Where are the needles??

I went to acupuncture this morning. All was fine and good. We were having a little chat and I was telling him about my visits to the toilet, how great they were and about how calm I've been feeling. We talked about my energy and I told him how I'm trying to channel it, keep it focussed and use it for the good of me. At one stage it worried me so much that my energy wasn't going to come back and that I would loose my nickname that I had been granted when I was in Oz.. the duracell bunny. That's what I was known for.

The stress has fallen, that I had bubbled during the build-up to my weekend in Holland and the aftermath. Not having any pressure to deal with and feeling at ease where I am, is making more sparks of my lost energy come back again and it's so reassuring. Mr. Acupuncturists words were: "Niamh, you really aren't that far off being strong and healthy, looking back on how far you've come in such a short period of time. It will only get easier and one small extra step everyday, will make it happen without stress and you'll feel great about it". I didn't take this the wrong way. I took this as a real compliment and I even agreed with him. Because I know he's right.

The treatment came and it was the funniest thing ever. Everytime I go into the treatment room, there's a table I have to lie on. Mr. Acupuncturist gives me a few minutes alone, to "settle in" as he calls it. This means.. rolling my trousers up to my knees and rolling my jumper up, half way so he can stick needles in me. I'd lie down on the treatment table and he would knock on the door, come in and puncture me with needles-in my legs and stomach. He'd leave again to return 45 minutes later. Those 45 minutes are the minutes in which all the crazy feelings and sensations can occur.

However, today, I went into the treatment room, took off my shoes, rolled up my trousers and jumper, lay down on the table and waited for him to come back into the room. I waited and waited and waited and waited. No sign of Mr. Acupuncturist coming back to stick needles in me. I started to fall asleep and suddenly jerked up, opened the door and he came out of his office to meet me, wondering what was going on.. He looked at me and said with so much concern "Niamh..is there something wrong?" I'm like.. "no, I just thought you forgot about me". At first he didn't give me the impression that he realized he'd forgotten that I was lying on the table waiting for him to come back in, staring at the ceiling. He just gave me this weird look. So I sat back on the bed, and he says.. "where are the needles? Why did you take them out?" Looking at me as if I was having some sort of break-down or that I was going crazy or something. I shrieked, in laughter.. "You haven't stuck anything in me yet!!!! "

He got a shock and then I got a shock, because he got a shock and we then laughed our heads off. It was so funny. One of those.. "you have to be there" moments. He must have been under pressure or something. But I lay there, after the needles were stuck in me, a tittered to myself.. And continued to do so for the rest of the afternoon. His face was just priceless.

I love moments like that. The typical moments, when the funniness has long passed and you shouldn't been laughing anymore, but you can't help yourself. During the half hour I was waiting for his return, I felt so relaxed. This was without the needles. I felt all tingly and nice. He said to me, that it's the healing energy that is in the practise.. Hummm... How strange. I've never heard of something like that before. But apparently the work that's done there, generates a sense of healing or calm..that stimulates the relaxation that goes along with the treatment.. I was amazed.

I may have only had the needles stuck in me for 45 minutes, but I probably got 2 for the price of 1 today.. I was in a trance of relaxation for more than an hour AND I got a great laugh as well, thanks to Mr. Acupuncturists' forgetfulness. It remains to be the highlight of my week..