My Dancing Moxa

Recently, one Saturday morning, I woke up irritable and anxious, stressed out by life's everyday struggles of a busy life with family, school, bills, etc. Needless to say, by the time I arrived at the Alaska Institute of Oriental Medicine, Acupuncture, & Massage Therapy for my regularly scheduled clinic shift, I was barely able to hear myself think and wondering how I was going to touch someone else with this negative energy I was struggling to manage on my own. We had been recently introduced to moxa in our senior class, and I had positive results the first time I had used it, with a boost of energy, and an overall feeling of warmth and comforting. One of my instructors recommended I give moxa another try before beginning my interaction with clients, I agreed, but what I had encountered was amazing and unexpected. I layed down in the main class area, alone, and quiet, and placed a belly bowl of burning moxa, just below my belly button. Before, I had closed my eyes and allowed the warmth to overtake me, but this time I had an overwhelming urge to keep my eyes open. As I lay there I watched the smoke rise above my abdomen. I wanted so badly to become that smoke, flowing freely above it "all", able to maintain my "shape" and essence as the subtle wind blew me around, I imagined myself being that very smoke, not allowing any stress or any thing to keep me down, as I continue to float, dissipate, and reform. Then suddenly my smoke transformed into silouettes of women that appeared to be dancing, this drew me in even further and made me want to be the smoke even more. I watched for a few moments and then in my thoughts began to ask if my smoke could take specific form. In class we had been given individual treatment plans for bodywork and QiGong, so I decided to ask if it could do specific Qi Gong moves. First, I thought "Can you Wave Hands like Clouds?" and as the thought was complete, one would pop up and wave her hands one direction and then another would pop up waving her hands in the other direction. Awed and amazed I watched for a few moments more, then asked "Can you Draw your Bow?" as one by one they drew their bows one in each direction. Then, I asked "Can you Row on the Lake?" and again one by one they'd pop up each one moving as if they were rowing on the lake. I was overwhelmed with this gitty feeling from what I had seen, and had a revelation. My desire to become the smoke transformed into the realization that I was the smoke, able to control every move with my thoughts alone. It was empowering and enlightening, knowing that I could float above the stresses in my life, continuing to dance and move, rising above, until it passes, just by thinking it. An experience that I will never forget and can draw strength from whether I'm burning moxa or not. Hmmm, what an awesome feeling! 

Anxiety & Acupuncture

By Paulette Marin, D.O.M., L.Ac.

While conventional medicine is primarily concerned with a physical reason or cause of symptoms, Acupuncture, as a branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine, looks for mind-body-spirit links to chronic illness. Even though many of the symptoms are physical, we look for an emotional or spiritual disharmony going on that corresponds to the physical message the body is producing. Acupuncture treats both the physical body and emotional mind at the same time, seeing no separation between the two.

An acupuncturist will do an in-depth health intake that focuses strongly on your lifestyle, as inappropriate lifestyle is seen as the main cause of disease. Specifically, some of the main causes of disease are:

1 Improper diet
2 Too much work
3 Not enough rest/sleep
4 Too much emotional upset
5 Lifestyle not harmonious with external environment

An energetic diagnosis will be made based on the relative strength or weakness of your internal organs from a Chinese Medicine point of view, and the relationship of your internal organs in working harmoniously with each other. An acupuncturist will then use a variety of treatment techniques including things such as very fine needles, herbal formulas, and qigong exercises to re-balance your mind-body-spirit system. Often, lifestyle is addressed to show how changes in some areas will help to alleviate your symptoms.

A basic energetic view of anxiety is a disconnection or lack of communication between Fire (the heart) and Water (the kidneys). Fear is the emotion most associated with the Water element. Usually we can point to something we are afraid of, like heights, or snakes, or the dark. Joy is the emotion associated with the Fire (the heart). Anxiety lives more in that connection between the Fire and Water.

Anxiety can be a bit more free-floating than fear, and is sometimes harder to define. In the ancient Chinese classic text, the Ling Shu, anxiety is described as the feeling of going too far or too fast. We probably have all experienced that feeling at one time or another. If it becomes a chronic state of being however, disharmonies in one’s health can occur.

As the Water energy of the body, located in the pelvic area, is heavy, calm, and acts an anchor for the heart (Fire). The Fire energy of the body, located in the chest, is light and energetic. Imagine a strong anchor holding a balloon on a string. Water energy would be the anchor and Fire energy would be the balloon. The balloon string is the connection between the two. When chronic anxiety symptoms occur, there is an energetic image of the anchor (Water) not being strong enough to hold onto the balloon (Fire). The balloon is shaking or let loose as the anchor struggles to regain control of it. The acupuncturist will re-establish control of the balloon (Fire).

Acupuncture has been shown to be a highly effective treatment for symptoms of anxiety when used alone, and the effectiveness can be increased with the use of Chinese herbal formulas and the practice of special QiGong exercises and Tai Chi.

Paulette Marin is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Licensed Acupuncturist, and Director of the Acupuncture Program at The Oriental Healing Arts School of Massage Therapy.