warmth, uncaffeinated - Updated***

I went back to Dr. Ninja's office today. After receiving my protocol of herbs and supplements, I had to go pick them up. When I got Cheerful Nutritionist (CN) on the phone, she asked if I wanted to start acupuncture today and I thought, why the hell not. So, less work on my dissertation, more work on my qi.

The acupuncture was not exactly what I expected. First of all, I really thought I'd be lying on my belly, but I was lying on my back. Also, the needles on the skull, the forehead and the solar plexus were a surprise. They were fine, just unexpected. Sweet Dr. Ying was the one to put in all the needles. Her English was not so good, but I could tell her heart was way better than her English. She asked a bunch of questions about matters I don't tend to discuss with others (e.g. relating to the room in the house with the most plumbing) and also really was interested in looking at my tongue.

Once she put in all the needles, I just got to rest there for 30 minutes. A heat lamp was at my feet, I had needles all over my body, and my thoughts were swirling. I asked myself if I could maybe look into some happy thoughts, seeing as I was having such a zen moment. So I did that for a bit. Some less happy thoughts visited, but I did the clouds in the sky thing and let them blow over. I also had some pretty strange thoughts. I thought of all of you and all the pain that you've gone through with IF and earlier in your lives. My mind created a BP oil spill in the Gulf of my psych with all of our sorrows, horrors, heart brakes. It was dispersing out a little, but then it got contained and capped. Our sorrows were not permitted to contaminate the waters of our lives too much.

I felt so warm afterward and for a long time too. My body tends to run cold, so this was a welcomed change in temperature. I think I was actually flushed for an hour afterward. I felt much calmer than I normally do. Warm and calm. What lovely concepts!

I came home with the herbal supplies. The one I most salivate over is my personal tea. My friend tells me the first time she sipped her personal tea, she spit it out all over her kitchen floor. CN recommended a shooter approach to the personal tea, something I will surely implement. The rest of the stuff is capsules and one powder, so I'm hoping all comestible. Oh, and as much as I didn't want to, I did make the fatal error of asking CN about coffee consumption. Nada, was the answer. That one, is a bit harder than ice cream. But, why the hell not try.

But not tomorrow. I have to go spend the day with the pregnant psychologist who I will be replacing for a year and meet my new colleagues and participate in a team meeting. And ya, be coherent. After that, I have to go discuss housing potential with a pregnant friend. I think Thursday will be a much better day to start my coffee elimination initiative (call it the CEI). Don't you guys think?

*** Personal Tea is in fact repulsive. Ok, it didn't make me gag, but for sure the shooter approach will be best. Some nausea post tea ingestion, but all told, I'm still standing. I'm just freaking out about what the dickens to wear tomorrow. Apparently, the effects of acupuncture only last as long as you don't think you have to impress people at your new job.