In addition to the numerous biochemical and nervous system responses to acupuncture, there occurs a less measurable yet immensely palpable shift during a treatment that continues to fascinate me. This medicine enables surrender, a letting go of imaginary control over a situation that allows for true transformation to take place.
We have all heard the term “letting go” but what does it really mean? It is not to shunt our feelings aside, forget our upsets and forcibly “move on”. Rather it is a letting go of our resistance to discomfort, finding just as much meaning from our pain as from our gratification.
At the heart of one’s ability to surrender is a central ideological conflict: humans as separate from nature vs humans as part of nature. Perfectionism is a human against nature approach. In striving for perfection we try to avoid down cycles, attempting to overcome nature by always remaining at the peak of experience. A sky free from storms is not healthy for the planet nor does a wave form without heading towards its necessary break. In refusing to feel pain, many of us resist nature despite the fact that acknowledging and learning about our pain is what allows us to heal and move forward. Others stay stuck in a rut at the bottom of the wave, fearful of change and preferring to stay down and in control rather than face the unknown of what comes next. True Perfection as it exists in nature encompasses the entire spectrum of ups and downs. It is a complete circle that contains both storms and sunshine, joy and grief, life and death.
It is not the cycle itself but the fight against it that causes our suffering. It is uncomfortable to vomit, to cry, to let go of loved people and old comforts, but we do not truly heal until we allow space for discomfort.
Surrendering is about giving in to nature. Releasing the control grasp and allowing your body to partake in the natural current that propels everything forward. Practices like acupuncture and meditation give us the courage to peacefully face the downs, enforcing the trust that time will carry us through, better equipped, to the next phase of being.
