In traditional chinese medicine, every organ contains its own vital role and universe of information which once activated, contributes to the whole well being of the body. Supposedly, the body possesses more than 2,000 acupuncture points which are connected by pathways or meridians (rivers of energy that flow from one part of the body to the next which are responsible for our overall health). When any single one of these pathways is obstructed or becomes stagnant, imbalance and disease are likely to arise. There are multiple acupuncture locations on the body, and every single one of our organs can be stimulated or activated from 9 to 67 points in the body. For example, our lungs, kidney, small intestine, large intestine, stomach, heart, bladder, spleen and liver correspond to multiple points within different locations upon the body. Our kidneys can be stimulated from a point upon the chest, our heart can be grounded from a point upon the wrist, and our blood nourished and our mind calmed from a point upon the heel. What fascinated me in my journey of coming to learn about the foundations of Chinese medicine, is the poetry and profound artistry and matrix of age-old alchemy that lies behind the supposed simplicity of sticking a needle into a specific part of a person’s body. Each point has the potential to activate some dormant power within a person’s being, reunite them with their spirit perhaps after years of being disconnected, the ability to transform their depression into newfound hope, and reactivate desires, dreams and vitality within the heart which a person might otherwise have remained divorced from, and oblivious and unconscious to for an entire lifetime. Depending on how strong a treatment is and how deeply the practitioner inserts the needle in to the body, reactions and responses can be quite intense and awaken deeply buried traumas, memories and unresolved emotions from the past, temporarily resulting in a ‘healing crisis’ and triggering or exacerbating symptoms for a few days whilst the body readjust and clears out everything that is not aligning with its highest potential for wellness. A healing crisis is a positive reaction to a treatment, for it is when symptoms of imbalance, stagnation and disease are simmering in the deeper layers of our tissues and organs that we are likely to develop long-term illness which is much harder to heal.

Both Ayurveda and Chinese medicine recognise that there are different stages to the development of disease and chronic illness. The first stage presents with minor symptoms of imbalance such as digestive upset, the occasional headache, skin inflammation, generalised aches and pains, fatigue, sleeping problems, low tolerance to stress, blood deficiency and so forth. The second stage of imbalance results in these issues becoming more pronounced, harder to ignore and disrupting our daily life and form carrying out tasks that would otherwise be easy to perform if we were in a healthy and balanced state. And the third stage results in a full blown health imbalance which signifies that the imbalance has entered more deeply into the tissues organs, and even the bones and brain tissues which can result in conditions such as arthritis, osteoporosis and alzhimers. Although these are conditions associated with old age, what they are more a result of is our long-term neglect towards our health and our refusal to take action to shift our lifestyle, our eating habits, our sleeping patterns, our lack of movement and anything else that is contributing towards symptoms of imbalance. In western culture, disease is associated with old age, but in truth, disease and old age do not go hand in hand. Rather, disease and long-term neglect of our health from living out of alignment with our constitutional needs are the components and the recipe for difficult to reverse illnesses. Thankfully, we have ancient healing wisdom traditions born out of eastern cultures such as Ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine and taoism which understand how to approach health and tend to the mind-body-emotions-spirit in order to achieve lasting wellness.

The difference between the way we approach health in the west, and the way we approach health when we are adopting eastern philosophies is that in the west, we separate mind from body and we do not even acknowledge the essence of the spirit or the soul, or even the heart for that matter, all of which power the mind-body system, and when dormant, disrupt our ability to connect to the whole of our being and understand where we fit into the greater scheme of life which in turn would renew our hope and our belief that these is indeed a deeper purpose to our existence than much of the mundane, worldly responsibilities, burdens and limitations we experience through our five sense. It is difficult for us to settle into the stillness and become aware of the deeper essence that is powering our lives and upholding all life upon the planet as long as we continue to depend upon our five senses and our physical and mental capabilities alone to extract the pleasure and nourishment we are absent of and deeply craving at a spiritual level. This is a nourishment that can only be received when we settle into the stillness and allow the aliveness of life to move through our being. We do not need to go anywhere, nor do anything to feel the strength and potency of our connection to the spirit within us and beyond us which has constructed and established the very essence of this universe.

The power of acupuncture is that it can help us regain this connection with this universe force that powers and sustains our live, and reunite the spirit-soul-heart-mind-body connection so that we begin to integrate many scattered parts within our psyche and establish a greater sense of wholeness which in turn, brings greater peace, healing, clarity, vitality and structure to our lives.

Energy medicine is an ancient field of knowledge and its principles and techniques have been known to, and used by the ancient Egyptians, Indians, Chinese and Indigenous communities and healers for centuries, many of which are increasingly becoming the path to reclaiming health, uncovering mystery diseases, and illuminating why it is that we develop them to begin with. Ayurveda is one of those paths laid out many thousands of years ago - 5,000 to be precise - and a path to reclaiming our health that provides us with invaluable knowledge and understanding of why we possess the unique patterns of health and complex struggles associated with poor physical and mental wellbeing. It is a system that enables us to understand and determine what it is that we need for our unique mind-body composition to regain balance, and more importantly, maintain it.

There are 12 beautiful spirit points that can be used to bring peace, healing and expansion after a traumatic, life-changing experience or sudden and dramatic spiritual awakening, which can leave a person overwhelmed, scattered, ungrounded and susceptible to depression, anxiety or suicidal ideation. But even with less intense transitional experiences, considering the hostility, aggression and violence our culture is founded upon, the majority of individuals could benefit from experiencing one or more of these twelve points to help bring them more deeply into the body, calm the mind, ground the spirit, nourish the heart and help them connect to the higher and ‘grander’ plans for their life. In general, the majority of us are extremely blood deficient (blood builds our vitality fortifying mind, body and spirit), ungrounded and hold a strong disconnect between body-mind-heart and spirit as a consequence of living thoroughly out of alignment with our individual constitutional needs and the rhythms of nature. So even though the following twelve points are specifically for those in need of grounding, comforting, heart-opening and deeper healing during a spiritual transition or awakening, anyone can benefit from the following treatments :

The first Spirit point can be found upon the head and is known as Cheng Ling which literally translates as receiving spirit. This point unifies the mind and body by relaxing the rational and conscious mind and opening up the unconscious mind. It is a point that also connects one to their lineage allowing them to receive wisdom, power and insights from their ancestor and the ancestral Spirit that runs through their bloodline, reconnecting one to their larger responsibilities and destiny and purpose.

The second Spirit point is known as Ling Xu or Wild Land of the Spirit. This point can be found on the chest and is used to revive the Spirit by reconnecting you to universal wisdom and providing profound insights that can give you a bird’s eye view of your life’s purpose so to speak. This point is also called the Spiritual Burial Ground. It is a powerful point to aid you with letting go of anything obstructing your ability to connect to source, universal intelligence, and generally preventing you from being initiated into higher realms of consciousness, helping you align with your purpose as a soul and a human in this lifetime. This point allows you to sense the unresolved karmic pains from the past weighing you down and enable you to gently let them go. If your spirit or soul is in need of deep resurrection and your life-force is in need of awakening so you can regain your vitality, this is a beautiful point for helping open up and activate the parts of your being that might have been dormant for some time.

The third point is known as Cang Treasury and can be located on the chest, and is the Hiding Place of Spirit or Storehouse of the Spirit. Shen Cang is the storehouse that contains all the hidden wonders, treasures and gifts of our spirit. It is here that we can find the reserves of the spirit, it’s deepest visions and dreams for life, our hidden genius, the intelligence and wisdom of the heart, giving our soul access to what is needed in order for it to develop and evolve into who we are destined to be. It is our spirit that provides the dreams and visions for our larger life and helps connect us to the heavens and draw down any wisdom, creative potentials and universal intelligence that we might otherwise not have had access to.

The fourth Spirit point is located on the back along the spine level with the heart. It is referred to as Shen Dao or Spirit Path and also called the Path of God. The name really says it all because this point awakens activates our internal spiritual compass, providing us with the direction and guidance and helping us enter into deeper alignment with the rhythms of life, aligning with our personal timing and placing us in ‘right action’, so that everything in our lives begins to unfold at the pace that it should. The point can supposedly take us more deeply into our psyche and help us understand who we are, allowing us to align with our true essence with more ease, reduced existential suffering. When we are in tune with our heart’s deeper longings and listening intently, we are able to open our senses to the vastness and beauty that permeates our very existence. Most of us have a very compromised connection with our heart because in order to cope with the hostility and violence in the world, we have numbed out and shut ourselves down from our ability to feel and to receive. But in doing so, we suffer deeply, for it is the heart that is always actively seeking to guide us towards our destiny, and when we have reduced or severed our connection to it, we can no longer hear it’s yearning to connect with the dreams which we came into this life bearing and must actualise in order to feel absolute fulfilment. When we realign with the heart’s calling, we can hear the wisdom that can act as guidance for this lifetime and lead us back to our true self and the path of Shen dao.

The fifth Spirit point is located above the wrist and is called Ling Dao, which also means Spirit Path. Shen Dao and Ling Dao both mean Spirit Path but the Shen and Ling represent the Yin (Ling) feminine, and Yang (Shen) masculine, of the Spiritual Path. Whilst the Ling is focused on tuning in, being and focusing on what lies within the stillness to manifest its purpose from a place of receptivity, the Shen is the one motivating and directing the spiritual energy outwards to accomplish it’s destiny. This point is powerfully in helpling resolve pain, bitterness and any feelings of deep rooted grief stored within the heart. If there are self-destructive habits or tendencies, this point can help dissipate and dissolve them, replacing them with self-empowering habits and beliefs to help guide the patient towards living a more spiritually aligned path and working towards self-actualisation, and aligning more deeply with the heart’s desires to unleash it’s gifts and offerings to the world for this lifetime and help manifest your purpose.

The sixth spirit point Ht 7Shen Men: Spirit Gate or Gate of God "At Shen Men the spirit of love flows, regulating and nourishing life with compassion and joy.” This point gathered together helps ground a scattered spirit after a traumatic event, shock, on-going stress, or chronic anxiety, helping to ground the spirit and quieten an anxious mind. The sixth spirit point is upon the wrist, and can help open the gateway to the magic and beauty of someone’s spirit, allowing them to open to the possibility of life with a little more eagerness. This point is known as the earth point to the heart meridian which can help a person feel connected to the nourishment that comes from the warmth and love of an open and tender heart that has momentarily put down it’s armour in exchange for feeling the richness of life and more connectedness to the world at large.

The seventh Spirit Point is referred to as the CourtYard of God: Shen Ting: Spirit Court. The point can be located at the front of the head and and centre of the forehead. "Here those who seek (Spirit’s) wisdom can sit in quiet contemplation to prepare themselves for a great spiritual meeting.” - Debra Kaatz

The eighth Spirit Point is Shen Tang: Spirit Hall: God’s Parlor. It’s located on your back. This point helps to liberate the mind from a tendency to obsess over the past and wallow in regrets, remorse, or wishing things had turned out differently, and instead allows it to digest the events from months or many years ago, empowering the process of learning from one’s experience and turning that experience into wisdom that serves the evolution of the soul. In order for experiences to be turned into wisdom or some form of creative expression, the bridge between the mind and the spirit must conjoin. This point can help harmonise the obsessive mind, the compulsive mind, as well as gently uplift and stimulate an apathetic mind without clear direction.

The ninth Spirit Point is Ki 23: Shen Feng: God’s Area. This point is located on the chest and helps to unblock our heart’s expression and it can be quite an intense point that you might find yourself reaping the rewards of many months later. Any chest points can stir up a lot of deeply buried emotions held with the body and the psyche and these emotions might be expressed through exacerbated physical symptoms which one is working to heal or heavy, vivid dreaming, in some cases nightmares, and deep tiredness for the days that follow. This point has the potential to unlock more of our unique inner essence and reconnect us to the wisdom of the heavens. Shen Feng can open the doorway into both the heart and the soul, aiding us to reconnect with our deepest essence and remind us of who we have the potential to become in this lifetime.

The tenth Spirit Point, Shen Que: Shrine of God: Spirit Tower Gate is located at your belly button. But needles are not used to stimulate or activate this point since acupuncture right on the belly button has traditionally been forbidden. Instead, Moxa, a form of heat therapy which uses a deeply nourishing asian herb ) is burnt on, or near to the skin to help bring nourishment to the organs that correspond with this particular point. This treatment can also be very good at aiding digestive issues and lower abdominal /lower back pain. This point is particularly sacred because this is the place from which we receive life from our mother via the umbilical cord. This area is a focal point of energy in our body from which life is given, sustained and departs. The area around the navel is a powerful storehouse containing vital chi (energy) that, if directed correctly, can combat any illness. After this treatment, the painting should feel calmer, more grounded and energised at a deep level, feeling a little more calm and harmonious in their inner world.

The eleventh Spirit Point is on the head, above the eyes just into the hairline and is known as Root of God: Root of Spirit: Ben Shen. This point imparts a higher perspective by aligning with the highest emanation of Spirit. This point has a powerful effect on calming the mind and settling the soul, relieving the patient from anxiety derived from constant worry and fixed thoughts. As well, it strengthens and gives clarity to the mind, memory and willpower. The point gathers our spirit essence to the brain which nourishes the mind connecting it with our spirit essence. It also treats the heart and kidneys helping ground the mind and increase will power. It is an excellent point for treating depression.

The final and twelfth Spirit Point is Ling Tai Tower of Spirit. This is the Divine Terrace of the innermost garden of the Soul. This point bestows the blessing of sacred inspiration. This point helps one to cultivate the ability to listen and see, to receive clear, heaven-sent ingenious inspiration and guidance. It helps import the ability to become mediative, quiet and still enough to receive guidance from higher realms and to know what it is to be within the garden terrace of one’s Soul.

Like any treatment, acupuncture is not a one time thing that we can turn to during our hours of desperation with the hope that one treatment will be enough to resolve long-term imbalances or inner disturbances. How many treatments are needed to help aid the process of recovery is dependent on each individual. But one treatment alone can be a powerful inanition into deep healing, bringing many dormant unconscious patterns to the surface, enhancing a person’s awareness of what is required of them in order for transformation to occur. The gifts of such holistic healing medicines is that they help awaken and revive parts of us that have been in deep slumber and outside of our awareness, activating them so they can bring an expanded perspective, helping us move through inner challenges with greater courage and ease and shifting our consciousness so that we become more connected and aligned with who we are as a whole and powerful being, rather than limiting us to wallowing or remaining trapped within one part of our being - which is often wounded, traumatised, fearful, and unable to see a way through the muck and density of our human experience with all it’s less desirable experiences. Each acupuncture point has the potential to bring new and heightened awareness, greater clarity and deeper integration and alignment, helping open doorways into the spirit, heart or subconscious, and any part of our being we feel severed from/unable to access, yet which house the most enormous amounts of vitality, wisdom, power and knowledge here to serve our spiritual evolution and indeed our human evolution so that we reclaim our sovereignty and reconnect to the depth, beauty and unconditional source of love that we are beyond any illusions, cultural conditioning or limiting beliefs that are preventing us from clear seeing, deep feeling and taking aligned action to create the most grounded, wholesome and profound expression of our existence. In doing so, we invite others to find the courage, stamina and desire to reconnect to their truth so that each and every one of us can pass on the torch of healing and higher consciousness.

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