Monday Mission: Season 1, Episode 4

Your Monday Mission for this week, should you choose to accept it, is to pay attention to your Breathing with every needle you insert this week.  Breath is often ignored during actual practice.  However, it is a vital part of the needling process and, if used well, will make your needles and therefore your treatments more effective.

There are many diferent ways to use Breath in acupuncture.  But the most important thing to remember for most people is TO breathe!  It is all too common that we lock our legs, lean forward from the waist, and hold our Breath while we quickly insert the needle before moving on.  For this week there are two parts to the exercise:

First, check in and make sure that you are breathing the entire time you are working.  If you catch yourself holding your Breath, STOP, take a moment to focus, relax, and Breathe deeply at the tableside in a comfortable position.  When you are able to Breathe freely again, and only when you are able, proceed with your insertion and technique.  Take as long as you need with each client to do this.  One needle inserted with good Breath is worth at least three that are just tapped in, so you will not be losing any time with this important exercise.  Over the week, you will find that you will be better able to maintain a nice, slow, deep Breath with every insertion.

Second, and only if you can do the first part above, try to make your Breath a little deeper and fuller with each insertion.  Explore how luxurious one single Breath can be, and how long it can seem to last.  Savor each Breath as much as possible, spending an eternity in a moment with each point.  Do this second part only when you can maintain even and full Breathing throughout each treatment.  There is no sense rushing ahead - you will only be cheating yourself out of the benefits of the exercise.

In your journal, keep track of what comes up, and when you have difficulty Breathing in your clinic.  Sometimes stopping your Breath is a sign that you are not valuing yourself and your work as fully as you deserve.  Sometimes it happens only in the presence of certain clients, or when needling certain points.  If it happens repeatedly with some clients, think about what is similar among all the clients and how you feel when they are with you in the treatment room (notice I did not say "when you are with them in the treatment room" - own your space!).  If it happens with specific points, see if you are contorting your body to reach those points and whether a shift in your stance might open up your Breathing more.

Again, stay with this one as long as you feel you need.  Working well with the Breath is one of the most under-appreciated and under-used methods of dramatically improving your treatment results.  Remember that this Mission is not a race.  It is better to finish the Mission well than finish it quickly.  If you go into next week with this one, or even into the week after, you can pick up the next exercise when you are ready.