I hope this finds you healthy, happy, and rested after the Thanksgiving holiday. On “EverGreen Friday” (I’m officially renaming and reclaiming the day for Mother Earth), I took my daughter and her friends to the woods – far from the consumer frenzy of Black Friday at the malls
. The rest of my break I spent with friends and family getting in touch with the true spirit of Thanksgiving. The true spirit of life is ultimately inexpressible, but words can direct us to that awareness. When I remember to rest my mind in the space of non duality, feeling the connection with all life, I silently promise myself that I’ll never allow myself to be distracted from that spacious awareness again. Sometimes it seems that the quality of awareness in modern life is like the steel ball rolling down through a pinball game, excitedly ricocheting off the bumpers of material desire or dropping into the hole of aversion and depression because we think we don’t have enough stuff, or we have to make payments on all that stuff, or worrying about how to protect our stuff and keep it from being stolen or breaking. These last four days though, I unplugged the whole game and remembered to look deeper.
Central to what CommuniChi offers to the community is a place to heal at this deepest level. Of course, we are also here to help minister to your every day aches and pains, stomach aches, insomnia, and so forth. Most of the time, acupuncture can help almost anything to some degree. Collectively, Sam, Lisa, and I, have close to 40 years of clinical experience. But beyond healing run of the mill aches and pains, acupuncture brings you in touch with your heart. Not just the muscle in our chest, but our spiritual heart. Three weeks ago, I traveled to the United Nations and listened to the message of Chief Arvol Lookinghorse of the Lakota nation, speaking on behalf of all indigenous people in North and South America. His message: There is a great danger to all life now. The nuclear disaster at Fukushima is only the tip of the iceberg. Runaway climate change, tar sands, fracking, GMOs, electro-smog from wireless technology, clear cutting of the last rain forests for fast food burgers – all of these developments have arisen due to mankind’s collective disconnection from nature. We have nearly lost the ability to listen to and appreciate the life-giving forces of Grandmother Earth.
To reestablish connection and give hope to the world’s children for the future, first we must remember how to listen to our own mind, body, and spiritual heart. In doing so, ninety-nine percent of the stress of modern life will often melt away and with it, much of our aches and pains (often simply internalized stress). Our ability to navigate the challenges of the future, and realize our own goals will be enhanced. This is our offer to you. If you value having this resource in your community, please consider supporting us instead of a big box store that has no investment in the sustainability of your community.
Consider a gift certificate of acupuncture for a Christmas stocking stuffer. Make a renewed commitment to care for your own deepest level of health and use the winter months as a time to balance and nurture your mind. Many mammals and plants naturally use the winter season to rest and rejuvenate so that in spring, there is energy for new activity and growth. Share your positive experiences about our clinic with a friend, family member or co-worker. Thank you for your support. We look forward to serving you. Peace, Jordan, Sam, Lisa