Guest Written by our Acupuncturist Ben Watson.
There is a great deal of debate over what is and is not healthy. This all usually occurs without an agreed upon definition of health. According to the World Health Organization, health is simply the absence of disease. I think we all can acknowledge that even in the absence of a medical diagnosis, we can still feel unhealthy. With that being said, I would like to offer a more enlightened definition for health. Rather than an absence of disease, Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen has suggested that health is rather a means to fulfill a purpose. Hence, rather than attempting to achieve the impossible feat of evading illness and disease in the hopes of obtaining health, first, ask yourself whether you wake up every day with enthusiasm and excitement for life. Furthermore, is your lifestyle facilitating or hindering your pursuit of a fulfilling life? When you are able to answer this question honestly, you will find the minutiae that this ageless debate consists of comes secondary to the larger picture of how we conduct ourselves in day-to-day life as we come to know and refine our true nature. The Ling Shu (Spiritual Pivot), a foundational text in Chinese medicine contains a passage, which uses metaphor to highlight the extensive application of acupuncture in resolving all that prevents us from realizing our purpose in life whether rooted in the mind or the body.
“Illness and disease might be compared to conditions of thorns, stains, knots, or obstructions. Thorns, although embedded for a long time can still be pulled out. Stains, although filthy for a long time, still can be washed away. Knots, although tied for a long time, still can be untied. Obstructions, although blocked for a long time, still can be opened up. Some people say chronic disease cannot be cured. This is speaking incorrectly. The skillful acupuncturist can take hold of the disease in the same way he pulls out thorns, washes out stains, unties knots, or breaches obstructions. Disease, although chronic, still can be ended. Those who say diseases are incurable have not mastered the technique of acupuncture.”
