Acupuncture for Compassion

Compassion is expressing the intention of moving from judgement to caring, from isolation to connection, from indifference or dislike to understanding.

Compassion is well wishing for somebody or something.

It's embracing, it's letting go. Yet many people misunderstand the meaning of letting go as trying to get rid of something, just like pest extermination. We want to get rid of the turmoils, we want to get rid of anything we do not like, including parts of ourselves. Too much of our life is liken to pest extermination. And that is the opposite of compassion, which is that even though we know it's a pest, even though it's an irritation, even though it's something which would be better if it wasn't there, but we can live with this, accept it and be with it, being at peace with things rather than always having to control things. Because there are so much of our world which we try and control, and what does it really get us?

Compassion does not mean we like it.

Compassion means we can embrace it as part of life. We can take it in rather than rejecting it. We do not get the pest exterminator out to try get rid and nullify these unpleasant things which happen in life. We can accept it because we can always learn and grow from it. It's all tests of our compassion and kindness. You don't grow in compassion and kindness with people and things you like. These are easy. Those people and things that we do not like are the real difficult ones. But compassion and kindness can have the power to change whether it's sickness or an enemy into a friend.

Compassion does not differentiate.

Instead, compassion accepts. The black sheeps, the abnormalities, the mutations, the odd ones out, the specials, the condemned. Compassion does not say, “Why are you not the same as others?”. Instead compassion says, “You are perfect just the way you are. And the door of my heart is always opened to you no matter what or who you become.”

In the world today, there is too much chaos, hatred, mistrust. As each of us tries to bear our own crosses and doing our best with the resources available to us, the one thing in humanity is simultaneously eroding is sadly kindness and compassion.

Especially after the pandemic, times are tougher, and people are mostly tired, frustrated, and apathetic. When an opportunity arises to show compassion, some people just don’t have it in them anymore.

However what many people do not know is when you practice compassion, you get many more benefits than you expected. As the saying always go, “What you give out, comes back to you, multiplied and folded over.”

Science of Compassion


When you practice compassion, here is what everything that scientific studies say will happen to you.

1.      Enhanced levels of optimism and positivity

2.      Development of natural generosity

3.      Heightened stress immunity

4.      Less reactive to an annoying stimulus

5.      Increased activation in brain regions associated with bonding

6.      Reduced Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms

7.      Reversal of Aging


Compassion makes you healthier, sexier and better looking.


Traditional Chinese Medicine on Compassion


Confucian theories on morality and ethics, with 'goodness' as the core and 'rites' as the norm, served as the 'key notes' of the traditional medical ethics of China. As such some of the Traditional Chinese Medicine theories are also heavily influenced by Confucian teachings. One of which is Five Virtues or Wu Chang (五常). Such Five Virtues namely Compassion, Righteousness, Propriety, Wisdom, Fidelity are in alignment to the Five Elements and Five Organs.


The virtue of Compassion is related to the element Wood which is correlated with Liver in Traditional Chinese Medicine.


Therefore when a person practices Compassion, it nourishes and enhances the Wood element and also brings positive energy to the Liver. Health problems related to the Liver in Traditional Chinese Medicine such as high cholesterol, migraines, cysts and fibroids, breast cancers, liver cancers can therefore find their medicine in the practice of Compassion. Emotional and mental problems related to Liver in Traditional Chinese Medicine are usually anger and violence. Anger is often a reaction to and distraction from inner suffering—feelings such as sadness, powerlessness, shame, anxiety, inadequacy, and isolation. As mentioned above, compassion moves from judgement to caring, from isolation to connection, from indifference or dislike to understanding. Compassion is the antidote to anger and violence.

Acupuncture for Compassion

Compassion can be called upon and brought up within our body and mind. Acupuncture is one of the effective ways to be able to do that. Read How TCM works scientifically here.

Acupuncture when done at the right acupoints and techniques can unblock the energy points that allows the energy of kindness to flow and also transform the negative energy of anger, frustration and violence into positive happy, understanding kind dynamics.

Other Holistic Methods for Compassion

Herbs, yoga, meditation, Fengshui, mantra chanting are some of the other holistic methods that can be practiced to bring up, enhance and inculcate compassion within yourself.

Conclusion

Compassion is a trained skill.

As with all skills, practice of the above methods for Compassion is the key to fully incorporate such virtues into the body and mind such that it becomes part of you and will naturally rise up to any occasion without even thinking.

In fact, compassion is surrendering to the best version of yourself.

As William Blake said “We are put on earth a little space that we might learn to bear the beams of love.”

Acupuncture and other natural methods are just means to let the best version of yourself show and to love and be loved in the beauty of compassion.

Basics of TCM, TCM(Traditional Chin Med), Inner Practice, Being HumanXiang Jun LimDr (TCM) Xiang Junacupuncture, healing, tcm, inner practice, meditation, spirituality, compassion