At my acupuncture appointment today she asked where I was in my cycle, and I told her that I am pretty sure that I ovulated last weekend. She asked if I’d done any homework. I threw my mind back to last appointment, was there something she had asked me to think about or look up? “What kind of homework?” I asked tentatively. She leaned forward in a conspiratorial way, “Sex?” Oh, right. Yes.

The first half of my appointment was an interesting attempted at meditation. My mind was running in all directions – nothing in particular, just restless. It’s rather hard to sink into a sleep state when every few seconds your five-year-old subconscious self is poking around asking, “Am I asleep now? How about now? … Now?” I kept opening my eyes to stare at the ceiling fan above my head, roll my eyes, and silently mutter to myself. The murmured sounds from the lobby seemed very loud, every little knock and voice had me twitching. I resigned myself to spending an hour just laying there, thinking of a million things at once. But, regardless, I breathed in and out, relaxed, and let my body sink into the pillowy table.

My right ear yet again had a warm, almost-buzzing feeling again – but this time it wasn’t distracting, it was more centering. It was like my nerves were saying, “Here, focus on this.” I layed there and wondered what those little needles were doing. Were they really sending a message to my uterus? Is anything in there shifting a molecule to the left, just enough to do something? I don’t think I really believe that it is – though if I show up pregnant this month I will be a FULL believer in acupuncture. But for now I take it as a lesson in meditation and mindfulness.

Somehow the second half of my appointment passed much more quickly than the first, and I opened my eyes to the acupuncturist coming in and removing the needles. I must have drifted off once again. I like how I feel when I leave. The place is full of potted plants in the rooms, the bathroom, and all over the outside of the little house are more plants. It’s very homey, very organic feeling. Peaceful.

I wish the rest of life could feel more like that.