Pain...and Progress.

Are these two ever mutually exclusive?

I think they could be but obviously not yet for me in terms of my TCM career!

Today the needling technique we did was REALLY painful in the hands of amateurs. I didn't escape a slight haematoma on my right leg...with all my colourful bumps and bruises I'm really not a good advertisement for guinea pig acupuncturism!

The other theme today's classes brought up for me is Who can you trust? and made me think about the "optimal practitioner"...Because today the conscientious but anxious novice gave me a lot of pain and haematoma.

Two weeks ago it was the brash overconfident novice who gave me pain and haematoma.

And then I realised, the only novice I trust to acupuncture is someone in the middle like myself. Because we are cautious and restrained enough to not be too hasty and careless, compassionate enough to listen to and monitor the patient and not comfortable causing pain/discomfort but also confident enough in our own ability to not get jingly nerves and stuff up out of fear and anxiety.

So I was kinda pleased about that...also that I did my first FIRE NEEDLE - tungsten lit red hot-into the muscle- and didn't stuff up!

Typically on the first go, the average novice freaks out lets go of the needle and it stays in the skin sizzling...

In any case I think because I had been in so much pain prior, my body was totally saturated in adrenalin from the cold sweat I had worked up so I was totally alert and focused on the task at hand...but now...totally exhausted...Ready for BED! Sleeeeeeeep :-)

9.17pm 27 march 2009