How Long?
Dear Patient,
“How long should I rest with the needles in?” A patient will ask.
The true answer is that your body will tell you how long, and with practice you’ll learn how that feels. Maybe you’ll doze off and then awaken, suddenly alert. Maybe you’ll start to feel restless and fidgety after a while. Maybe a bunch of needles will fall out, even though you haven’t moved. These are all signs that your body has received what it needs from the treatment. Maybe your body will find other ways to speak to you.
I like for people to rest for at least 30 minutes with the needles in, because the classical Chinese medical texts tell us that it takes 28 minutes for your qi to fully circulate through your body. So it’s nice to allow enough time for a complete circuit. But even if you can only rest for 20 minutes, or 15, you’ll still benefit.
But there’s no “perfect” amount of rest time because everyone’s needs differ. Your own needs change every day. It’s similar to sleep. Some of us need 8-9 hours a night, while others do fine with 6-7. Babies tend to need more sleep than people in their eighties.
We’re conditioned to approach health in regimented, measurable ways: get 8 hours of sleep at night, drink 8 glasses of water every day, count reps at the gym, count calories and grams of protein and net carbs. Count. Measure. Be precise. But our bodies all work differently. They tell us what they need. We’ve just forgotten how to interpret their language.
So how much sleep do you need? How many servings of vegetables should you eat per day? How many hours should you spend exercising each week? How long should you rest with the needles in?
Your body will tell you.
Love and gratitude,
Your Acupuncturist