Why is an Eastern approach to Healing needed right now?

Why is an Eastern approach to Healing needed right now compared with our mainstream Western perspective

We are witnessing revelatory shifts in the very systems which have informed our way of life for the last 200+ years. I’m not just talking about the degradation of democracy under this current regime; I’m talking about an even bigger, eventual collapse of the mainstream modern era itself, the imperial capitalist system that has caused immense suffering and has caused the destruction of our planet. The profit over anything else model is unsustainable.

It’s hard to see the light when it’s so dark and gloomy. Light still comes with certainty every morning as warmth does every Spring. Darkness holds potential for change. In Taoism, it’s represented as the little black dot in the white part of the yin yang symbol.

In the Western mindset, it’s not as easy to recognize that what we see in this world is also within us. Patients sometimes struggle to go deep enough to see the lesson that transcends their symptoms, something bigger than their symptoms. A balanced perspective. It doesn’t mean there isn’t suffering and there is only love and light. Both/AND. Yin.Yang. Since I walk between these Eastern and Western worlds regularly, allow me to share some key distinctions in these paradigms and why the Eastern paradigm will be useful in our collective cause.

hyper-individualism vs collectivism You’re not all alone with your struggles. We’re in it together. We’ve been programmed to bear collective suffering as our own problem and to sweep it under the rug. I’ve never seen people more dysregulated, tired, stuck and scared as I have recently and it’s because of this climate. You can’t hold that as a YOU problem alone. That causes more blame and shame. We will get dysregulated; we just can’t stay stuck that way.

normalization of wrecking your health for the sake of your success in late stage capitalism We'‘re not designed to live this way; solely for the sake of productivity. For 95% of our human history, we were hunter- gatherers, had a literal village with whom to commune and share tasks, had more leisure time and more connection. The modern tempo and never-ending drive for more propels stress, dis-ease and inflammation in the micro system (you) and the macro system in climate collapse (Mother Nature).

holism vs. reductionism- interconnection vs separation Eastern medicine sees the body as a whole, interconnected ecosystem. It acknowledges that your physical, emotional, and spiritual health are deeply intertwined. The separation of mind body is not different form the separation of us from Nature. When we are connected to each other and Nature, we do not ‘other’ and harm each other in the same way.

Balance and Flow vs Control and Extraction Eastern traditions emphasize balance, particularly the harmonious flow of Qi (energy) and the dynamic relationship between Yin and Yang. Rather than treating disease or symptoms as an isolated enemy to be eradicated or killed, Chinese medicine seeks to restore balance to the body’s natural rhythms and functions. Instead of disease management, it fosters life giving-restoration.

Building back self trust The mainstream modern model has severed us from our traditions and forced us to live like robots, to live exclusively in our minds, cut off from intuition or embodiment. We trust studies but not our body’s messages. We outsource to experts, doctors and big corporations. Attuning to your inner world means you don’t get manipulated by every wind that blows. You know yourself best; trust what you sense and let inner wisdom be your first guide. Inner trust balances external uncertainty.

materialist vs energetic Because of reductionist thinking, people think acupuncture is just about needles and fixing symptoms. It’s more than that. It’s about a therapeutic relationship, a conscious lifestyle, personal growth, your spiritual life, meaningful conversations, energetic shifts, powerful embodiment, awakenings and insights. Knowing there is more than meets the eye, the deeper knowing, is what will help us get through these times together. To heal even under duress.

Finally, it’s a journey and not a destination. Remember you are not alone. We are here for you! We are here for the Revolution. Let’s go.