Emotional Pain Causes Physical Pain

In Acupuncture theory there is no differentiation between pain caused by physical vs emotional distress. Meaning you could have shoulder pain from an injury, as well as hating your boss. Both of these cause stagnation - which lead to pain. 

This is the reason why people get to a point in their acupuncture sessions where they are no longer improving. They're usually just dealing with the physical aspect of their pain while ignoring the emotional component.

Think of it like bailing water out of a boat. If there's a hole in the boat, no matter how much you bail, water keeps pouring in.

That's why it's just as crucial to address the emotional causes of pain, not just the physical ones.

This can be easier said than done, especially if you've been shoving your feelings down for years instead of allowing yourself to feel them.

But if you've been following along, you've already begun to recognize the times when you're "shoulding" yourself and started questioning why. Now, let's dive into the third step: learning to reframe your "should thoughts."

We’ll use asking for help as an example because most of y'all are terrible at that.

Step One: Recognize when you say things like "I should be able to figure this out on my own."

Step Two: Ask yourself why you should be able to do that

Step Three: Reframe the thought to "No one has all the answers”.

One last thing, be kind to yourself when you first start doing this. It's a learned skill, and you might not get it right perfectly the first try.

And when you're in it so thick that you can't see the forest from the trees, seeking some outside perspective can be helpful.

So, please don't hesitate to message me and ask for help. That's what I'm here for.