Returning of the Spirit
The first question I usually ask when I meet a new client is ‘Have you ever had acupuncture before?’ You might think that the answer would be a simple ‘Yes’ or ‘No’, but there is in fact a large grey area in between. For example, a person might say that they had some needles put into their back by a chiropractor, or that they had had some ‘dry needling’ done on a frozen shoulder by a physio-therapist, but is this really acupuncture? I would have to say no, not really.
The term acupuncture comes from the Latin ‘acus’ meaning needle and ‘puncture’ which means to pierce. So in that definition a physio or chiropractor could well be seen as performing acupuncture. However, if that was all that there was to it, then one could say that tattooists, or nurses giving injections, are also acupuncturists and that is clearly not the case. It is worth noting that the word ‘Acus’ can also be translated as obelisk or standing stone. In esoteric teachings, an obelisk is considered to be a place of worship or a temple. Therefore acupuncture could actually be translated as ‘to pierce ones temple’. To me, this is a more accurate description and it gives acupuncture the reverence that it deserves.
As much as we might try, we can’t effectively understand acupuncture without first understanding the philosophy from which it came, and as with most aspects of Taoist cosmological thought there are three distinct levels.
The first level works on the dense physical body and it is a testament to Chinese medical theory, that despite the fact most of its subtleties have been stripped away, even a relative novice can insert a needle at a designated acupuncture point and release the tension from a muscle.
The second level is the level of Qi or energy. This is the realm of vibration and one which we can experience through our feelings and emotions. Here in the West we often see the idea of Qi as a quaint ancient metaphor, largely because it can’t be measured through our instruments. However it is also true to say that we cannot measure anger, grief, love or joy but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. To be understood they have to be felt and experienced and that is exactly the same for Qi. It doesn’t take long for sensitive people to begin to feel the movements of Qi relatively easily during an acupuncture treatment.
The third level, and the most difficult to attain, is acupuncture that works on the level of consciousness or the spirit. This is its highest and most subtle form. The idea is that before we incarnated in to this life-time, we agreed to embark upon a journey so that we could learn specific things. This is known as ‘Shen Ming’ or our ‘contract with heaven’ and it is our own unique puzzle piece of life. However we are also born with free will and as such we are not obliged to follow this path of ‘Ming’ or pre-ordained destiny. The difficulty lies in remembering what it was that we set out to achieve. What is apparent though is the fact when we are on our path, the whole universe conspires to make it happen, and when we are off it, we may continually feel that we are fighting against the tide. Acupuncture in its purest and most authentic form was a way of aligning our spirit with our destiny.
Interestingly these grand notions of destiny were already largely stripped away before acupuncture made its journey from the East to the West. The austere nature of the Chinese Cultural Revolution meant that many of its more esoteric characteristics were forcibly removed and forbidden. It is to the ancient Chinese texts that we must turn to if we really want to discover the highest forms of this medicine and to put the spirit back in its rightful place in the heart of it all.
In reality though, proper acupuncture will affect all three levels at the same time, it’s more of a matter of percentages. Of course we need to look after our physical body as it’s the vehicle for the soul in this lifetime. It’s difficult to contemplate the wonders of the Universe when we are suffering from serious pain and that would clearly need to be treated, but that shouldn’t detract us from the ultimate goal of working with the spirit and its unfolding path through life.