotional regulation and clear thinking. As an empath, I shared why I wished I had been more cautious about exposure to violent media—once seen, those images are difficult to erase.

I explained that we don’t drink soda because liquid sugar spikes blood glucose quickly, and that most people in the U.S. benefit from thinking in terms of diabetes prevention. It wasn’t about restriction or morality; it was about understanding risk.

This approach paid off years later when my daughter encountered vaping in middle school. When I asked if she had ever considered it, she said, “No—I’m an athlete.” That response came from years of conversations about fueling and respecting her body. She wasn’t just hearing my voice—she had internalized her own values.

I believe education is essential, but it should always be age-appropriate. It is important to avoid oversharing information that may lead a child to internalize the belief that they must do everything perfectly in order to be okay. Instead, consider cultivating a practice of gratitude for the body, mind, and spirit. It is easy to focus on challenges, yet our bodies support us in remarkable ways every day—through functions such as digestion, vision, and circulation—that are often taken for granted.  The more we can model this gratitude, the more our children will be able to embody it. 

Finding the Middle Way

Health does not have to be all-or-nothing. When my daughter was around 13, she and her friends wanted to go to Starbucks—often. While saying no entirely might have been the “healthiest” option on paper, I recognized the developmental importance of social connection at that age.

Instead, we compromised. If she chose a sugary drink, she also ordered egg bites to include protein and fat, helping to stabilize her blood sugar. Was it perfect? No. Was it realistic and sustainable? Yes.

This middle path—between rigidity and resignation—is often where the body thrives. It reduces stress, supports mental health, and reflects the reality of living in our culture, particularly for teenagers. Balance, more often than perfection, is what allows both our bodies and our families to flourish.

The post Raising Children with a Resilient Relationship to Health appeared first on Michigan Associates of Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine.

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There are many ways to answer this. One explanation focuses on energy, or Qi, which flows through the body and influences all physical, emotional, and mental functions. Another emphasizes how disease often results from imbalances caused by lifestyle, diet, and emotions.

But no matter which lens you use to understand acupuncture, it always comes back to one key concept: Balance.

The Foundation of Balance in Chinese Medicine

In Chinese medicine, the concept of yin and yang—opposing forces that must remain in harmony—is at the heart of diagnosis and treatment. Whether it’s addressing physical symptoms or emotional stress, the goal is to restore a dynamic balance unique to each individual.

But balance doesn’t stop in the treatment room. Finding balance in life is equally essential to long-term wellness.

Letting Go of Perfection, Finding Grace

Once we embrace balance as a goal, something powerful happens:
We can finally release the struggle for perfection.

Perfection is a myth—an idea that creates tension, stress, and sometimes even illness. I see this in the questions patients ask every day:

• “What diet is best?”
• “Am I drinking enough water?”
• “Which supplements should I be taking?”

The truth is, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Each person has their own unique state of balance—and that balance shifts constantly depending on life circumstances.

Balance is Dynamic—It Changes as You Change

Just when you think you’ve figured it all out—life shifts.
Stress increases, seasons change, we grow older, relationships evolve.

It’s often hard to notice how much we’ve changed until something feels off. That’s where mindfulness and introspection come in. They help us reassess, realign, and adapt to our current needs.

Questions to Help You Find Your Balance

Here are a few questions you can reflect on to help check in with your personal state of balance:

1. Does this make me feel good?
   Can I live peacefully this way? Can I do what I want—or is this holding me back?
2. What am I giving up to achieve this goal?
   Is my work fulfilling? Am I growing as a human? Is this meaningful to me?
3. Where is the balance to this task or choice?
   For example:
   • If I run long distances, do I also make time to stretch, rest, and strength train?
   • Can I enjoy dessert at a party without guilt, or eat the pasta I usually avoid without anxiety?

Balance Is Not a Destination—It’s a Practice

Balance isn’t something you find once and keep forever.
It’s a continuous, compassionate practice of tuning in, letting go, and adjusting as life unfolds.

And maybe that’s where the true healing happens.

The post Acupuncture & Balance: More Than Just Needles appeared first on Michigan Associates of Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine.

After my uncle passed away in 2014, my family called upon an intuitive medium to connect us to him.  All of the non-believers in the family shifted in an instant.  He was there with us, saying things that only we could understand.  After that my mind and spirit became open to the spiritual world.  I researched near death experiences and grief experts and found a consistent thread through all of their experiences.  We are spiritual beings that have come to earth to learn spiritual lessons.

Once I was able to tune in intuitively to my spirit self, the greater self within the limited physical self, I felt peace for the first time in my life.  All of the techniques I had learned prior to deal with anxiety & depression could only do so much.  The thing that I had been searching for had been inside me the whole time, but I had shut off listening to it.  Now that I could hear my inner spiritual voice, everything became clear as to who I was and what actions I needed to take.  One thing I remembered consistently in my meditative moments was hearing the words “stop worrying”.  

Intimate awareness of self is what allows us to feel whole in any given moment, reducing the amount of friction we experience and ultimately bestow upon others.  When we are healed and whole from within, we can live in peace and harmony with our community.  When we reduce the tension & noise in our inner world, we have the bandwidth to make a difference in our greater world.

Connecting to Your Inner Guidance: A Guided Meditation Practice

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to get caught up in fears, anxieties, and everyday worries. But beneath these surface feelings lies a space of deep wisdom and connection—the realm of your higher self. Accessing this sacred space requires shifting our energetic state to a higher vibration, one free from the noise of ego and survival instincts.

Prepping for Your Inner Journey

Before you begin, take a moment to acknowledge your current emotional state. Are you feeling fear, anger, or anxiety? These emotions activate your fight-or-flight response, which can hinder your connection to your inner guidance. To access your intuitive wisdom, you must first create a space of calm and openness—a place where your spiritual self can be heard.

It’s also vital to differentiate between your ego—your “keep us alive” survival mechanism—and your higher self. When you try to connect during a crisis or crisis-like energy, you may be unknowingly listening to your ego’s voice. The goal is to elevate your vibration, shift out of lower emotional states, and connect with the true, loving essence within.

Step-by-Step Meditation to Access Inner Guidance

1. Ground and Breathe
   Begin by settling into a comfortable position. Feel your feet rooted firmly into the earth, sensing the stability beneath you. As you breathe, visualize a clear light emanating from Mother Gaia passing upward through your body into your lungs, filling you with calming energy.
2. Activate Your Chakras
   Guide your awareness through your chakra system—starting from the base of your spine to the crown of your head. Imagine opening and clearing each energy center, allowing universal life force to flow freely.
3. Visualize Divine Light
   At the crown of your head, imagine a golden light expanding and transmitting love and divine energy. Picture a crown of radiant light transmitting this energetic gift into your being.
4. Enter a Higher Vibration
   Feel yourself ascending into a space of higher vibrational energy—peaceful, luminous, and receptive. This is your sacred space of divine connection.
5. Practice Presence
   Instead of asking questions immediately, simply be in this space. Allow yourself to relax into the experience of being a sacred being, basking in the light of spirit. If you wish, gently ask, “Is there anything my spiritual self would like to tell me?” and listen with openness.
6. Receive and Listen
   Just breathe and be receptive. Trust whatever feelings, thoughts, or images may come, knowing they are your higher self’s guidance.
7. Return and Integrate
   When you’re ready, gradually bring your awareness back to your physical body. Use your senses—notice your surroundings, gently move your hands and feet, and breathe deeply. Recognize the gifts you’ve received and carry them into your daily life.

Practice Regularly for Greater Access

The more you practice this meditation, the easier it becomes to tap into your inner guidance amidst daily life. Remember, this sacred space is always available—you only need to choose to remember and enter it.

By cultivating this connection, you’ll find greater clarity, peace, and alignment with your true self—your divine source of wisdom and love.

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After many years working in reproductive medicine, I’ve had the privilege of supporting countless individuals through the journey of IVF.  Patients that integrate Traditional Chinese Medicine into their fertility journey find that we become more than practitioners. We become guides, listeners, and emotional lifelines. Yes, acupuncture can help increase response to stimulation meds and lessen side effects. But more often than not, our patients need emotional support and guidance.

Here is one piece of advice I always share with my patients:

Stay off the internet.

I know—ironic advice, as this is being read ON THE INTERNET. But time and time again, I’ve watched patients fall down the rabbit hole, searching for answers:
“Am I going to be okay?”
“How will this end for me?”

The problem is the internet can’t answer those questions. It’s not a crystal ball.

Yes, there are helpful parts of the web—YouTube tutorials on how to mix medications, forums where women swap tips, stories that might make someone feel a little less alone. But for every helpful post, there are ten more that spark anxiety, confusion, and despair.

The truth is, IVF comes with a huge emotional toll. One of the hardest parts is surrendering to the unknown. The process itself demands a release of control, and the internet—while tempting—often tricks us into thinking we can regain some of it. But scrolling isn’t control. It’s just more noise.

So instead of endlessly researching, here are other suggestion:
Find a fabulous book of fiction.
Let your mind rest in another world. Escape for a little while. Let go of the pressure to “figure it all out.”  And remember—you are not alone. There is a whole team of us behind you. You don’t need a crystal ball. You need support, space to breathe, and the reminder that your story is yours alone.

Focus on what is good, right now.

Examine your life and find the things that are “good”.  Your relationships?  Work?  Hobbies?  These are seemingly small, inconsequential aspects of daily life but find gratitude for the aspects of your life that make it worth living.

Make plans for the future.

Specifically, plan that trip.  Go to that wedding out of state.  RSVP yes for the birthday party.  So often life revolves around the questions “will I be pregnant then?” or “will I be in treatment at that time?”  These questions hold us back from being able to enjoy life, which should NOT be a sacrifice during this difficult time.

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I was with a patient the other day who was struggling.

She had a health goal in mind and was diligently focused on achieving a specific result. She had made a great deal of progress — the kind of progress that deserves to be celebrated. She had transformed aspects of her life in healthy, lasting ways. Yet, she wasn’t happy. In fact, she was frustrated and disheartened.

“It’s not good enough,” she said. “What is wrong with me?”

It stopped me in my tracks — not because it was unusual, but because it was so painfully common.

In her case, she was trying to get pregnant. But it could have just as easily been about weight loss, blood pressure, mental health, chronic pain, or any number of personal goals. No matter the specific struggle, the underlying question is often the same: Why has my body betrayed me?

Our medical system doesn’t help much here. All too often, we’re told by professionals, “Let’s find out what’s wrong with you.” It’s baked into the language, the mindset, the messaging: that something is broken, and it needs to be fixed.

What if that’s not true?

What if there is nothing wrong with you?

Yes, our body may need support. we may need tending. But that’s not the same as being wrong. You are not a broken machine. You are a human being — complex, whole, and beautifully resilient.

I know how easy it is to internalize this kind of messaging. I’ve done it myself. As someone who survived childhood cancer, I’ve wrestled with the belief that my body betrayed me — that I was somehow fundamentally flawed. For years, that belief shaped the way I saw myself. And I know I’m not alone in that.

But healing doesn’t happen in a straight line. And it doesn’t always lead to the result we imagined.

Sometimes, the greatest progress happens in the quiet moments — the choice to rest instead of punishing ourselves, the courage to keep going despite uncertainty, the self-compassion to say, I am doing the best I can.

So, if you’re in a season of struggle, I want you to hear this:

There is nothing wrong with you.

You are not failing. You are trying. And that matters more than you know.

The post There is nothing wrong with you! appeared first on Michigan Associates of Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine.

The TMI Times: From Empowerment to Overwhelm in Modern Healthcare

In the ever-evolving world of healthcare, the journey from disempowerment to empowerment has been profound—but it hasn’t been without its complications. We now live in a time of unprecedented access to information, yet that abundance has begun to tip into overwhelm. As someone who’s witnessed this shift firsthand—both personally and professionally—I’ve been reflecting on what we’ve gained, what we’ve lost, and how we might find our way back to balance.

A Glimpse Into the Past

In 1951, when my grandmother gave birth to her first child, the experience was as impersonal as it was disempowering. My grandfather waited outside the delivery room, cigarette in hand, while my grandmother was heavily sedated. She woke up to find she was no longer pregnant. Her baby had already been introduced to the family before she even met him.

There was no emphasis on the mother-child bond, no skin-to-skin contact, no autonomy. Her breasts were bound, and formula—then considered superior to breastmilk—was given without question. By three months, her infant was eating beef and potatoes. It was an era when “the doctor knows best” reigned supreme, when asking questions was discouraged, and patients were taught to comply rather than engage.

The medical culture of the time encouraged the use of cigarettes for stress relief and prescribed pills as quick fixes. Health education was virtually non-existent for the average person, and medical information was locked behind institutional walls. There was no Google, no online support communities, no youtube vidoes or blogs.  

A Personal Turning Point

Fast forward to the early 2000s. As a young adult facing unexplained asthma symptoms, I turned to conventional medicine only to be told my lungs were “fine.” The inhalers didn’t work, and no further answers were given. The only alternative resource at the time was our local health food store. You’d walk in and ask an employee which tea could help your symptoms—hardly a clinical approach.

Eventually, my father connected me with someone practicing alternative medicine. That practitioner looked at my whole being—not just my symptoms. I was given breathing exercises, dietary recommendations, and emotional work. It changed everything. That experience led me to study acupuncture and start practicing in 2006.

The Information Boom

Back then, access to holistic care was limited. If a patient wanted alternative options, they had to know someone who could refer them. There were no TikTok videos on nervous system regulation or podcasts about microbiomes. I would guide my patients with personalized care plans, recommend relevant books, and connect them with a growing—but still niche—network of like-minded practitioners.

Then something shifted.

Around 2016, as social movements like Me Too and Black Lives Matter encouraged collective awakening and advocacy, healthcare began to change too. The internet became a space for sharing personal health stories and forming communities around lived experience. Patients began reclaiming their voices—and their power.

When Empowerment Becomes Pressure

And then came COVID.

The pandemic was a turning point. It amplified both our desire for answers and our disillusionment with inconsistent messaging from medical and political leaders. In that vacuum, online experts flourished—some credible, some not. Influencers, podcasters, and wellness bloggers began to fill our feeds with content about everything from cortisol to cold plunges.

One of the most prominent voices has been Dr. Andrew Huberman, a Stanford neuroscientist whose podcast launched in 2021. He and others have helped demystify complex science—but they’ve also contributed to an ever-growing checklist of things we “should” be doing.

Suddenly, knowledge isn’t empowering—it’s exhausting.

Take, for example, the growing popularity of tools like period-tracking apps, continuous glucose monitors, and the Oura Ring. These technologies offer real-time insights that were unimaginable just a decade ago. But while many patients are eager for this data, I often see a spike in anxiety when the numbers suggest something is “off.” For so long, the only feedback we had came from an annual blood test or the occasional blood pressure reading. Now, we’re constantly checking in—and the ego clings tightly to the idea that everything must be okay. When it’s not, emotional sensitivity rises, and the fight-or-flight response kicks in. Our identities become enmeshed with the need to be “fine,” even as we quietly fear the worst—heart attacks, cancer, the unknown. After 19 years in practice, I can say with certainty: no one has perfect health. The body is always in flux. With the sheer number of environmental toxins and chronic stressors we face today, it’s unrealistic to expect otherwise. What we need is not more data—but more compassion for our very human experience.

The Rise of TMI: Too Much Information

What was once a lack of access has become a flood. We’ve swung from one extreme to the other. Knowing more doesn’t necessarily help us be healthier. In fact, it often adds to the anxiety, because with each new piece of information comes another perceived obligation—another thing to “do right.”

We’ve created a culture where wellness is no longer about presence or intuition but about performance. About doing everything correctly in order to prove our worthiness of feeling good.

How do we maintain boundaries with the information we consume?
How do we remember that healing isn’t about perfection, but about presence?

Find your Village 

In this landscape of abundant advice, it’s essential to seek out trusted experts who take the time to understand you—your history, your symptoms, your life. Healing isn’t one-size-fits-all, and following generic protocols from influencers, no matter how well-meaning, can often do more harm than good. True wisdom in a practitioner comes not just from knowledge, but from listening deeply and tailoring care to your unique needs.

A New Way Forward

This isn’t a call to abandon information or disengage from the wider world—it’s an invitation to be discerning. To pause before adding another protocol to your plate, to notice whether a piece of advice resonates or just reinforces self-doubt. It’s about reclaiming agency not by knowing everything, but by knowing yourself. In a world that often equates wellness with doing more, perhaps true healing lies in doing less—but with greater intention, attunement, and trust.

Monica Mae Leibson, L. Ac.

The post The Evolution of Wellness: Trends, Shifts, & Insights from a healthcare practitioner appeared first on Michigan Associates of Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine.

As an acupuncturist, I understand that many people view acupuncture with a sense of mystery—or even skepticism. The idea that it’s based on “energy” can feel abstract, and for some, that alone is enough to dismiss it altogether.

But the truth is, acupuncture and Chinese medicine have brought relief, healing, and transformation to countless people across the world. Often, people come to acupuncture as a last resort—and leave feeling deeply changed.

That healing, however, doesn’t come from the needles alone.

Chinese medicine is not just physical—it’s psycho-emotional. It’s a system that recognizes how the mind, body, and spirit are deeply interconnected. Through my work, I’ve witnessed time and again that true healing happens when we address not only symptoms, but also the inner landscape that shapes our health.

Here are a few essential patterns I’ve observed in people who experience profound shifts through this medicine:

1. The Practice of Letting Go

Especially in areas like fertility, people come face to face with how little we can truly control. Releasing the need to control outcomes isn’t just a decision—it’s a practice. Over time, this surrender creates space for something new to emerge.

2. Turning Inward

With endless information from the internet and unsolicited advice from others, decision-making can feel overwhelming. Yet, healing begins when a person learns to quiet the noise and tune into their own body and intuition. The clarity we’ve been searching for is found within ourselves.

3. Shifting Perspective

Sometimes, the biggest transformation happens before a person even walks through our doors. True healing involves a willingness to see health and healing from a different perspective. When we begin to understand that our current condition is not permanent, we begin to reclaim hope.

4. Finding Flow

After looking inward and identifying emotional or energetic blocks, something remarkable happens: life begins to flow again. Choices feel easier, energy moves more freely, and peace returns—not because life becomes perfect, but because we are more aligned with ourselves.

Acupuncture is just one part of this greater picture. Healing is as much about the mind and heart as it is about the body. When we open ourselves to that truth, we create space for deep, lasting transformation.

The post Beyond the Needles appeared first on Michigan Associates of Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine.

The past few weeks have been a time of self-reflection. Within a short span of time, I learned of an acquaintance who passed unexpectedly and attended the funeral of the father of a good friend. I also met with several returning patients who were diagnosed with a chronic, preventable health issue.

With 25 years of experience as an acupuncturist, I’ve had the privilege of meeting a diverse array of patients. Some of them proactively take charge of their health, reaching out for support when faced with challenges, whether it’s a lingering cold, digestive troubles, or persistent pain. These patients often experience remarkable results, as acupuncture becomes a vital partner in their healing journey.

Yet, I also encounter individuals who seek our help as a “last resort”—a sentiment many readily share. They may have neglected their well-being, become consumed by their busy lives, or postponed seeking assistance until it felt” too late.” Treating these patients can be more complex; their progress often takes longer, and their desired outcomes may seem elusive.

Trust me, we pour our hearts into helping every patient who walks through our door. Still, it can be disheartening to witness someone so far along their path of illness that acupuncture cannot produce the transformative changes it might have if they had sought help sooner.

We are a society that yearns for swift change but often take slow, hesitant steps toward it. We are filled with impatience while simultaneously craving the time to heal. We place high expectations on the medical system, yet we frequently neglect to nurture our own body, mind, and spirit in ways that would allow us to truly flourish.

I ask you: If not now, when? Now is the time to prioritize your health and well-being. Let’s take this step together. When you have a moment, write down your short- and long-term health goals. Be completely honest with yourself. Next to each goal, note what you are doing to work toward achieving it. Are you on the right track, or are you procrastinating? Set target dates for yourself to move toward achieving optimal health. Remember, healing is never a straight line, and there’s no better time than now to start on your journey.

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