Nerice – RN shares her first experience of Cosmetic Acupuncture at Zhong Centre in St Kilda
Recently, life has been happening – hard life. Things that throw you off kilter and make you question yourself and worth, off-kilter.
I have been wanting to “do” acupuncture at Zhong ever since I started (a few months ago) – but in between work shifts and living on the peninsula, it wasn’t as easy to just “pop” in.
Yesterday, it aligned – in more ways than one. I finished early and two of the practitioners were on site for a meeting. I stuttered out the words – and not really to my surprise was told “we’ve been waiting for you to ask”.
As I lay on the table, dress up around my neck (not really – but dramatization here) but modestly and professionally covered up without a skip of a heartbeat, I was making up excuses.
Excuses while my pulse was checked – “oh I haven’t drunk enough water” (because as I nurse, I know this to be effected), when they checked my tongue and I was asked if I eat much meat “oh no not really”, which was then rebutted with – “well are you taking iron?” – me, squirming for a mere second – starting to recognise my excuses.
But, not once did I feel judged, mocked, or made to feel bad for my clear self-neglect and my dress around my neck 😊. In fact, what it truly felt like, was this magic of information that was swirling around in my little oasis of plants and plush curtains. Like the information that was being collected through pulse, tongue, feeling muscles and asking if it was uncomfortable was formulating and curating this plan of treatment – I swear it felt amazing – like a harry potter scene where they were about to make a spell, or the good doctor where he is seeing all the information vividly but no one else could. It was an incredible feeling.
On to the pinning (see how I changed needles to pins?), I did this because I’ve been around needles for many years (occupational hazard) and I feel there may be a negative association to what is experienced in hospital with needles, to what acupuncture is – which are far more delicate.
Although, by this time they could have cast a spell on me (insert witch emoji here).
While I had quite a few pins inserted (see lovely unedited photo – ps. I snuck my phone in – probably get in trouble for that after this), I wouldn’t describe them as painful. If you’ve had an injectable – its less painful than that, if you haven’t, then id describe it to be less painful then having bloods taken – Der! – the pins are WAY smaller – trust me I know (occupational hazard 😊).
Here is where the true story begins….as I lay on the table, pinned to the nines, heat lamp on my abdomen (tummy) and sinking into the moment, I started to feel this warmth on the corner of my left eye – it felt like a tear, but I didn’t feel “emotionally” sad. I wondered if it was a tear of being tired, or heaven forbid – was I in pain and didn’t realise?
Then the right eye felt warm on the outer corner. What was I experiencing, I wondered?
I lay there, comfortable, warm, not ‘emotionally’ sad and tried to ask myself what was happening – and not in a scared way – more in an observing way.
Here is what I found – with no one to interrupt me, with no check lists, to do lists, errands to run, children to look after, clients to comfort, the list of life goes on – I finally was sitting in a space – that was solely me.
The only way I can describe what these tears were and in the best way I can share this – it was my spirit.
A very hidden deep part of me, that I probably don’t listen to enough, not even close. My spirit shed those tears, before my “emotional thinking human brain” had time to realise or try to label. The feeling that came up was “finally you’ve made the time to stop, to be still, to be you, to put you first”.
It was incredible!! A few more tears fell, with this realisation.
It was magic – in fact I thought about what id call it last night – “spirit magic” – was the best way I could describe and give it justice.
It was beautiful. It didn’t’ feel sad, it felt recognised, and many things became clear to me. All the off-kilter feelings, questions and self-doubt that was previously there – just dissipated.
I knew my answers, I recognised my boundaries. I felt what was deep within me, that my thinking brain kept clouding.
So, why write all this – why share it? Because I have been to a few acupuncture clinics before – and all been wonderful, don’t get me wrong. Clinical, do the job – wonderful.
Much like how life is, at the moment.
But, if you are after deep, restorative, balancing – “spirit magic”, then I suggest visiting Zhong.
I HIGHLY suggest visiting Zhong – life right now is throwing us all off-kilter.
I know some sceptics will say, “oh but you work there and this is why you write this” – that’s a fair “assessment” – a bit like the ‘clinical, do the job’ kind of assessment – and there’s nothing wrong with that.
But, I know the ones that need, and want to hear the call that I am making here and now – I know they can see this is from the heart – I know you can feel it.
And for you….I just hope you “make the time to stop, to be still, to be you, to put you first” – and come enjoy some of your own “spirit magic”.
You know what makes this experience even more celebrated…I lay on that table because I had a stiff neck and just recovered from a migraine the day before….I got a bonus upgrade of cosmetic acupuncture and my favourite – “spirit magic acupuncture”….and the answer is yes, the acupuncture helped with both my neck and post migraine headache too!