So you want to be a Jedi….!
Let’s start by taking the stress out of life.
It is supposed to be a ‘holiday’, however Christmas and New Year can bring with them a whole host of problems; from financial issues to family pressures, loneliness to over indulgence, the stresses and strains placed on individuals during the darkest part of the year can be overwhelming. All in all it is quite a time to be reminded that you grew up wanting to be a Jedi master in the mould of Luke Skywalker or Princess Leia! On the bright side New Year is coming, so if not now then when?
As every good Jedi Master will tell you, he or she can only show you the path, you are the one who has to walk on it. At the end of the day we are the ones who are responsible for our own lives. We are responsible for our everyday decisions, for our life style choices, for our health and ultimately for our future.
The difficulty, of course, is that we all have so many responsibilities. We work all week to pay the rent, to pay for the kids, perhaps to live a little at the weekend! If we are lucky the morning commute is compensated with a job that we love, though unfortunately this is not always the case. Every evening we struggle back through the crowds to come home to family, friends, a partner, or maybe an empty house. How are we ever supposed to find the time to become Jedi knights?
City life is stressful and while a certain amount of stress is healthy in order to propel us through the world too much definitely gets in the way of Jedi-hood. Stress is the dark side of the Force and in my life as an acupuncture practitioner I have seen time and again how physical complaints can be traced back to the relentless pressures that are a part of twenty first century living. Headaches, migraines, adrenal fatigue, IBS, digestive problems, palpitations, anxiety, depression, panic attacks and many more physical and emotional symptoms can have their root cause, wholly or partially, in the stresses that come with everyday life.
It is at times like this that the budding Jedi in us all needs a little helping hand on the path. The first step to the realisation of our full potential is to reduce stress. Acupuncture is one of the healing therapies which has a significant effect on stress. The treatment heals powerfully and gently. This is no quick fix therapy but one that is rooted in it’s own empirical research over thousands of years. It works through the insertion of fine needles to increase, dispel or simply move energy harmoniously through the body. Although rooted in ancient knowledge it is becoming more and more widely accepted in the modern world and is already used by physiotherapists in the NHS as well as being available in its own right in hospitals such as Solihul NHS hospital in Birmingham.
If stress is inhibiting your ability to feel the Force a free acupuncture consultation is the first step to getting yourself back on the path to good health. Of course, a Jedi Padawan like yourself does not simply accept what they are told blindly. If Master Yoda is not available then ask your family and friends what they know about acupuncture treatment. In this day and age more and more people have already discovered this effective healing therapy.
With all this said it only remains for me to reassure you that this isn’t the type of cliched Star Wars blog that will end with the words May The Force Be With You.
Guest blog by Paul Cooney, a fellow acupuncturist in Royal Leamington Spa.