I see a lot of clients who just can’t switch off their brains. It’s a modern malaise. Our lives are so full of ‘stuff’: work, relationships, children, friends, world peace… It’s hard to recognise that our feet haven’t touched the ground in a while.
It’s telling that mindfulness is becoming increasingly popular among city dwellers. We all need to stop and experience the moment. And you can’t do that if your mind is not connected to the rest of you.
For some, being in their heads all the time is an escape, others over-think everything or worry obsessively, or find they’re still stressing about work long after they’ve left the office. A busy mind can be pretty exhausting and it may also cause a series of other seemingly unrelated health issues, both physical and psychological. And it’s often these symptoms that bring them to see an acupuncturist.
Another reason to be in your head is when your body is in pain. It’s understandable that people living with chronic conditions shut down from the pain signals their body is experiencing. Clients have described their bodies as feeling numb, or not feeling connected to their bodies at all. When they are in extreme pain, their mind takes over and their bodies simply shut down. They feel stuck. This dissociation can be very damaging, bleeding through into other areas of their lives and into their personal relationships.
So how can Chinese medicine (TCM) help?
Clients can benefit from a range of therapeutic support. Acupuncture is renowned for its ability to reduce chronic pain, but it’s is also wonderful for clearing the head and relaxing the mind. Pain, according to TCM is the result of ‘stagnation’ in the body, and acupuncture is able to get things moving again. TuiNa massage works therapeutically to reduce tension in the muscles and joints and further support healing. A series of treatments allows the client space and time to heal, and a way to reconnect with themselves. Feet firmly on the ground.