Pins and Needles

Finding inner balance through acupuncture at Zenkai

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So there I was, laying on a cozy table with 20 needles sticking out of my feet, my knees, my hands, my face. And all I could think was one thing: this is so cool.

I had been curious about acupuncture, but I always found less stabby things to do with a spare hour. But since I completed All That Matters’ 40 Day Revolution in the fall, I’ve been more interested in mindfulness and natural health. So when I recently met Hadley Clark of Zenkai Acupuncture, the timing seemed right. That’s how I found myself with all of those tiny needles sticking out of me, simultaneously surprised that being a human pincushion didn’t cause me any pain at all and overtaken by a feeling of serenity.

Acupuncture treats almost any ailment you can think of, whether it’s emotional or physical: it alleviates pain, reduces stress, improves headaches and arthritis, and countless other things. When I went for my first session, I wasn’t even really clear what I wanted to treat. After Hadley’s full battery of questions about my physical and mental state, we identified some specific things to work on first: a red-alert stress level, a drained spirit from some tough personal things, and a persistently cranky knee, probably from way too many long days in heels. Hadley placed a needle in the center of my head first, then my hands and feet, explaining that we needed a base level of energy balance in my body before we could treat specifics.

Hadley comes from a Western medicine background. When she first heard of acupuncture, “I was skeptical because it didn’t fit with my understanding of the world,” she says. But after seeing the benefits of acupuncture, she was intrigued. Now, she holds graduate degrees in Chinese and Japanese Acupuncture, and Chinese Herbal Medicine, as well as certifications in Reiki and Medical Qi Gong, and has been practicing for six years.

Once the needles were in place, she left me to rest for a while, then came back to add needles to my knee to get the energy flowing properly in there. As she explained,

“Acupuncture grows momentum. The results get better after several sessions. It’s like getting in shape.” So during the first session, I was excited by the newness of the treatment, and felt relaxed afterwards, but I didn’t feel any major long term alleviation. But after my second session, I felt completely different: relaxed and simultaneously energized, and with measurable reduction in my knee pain. I’m looking forward to seeing how I feel after a third, which I will definitely be doing soon. “I love the science, the art and the holistic philosophy of Chinese medicine,” Hadley says. “Working with clients to overcome health issues that have been stopping them from living the life they want is incredibly rewarding.”

Zenkai Acupuncture
2 Richmond Square, #205
Providence
318-8399

acupuncture, eastern healing, energy, zenkai, natural wellness, holistic

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