“Sometimes when you’re in a dark place you think you’ve been buried, but you’ve actually been planted.”― Christine Caine
I have been reflecting a lot on transitions.
With the anticipation of spring around the corner, and entering the year of the snake, the challenges of resting enough to prepare for the dynamism and blooms of spring are abundant.
I have realised over my many years of practice, that a lot of people come to me as they going through transitions, whether they are aware of it or not....
It may be perimenopause, puberty, a diagnosis of some kind, a fertility journey, loss of agility or ability, a loss of a relationship or a person, even a career change or house move. The transitions between the seasons can also stir up so much, and for insomniacs the transition from waking (the yang state) to sleeping (yin state) is disrupted and hugely impactful.
One of my patients recently said that something I said to her in her session was really impactful for her.
I simply told her "This is your time".
She had had a very recent and shocking diagnosis and was in the process of absorbing all this new information, trying to understand how it would impact her and people around her, worrying about how to break it to others, and what would happen next.
I recognised that she was someone who had always cared for others, as a mother, a teacher, a pet parent and a foster parent and as a caring friend to many- and I wanted to help her see that now it was her turn to receive and give herself that kindness- and to say no to some things and people- which is not always easy!
I could not change her diagnosis, but I could help her realise the opportunities within it, and hold space for her to adjust and emerge stronger.
Coming for some treatment really helped lighten her energy, lift her spirits, and allow her to process and recalibrate, and remind her that her body was powerful.
Often, although these big transitions offer opportunities, there can be an element of grief and/ or fear or guilt associated with these changes- grief for the life someone once had or had imagined having, fear of newness or the unfamiliar, or a very real fear of pain and a progression or prognosis. Even in a change that is positive - for example leaving a toxic relationship or welcoming a new family member- and it can be hard to understand why (or even admit to ourselves) it is not always as joyful and easeful as it "should" be in the transitional period. Sometimes even the opposite, people feel they "should" be grieving more or feel more sad, and I'm so honoured to also be trusted with people's very normal conflicting emotions, and maybe to help untangle things.
These can be opportunities to take a pause, or take a step back and look at our lives from a different angle. An opportunity to see what's working for us and what isn't, and what might have led us to this point, for better or worse.
Traditional Chinese Medicine helps us understand the different aspects of change for individuals, and where the imbalance lies that may be making things harder, or causing different symptoms to arise. For example the Kidney energy is associated with fear, and the Lung energy is associated with grief- so supporting these elements with Acupuncture can be what allows the mind/body to adjust more smoothly.
Having holistic somatic support without judgement, and with a bit of objectivity can be crucial. Sometimes Acupuncture can step in where talking therapies have reached a limit or to support the ability to open up more without words.
Metamorphosis and growth can be smooth like a snake shedding its skin, or more dramatic like a chick breaking out of its shell, or a germinating seed emerging from its seedcase and through the earth, reaching for the sun. Remember that these shifts require a rest phase to build energy for the growth phase: the pupa, the cocoon- and often we do too. Life does not get less busy though!
A safe space to lie down, to be heard and allow the nervous system to recalibrate can be unspeakably powerful in supporting these transitions.
Checking in with the body and adding a carefully chosen acupuncture point or two can be the magic that sparks the release that is needed to spread our wings into the next phase of life.
As we know, change is the only constant, and being able to navigate these transitions with ease is the key to living life well.
Are you struggling with a transition or grief?
Acupuncture can help.
Get in touch https://www.lifeisforlivingwell.co.uk/contact.
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