As a yoga teacher and a huge proponent of non-traditional medicine…

…naturally I heard of Acupuncture, but I was not a participant in the service until recently. 

Khara Lucius is one of my yoga students, and a Naturopathic Doctor who practices Acupuncture.

When I first arrived at Khara’s office, we sat down and discussed how I was feeling, what I was eating and the quality of my sleep…all the questions that provide her a sense of my overall well-being. This is what I like about Naturopathic Doctors—they treat the whole person.  There is much wisdom when doctors take the time to ask pointed questions and listen to the answers.

Then we move into the treatment room.  I take a seat, and Khara asks me to stick out my tongue so she can look at the top and underside of my tongue (reminding me of when I was little and the doctor says “stick out your tongue and say ahhhhh”).

Just the day before, I’d read an article about how the tongue is the ‘map’ of the internal body and Acupuncturists are trained to ‘read’ the tongue to bring awareness to imbalances in the body. Khara then takes my pulse (on both wrists) to provide her with further information about the flow of my ‘qi’ or energy.

After Khara ‘reads’ my tongue and takes my pulse, I lie down on the examination table (on my back, clothed) and Khara begins to insert needles into my body. It doesn’t hurt, whatsoever.  She gently places the thin needles in the crown of my head, my forehead, my hands and lower arms, my feet and lower legs.  She asks if I want a blanket to keep me warm as I lay on the table and rest, and my energy shifts based on the placement of the needles.

Because I practice yoga and am familiar with Savanasa (the final, resting pose in a yoga practice), I am easily able to relax and focus the energy of my body toward healing.  Khara leaves me alone for about 20 minutes, then comes in to check in on me, then departs the room again for about another 20 minutes.  When she returns, she quietly begins to remove the needles (really, she is stealth-like, I do not even hear her come in the room) and she speaks softly to let me know that when I am ready, I can sit up.  When I do, she asks me how I feel and she places ear seeds on both ears, which stimulate acupuncture points for a few days or until the next appointment.

Right beneath our physical body is our energetic body.  You can feel it when you take the time to be still and pay attention.  Sometimes we might experience body sensations such as ‘butterflies’ or  ‘tightness in our chest’.  As we become more aware of ourselves beyond the physical body, we become more in tune with how we are feeling and if we are out of sorts, Acupuncture can be used to bring us back to balance.  Acupuncture can be utilized for ailments from headaches and dizziness to decreasing or eliminating pain to regulating hormones.  If you are not feeling well and you want to complement your traditional medical treatment with a nontraditional technique, I suggest you make the choice to incorporate Acupuncture into your healing plan.

If you live in New England and would like more information on Naturopathic Medicine, Acupuncture and to make an appointment with Dr. Khara Lucius you can check out her website: wholehealthnh.com or call her at 603.624.6222.

For information on Acupuncture with Jeanne Ann Whittington:  [email protected] or call her at Five Seasons Acupuncture and Healing Arts at 603.226.4644.

Namaste,
~Maureen