TRADITIONAL
 ACUPUNCTURE

with Marcus Mason MBAcC

Traditional Acupuncture is a profound and elegant system of Chinese Medicine, which has evolved over the last 3,000 years to become a sophisticated, practical and completely natural means of helping to restore balance to the body, emotions, mind and spirit.

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It is believed that Acupuncture can restore this natural balance, by regulating the rhythms, cycles and relationships between the different organs and their associated systems. In essence, Acupuncture treats the person, not the disease, by addressing the underlying causes that have led to an imbalance in the body, emotions, mind or spirit.

These causes may be found at many levels: they may arise from old injuries or an illness from which you never fully recovered; they may arise from prolonged periods of stress, tension, anxiety, grief, fear or anger; often physical and emotional shocks or traumas can accumulate in the body, eventually leading to physical symptoms.

Qi - the Vital Force

Causes are many and varied, but they all affect the 'vital force', which is called Qi (or Ch'i) in Chinese Medicine. This vital force is referred to by different names in other traditions; for instance in Indian Yoga it is called Prana.

In these traditions, it is believed that the vital force flows to all of the organs and body systems, helping to maintain a healthy balance. When the vital force becomes stuck, depleted or damaged, then it may affect the health of the organs, the attitude of the mind or emotions, or the vitality of the spirit.

When treatment is effective at the causative level, it restores the smooth flow of the vital force (Qi) helping to bring lasting healing to the body, calming the emotions and mind, and restoring vitality to the spirit.

Integrating 5 Elements and TCM

In my practice, I work with the two main styles of Traditional Acupuncture that are practised in the West - Five Elements and TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine - also known as 'Eight Principles').

The integration of these two approaches brings the ability to treat the underlying imbalances in the person's Qi; this can help to restore the vitality of the spirit, mind and emotions and affect the presenting illness and its symptoms.