During 14 years of practicing acupuncture, I have counseled hundreds of people on the importance of healthy diet, supplements and exercise as a means of creating and maintaining wellness. Chinese Medicine is not only acupuncture alone; to fully benefit, it requires patient participation OUTSIDE of the treatment room.
Therefore, lifestyle choices greatly impact the benefit of acupuncture treatments (such as herbs, supplements, diet and nutrtion). Recently, however, I have found that a large missing piece of this puzzle is mindfulness.
In order to practice mindfulness, we must first have the desire to make changes. Next, we must consciously make the choice to stay with the original goal every minute, every hour of every day. There is no short cut to mindfulness. A tool that I have found helpful to create mindfulness is regular meditation. Meditation trains the mind to quiet itself so that our truths can come to the surface. For example, cutting out sugar can be a very difficult task for many of us. A meditation practice can help explore the why behind our behavior, which creates consciousness around this specific behavior. Consciousness is then the driving force behind real, meaningful change.
Our thoughts and actions are greatly influenced by our acquaintances and how we spend our time. Here are some book suggestions to help quiet the mind and promote mindfulness!
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. A quick read on Toltec wisdom that serves as a “how to” guide in life and relationships.
Enjoy Every Sandwich by Lee Lipsenthal. A memoir written by a physician who worked with hospice patients as he confronted a dire diagnosis in his own life.
The Dalai Lama’s Cat by David Mitchie. Written from the perspective of a cat, but with plenty of wisdom.
Energy Medicine by Jill Blakeway. A book written by an acupuncturist and energy worker. Easy to read and a great way to learn more about energy, the mind and our bodies.
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