My Acupuncture Philosophy
Acupuncture, which originated in China more than 2,000 years ago, is a key component in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). In TCM, the concept of “qi” is of vital importance. It is believed qi – life force – flows throughout the body, and along with blood, they help to keep one in a balanced state. Unfortunately, occasionally the flow of qi is blocked. Acupuncture is a way to use needles to send signals to the body through the pressure points. The goal is to open the smooth flow of qi again and restore the delicate balance of the two opposite forces inside the body: the “yin” – the passive and cold force, and the “yang” – the active and hot force.
Because of my desire to approach acupuncture holistically, beyond just needles and pressure points, I sought and acquired additional knowledge beyond the typical training a certified acupuncturist would receive. This additional knowledge in Chinese philosophy, Daoism, and Qi Gong, and my own past experience as a professional art restorer, in time greatly influenced my work as an acupuncturist.
My Qi Gong Master taught me that according to Daoism man must stay simple. When one reaches the highest wisdom, one is pure. Indeed the first line in Laozi’s poetic Dao De Jing, the most important text in Taoism, says simply, “the Way that can be explained in words is not the true Way.”
What is difficult and takes great skill in practice, is to find a unified simple idea that is the simplest, the most direct and efficient possible. “Like this you can transfer the information to the body better because the simplest information is the most direct,” said my Qi Gong Master. In acupuncture, I try to adhere to this philosophy because if I send a body too much information through too many needles at once, it can’t register it all, and excessive information can cause confusion.
But how to find that simplest route? For this I resort not only to the classical acupuncture theories but also to my former training as an art restorer, for each person is unique, and his/her body, a work of art. In each acupuncture session, I try to first sense the unique energy structure of your body, then develop the simplest approach based on your energy structure, using the fewest needles in the fewest pressure points. This way your body knows where to focus exactly in order to unblock precisely which energy channels, and the balance can be restored for you more efficiently.