Acupuncture, An Induced Meditation
When I think of induction and acupuncture, I commonly think of using acupuncture for inducing labour. But induction, bringing about, or causing, is the nature of acupuncture in general. One great experience acupuncture can influence is meditation. Acupuncture can induce a meditative state.
I have heard it over and over again. Just sit. For 20 minutes a day. Just sit. Just sit. It seems so simple and overwhelming at the same time.
The mind says noooooo get up and doooo something.
Sitting is soooo unproductive. It seems counterintuitive and can make one confused because being productive does make much more sense. Of course scientific research tells us that meditation can make us more productive, clear, and happier every day of our lives.
Recently, I was listening to Russel Simmons explain what Meditation is to him and why he practices every day. I have to admit I loved every second of his relayed experience. He talked about the monkey in the cage, being your mind and when you make a conscious choice to sit and be still, the monkey in the cage, of course will always go bananas. In other words one's mind will feel like it is bouncing off every wall of its encapsulation. And then it gets calmer. And then one will usually say "oh I'm meditating" and then the monkey in the cage will go bananas again. And then your mind will get calmer and calmer as you practice and then suddenly you are good at it, and you are able to achieve a meditative state. I like to use the time of meditation to connect with myself and others around me. One thing I like to practice is Metta which is a loving and Kindness meditation, where I send love and kindness to myself and then to another. It helps to center me and allows me shift my perspective toward myself and others, basically melting any drama I may be carrying around or projecting. There are various ways to go about meditating, you just have to find one that resonates with you.
Acupuncture helps achieve a meditative state, enabling you to observe the ebb and flow of thoughts and emotions, facilitating smoother processing.
This allows for easier movement through those emotional and mental states. This happens after the needles are all set in you. I leave the room for around 20 minutes and it is at this time, the patient may feel like, oh, wow, now I have to just sit here with needles in my body? Since one has needles in his/her body it sort of has to become a time of letting go of the wanting to get up. One starts to breathe through feeling fidgety, and a loosening of the mind takes place. Thoughts will rise and fall, emotions will come and go.
By stimulating specific points on the body, acupuncture can help individuals enter a meditative state, creating a sense of peace and deep concentration. This state can lead to greater mental clarity and focus.
The needles serve a twofold purpose: they guide and induce an energy shift through their precise placement, and they also enforce stillness, requiring one to simply lie down and relax.
You may find yourself in a state where you have achieved a relaxation that it is usually difficult to experience unless you have sat and meditated for a while or you could just take the much cooler route, and get acupuncture :)