I had my first acupuncture session today in Seattle. I was walking around in the rain, and I came across a community acupuncture place and decided to check it out. It kind of freaked me out, and some of the needles hurt a little. But I can say that the energy in my body started to flow like crazy. I could feel it running around all over the place. They said they were treating issues distally - meaning that they would treat the lower back by way of the legs, feet, and hands. I certainly felt more relaxed and calmer after leaving. I'll probably keep trying it in Portland, where community acupuncture seems to be as common as drug stores.
It seems that more often I see people in terms of the energy they have about them. It's like I start seeing people's intentions and thoughts more clearly than their physical actions. And it occurred to me that with any sense of clarity, this is exactly what we should see. The interesting part, however, is that while it seems natural to give commentary and talk about what I think about such and such phenomenon, this actually seems to be an immature response. What does it really accomplish? It makes my ego bigger - I like to think that my ideas are important, but mostly these actions disregard what everyone else is thinking. Abraham Lincoln used to write letters to people and never send them. They were meant to clarify his own feelings about a situation, but he understood that it was never his place to change someone. He acted like this dealing with general after general who would not end the war. I am reminded of the people I have been most awed by - they are always quiet, humble, and they seem to notice everything. But they are not filled with a sense of self-importance that makes them share their thoughts all the time. They simply see and accept.
I've been writing emails and deleting them. I used to send all my emails, but now sometimes I save them and wait a day. Upon re-reading them, I try to determine if my words will have any consequence beyond satisfying my ego. I think this is a sign that I'm maturing. Maybe one day I won't even think the unhelpful thoughts.
