Naturopathic Medicine, Acupuncture and the Creative Self
“What do you want to be when you grow up?”
This was a question we often heard as we went about our unfettered world full of six year old imaginings. A paper airplane maker, a dinosaur trainer, a flying superhero, a flower doctor, these were some of the innocent answers given to the question so many grownups found it necessary to ask.
At that time our creative mind was swimming with possibilities while most of the grownups had other things to think about. Yet, for them to ask that question might have been a question they were really asking themselves.
Many have let their creative dreams fall to the wayside as the constraints of a life chosen leaves little room to explore those things that truly make us feel free. By using the tools that naturopathic medicine and acupuncture offer you can revisit your artistic self within. Whether it is a writer, musician, painter, cook, athlete, scientist, talented mathematician, miniature model builder, you name it and if you have a passion for it, then it is your art. Before you know it you may find yourself saying something like, “I used to play the clarinet, but, well, you know?”
A naturopathic doctor can help you find a way to fit in some personal passion that you have been away from too long or always wanted to try out. Sometimes, all it takes is someone to help you guide yourself to the possibility of fitting something you would love to do into your schedule, your body and your mind.
Acupuncture can open sluggish energy channels that have tamped down that creative fire as well as clear your mind so you can hone in on feeding your starving inventive spirit. Naturopathic medicine will ease your artistic energy to the surface using a variety of botanical, nutraceutical and clinically nutritive approaches that work on a cellular level to also stoke your deep creativity into the blaze it once was.
Points for the Suppressed Artist
Working hand in hand with naturopathic medicine, acupuncture can encourage your body to embark on its creative journey. By painlessly manipulating specific points, stagnant energy is released so it can once again be able to feed your artistic capabilities. These points can correlate with freeing many resulting aspects of suppressed creativity such as depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, anxiety, headaches, challenged digestion and even frequent infections. It is as if the body is trying to push through any way it can because the ego of the mind will not let it live freely and creatively. These point locations can include:
• Liver 3 – Top of the foot
• Pericardium 3 – Inside elbow crease
• Heart 7 – Inside wrist crease
• Stomach 36 – Four fingers below the outside kneecap
• Du Vessel 20 – Top of the head midway between the ears
• Spleen 6 – Just above the outside ankle
Talk Out Your Path, Influence Your Mind
The Chinese believe there are five levels to life:
1. Destiny
2. Luck
3. Feng Shui
4. Virtue
5. Knowledge
Feng Shui is one of the most important levels when it comes to artistic expression. It is the precise alignment of the body’s life energy as well as the surrounding energy that if interrupted can manifest in any (or more) of the aforementioned ways. By speaking with a naturopathic doctor through confidential counseling sessions, you can find what may be impeding your long lost individuality and construct personal remedies to bringing less toxicity and more positive energy to your life.
Hypnosis may also be used as a tool to compliment counseling session, being able to bring fears to the surface and confront them without the trauma that may normally be attached to such an undertaking. Naturopathic doctors are often trained in hypnosis which can sometimes catapult a patient onto another level, surpassing elongated counseling or outside therapy. In 2003, Stanford researcher Dr. David Spiegel spoke about hypnosis and the brain. He said “…hypnosis can be effective in helping people reach into their own unconscious resources to solve problems normally beyond their ability. Not only does it work, but it often succeeds where modern medicine has failed”
Restore Your Focus, Clarity and Energy
Using herbal remedies topically, orally or through the olfactory system are optimal remedies for sparking artistic resurgence. This approach can work to ease anxiety and open clarity pathways that may have long been stuck or altogether blocked by emotional challenges. Some of these remedies may include:
• Rescue Remedy – A combination of flower essences that when inhaled can calm anxiety and increase focus. It consists of: impatiens, Star of Bethlehem, cherry plum, rock rose and clematis.
• Jasmine – The essential oil from this fragrant flower is said to open the mind’s eye.
• Gingko Biloba – An excellent focus and memory enhancer that increases blood to the extremities, especially the brain.
• Hawthorne Berry and Yellowdock Syrup – This is a combination that creates harmony, regulating blood and energy flow to the liver.
• Kava Kava – Derived from the pepper family, this herb has been known to effectively reduce anxiety, improve concentration and enhance memory just as well or better than prescribed, traditional medicine.
• Skullcap – Helps focus, concentration, nervousness and is a natural pain reliever.
• Red Clover – Enhances brain functioning by providing such nutrients as calcium, protein and B-vitamins.
• St. John’s Wort – Excellent for anti-depression, insomnia, anxiety and irritability.
A naturopathic doctor may also suggest smudging. This is the practice of safely burning of herbs to release negative surrounding energy and increase imagination, ideas and deep thoughts. In addition, re-evaluating your dietary choices can also awaken sluggish energy. Eating clean, organic foods and staying away from heavier choices such as sugar, white flour and fried foods will also clear the way for your newfound passions.
With the guidance of a naturopathic doctor, you may very well be able to create a new path for yourself that can open your heart, mind and spirit to embracing the creativity you seek. No matter how hectic your lifestyle may be, slowing down for a few sessions to assess how to manage it all while discovering or re-discovering lost passions may integrate a whole new quality of living that you would have otherwise passed over.
At Integrative Med Solutions, we will design an acupuncture and naturopathic treatment program that works for you. In many cases, insurance covers portions of the treatment. Allow us to support you to achieve optimal health. To make an appointment or find out more about how acupuncture can benefit you, please call our office at 914.337.2980 914.337.2980 or click here to schedule an online appointment.
*Please CLICK HERE to see a current list of In-Network Insurance Companies for Acupuncture that we participate with as well as insurance companies that commonly have Out-of-Network benefits. Please call 914.337.2980 or securely email info@intmedsolutions.com. to verify your specific benefits. If you are emailing, please include your full name, date of birth and insurance identification card number.