getting needled

i totally get acupuncture (yes, i mean literally and figuratively!). i'm a firm believer in what chinese medicine calls "chi". chi, in its simplest meaning, is the energy that our bodies transmit/possess as living organisms. its that immeasurable influence that is analogous to what is considered the "virtual domain" where deepak chopra refers to as "the level of the spirit that connects, orchestrates and synchronizes everything". the easiest way to understand this concept, in my opinion, is to think about identical twins. how is it that you hear endless stories of when twins, who live thousands of miles apart from the other, still can feel each other when one is hurting, sick, happy or going through something? not that i'm here to make a case for quantum phyics, but i figure for the skeptics, this is always a good example.

i found dr. rena zhai from a referral, and i would recommend that you find your healers in the same way. i'm so lucky that i did find her because she is a true healer. she is thoughtful, inquisitive and knows her stuff. she will recommend a treatment program according to your need, not according to how often she can bill your insurance company - which, unfortunately so many health practitioners do - both western and eastern alike. i go to her for almost any concern, this last session was because i came down with a terrible cold bug and i wanted to knock it out. i also had some major neck tension from stress and being in bed too much. you can get needled for many things, muscular issues or internal issues. you can even just get it if you're feeling low on energy or just super stressed out. i like the idea of going once a month to getting a body "tune up" - much like what happens when you get your car tuned up, get things tightened up, loosened up and encouraging all the systems in your body to work as efficiently as possible. the thing about dr. zhai is that she asks for your medical records, like your blood work and is really great about combining western medical practicalities with eastern modalities. this type of care is the best that anyone in modern day los angeles can ask for.


some people tell me that they have had bad experiences or never really felt anything. i'm here to tell you folks that you have to be very discriminating when it comes to choosing your healers and in my opinion, especially when it comes to this incredibly complex yet simple and delicate healing modality. think about it, someone is manipulating the energy in your body by accurate placements of needles! i don't know about you, but i'm terribly picky about massage therapists as well, someone who is a novice can easily aggravate a tense area if they dont know what their doing. well, apply the same rules to acupuncture, and then multiply by 1000. just like with anything regarding your health, you have to be very careful and smart about who you chose to treat you, okay?