photo taken in Chengdu, China
From the perspective of alchemical acupuncture, illness gives us an opportunity to heal, and the healing process takes time to unfold. With this understanding, illness represents not a problem to be fixed, but rather a chance to work through what ails us, get to know ourselves deeply, and allow for a new possibility to arise. It is helpful to look at the deeper meanings behind illness and see how our emotions can be playing a role in creating imbalance and disease. Therefore, we are not chasing symptoms, but cultivating a deep sense of how to create transformation.
Chinese medicine developed thousands of years ago in a culture, time, and place very different from modern life. The ancient Chinese were very connected to their environment, nature, and spirituality. They developed medicine and acupuncture practices to understand and heal common illnesses using their deep understanding of the natural flow of life. Chinese Taoist philosophy teaches us that we are all connected, and we should cultivate our vital connection to nature. This understanding of interconnection helped them to construct a sophisticated system of medicine that has been touching and healing people’s lives for centuries.
The Chinese developed a five element system of medicine which is effective in treating psycho-emotional issues. This system includes five elements, along with their corresponding seasons and organ systems. The journey through the five elements begins in the dark of the winter with the water element and the kidneys, transitions into spring with the wood element and the liver, moves on to summer with the fire element and the heart, then late summer with the earth element and the spleen, and finally autumn with the metal element and the lungs.
Alchemical acupuncture digs deep into the unconscious and supports the process of inner work that allows our lives to unfold in a more balanced way. This unfolding relates to the concept of the Tao, translated as “the way” or “the path.” This approach teaches us how to get out of our heads and into our bodies and hearts. We believe our thoughts are the only reality, but in fact we also have deeper parts of ourselves that need to be honored. With help, we can follow the path of our hearts’ desires and lead the lives we were meant to live. Alchemical acupuncture teaches us how to use our inner wisdom to create positive possibilities in our lives.