“When I learned I was to have abdominal hernia surgery I talked with Anna about treating it with acupuncture.  She said she could help ease the recovery time by treating it both in advance and afterwards.  Anna started treating me about two months before the surgery.  In recovery I awoke very easily and was able to walk, unassisted, to the restroom and never had any feeling of nausea.  I was written a prescription for paid medication but DID NOT NEED ANY.  Anna has treated me a few times so far afterwards and I feel fine, other than that I cannot do any heavy lifting, per the doctors orders.”  -Jasmin Putnam

What’s kool in my practice is that I get to see a non-believer give me one chance to take away his shoulder pain out of desperation because he has a golf tournament that coming weekend.   This patient ended up becoming one of my most committed patients for over two years.  (He did go to the golf tournament pain free.)

I especially love hearing patients tell me that they used to have freezing feet or their whole bodies are cold despite how much clothing they wear, but since the acupuncture and/or herbs kicked in, their bodies are normal temperature now.  They are no longer “freezing.”

Migraines are always fun.  I love to treat migraines.  When a woman comes in crying and wants me to turn off all of the lights, turn off the music, request that I  just speak softly and go on to explain to me that she can’t even care for her two little daughters because her head feels like it’s going to explode and I put just ONE needle in the lateral side of her thigh that just takes away her misery that she had been living with for days, now that makes me feel like I’m doing the work of some higher power.  It definitely is a moment like this when I feel a strong connection to Spirit and I realize at that moment that I was right when I told everyone in my family and myself that I felt a powerful calling to study Chinese medicine so that I, too, can heal the world.  NOTHING is more tremendous to my heart.

June 2009 will be my 10th year in practice as an acupuncturist/Chinese herbalist.  I have continued my education since I graduated in August 1998 and became licensed in 1999.  I have been and am still trained by some world class teachers.  I read in THE SPEED OF TRUST by Stephen M. R. Covey today that (paraphrasing) most people understand the importance of a 4-year education, but a relevant education requires a 40-year education.  I educate people to NOT seek Chinese medicine by a medical acupuncturist.  Seek a licensed acupuncturist.

See someone who is a professional is THEIR field.   Sticking needles in people is the easy part.  Understanding this 4,000 year old medicine is a very time and energy-consuming profession.  I don’t explain this medicine to others in western medical terms because western medicine is not my focus nor my expertise in life.  I’m an expert in Chinese medicine and I still have thousands of years of knowledge to learn.  I share with you just a little bit of my experiences since I began in this field because I want you to see my life through my eyes.  It is so much fun where I stand.  I converted to Dr. Tan’s Balance Method (a style of Classical Chinese Medicine) in March 2006 because Dr. Tan has explained and proven to me that Chinese medicine should be fun!  He took away YEARS of scapular pain during a seminar.  TCM acupuncture (including electro-acupuncture), physical therapy, chiropractic (and I LOVE being adjusted) and massage therapy did NOT help me graduate from that pain.  I quit the violin for years because my scapular pain was sharp and burning.  I would cry and just want someone to rip off my scapula.  One seminar, 30 minutes, the pain since March 7, 2006 has been gone.  As of two months ago or so, I have been playing my violin again-no scapular pain-and I am playing almost daily for 30 minutes  to a few hours a day.

Try acupuncture, really high quality Chinese herbs from someone, preferably me, but anyone.  I trust almost all licensed acupuncturists.  One would hope that a person enters her field because she feels compelled to share her experience and enlighten everyone else’s lifestyles with her field of expertise.  When you can, try my Medical Qi Gong class. I am no master, but I know more than enough to get you to a better state of health than where you are now. IF YOU are a master, I would like to learn from you.  I am always looking for a master in their craft that is relevant to my lifestyle.

So there I am, wife, mother, daughter, friend, healer, martial artist and musician, not necessarily in that order in priority.  When you choose who you want to “heal” you, learn a little bit about who they are, what they have experienced, why they would want to help you and if they are credible enough to help you.  What is their track record and what is their ability to help you achieve your goals?  Imagine that you are trying to get into Harvard and you would like the best tutors and teachers throughout your pre-college years to get you to that level of success.  One would think that it would take commitment from the student and, ideally, world class teachers and family support to get them into Harvard.  I like to see life like a Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, Yale or a Princeton.  My patients may not tell me that they want to get into Harvard, but I hear it that way.  When  a woman who has not yet reached peri-menopause tells me that they have been trying to get pregnant for 5 years and nothing is working, I see my responsibility as someone who will help the woman get into Harvard, enjoy her education and experiences at Harvard and graduate with honors from Harvard. It is an elite task, but I take it seriously and I commit myself to that goal.  Not all of my patients may have the personal commitment to help me get them there, but there are quite a few patients that I do have that do the homework, show up when I require them to and put forth the mental and physical energy to get themselves into Harvard.  It’s all about each person’s individual goals and getting them to do it at their own pace with grace and stability.  Life is not a race.  I may not get everyone into Harvard in 2 weeks, 2 months or 2 years, but I am 90% sure that if they commit to our lessons, they will feel and enjoy the success in their lives in due time.

For me, my “Harvard” is wearing a size 2 when I used to be a size 8 for many years.  My “Harvard” is having a bowel movement EVERY DAY (or almost) when I was constipated from elementary to undergraduate school.  My “Harvard” is having a regular period when it used to be irregular and only last for one day.  My “Harvard” is forgiving my dad and mom for some serious crap that happened to me: physical, mental and sexual abuses and being able to live with them on this planet with no resentments.  My “Harvard” is actually getting myself through school, applying what I have learned and having the sensibility to strive for a “Harvard” education every day.  And one more important “Harvard” in my life is figuring out how to stay in business, build a thriving business when some of my friends and colleagues have had to close their businesses in these recent months.  Life can be challenging, but as I tell my patients, “What’s life without a little drama?”  We don’t read books or watch movies or teach history about people who were not movers and shakers.  I make my patients realize that the strifes in their lives are all part of a special framework that will make an interesting and compelling story to tell.  I love my life.  I have some horrible stories to tell, but I get to explain how I overcame those blocks in life.  I have some fun stories to tell and I get to share about the precious influential people that have held my hand throughout some very interesting moments.  Life is all about the experiences.  This is the first day of 2009.  Like every moment, it will NEVER happen again.  Thousands of babies are being born today and with them, they bring many parents and family great hope for a better generation.  YOU have a very special story to tell.  Self-deprecation is a very negative energy.  Look at your life, no matter who hurt you, no matter what shame you might keep in your closet, no matter how disappointed you may be with life, look at your life through different lenses.  The people who hurt you are the same people teaching you that you can refuse to be hurt.  You have the power to say, “You can say/do what you want, but you can’t hurt me anymore.  I choose to live with love and happiness.  I am not afraid of you or anyone or any situation anymore.”  The shame you keep close to your heart, let it go.  Forgive yourself.  Forgive relentlessly.  Forgive those who have trespassed you, EVEN IF they care not about continuing to hurt you…even if they don’t even realize that they have violated you. Forgive.  If your life is not what you wanted it to be on January 1, 2008 or January 1, 2000 or January 1, 1999, it’s okay.  It’s not too late.  You’re still here on Mother Earth for a reason.  I believe that and I take it as my responsibility to tell you that it’s not too late.  With the right nurturing 20 years ago, I could have become a really, really proficient violinist.  Someone who plays at Carnegie Hall.  Someone who dazzles the music stores.  Someone whose music people download on iTunes.  But that didn’t happen and I stopped blaming my father a long time ago.  My life was shaped in a different way and I just explained earlier how much in love I am with Chinese medicine.  I am 35 years old now and I still can pick up my violin and start all over again. I can still read notes.  I can still make a decent sound.  I can still remember most of what I played and I’m open to playing the difficult pieces again. It’s not too late and I’m not ashamed for having thrown away my talents due to excuses after excuses.

Life is all about living in the moment.   This was a very long email because I wish I could sit down and have a cup of coffee or tea with all of you and laugh or cry about some daring experiences we have had to tackle in this battle or game called life.  More importantly, I wish I could sit down with you and listen to your hopes and dreams for yourself, your future and your NOW.  2009 is a great year.  It’s not, “IT WILL BE A GREAT YEAR.”  IT IS a great year.

Live your life NOW.

Here’s a special song for you to reflect on:

…and for those of you who have lived a very blessed life and no longer or have never felt any pain, fear or resentment, I am especially happy for you.  I don’t come across many of you in my clinic and I just want you to know that YOU have even more to be appreciative of.  Share your life with others because they can use some of your hope.

With kindness and appreciation,

Anna Dolopo, M.S., L.Ac.

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