Things To Try When Your Acupuncturist Is On Hiatus
Try archery on horseback, bring me a video, your next treatment is free.
A lot of people get acupuncture every week. It’s part of their routine and, in the words of one of my patients: it just makes life better. So when your acupuncturist is temporarily out of the picture for any number of reasons, it feels like things can go awry. Your back starts to flare up, you get a headache, you find weed in your kid’s sock drawer… the list goes on.
Here are a few simple things to try while your acupuncturist is busy bending themself into a pretzel in India for the next six weeks, studying for their state boards, or whatever it is life has offered that takes them out of the game for a bit:
Ask for a referral for a great colleague. A different acupuncturist for a bit can take your healing journey further by adding a new perspective, especially if they practice a different style of acupuncture.
Get a massage. I tell you guys all the time to get massage. It’s especially effective after acupuncture because the channels are all open and receptive but it’s great on its own as well. Don’t get a massage if you feel like you are getting sick as this can work against your body’s natural defense system that is trying to push pathogens out of the surface level. Be sure to drink extra water after as massage can kick up toxins that are already present as well as create some toxic cellular response of its own. Either way you’ll want to flush that out.
Go see my Israeli witch doctor, Ariel Talmor, located in City Heights: (619) 227-0473. His treatments are something you’ve never experienced before and all my patients who have gone to see him have sent me a “wow” text after. Buckle up, it can be a wild ride!
Start taking ION by Dr. Zach Bush MD. It’s probably the one supplement I could recommend to almost anyone and it really does make a huge difference in gut health. Instead of trying to add probiotics to a damaged internal ecosystem where they won’t be able to survive, it works by repairing the gut lining so that the existing microbiome can flourish.
Put some shilajit in your coffee. I use Lotus Blooming Herbs for mine and I think it’s the highest quality out there. Shilajit is basically “mountain blood”. It oozes out from the cracks in the rocks in the Himalayas and is filled with all sorts of trace minerals. It’s black and tarry and goes great in coffee. You’ll be ready to climb a mountain for sure.
Pine pollen! I use a lot of tree products in my treatments, especially pine… you’ll notice it because you’ll smell it on you for hours after you leave. It’s wonderful. Pine pollen is something you take internally and while it’s basically flavorless, it feels like my liniments smell. They advertise it for longevity and aphrodisia but I notice that I just have more energy and a bigger smile on my face when I take pine pollen. I like Sun Potion’s product for this.
Read Original Wisdom by Robert Wolff. I’ve read this book a couple times in the past 20 or so years and it is such a simple story that will remind you of the true, ineffable nature of your existence. It’s a short book and an easy read.
Make bone broth and drink it every morning with some salt, pepper, and lemon! You’ll feel fantastic. Chicken broth will be warming, beef broth a bit more so, and lamb will be the warmest. Chicken is sufficient for regular use. Beef and lamb I recommend more for postpartum or recovering from a serious illness.
Take a martial arts, yoga, or qi gong class. Get in there on the mat and let the endorphins flow!
Go to the golf course driving range, batting cages, or shooting range. Allow yourself to have pure focus on something and let it rip. Archery is particularly centering and therapeutic. The founder of the school where I received my doctoral degree took up archery on horseback when he retired. Probably the most badass of all.
Well, I hope this provides some good ideas for you. Your acupuncturist will be back soon, and better than ever!
So many options…
See you at your next appointment.
—Jaime