PHS is excited to begin hosting regular Community Acupuncture on most Friday afternoons in the fall.  Community acupuncture is a grassroots technique developed to offer the healing benefits of acupuncture at an accessible cost as well as coupled with the benefit of healing in community.  Folks can sign up ahead of time or walk in!  

Sessions are spaced every 15 mins and usually last about an hour. Please only register if you are sure you can make it, holding spots doesn’t allow others to sign up. Contact fxcoughlin@gmail.com to if you need to cancel.

• You will be seated in a cozy lounge chair, in a large semi-circle with up to 4 other people.
• The acupuncturist will ask a few simple questions about your health, then place appropriate needles in your arms, legs and ear.  People find it quite relaxing and often take a nap!
• Acupuncture is a subtle healing energy and best works with 3-4 visits over the space of one to two months.
• Please wear comfy clothes that can easily be pulled above your elbows and knees. If you often get cold, please bring a blanket. And drink plenty of water.
• We are asking for sliding scale donations to make these sessions sustainable. Please plan to donate between $20-40 per session, these go to cover costs, provide a stipend for the acupuncture team, and take care of the space. If you are able to donate more, it will help cover costs for someone else. If you are unable to donate, please come for healing regardless, no one will be turned away. You can send money via venmo to @ HAC NE (please put CAP in comments), Paypal at [email protected], or cash at the session.
• Acupuncture will be performed by Xavier, a NYS certified physician-acupuncturist. He was trained in a Japanese style formulated by Kiko Matsumoto through the Acumed program.

What is acupuncture?

John Hopkins Medicine writes, acupuncture is the practice of penetrating the skin with thin, solid, metallic needles which are then activated through gentle and specific movements of the practitioner’s hands or with electrical stimulation. 

Acupuncture is part of the ancient practice of Traditional Chinese medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners believe the human body has more than 2,000 acupuncture points connected by pathways or meridians. These pathways create an energy flow (Qi, pronounced “chee”) through the body that is responsible for overall health. Disruption of the energy flow can cause disease. By applying acupuncture to certain points, it is thought to improve the flow of Qi, thereby improving health. Read more

More about community acupuncture

Community acupuncture is a grassroots model designed to increase access to acupuncture. It is done in a group setting, mainly using points mainly in your hands, feet, and ears.  In the US, specifically at the Lincoln Hospital Detox Program in the Bronx, the practice was brought over in the 70’s from China by Black Panther and Young Lord activists.  It has been refined and spread through the work of the Peoples Organization of Community Acupuncture (POCA).

We are committed to lowering the barriers to access for events at The Sanctuary for Independent Media. For people who are hard of hearing or deaf, blind or low-vision, or whose physical limitations can interfere with a satisfying experience, let us know two weeks in advance so we can make appropriate arrangements.