Another great question! I recently spoke with a gentleman who had been to an acupuncturist a couple of months ago. As he related the details of his first visit, he mentioned something that had puzzled him. The acupuncturist had said his "energy was low."
"What does that mean?" he asked. "And how could she tell?" What really intrigued him is that he had a feeling she was right on.
Let's answer the "how could she tell" part first. It's easier. Here's what I told him:
Getting a general sense of someone's energy level really isn't too difficult. You probably do it every day without calling it that. "Jean looks wiped out." and "George is really flying high today!" are both observations about a person's general energy level.
For a quick tutorial, let's step out to the garden. I planted tomatoes a few weeks ago. Twice. The first set, which I had started from seed, went in on an afternoon that was 92 degrees. The plants didn't look quite strong enough to set out, but owing to the date on the calendar, I decided to try anyway. 4 hours later, a strong thunderstorm wiped them right out.
So, off to the garden center I went for some larger, sturdier, more resilient plants. :-). They went out a few days later, on a more temperate day. Nonetheless, they weren't accustomed to the sun. By early afternoon on the following day, they were starting to droop. You would have surely noticed the same thing when looking at those plants even if you don't garden. Their energy was low.
In this case, I was able to take immediate corrective action. I got out the hose and cooled them off, offering some much-needed water. Then, I set up a sheet to protect them from direct sun for the rest of the afternoon. The next day, they looked fine. They still look fine. In fact, they're starting to flower!
Notice a major difference between the two sets of plants. The first set was extremely vulnerable to start with. If the conditions had been absolutely perfect, perhaps they would have pulled through. But they weren't. 92 degrees and sunny gave way to a downpour. My little seedlings didn't stand a chance.
The second set was more robust from the beginning. The conditions they faced within their first few days were temperate. Finally, their caretaker monitored their condition and took prompt corrective action when it was needed. Fortunately, this combination worked.
When the acupuncturist looked at her patient that day, she saw the same thing I saw when I noticed the second set of plants drooping. An otherwise robust entity was in danger of slipping into ill health unless something changed in his world. Plain and simple.
Over the coming weeks, we'll talk more about what it means when your energy is low and some corrective steps to take. Step 1, though, is having the awareness that something's a little off. It might be nothing more than a feeling of unusual or persistent fatigue.
That's where the acupuncturist assisted her client - by putting words to something he told me himself that he already knew. He had been feeling a little low, but he didn't know what it meant or what to do about it. Thanks to the simple observation of a health care practitioner, he realized it was time to pay attention.
As we spoke, he'd just paid a visit to his medical doctor for a check-up. Good start, don't you think?
Have a healthy one!
Elizabeth Eckert can help you explore how simple everyday choices create health — or undermine even the best of intentions. With a background that ranges from energy medicine to structural bodywork to developmental psychology, this "Stick-To-It Coach" has the experience to support you in creating the healthiest possible expression of — you!
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