Sunday, April 28, 2013

You Can Have Your Cake and Eat it Too: An Adventure in Community Acupuncture and Leaving No Stone Unturned


I’m so excited. And I just can’t hide it. I’m about to lose control and I think I like it.

Does that make you think of Olivia Newton John in 80s style aerobics wear, Jessie Spanno’s classic breakdown from sleeping pills on “Saved By The Bell,” or your very own life?

I’m pleased to say that right now those words make me think of my life. So much is happening. I just found out that I’ve been cast in a show with a company whose work completely fascinates me. This will follow another show that opens in June. My summer is booked with acting work that excites me. And I hope to round it all out with a film. So cross your fingers for me.

Today, I surprised myself and went to something called an acupuncture bowl, which is basically a community acupuncture sitting.  Each participant got a treatment and then we sat with the needles in for about 40 minutes in silence. This was followed by a brief reading from a Taoist text. I found the entire experience incredibly relaxing. It was my second acupuncture treatment ever (the first being almost a year ago in Paris), and I immediately felt some blockage clearing. I rode my bike there. It was a pleasure sharing silence in a group. One woman commented that she was surprised at how energizing the silence of our group had been. I agreed.

What led me to the community acupuncture was that while I have been accomplishing lots externally, I am finding it difficult to integrate creative practices in my life in a sustainable way. Over and over, I begin projects and have amazing ideas that are quickly abandoned.  Despite all that is going on, we all know that external accomplishment only brings a degree of happiness. It is really what’s going on internally that seals the deal.

Auditioning and booking work is one thing. Don’t get me wrong. That takes hard work. But what I am concerned about is the work that others may not see. The work that is done at home and that may not result in a play or a film, but that brings me satisfaction nonetheless. These things include painting, working on a scrapbook of my summer in Europe, and working on my screenplay. I know this may all sound superfluous. But these are things that bring me joy and for some reason they are usually the first things to get left behind when I am busy or otherwise distracted.

I enjoy being busy, but I want to master the balancing act that makes it possible to be fulfilled creatively in my own rite.

Have you ever felt that no matter how much you accomplish on the outside, that still something essential is missing? When I feel this way, I find that usually the missing link is all that extra creative stuff I do just because it makes my heart sing and that (on the surface) has nothing to do with my career.

So I went to a community acupuncture session at the recommendation of a dear old friend. I didn’t realize that this is why I went until the session was nearly over. Acupuncture is an ancient practice that helps bring balance to both the physical and psychological body. Today’s session relaxed me tremendously and also somehow inspired me to get organized enough to complete my personal projects and to continue to book acting work-in other words to “have my cake and eat it too.”

Acupuncture may not be your cup of tea, but acupuncture is not the point. No pun intended. The point is that I was able to deal with this blockage because I tried something completely different. I was open to a new experience and I received an amazing gift.

New experiences are everywhere. Leave no stone unturned. The universe is waiting to answer you. I’ll keep you updated on my progress. As always, your joy awaits you.

Trust me. It is possible to have it all.

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