Plateaus
Dear Patient,
Early in my career I often fixated on immediate results. I wanted every patient to feel better after every treatment, every time. If a patient’s progress stalled, or they reached a plateau, I’d change tactics—try different points, switch up their herbs, maybe throw in an ancillary modality like cupping or gua sha—anything to produce a noticeable improvement.
I’ve learned in the ensuing years not to be so focused on the short term outcome. Plateaus are part of the process. Anyone who’s ever tried to develop any sort of skill knows this—you advance for a while, then hit a plateau. It happens in creative pursuits, athletic training, learning a new language, recovering from surgery. Sometimes all that forward momentum will abruptly come to a halt.
Plateaus can feel discouraging, but they’re a vital restorative period, when the body takes the time it needs to get acclimated to a new way of moving and being. Plateaus happen because constant advancement at all times is unsustainable.
Sometimes we want to skip ahead to the next stage of progress. But a plateau is a period of integration, consolidation and gestation for the next phase. As I learned as a young practitioner, there’s really no bypassing life’s plateaus. They happen when you need them. Plateaus are your body’s way of saying, “Good job love, now let’s rest for a bit.”
Love and gratitude,
Your Acupuncturist