Acupuncture for the New Year - Resolutions That Is...

Well it's that time of the year again where many of us make our new years resolutions. From research and past experiences it is fairly clear that people have a difficult time seeing their resolutions through to fruition. This is due at least in part to the immediacy of the need for change and results.

Common resolutions are related to losing weight, controlling stress, exercising more, stopping some kind of addiction, and finding more balance. These are all noble intentions, but many of them involve significant lifestyle and attitude changes to see them through. There are, of course, those few rare people who can go "cold turkey" with anything, but they are the minority. For the rest of us we need help and time.

In comes acupuncture and the eastern philosophy which is its foundation. Here is a medicine which treats the body and mind as an integrated whole, balances emotions, brain chemistry, hormones, and more. All the aspects required to make and sustain a change in lifestyle, habits and attitudes.

Acupuncture views the body and our world around us as a system with many relationships. An acupuncturist commonly asks questions about your lifestyle and habits when treating you for seemingly unrelated health conditions, not to be nosy, but because everything is related at some level. For example, people think that weight loss is simple, ultimately it is calories in and calories out. But it isn't - there is the influence of friends and family, our society, your hormonal balance, your psychological state, etc. A diet alone is not the issue and productive change requires dealing with all of these other related issues to one degree or another. This holds true for a majority of the other changes we would like to make in our lives.

Onto your resolution then. Failure comes in two places - the beginning and somewhere between then and the end. Sometimes what we need is something to balance us initially and then we begin to slowly make better choices for ourselves. Other times we start out right, but the change is too difficult and we need help. Either way, being helped back into balance sets the foundation upon which you can more freely grow and change.

There are no quick fixes to our health, period. No fad diets, fad supplements, fad anything work for long, if at all. Change takes effort, constant adjustment and must be grown and developed over time. This all, however, is easier when you start from a better, more balanced position. And if you hit some rough patches along the way a little mind/body push to the right direction couldn't hurt.

So this year, before you get started or if you hit a glitch on your way to resolution victory, call upon acupuncture to balance and strengthen your mind and body as it can only make things easier.