NADA (National Acupuncture Detox Association) helped pioneer a simple ear acupuncture protocol which can be used with excellent results in a group setting to help with recovery and mental health.
In traditional Chinese medicine, or TCM, the organs are not just the physical structures but also a whole sphere of functionality, including emotional and mental components and also pathways of energy and movement throughout the entire body
From a TCM perspective, the root of all the energies in the body is in the Kidneys.
The Kidneys are like the water table of the body, supplying that basis of all Yin factors for our whole body system: cooling, deeply nourishing, quietly sustaining, sinking. Strong Kidney essence imbues us with a generally good constitution, the ability to deal with life stresses and have a long and productive life. When the Kidney essence is depleted congenitally it can mean a constitutional weakness of some sort.
When the Kidney essence is depleted by lifestyle factors such as extreme stress, lack of nourishment, completely overdoing activities then we find the drained essence starts to undermine the functioning of the rest of the body. Kidney depletion manifest as reproductive and sexuality issues such as infertility, impotence, incontinence, low libido, or chronic miscarriages.
Kidney depletion can also manifest as cognitive disorders, because in Chinese medicine the Kidneys are the basis of nourishment for the central nervous system. Another typical symptom of Kidney deficiency is tinnitus because the Kidneys “open up to” the ears.
This makes the ear acupuncture from NADA a doubly effective protocol for nourishing the Kidneys and rebuilding Yin in the body for recovering addicts.
Yin can also refer to the Yin aspects of life that those in recovery are often struggling with: stability, nourishment, grounding, ease and relief from anxiety. The NADA protocol usually takes place in a group setting and ideally is supported with counseling for mental and emotional health, physical wellness, nutrition and exercise. Learn more about NADA and their mission.