January
2010
We hold these
truths to be self-evident, that all men are created
equal, that they are endowed by their Creator
with certain unalienable rights, that among these
are life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness.
The pursuit of happiness.
When you are in pursuit of something,
you either do not have that which you seek or
you feel you do not have enough. Some things you
can measure and count, like money. But does having
enough of that stop us from pursuing more? While
other things you may pursue cannot be measured,
like happiness.
Our country was founded on this
principle and we have even successfully exported
it the world over; it is engrained in the very
fabric of our modern culture. We seek; we strive.
To be fair, without this indomitable spirit, this
country would not have progressed and advanced
as quickly as it has. It is part of what makes
us unique and special as a people. But there is
balance in all things. We strive to put food on
the table, clothes on our backs, a roof over our
heads, and a few bucks in the bank for rainy days
and retirement. Yet along the way, we get conditioned
to believe that more is better: more food, more
clothes, a bigger house, and a larger pot of cash
in the bank. Happiness in the present moment and
contentment for all we do have get lost in the
pursuit for more; enough is no longer enough.
We continue to seek to fill the void in our hearts
with things that don’t have a chance at
fitting.
Stop reading this for a moment
and tune in to your breath. Notice… we inhale…
for more; we exhale… for less. And right
there in the middle is a space of stillness, of
contentment. It is the sweet spot between more
and less. It is enough.
In my office, I sit and listen
intently to my patients. I piece together their
stories with their symptoms and work to find a
path toward relief. And when they lay down on
my table and rest with the acupuncture needles
in, they get an all too unique opportunity to
lie still during their busy, seeking day. And
no matter the message I am communicating with
my point selection, one theme is always present:
you have everything you need right in your own
body. Your heart beats by itself, your breath
flows in and out by itself. Much of your body
processes occur without your intervention. Yet,
something gets in the way. Something pulls us
out of balance.
The longer I am in practice, the
more I see my role as helping to remove obstruction.
When given the chance, the body, the mind and
the spirit know what to do. When I can encourage
stillness, when I can encourage my patients to
simplify, to do less, to sit still more, greater
health can be recovered and balance can be found.
One of my teachers told me that when his patients
ask him what they should do, he replies, “Do
less.”
Sure there are many among us that
truly lack for the basic necessities of life.
But even for them, enough can be found in the
love they have for their family and friends, the
breath they have in their bodies, and the joy
they have in their hearts for what they do have.
And there are those of us that are fortunate to
not be suffering for material needs. Yet we suffer
still. It is the suffering that comes with the
never-ending pursuit for more.
Take a moment. Sit down, close
your eyes and take a deep breath.
Inhale…
Pause and listen…
Exhale…
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