Dear Patient,
I treat patients in recliners, so I only use the acupuncture points on the front of the body. I haven’t needled any of the dozens of points on the back in over a decade. There’s nothing wrong with the back points; they work great. I’ve just chosen to work in a way that doesn’t give me access to them.
Sometimes a colleague will ask me, “What about all the points on the back? Don’t you miss using them? Don’t you feel limited by practicing this way?”
The thing is, limitations can be a great source of creativity. I’ve learned new points, concocted some stellar point combinations, studied diverse techniques and sought out new schools of thought—all thanks to the limitations of how I’ve chosen to practice. Limitations have forced me to grow. I’m a better clinician because of them.
We’re often told to push past our limitations. But there is freedom within limitations. We can get cozy with them, even be grateful for them. Because while limitations may confine us in some ways, they’re also a wellspring of possibilities.
Love and gratitude,
Your Acupuncturist
Love this! It reminds me of Dr. Suess. Green Eggs and Ham was written because he had been challenged to write a book using less than 50 words. As a result, it's one of his most well-known books. Limitations often lead to creativity as you have found here.