Monday Mission: Season 1, Episode 3

Your Monday Mission for this week, should you choose to accept it, is to continue working at paring down the number of points you needle in each session.  For this week, pay attention to your techniques - whatever techniques you use in your treatments with the style you practice.  The focus of this week will be on the physical movements of the hands.  Try to take a fresh look at the way you needle, and make every movement as strong, agile, and eficient as you can make it.

An easy way to pare down the number of points you use, for most people, is to pay better attention and make better use of your technique.  As technique improves, you will often not need as many points to get the results you want.

In addition, this is an excellent week to PRACTICE your needle skills when you are not treating clients.  Adding fifteen minutes a day of practice to really hone your form will pay off by next Monday.  If you are working through these exercises with a Mission Buddy, set a time to get together and critique each other's physical technique.  Look for places where your parter is holding tension in his or her body, or where the movements seem sluggish or the focus begins to wane.  Having another set of eyes and honest feedback can be a big help.  If you are working through the exercises alone, write down what you find when you look closely at your needlework.  Are your fingers at the most efficient angle with the needle handle?  Do you feel in control the whole time?  If not, at what point in the technique do you lose control of the needle?  Where do you feel tension in your body?  Keep track also of any emotional responses that come up, directions that your Mind wanders, lack of clarity in your Intention, and so forth.

If you were not able to use your average number of needles on the bulk of your clients last week, see if you can get a little closer this week.  If you were able to do so, try to shave off one more needle on average this week.