Acupuncture, Grief, and Renewal

“My barn having burned to the ground, I can now see the moon.” –Misuta Masahide, 17th Century Japanese Poet and Samurai. His meaning? Loss can be freeing. Anyone who has cared for a dying loved one knows the mixed feelings that follow death and an end to suffering.

Not too many years later, Benjamin Franklin said, “The only things certain in life are death and taxes.” In fact, the only truly certain thing in life is death.

Plainly put, everything that is alive will die. And every death, or perceived loss, causes grief. This is regardless of whether it’s the death of a loved one, a relationship, or a dream. And we can’t avoid it, though many of us try.

This is what the sages were talking about, and where acupuncture can be of great use.

Acupuncture puts people in balance with Nature. If Nature knows how to let go, so do we. It is an inborn ability and can only be forgotten through imbalance. Life-changing incidents, illness, untreated trauma, or poor lifestyle choices can cause difficulties in letting go. This can damage the metal element of the qi system.

A metal imbalance can show up in other ways. Asthma, constipation, skin issues, and behavioral issues like hoarding are just a few. When a person cannot grieve, it puts a halt to everything else. That pause won’t end until the grief is addressed.

We can restore balance, move forward, process our grief, and live our life more fully. Acupuncture accomplishes this by nourishing our energy and removing blockages to the flow of the Qi.

Once we embrace our past as a part of us instead of something in our way, we are more free to shape our destiny. This is because we can only make room for something new by letting go and realizing that loss can be freeing. Just as Autumn leads eventually to Spring, grieving fully leads to new beginnings.

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