Consider Your Body
As yogis, we are constantly working to strengthen our bodies and maximize our wellness. While we practice, we focus on challenging ourselves to try new balances, postures, movements, or shapes. Our teachers often talk about the power of the mind as we go through our flows, but being attuned to the muscular activity that we engage is just as important, both in the context of strength and wellness.
Regular practitioners, whether it be of yoga or any other modality or sport, build their activity of choice into their everyday routines. Like many of us, yogis rarely miss a practice. On the occasion that we do, though, it’s usually because of a hectic a day or a preexisting conflict. We get so wound up in getting to practice as often as our schedules and our minds will allow that we sometimes forget to consider the state of one of our main tools in yoga: our bodies.
Our muscular networks work hard all day. Much to our surprise, carrying computer bags, sitting behind a desk, and repeating continuous motions all take a toll on our bodies. In yoga (or whatever physical practice we engage in), our muscles are similarly put to the test as we ask them to support us and our movements. It seems fitting that we introduce and encourage a new level of bodily care as well as emotional wellness: acupuncture.
Acupuncture serves to awaken the body’s natural healing abilities. Acupuncture points have been proven to stimulate the central nervous system, which then allows for a biochemical change in the brain, spinal cord, and muscles. With the release of a variety of neurotransmitters – including endorphins, norepinephrine, and oxytocin, all of which are involved in pain relief – the body can naturally recover and prevent future injuries. Specific acupuncture techniques are also designed to relieve muscle tension by facilitating muscle contraction, thereby lengthening the tight area and leading to long-term flexibility, a tool we use in our yoga practices and in everyday injury prevention.
While aiding our natural anti-inflammatory processes and helping our physical bodies remain strong and injury-free, acupuncture also has a wide variety of emotional benefits. For example, because the central nervous system is stimulated and our pain management neurotransmitters are activated, acupuncture also allows us to naturally and effortlessly release any form of stress or anxiety that we may be holding. Acupuncture, then, taps into our built-in self-care mechanics and mechanisms to help us naturally release both physical and emotional tension.
Consider giving your body an advantage by allowing it to dig into its own toolbox. With acupuncture, you will feel physical rejuvenation and mental clarity. The muscular network that supports you all day will feel lighter and freer, a change many of us don’t recognize we need as we often neglect the work that our bodies put in. With this muscular enlightenment, your mind will follow, making acupuncture an important piece in our puzzle of wellness.