What does that mean?

What would health look like to you and your family?

What would it feel like to have health?

For many people, this is a concept that is so far removed from their reality they refuse to entertain the notion.

What does that mean?<\/p>\n

Does health mean physical vitality, mental acuity or emotional stability?\u00a0 Or does health mean reducing the number of prescriptions in the medicine cabinet or the number of missed days at work?\u00a0 For each person, health<\/em> means something different, and is something we must each define for ourselves.<\/p>\n

What would health look like to you and your family?<\/p>\n

Would there be more time with your significant other or children?\u00a0 Or would there be more money for vacations or special purchases?\u00a0 Would it mean better sleep, and so, better days?\u00a0 Would it mean gaining or losing weight and then being more active, physically or socially?\u00a0 How would your family benefit if you were healthy?<\/p>\n

What would it feel like to have health?<\/p>\n

What would it feel like to wake up each morning without the lingering effects of disease (dis-ease) in your system?\u00a0 What would it feel like to be able to function during the whole month?\u00a0 Or plan for something three, six or nine months away?<\/p>\n

For many people, this is a concept that is so far removed from their reality they refuse to entertain the notion.<\/p>\n

For some, they\u2019ve been told absolutely they CANNOT have health.\u00a0 Perhaps this is true, but what if it isn\u2019t?\u00a0 What if the diabetic or hypertensive in your family could get treatments and actually \u201cget health\u201d?\u00a0 What would that be worth to your family?\u00a0 If you no longer had debilitating headaches or menstrual cramps?\u00a0 If your back\/neck\/arms\/legs\/joints no longer ached\/burned\/throbbed?<\/p>\n

And what holds people back from exploring their options?\u00a0 Is it fear of failure or fear of success?<\/p>\n

There are any number of terrible \u201cinvisible diseases\u201d (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome \/ Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, Fibromyalgia, Lyme, Primary Immunodeficiency Disease and Dysautonomias to name a few) which it would be inappropriate to baldly state could be \u201ccured\u201d but what if the debilitating symptoms could be reduced.\u00a0 And what is that worth?<\/p>\n

A leap of faith?<\/p>\n

Three or four visits to a health care provider who treats the whole body to see if you get any relief?<\/p>\n

What if it worked?\u00a0 What if it didn\u2019t?<\/p>\n

When counselling adult students returning to school after years in the workforce, I often had to field versions of this question. \u201cWhat if, after going to school full-time for four years, I don\u2019t go into practice as an acupuncturist?\u201d\u00a0 And I would answer them \u201cWhat if you don\u2019t.\u00a0 At the end of those four years, you\u2019ll have gained a Master\u2019s degree, a whole new way of approaching health \u2013 yours and your family\u2019s at least.\u00a0 And you\u2019ll be four years older.\u00a0 If you don\u2019t go to school, at the end of four years, you\u2019ll have four years more experience in the world, that\u2019s true, and you\u2019ll be four years older, but you won\u2019t have been exposed to the richness of experience you\u2019ll get returning to school.\u00a0 If you\u2019re not sure this curriculum is the right one, go talk to other schools.\u00a0 Maybe you\u2019d rather study mental health, or education, or get a Masters in your current field.\u00a0 Go take some time, listen to the voice inside you that\u2019s telling you to return to school.\u00a0 And remember, it\u2019s only four years after all.\u201d<\/p>\n

They didn\u2019t always come to our school, some went away and stayed in their jobs and some went to schools in other fields.\u00a0 But each one of them let me know that they appreciated the reminder.\u00a0 It\u2019s easy to forget, but time is only time.<\/p>\n

So what if you did go to, say, an acupuncturist, for a few visits?\u00a0 What would you lose?\u00a0 What might you gain?<\/p>\n

What is your health really worth?<\/p>\n\n