Holistic Healing

I started acupuncture again this week in attempt to get my body, mind and spirit in balance before "D" day in October. Truth be told, I've never been a traditional Western medicine kind of girl on account that my parents were alternative everything. Have a sore throat? Sprain your ankle? Want to forgo pain meds when you get your wisdom teeth out? Acupuncture, herbs, accupressure, deep breathing and the whole nine yards. Our family acupuncturist was Dr. Tatsuo Hirano, DOM, CA in Los Angeles... for every ailment, he had a cure (and literally-- when I sprained my ankle for the third time in three years, I walked into his office on crutches and walked out without them. Talk about the power of holistic healing). He even marked our earlobes before we had our ears pierced so that the placement of the holes wouldn't interupt our chi. I still have the crystal that hangs on a black silk cord that he gave me when I graduated from high school. It got me through some tough late night stress sessions (okay... maybe a little more in the panic realm...) in college (where fifteen minutes of deep breathing and meditation with that crystal could generally get me a few more hours of non-caffeinated study time) and I even wore it during my last GMAT undertaking to calm my nerves in desperate attempt for anything that could help me tackle the dreaded standardized test (I did test better that time around). Dr. Hirano's office was always a sanctuary from the stress and pressure I put on myself as a teen/early 20-something. Walking in there, everything melted away, and his kind smile, nurturing approach and calm nature was like slipping into, well, for lack of a better description, peace.

Today, I begrudgingly go to the "real" doctor... I very, very rarely take medicine of any kind, even for pain (I have to be in excruciating pain to do it... like the emergency root canal...).But acupuncture has gained immense popularity since my parents toted their three young daughters into Dr. Hirano's welcoming office. It seems somehow to be much more clinical... and not so "Eastern." But I'm hoping the results will be the same. I guess I can't help but wish I was still that little girl, walking into Dr. Hirano's office, because somehow then I'd know that everything was going to be okay.