My top 10 interesting (& totally random) facts about acupuncture... so that you will become intrigued and want to try it asap

1. The needles look nothing like this.  Promise. You do not even feel the needles as they are super thin, almost like a strand of hair. I throughly enjoy being sticked on a weekly basis. 
2. You get a weekly tongue check up. This (odd) analysis allows your practitioner to review your overall state of balance. Apparently there are all different types, looks and colors of tongues. See... this is something I never knew before acupuncture. I am wiser now. 
3. You get to listen to some awesome meditation lullabies as you lie there day dreaming about how your body is naturally healing itself. 
4. You are guaranteed to fall asleep approximately 10 seconds after the practitioner inserts the needles and turns on said lullabies. Or make that 5 seconds. Twas my experience last Friday. 
5. Your body is made up of different meridians, all of which have a different function in helping your body maintain Chi (aka Qi). The practitioner strategically places the needles along these meridians in order to specifically address your particular health or wellness challenge. Lucky for me... this means my feet, ankles, legs, inner knee, lower abdomen, upper chest, hands, wrists, forehead and yes occasionally the very top of my head.
6. You will learn if you are naturally warm or cool, hot or cold. You want to know now don't you?
7. Your pulse will also be analyzed on a weekly basis. I have never asked what my practitioner has learned from closing his eyes, holding my wrist and intently listening to beat after beat. I should probably ask this week. 
8. After waking up from the best "feels like three hours but really was only 30 minute slumber ever," you will drive back to work in a trance, much like you would after receiving a one hour relaxation massage. Except this trance cannot be compared to anything you might experience at Epique Massage. Story for another day. In short, please don't go there. Please. 
9. You will get weekly food recommendations based on your health challenge and overall progress. Read about one girls experience here. Pineapple/walnut smoothie anyone? 
10. If you are extra lucky your practitioner will hook you up to jumper cables. I mean, come on, when else would you get to experience this? Ok... they are not really jumper cables but look pretty darn similar. Picture this...needles in your stomach and two cables attached to the end of each needle. Cables are attached to a box on the floor with pedals. Practitioner hooks you up, turns on box w/ foot on pedal and says "Tell me when you start to feel this." I semi freaked out the first time this happened although now I kind of (ok really) look forward to this added element of relaxation. 

Some of the many acupuncture pressure points. 
Courtesy of google image.

I originally became interested in acupuncture after reading this book. It took a lot of reading and more research on my part before becoming convinced that there is some truth behind these semi-odd Chinese medicine practices. Yet after four months of needles, lullabies, jumper cables and various supplements, I can say I am a firm believer. I initially sought out acupuncture to help my body restore it's hormonal imbalance and compliment my (traditional Western medicine based) fertility treatments and to my surprise, I have seen improvements in many more areas. I sleep better at night, my stress is lower overall, I feel less anxious about every day situations, I have not had one headache in the past four months, and most importantly to me (although probably not to you) my IBS/digestive issues have become much more manageable. 

So what do you think? Does acupuncture totally freak you out? 

Have you ever tried it for yourself?