Dr. Clair Hamilton, ND, LAc

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The Whole Universe is One Bright Pearl

Clair Hamilton Araujo

Metaphors in Medicine

A friend recently shared this koan with me. A koan is a phrase or puzzle used as the subject of Zen spiritual studies. ‘The whole universe is one bright pearl.’ Over time, contemplating a koan is thought to open doorways of insight.

Koan practice reminds me about the importance of metaphor in medicine.   Every culture and system of medicine has a symbolic framework that influences how we approach our bodies and our healthcare.

 

Symbolism Shapes Perception + Meaning

I think about the metaphors embedded in modern culture, in western conventional medicine, and in traditional knowledge systems like East Asian medicines.

As a thought experiment, notice what comes up for you with each of the following metaphors:

Body as a problem to solve. Body as physical appearance. Body as productive capacity. Body as an improvement project.  Or, what about . . . Body as intelligent system. Body as garden. Body as living relationship. Body as story. Body as home.

Reflective Insights from Working with Holism: Intangible Side Benefits of Acupuncture

As you may know, I've been back in the treatment studio for the past two months. I have been reflecting about the in-person care that happens there and the benefits of working within a system of medicine that views the body as undeniably interconnected and wise.  

There is much I could share about treating specific pain patterns and symptoms. Below, however, are some of the benefits I see happening from investing in the slow and steady path of holistic care:  

  • Emotional Equilibrium: East Asian medicine recognizes the inextricable relationship between emotional and physical well-being. Accessing the meridians through acupuncture, bodywork, and herbal therapies can help restore balance and allow for improved nervous system regulation and a newfound sense of balance.

  • Embodied Awareness: Central to East Asian medicine is the concept of embodiment, where individuals develop a profound attunement to their body's signals. Deepening awareness fosters a sense of coherence, empowering individuals to respond to their body's needs with care and intuition.

  • Clarity in Decision-Making: Achieving bodily harmony often translates into mental clarity and coherence. I notice that many of my regular patients report feeling more centered and grounded, leading to decisions that resonate with their authentic selves and long-term health and life goals.

  • Empowered Self-Care: This form of holistic medicine empowers individuals to take an active, conscious role in their health journey. By understanding their unique constitution and adopting effective self-care practices, individuals gain a sense of agency in nurturing their well-being between treatments. They not only come in for treatments related to their symptoms, but learn skills they can use to keep themselves healthier and prevent recurrence.

  • Compassionate Self-Connection: Conventional modern medicine may perceive the body and symptoms as something to fix or correct. In contrast, the perspective of East Asian medicine is that that the body is an intact, intelligent ecosystem, and by bringing it into balance, it can become part of its own self-healing. This perspective in and of itself is compassionate and respectful and may help impart this way of seeing to those who interact with it.

  • Healing and Integration: Through gentle body-centered and patient-centered practices like trauma-informed acupuncture, bodywork, and witnessing, the nervous system can safely rewire and find equilibrium from past lingering traumatic experience. These therapies, along with trauma-informed patient-practitioner relationship can help nurture new pathways in the brain (neuroplasticity) and reframe challenging narratives. Studies affirm the effectiveness of these holistic approaches, fostering profound integration and restoring a sense of wholeness and resilience.

  • Preventive Wellness: Beyond symptom relief, East Asian medicine addresses imbalances at their core. This helps strengthens the body's resilience and prevents further injury and illness.

REFERENCES

  • Wynn GH. Complementary and alternative medicine approaches in the treatment of PTSD. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2015 Aug;17(8):600. doi: 10.1007/s11920-015-0600-2. PMID: 26073362.

  • Asher GN, Gerkin J, Gaynes BN. Complementary Therapies for Mental Health Disorders. Med Clin North Am. 2017 Sep;101(5):847-864. doi: 10.1016/j.mcna.2017.04.004. Epub 2017 Jun 20. PMID: 28802467.

  • Pujalte GGA, Malone M, Mandavalli A, Phrathep DD, Shah NP, Perlman AI. Acupuncture in Sports Medicine. J Acupunct Meridian Stud. 2023 Dec 31;16(6):239-247. doi: 10.51507/j.jams.2023.16.6.239. PMID: 38115589.