Gone

Dear Patient,

Sometimes an exchange like this will happen:

“How has your back been feeling since your last treatment?” I ask.

“Now that you mention it, I haven’t really had any pain!” They’ll say.

I love these moments—the sudden awareness that a particular ailment or symptom is now gone. They hadn’t even noticed.

Most of our body’s processes aren’t meant to be noticed: bones growing, glands squirting out hormones, cells dividing. It’s only when something goes wrong that we pay attention: a pain, a growth, a symptom.

We might try once in a while to tune into the opposite: the absence, the leaving, the gone-ness. Gone-ness is generally a good indicator that your body is humming along just fine, not trying to draw your attention to anything in need of repair.

You could try this as a meditation: sit quietly and spend a few minutes scanning your body. What do you NOT notice? Think back to what may have plagued you in the past—is it gone? It’s a good reminder of how remarkably well our bodies work most of the time.

Love and gratitude,

Your Acupuncturist