One of the oldest systems of medicine on the earth, acupuncture has been used to treat billions of people over the last 3000-5000 years. Hard to believe that the insertion of a piece of metal the size of a human hair can effect any sort of a change in a person other than pain, but it’s true. By placing needles in very particular points on the body, the practitioner can activate a person’s own abilities to heal. That’s the beauty of this form of medicine. It doesn’t put anything in you that you don’t already have. It activates the possibilities!

The sages of the ancient past discovered, documented and honed their knowledge of the body as an intelligent being of energy that serves to maintain the health and vitality of the physical body. Many cultures have acknowledged this same energetic capacity, but few have devised a comprehensive form of medicine that has lasted for so long and that has been so consistently successful at healing a person on so many levels.

Qi


This energetic intelligence is called “Qi” (pronounced Chee). Qi is the dynamic life force that condenses so that we may enter the world and stay for a period of time. When the Qi disperses, we leave. Qi can be cultivated, enhanced, maintained, and altered by how we choose to live our lives, what we choose to eat, how content we are and how we live through the seasons. There are environmental influences on our Qi such as wind, cold, heat, dryness or through our interactions with others, to name a few. There are internal influences too, such as anger, joy, sadness, compassion, grief, fear, excitement, courage, and much more. When you come to see me, I ask you questions like, “When was the last time you felt utter joy?” Your response to these kinds of questions gives me more information than you think. I get to see the state of your Qi and you direct me how best to treat you.

Meridians


Qi flows inside of us like rivers. We call these rivers, “Meridians.” They all Qi to flow as an invisible current that energizes, nourishes and supports everything about us; our muscles, organs, glands, cells, emotions, mental capacities and more. Where the Qi comes to the surface, there is an acupuncture point. A practitioner activates the points with a sterile needle and effects a change in the person’s body/mind/spirit. It never ceases to amaze me.

Acupuncture Points


There are over 1000 acupuncture points on the body. Each point has its own physical, mental and emotional correspondent. A good practitioner will carefully choose points with the knowledge of the levels of treatment the point affects. Combinations of points are usually used to create a full and balanced treatment and to coax the person back to wholeness in a gentle and balanced way. A good practitioner works with each person individually and designs a very customized treatment for her unique patients. Cookbook treatments are avoided because the ultimate goal of acupuncture is to bring a person in line with their true nature. A pre-defined treatment is not likely to resonate with the unique energetic makeup of the patient except in certain circumstances. I enjoy working with you to design the most effective treatment just for you.

The Diagnosis


Acupuncture practitioners trained in the traditional way learn diagnostic skills through observation, asking, feeling pulses, smelling, listening and more. We become keen observers of color, sound, odor, emotion. Through our many tools of diagnosis, we are looking for places and ways where the Qi is “stuck” or “blocked” and where it is flowing well. We feel your pulses several times during a treatment. They give us one of the best indications that treatment has effected a change.

My goal is to help you become “unstuck” and to encourage you to flourish in ALL areas of your life!