The topic of Happiness feels foremost in my mind at the moment—specifically, how acupuncture can help to increase happiness. This topic accompanied a recent invitation to speak at the Wallingford Senior Center Happy Hour. What a brilliant topic to engage!
In the past week, I’ve had conversations with several current patients who have reinforced the relevance of this question and, interestingly, highlighted the way acupuncture can help increase happiness. One client with depression came in saying, “Whatever you did last week, please continue! My mood was much better over the past week.” Another client commented on how she has been able to reduce her intake of sugar with regular acupuncture treatments, and this makes her happy. Another shared, with a big smile on his face, that since he started regular acupuncture treatments six months ago, he has found himself better able to deal with stress and has not had the desire to drink as a coping mechanism. These revelations, among others, inspire each of these individuals to maintain regular treatment. Acupuncture has helped each one step closer to and experience their HAPPY in a new way.
Pain, stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia … Each of these impedes, to varying degrees, our ability to connect with and feel happy. Each is an example of imbalance in our lives. When treated with acupuncture and Chinese herbs, these conditions often loosen in intensity and sometimes disappear altogether, which allows for more happiness to flow through.
A sense of personal happiness is not limited to a specific few; it is meant for each of us—and that’s regardless of age, sex, gender identity, ethnicity, and socio-economic background. An exciting study from researchers at the University of Alberta indicates that happiness increases as we age, well into our third decades and beyond. Happiness doesn’t, as many presume, stall once we reach adulthood and face the pressures that life can bring.
As a holistic health practitioner, I am inspired when I step back and look at the bigger picture of healing, and I view acupuncture and Chinese medicine as tools to help patients increase their sense of happiness during different phases of their lives. The holistic approach of acupuncture and Chinese medicine looks not only at our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being and how each of these interrelate. It also takes into consideration different systems in the body and how these affect one another. This ancient wisdom enables a practitioner to support patients to regain a better sense of balance in their bodies, which can, as a bonus, serve to better connect with and feel their HAPPY.
At GoodMedizen, we support HAPPY! We are here to help you enhance your HAPPY—whether you are approaching your third decade, living your third decade, or beyond!