How Acupuncture Helps

Acupuncture helps regulate the nervous system and restore communication between the body and mind.
Research shows that acupuncture can influence the parasympathetic nervous system, reduce stress hormones (like cortisol), and promote the release of serotonin and endorphins — the body’s natural feel-good messengers.

From a TCM view, acupuncture works to:

  • Calm the Shen (Spirit)

  • Harmonise the Liver and Heart

  • Strengthen the Spleen and Kidneys

  • Regulate Qi and Blood flow throughout the body

This brings a deep sense of grounded calm — the kind that arises not from suppressing the mind, but from nourishing the roots of balance within the body.

The Role of Blood in Emotional Stability

In TCM, Blood nourishes and anchors the Shen (Spirit), which is housed in the Heart. When Blood energy is healthy, the mind feels grounded, emotions are steady, and sleep is restorative.

But when Blood energy becomes deficient — often from overwork, chronic stress, poor digestion, or inadequate nourishment — the Shen loses its anchor. Without a stable foundation, the mind can feel anxious, restless, or easily unsettled, with symptoms like palpitations, poor concentration, or insomnia.

Think of Blood as the fertile soil in which the Shen rests. When that soil is depleted or dry, the Spirit has nowhere to settle.

Supporting Blood through acupuncture, diet, and rest helps re-anchor the Shen. Warm, cooked meals; iron-rich foods like leafy greens, and red meats; and herbs such as Dang Gui, Bai Shao, and Long Yan Rou all help nourish Blood and calm the mind.

When Blood resources are adequate — and the Shen is anchored in the Heart, emotional resilience naturally returns.

Lifestyle Practices to Restore Calm

Anxiety often reflects stuck Qi or an overactive nervous system. Simple daily habits can help:

  • Gentle movement: a short stroll, Qi Gong, or yoga to smooth Liver Qi and release tension

  • Breathing exercises: Slow, deep abdominal breathing calms the nervous system and anchors the Shen

  • Sleep hygiene: Go to bed at a consistent time, avoid screens before sleep, and create a calming evening routine

  • Mindfulness & meditation: Even 5–10 minutes daily can help retrain the mind’s stress response

Acupuncture can complement all of these approaches by regulating Qi and Blood, calming the Shen, and rebalancing the body’s energy systems.

Acupuncture for Anxiety; and other support tools to help you stay grounded

Anxiety doesn’t just live in the mind — in Chinese Medicine, it’s seen as a sign that the Shen (Spirit), housed in the Heart, has lost its anchor. When the Shen is unsettled, we may feel restless, overthinking, irritable, or unable to sleep. Chinese Medicine offers gentle, holistic ways to restore balance, calm the mind, and support emotional resilience.

This imbalance can arise from several internal patterns:

  • Heart and Spleen deficiency: often linked to overthinking, fatigue, and poor digestion.

  • Liver Qi stagnation: tension, frustration, and emotional volatility.

  • Heart Yin deficiency: restlessness, insomnia, and heat sensations.

  • Kidney deficiency: fear, insecurity, and chronic exhaustion.

Each person’s presentation is unique — so acupuncture treatment is tailored to address the underlying disharmony that gives rise to anxiety, not just the symptoms.