Question

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In class this week we discussed some of the principles of point selection, including the role of the practitioner's intuition and the image that you hold in your mind for the treatment. What do you see as the most important principles to keep in mind when making acupuncture point selections? Besides learning the actions and indications of channels and points, what sorts of skills and knowledge do you hope to cultivate to help you with building acupuncture treatments? I'd like to continue to cultivate my selective ability to share people's experience of their own body to be able to feel what others feel. The body has a lot of wisdom, but much of it gets lost in translation, especially because we aren't typically taught how to listen to or be in touch with our body from a young age. I like the idea of using my knowledge with treating symptoms as one of the body's "languages" and combining that with more subtle forms of diagnostic tools to treat a person's elemental needs. Another tool besides the more traditional ones we are learning in school that I'd like to continue to cultivate is working through the astral plane on the imaginal realm. I suppose this is what people mean when they say they are imbuing their intention into the needles. I think I am referring to a more formal practice though. I think a lot can be accomplished energetically, even at a distance. Some of the most profound healing experiences I have given & received have been through this modality. I cannot wait to see how this can be applied in an acupuncture setting, and how it might inform my choice of channel and points in treatment.

Answer 1

1. The most important principle to keep in mind when making acupuncture point selection is point specificity. Many practitioners select a specific point by the ability of his/her body to feel what others feel. Principles of point selection are influenced by the practitioner’s intuition and image that he/she holds in mind for the treatment. A lot more healing can be accomplished by treating energetically. Some of the most profound healing experiences happened like this. Practitioners achieve good results by imbuing their intention into the needles.

2. Besides learning actions and indications of channels and points, skills and knowledge that needs to be cultivated to help with acupuncture treatments are:

a. A practitioner should continue to cultivate his/her ability to share people’s experiences of their own body, to be able to feel what others feel.

b. Another tool besides the more traditional ones to be cultivated is working through the astral plane on the imaginary realm.