Stan the acupuncturist

I went to see an acupuncturist yesterday. Stan. Stan the acupuncturist. Imagine that. 

I went to Stan for help with the neuropathy in my hands and feet, hoping to invite the nerves that may have died to choose rebirth. He put needles in here and there, felt my various pulses, checked my tongue, asked about what I eat -- all those good Chinese medicine things. All seemed copacetic with my chi at that point. I'm thinking he's going to be impressed by my chi, in fact. But he tsked and tutted once he probed pressure points around my shoulders and neck (ai ya! as they say in Chinese -- it hurt). Stan queried me about my activity levels, then informed me that I am getting too much aerobic exercise.

He looked at me kindly, but as he spoke I could tell that he thought he was stating the obvious: "You are supposed to be getting rest." He advised me to run 2 miles instead of 3, to do more yoga, to take more naps, to get back to my meditation practice.

Stan said that the whole idea of Chinese medicine is that below the dantien, the physical center of gravity, one's chi should be strong, grounded. Above the dantien, one's chi should be light, clear, flowing. He says my chi is too heavy above my dantien, and that I'm not helping things by how active I've been, how little I am resting. If energy gets clogged up in one's chest and head, sometimes tumors appear. Also, that heavy energy may be behind the damned nose warts! Sold! That's all I needed to hear.

Resting turns out to be pretty difficult, though, as does making the energy in my shoulders, neck, and head "light and clear." I still live by my to-do list -- I like my list. I am like a happy kid in a marching band, with the music propped in front of her. I'm having a good time, but I'm following the notes, and maybe I am marching more than is good for my upper chi.

It's not like my list is heavy, thoiugh. Today includes "weed garden, pick up petals, water houseplants, meditate, run, call electrician, fix front step, call Elizabeth, go to organic farm." Come on, this makes one's head chi heavy?

How can I be lighter, clearer in my upper chi? Probably not by thinking about it too much, but thinking is one of the melodic themes in the music dangling in front of me -- has been for as long as I can remember.

Anyway, I am working on lightening up my upper body chi. Back to Stan in a couple weeks. Stay tuned; stay light, stay clear. Send upper body chi pointers if you have them.

Full disclosure in closing: It's true that I've stopped meditating regularly since all these twenty-somethings have moved into the house. It's been fun to have them around, but it's harder for me to find quiet time. There's a lot of activity, tidying up, talking, directing traffic. Plus these people are like locusts, except they take longer showers.