The Mind, the Spirit and the Shen

You’ve probably heard that acupuncture is great for treating stress, depression, anxiety, and fogginess or difficulty focusing. But why? 

Because in Traditional Chinese Medicine, they’re all connected to your Shen—the most subtle form of Qi. If you’re experiencing a problem or an imbalance with your Shen, you’re prone to a restless mind and senses, which are connected to things like sleep, memory, clarity and a general state of mind. 

Your Shen represents your mind (or spirit). Specifically, the mind is said to “reside” in the heart. And the heart plays a role in consciousness, thinking, memory, feelings, sleep, ideas and senses. So all of these things are connected. 

A great example is your sleep, which depends on the state of your mind: If your mind is calm and balanced, you’ll generally sleep well; if your mind is restless, your sleep will be, too. When you’re experiencing trouble sleeping, acupuncture can rebalance your Shen and set you up for that good night’s rest.

More broadly, your senses also rely on the mind. We’ve talked about how each of your organs is related to a particular sense, but there’s one organ that all of your senses rely on: Your heart. If the heart is strong and the mind is healthy, you’ll think clearly, remember well, enjoy insight and wisdom, sleep well and realize new ideas. Pretty great, right? 

The heart and mind are so connected that they work as a two-way street: All of our emotions affect both the heart and the mind, because it’s the mind that “feels” them. Acupuncture can help you find and maintain a healthy balance between the two. 

Whether you’re looking for clarity, rest or relief, focusing your next visit on your Shen can help you find some much-needed balance.