Using Acupuncture to Heal The Effects of Racism….

This was the title of a pilot group I organized this past April 2015. For 4 weeks I gave acupuncture treatments to a group of emerging African American Leaders in Portland. The goal being to reduce the effects that everyday racism has on people of color, studies have shown these daily interactions can cause signs and symptoms similar to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Acupuncture is great at treating the signs and symptoms of PTSD.

As this article speaks too, Healing is a necessary and Important part of Activism. The pilot group had great things to say about the effects of having regular acupuncture treatments to decrease their stress and anxiety, I will be sharing their experience over the next few weeks to highlight the importance of self-care and healing as we work to make a better world. ‪#‎blacklivesmatter‬ ‪#‎blackpearlacupuncture‬ ‪#‎healingselfcareactivism‬

This quotes came of one of the participants in this workshop:

“Public health research has shown that the effects of racism on the body areas traumatic as experiencing pain. I think that there is a really important piece in healing for us. Taking time in our daily struggles to make sure that we are healthy so that we are able to fight another day really. To make the positive impact we want to we have to care about ourselves in a society that does not care about us.”

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I think Healing is important in relation to racism because if we don’t have healing we will continue to carry the stress that holds us down, whether that is daily physically or that’s connected to mental health or in relationships. – Elizabeth