Healers Talk Healing Podcast
The Healers Talk Healing podcast invites you on a transformative journey towards holistic healing, where we explore the mind-body connection, natural remedies, and ancient wisdom to empower you to live a vibrant and balanced life. Join us as we share inspiring stories, expert interviews, and practical tips to help you unlock your true potential and embrace a happier, healthier you.
Healers Talk Healing Podcast
The Alchemy of Ancient Healing in Modern Lives with Benjamin Lewis IV
Embark on a transformative expedition with the remarkable Benjamin Lewis IV, as we unveil the mysteries of holistic healing. From Benjamin’s earliest battles with health challenges to his heartfelt mission to alleviate chronic pain, his narrative is a beacon of hope for those seeking solace in the world of natural medicine. Together, we traverse the terrain of acupuncture, Reiki, and Chinese medicine, uncovering their synergistic potential to heal and harmonize body, mind, and spirit.
At the crossroads of academia and personal discovery, Benjamin candidly recounts the trials of pursuing a medical career against the grain. The unique curriculum of the medical school he was attending threw him curveballs, but his resilience paved the way for an enlightening hiatus steeped in the study of black history and spirituality. This chapter of Benjamin’s life story encapsulates the fortitude required to navigate the rigorous demands of naturopathic medical training, and the serendipitous paths that can emerge from the most unexpected detours.
As we unravel the complexities of energy work and movement, Benjamin demystifies the ancient practices of Tai Chi and Qigong, showing us how they combat the stagnancy of modern life. The conversation shifts towards a deep dive into acupuncture and energy healing, where Benjamin illuminates his process for finding and releasing emotional blockages that impede physical recovery. This episode is a compelling tapestry of anecdotes, insights, and revelations that promises to enrich your understanding of holistic practices and their remarkable capacity to guide us toward a more balanced existence.
If you're looking for a healing hero OR you are a healing hero and want to be listed on our directory click here to start your journey.
Don't forget to follow us on Social:
Instagram
Facebook
TikTok
YouTube
LinkedIn
If you enjoyed this podcast please like, comment and share with your community. Let's spread and create miracles together.
Welcome to Healer's Talk Healing, the podcast where we gather to explore the art and science of holistic healing, uncovering the secrets to a happier, healthier you. I'm your host, nina Ganguly, and together we will delve into the intriguing world of holistic healing, delving into the mind-body connection, ancient wisdom and natural remedies. Get ready for enlightening stories, thought-provoking expert interviews and practical tips that will empower you to unlock your true potential and embrace a vibrant, balanced life. Whether you're an experienced wellness enthusiast or simply curious about the power of healing, join us on this exhilarating journey as we share the wisdom and insights that can truly transform your life. It's time to embark on a voyage towards a happier, healthier you. So, without further ado, let's dive into the captivating world of Healer's Talk Healing.
Speaker 1:Welcome to this episode of Healer's Talk Healing. I'm delighted to introduce Benjamin Lewis IV, a distinguished acupuncturist whose healing journey is deeply rooted in personal experience. Moved by the poignant struggle of his strong-willed grandfather with aging and pain, benjamin was inspired to embrace a path dedicated to offering solace and healing to those facing similar adversities. Benjamin's arsenal of healing expertise is vast. Built upon a solid foundation in naturopathic medicine, chinese medicine. Alongside certification in acupuncture, he skillfully integrates an array of healing modalities, including nutrition, reiki, western herbs, homeopathy and pioneering hydrogenized therapy, to tailor a comprehensive approach to chronic pain management. His practice primarily focuses on conditions such as neuropathy, fertility challenges, stress and emotional imbalances, though his expertise extends to a wide range of health issues. His commitment to healing shines as a beacon of hope, demonstrating that through dedicated holistic care, true health is within reach.
Speaker 1:Join us as we explore the remarkable world of acupuncture and holistic healing with a healer whose compassion and expertise makes a lasting impact. Okay, so I am very, very excited to speak today to Benjamin Lewis IV, otherwise known as Ben, aka Ben. It's exciting to have you on the Healers Talking Healing podcast. I mean again, gully, we're host for the next few minutes and Ben, I always like to start with the same question for each of our guests, which is what is healing to you? What does it mean to you?
Speaker 2:To me, healing to me pretty much deals with balancing the whole person, making the whole person whole, and that's on a spiritual, physical and mental level. So now are you healing the body, but you're also healing the mind, and then, after you heal the body and the mind, then you go to a spiritual level which can deal with the person's connection to nature, to the universe, to God and also, if the person believes in past lives, our little mortal lives, is also healing that from the past to now. So to me, healing deals with just trying to wipe away all negative energy, if possible from all levels, from the physical to the supernatural, and just bringing it all into balance to one.
Speaker 1:I love that.
Speaker 2:To me that's healing.
Speaker 1:I love that. I really do love that, because I believe that it is always a three-pronged approach. I mean, years ago I wouldn't have said so. Years ago I would have said all of this doesn't make any sense to me, don't understand energy, I don't understand holistic healing. I was a very logical person and things only happened in the brain from a biological perspective. But then life changes as you deal with different things in life and you are an acupuncturist, you're a Reiki level two, you do Chinese medicine. There's so much that you do. I would love for the listeners to really get to understand what your journey has been. Where did it start and where is it going?
Speaker 2:Alrighty, so I am going to give my whole story. I won't play it. That's what we want. We love it. Give your whole story.
Speaker 1:For our listeners, whether you are, whether our listeners are somebody who's already delved into the holistic healing or they're new, I think the stories are important so that there's a connection.
Speaker 2:That's true, that's true. So then let's go back pretty much to birth. So for me, you know I'm an American. I was born in the Philippines to an American father and an American mother. My dad was in the service, the military, my mom went over there with him and so supposedly I was born premature, a preemie, and my mother had a tumor growing beside me, and so they had to ship. I put ship, but they had to fly from the base from South Korea, and fly to the Philippines because that's where the technology was, and so I would say I am blessed to be here.
Speaker 2:And then, growing up, I grew up in Tampa, florida, and as a preteen, as a preteen, I remember my pastor saying to the church is like, god has given us health, wealth and strength.
Speaker 2:He was like, but the church, we focus on wealth a lot, but not health. So we he had the whole church fast off the meat for, I believe, a whole month, and then we also fasted off a gluten, a Nungu and diet for the same month, and that was the start of my like, getting into health. He also had us on health lines and other stuff, but that was the beginning of that, and then my parents took it a little bit further. They took away the Kool-Aid, they took away the Debbie snacks, and my mom cooked more, healthier choices.
Speaker 2:And so for me, my health journey started as a teenager, a preteen, and then I went to college, and when I was in college my grandfather was a jack of all trades and so he could fix anything and everything, but for a living he would fix AC units, and so he made a lot of money doing that and he heard his back, and so I just remember seeing him sit on a lazy boy all day, every day, just watching CNN, and I would, you know, go visit him and I spent time with him and it was kind of pressing, because watching CNN every day I was, like, you know, watching the Iraq war at the time.
Speaker 1:And.
Speaker 2:I was like this is like the pressing and I couldn't. I couldn't really stay there anymore. But he would have me go to CVS and Eckerts at the time when Eckerts still existed who had me go there and get his his medications for him, and I wasn't aware of that time, but I think he did get hood on pharmaceutical drugs and pain meds and that's when I decided I didn't want to like go the whole like pharmacy route and become a pharmacist. I was like I want to look into the more the natural route and so just to ask so.
Speaker 1:When you were in college, that was what you wanted to do. You wanted to get into like pharmaceuticals and become a pharmacist.
Speaker 2:At that time I knew I wanted to be in a laboratory. Okay, I knew that I was like I want to get behind a microscope and I really didn't know how to get my foot in the door in terms of doing that.
Speaker 2:But I knew I wanted to go that route and but at the same time people was putting a bug in my ear and like become a pharmacist, become a pharmacist. And you know, I grew up in Florida and Florida has a historical black college called Famu and they have a very good pharmacy program and so people like you know, you know getting your pre-med degree and all that, like become a pharmacist and stuff. And so you know, I did think about it. But looking at my grandfather, I knew that was not the route I wanted to go, and actually. And so I said actually. But when I knew that's not the right I wanted to go. I pretty much Google. I Google like all natural medicine, medicine school, like what is a natural medicine school? I Google that and pop, popped up was the accreditation of the naturopathic medical school association. And so I saw that there were like five or six naturopathic schools in the nation and so I applied to four of them, got accepted for an interview to all four, but I only took a trip out to Arizona, to this at the time the Southwest College of naturopathic medicine, for the interview, which that school is now it just became called Sonoran, sonoran University. So I took the tour out here, got accepted and I remember like a week a week, three days to a week, before coming out here to Arizona to start school, my grandfather asked me to take him to the doctor. And I took to the doctor and he asked his primary care doctor, can he get a hospital bed? He was like I want to go into the hospital and the doctor was like what's going on? Like talk to me, and my grandfather could hardly breathe. He could hardly walk to the mailbox but he had a difficult time breathing. He was like, just give me a hospital bed. And the doctor laughed and kind of smiled at me and I was like my grandfather can hardly breathe, like you smile and laugh and like. So that was kind of like my solidification of like I don't want to have anything to do with the allopathic medicine, the Western medicine.
Speaker 2:And so I came out here to Phoenix, arizona, and the Nachopapa School was actually in Tempe, tempe, arizona. And so I came out here and my first year of school went fine and at the end of my first year I went to the career specialist and she was like so what you want to do? I was like I want to do my four years here, get back to Florida and get back to living my life that I had back home. So it's like OK. She was like, well, it's illegal to be a Nachopapa doctor in Florida. I was like what? And she was like, yeah. So she was like you're going to either have to get a whole another license in terms of going to another field After you're done with here getting this degree. You have to get a whole another license in another field, or you would just be a Nachopapa doctor in Florida Doing phone consultations, because that's all you can do phone consultations and you can't touch me anybody. You'd just be having clients. And I was like, oh, so interesting.
Speaker 2:And so she gave me this whole list, this list of like two or three, a whole packet of like all the practitioners, you know, all the jobs you can have in a medical field. And she was like, look, and she pointed to acupuncturists. She pointed to acupuncturists and she was like, look, you can be a primary care doctor as acupuncturists in Florida. And I was like, oh OK. So I was like that'd be my next stop after I'm doing a Nachopapa school. And so after my first year, I went into my second year of Nachopapa medical school to become a Nachopapa doctor. And then, at the very end of that second year, things just started going downhill, Like I had like failed my first class ever in life. And then the school had this new curriculum. Because I came in on this new curriculum where if you failed any class you set out for a whole year, because they will only give classes one time a year.
Speaker 1:Like one time a year, ok, so you wouldn't be able to take it again and you'd have to pause.
Speaker 2:Ok, you have to pause and come back to nature to retake it. Because instead of having, like, a biochemistry class, a pathology class, an anatomy class, what they did was they combined all the classes into one. So you would sit in a classroom for three to five hours a day and they would just change out teachers. So let's say they was teaching on the long system, they would bring in the biochemistry teacher. Biochemistry teacher would come in, they'd bring in the anatomy teacher to teach you the anatomy of the longs. Then they'll bring in the physiology teacher so you'll learn the whereabouts of the longs. So that's how they change the curriculum. So instead of splitting the classes, they made all the classes into one, and so if you failed anything you had to sit out, and it didn't matter if it was an elective. You felt elected to sit out.
Speaker 2:So that happened to me and I was cool with it the first time. And then my friend, one of my classmates. He stuck a bug in my ear. He was like, hey, man, there's acupuncture school. And I was like I'll look into it. So I looked into it and I had missed the. I had missed the enrollment date by like a few days, the admission date by like a few days.
Speaker 2:And so I was like, well, I just, I know I had saved up money, saved up like $6,000 or so, and so I was like I just sit out for the year and everything and relax, and which I did. I paid my rent for the whole year or so and I was able to survive off of that at the time for food and all of that and so, and I would just wake up in the morning, jog, make my smoothies, read books. I bought books on black history. So this is also a time where I started learning more about black history and also spirituality. So, even though it was a hurtful time for me, it was it kind of guided me, it was the beginning of where I am now.
Speaker 1:So it's interesting in our lives with those like junctures when they don't, things are not going the way you thought they would go, or you they should go, and all of a sudden you know you're on a different path and you're like, oh huh maybe this is where I kind of should have been.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and so while in naturopathic school it was stressful, like that is a stressful program. I've heard one of the classmates I had. He had a friend that was in pharmacy school and he was, and because we were taking pharmacy classes while in naturopathic school because you learn the natural side of, but you also learn the western side of it and he was like, yeah man, he was like my friend who's in pharmacy school, she told me that we're learning a lot more of these drugs than they do in pharmacy school. I was like what he was? Like we do a lot more. And so, anyway, I was able to sit out for that year, recuperate. We strengthen my body, because the program is stressful. And I had a lot of colleagues, a lot of colleagues that were like I'm hearing, I'm hearing naturopathic school, because a naturopathic doctor cheered me up cancer, and so I'm here now to learn and give back to the community. And while in schools they, cancer came back. That's how stressful it was, wow and so not to deter people from naturopathic school.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I know we should just say that disclaimer. That's what you want to do, go do it.
Speaker 2:But just know, just know, like you know in natural school. You know, learn how to become stress free, learn how to do things to keep you going strong going to school. And if anybody tell you that you're not a real doctor, trust like you're. You are a real doctor because you're learning both the natural and the western side of it, and you pretty much will know more than a regular western doctor. And so I went back.
Speaker 2:After I had set out for that year, I went back to school, and it happened again. I ended up like feeling again. I was like okay, life, what do you have going on? Life, like what's going on. And so my same friend that was there he was by this time now he's like in his senior year now of the natural school he put the bug in my ears like April, remember. That time I told you. And so I was like okay. And so it happened again.
Speaker 2:I was like a few days short of the admission deadline, and, but at that time, though, I was talking to a young lady in the school and she was like she was going through the same thing, and she was like no, no, no, you're supposed number to the, to the Chinese school call them and so I called them. The admission lady told me to come in for an interview and when I came in for the interview, she excuse my language she was like you, look like shit. She's like you, look terrible. She was like you, look run down. She was like you, look that. She's like this is what we're going to do. And at the time I'm talking to her, I'm like I'm talking to her.
Speaker 2:I'm like I'm not sure what's going on with life. I'm not, I'm I'm don't know what to do. She was like this is what we're going to do, just like we're going to let you into this academic school and she's like we're going to put you into Tai Chi and Chi Gong so that you can get your energy back up and you can be going to put you in these courses. But she was like we're going to help you out. So I got into the academic school that way and life changed. Life got better. Wow, life got better. I realized the teachers. The teachers had time to teach. They could teach.
Speaker 2:they could give stories on the medicine that they were teaching. They were not like slipping through slides Like at the natural school, like teachers like yeah, we're going to skip this slide, skip this slide, yeah, go home and learn this. Yeah, it was just, they were just cramming stuff. But the teachers had plenty of time at academic school to like teach, give stories of the medicine. And you know, I had time to go home and study. I had time to like go hiking. I started hiking. Life just got better. And now, at the same time, I did go back to the natural path to school and I was like, you know, I got one more chance to go back. I'm gonna see if I could finish it. So I started doing both schools at the same time.
Speaker 1:Wow but.
Speaker 2:But at least I was taking all the acupuncture courses at the acupuncture school instead of the natural path to school, and so I Made it, I made it to. I got to the end of my third year, and that's brothers in the national school. I got to the end of the third year and and I only had one more year left and I ended up Not passing Pediatrics course, and so they were like that was it. I got academically dismissed, and that was the first time I ever like, I guess, not to see that, to see that. So that was the first time ever in life I had not to see that something. But life got better at the natural path to school and I'm here now today as a licensed acupuncturist.
Speaker 1:So so interesting. I love that time If there's a lesson in there. Right, there's a lesson so much more than just the healing portion, which is so great. I think it's so great that there was somebody who like saw you, like literally like saw you and said, okay, like you look like shit.
Speaker 2:Like who says that right who?
Speaker 1:says that it's it's coming from a wonderful place and the fact that your failures led you to this path and the success of who you are today, and you know what's what I think you know. What would be interesting to hear next is you know you went to the acupuncture school. They said with your name, rule you in Qigong and Tai Chi, and how did that actually help you in your recovery from being so worn out?
Speaker 2:so Coming up today and learning how you know Tai Chi is, and Tai Chi and Qigong are both like meditation and movement and so, but it's with the slow movement and these movements are connected To the organs in our body and these organs are connected to the, to the organ channels that I do the acupuncture on. But these movements help with getting the blood flow going, they help with Getting the chi within our body, getting that moving, and they help with tonifying that inner energy in our body. It makes it stronger and so when I will wake up and Go jogging goes three miles every other day and then make those smoothies and then I would end it off with the Tai Chi and the Qigong. So while I was learning these, these arts at school, I was taking them home and utilizing them. But it helped to strengthen myself and it helped to negate the stress that I was going through in medical school.
Speaker 2:It helped to negate those stressors and you know it helped me to to to keep the body strong and it helped to rejuvenate my body, because it was stressful like sitting in those classrooms for five to eight hours per day At the naturopathic school, and it was stressful to when I leave school, I'm going home and I'm sitting again To study all that I learned, I'm going over all that I learned in school, or I'm studying Something from the past three, four days to to take an exam that's going to happen on the next day. And so just all this sitting, all this stagnation that the Tai Chi and Qigong it did help strengthen me and keep me strong saying that because we live in a world now where we mostly sit all day.
Speaker 1:How does that really impact our, our chi, and just so, just so for the listeners who don't know what she is, can you speak on what she is and then how our current overall lifestyles impacting that?
Speaker 2:Mm-hmm. And so for me we say that you know, cheese is this energy that's within us. But you know, we're born. When we're born, we we're giving a life force from my mother and from our father and that life force is in us and we carry that life force all through our life until we give that last breath. And To me, that's that's the chi, that we have, this inner life force that's connected to to the, to the universe, to nature, to God. That's, that's that chi that's in us.
Speaker 2:And Movement is good for us. Movement keeps the blood flowing, it keeps the lymph going, it keeps the body loose, it keeps the muscles strong. Movement is good for us. And we go to these jobs and sit in, sit at desk, and sit in chairs and and on. This stagnation is not good is it is not good for us. And it begins to weaken that inner chi within us. It begins to weaken that life, for it begins to weaken our, our glute muscles, our hamstrings, our quads. It begins to weaken the, our back muscles. And Then we're constantly using the mouse and you know a lot of people have making shoulder pains just from the movement on the mouth.
Speaker 1:You're just describing me right now. I.
Speaker 2:So this stagnated lifestyle is not good, and so when we're moving, the movement is good for us. And then the foods that we eat. If we are eating Nutrition foods, the movement is pushing the blood throughout our body to to provide nutrients to the rest of the rest of the muscles, all the down to our toes, are, down to our fingertips, and so a lot of people have this, you know this diabetic neuropathy and stuff and.
Speaker 2:That the circulation is not there is because the lack of movement and if we did more of that we really wouldn't have a lot of these diseases, just by movement alone.
Speaker 1:Join the miracles directory, where healers connect and wellness begins. Join a community of trusted holistic professionals, or find your path to healing and peace. Visit the miracles directory, calm, start your journey today. That's, it's such a it's. It's a simple thing. It's a simple thing and yet you know, many of us we struggle with that's, that simple thing of movement, and I will admit I am one of those people. It's not on the top of my every day, it's on my mind but it's not on the top of my list. And I think you know. You know.
Speaker 1:Getting back to like the acupuncture itself, I I have experienced acupuncture because I do have. I have tendonitis in my shoulders and in my elbows, and so I went for physiotherapy and at the end of the One of the recommendations that the physiotherapist said is you know, why don't we try acupuncture? And I had never tried it before. I'd heard of it and I'm not afraid of needles. But at the same time there there was a concern about the level of discomfort it would cause. And I'm going to be honest, some, some days there was very little discomfort and some days there was some discomfort, and it's not, it's not necessarily, I'm gonna say, it's not necessarily from the needles, but what the needles are releasing?
Speaker 2:You know, it's.
Speaker 1:It's the release of the, the muscles and the tendons and all of that. And you know, I started off with having tendonitis in my Right side. Now I have tendonitis on my left side, in my elbow, and I'm so tender that the, the physiotherapist did acupuncture the first session that I went in and said, okay, we need to, you need to, you just can't do that again. I'm not deterring people.
Speaker 1:I'm not deterring people, I'm saying, you know, for me at that point it it was so uncomfortable Once you, because I guess I'm so, my muscles are so tight and the tendon so whatever it's going on with going on there, but like I'd really like to know how does acupuncture actually, how does it work, and what is the difference between acupuncture and pressure, and do they provide the same results?
Speaker 2:okay. So how does acupuncture all work? So, pretty much, we have the skin layer, we have the skin layer and then under the skin is the muscle, but on top of that muscle is a white sheet, a white sheath, and it's sheath is the fascia, and within the fascia is the nerve channels, the nerve system, the nerve bundles, and what happens is that fascia can become bundled, like balling up a piece of paper, and when that fascia is bundled, then the signals are not flowing or not getting through, and so that lack of flow with the signals can create pain. Right, and so what we do is we take the needles to go into that sheath and that needles or restores the, the signals in the body. It restores that.
Speaker 2:So if that bundle is like this, it actually starts to loosen up, and that's what causes flow, and then the needle causes also a microtrauma, a micro small microtrauma there, a small microtrauma, so it's like it's cause like a little bit of, like blood flow in that area and once the blood flow gets there, that blood flow is providing nutrients there and so that's why it's a reduce a pain there. And then, lastly, that microtrauma is telling the body a send some beta endorphins into this area, send some baby endorphins right here into this area. And those beta endorphins are natural painkillers and so once the blood flow gets there, once the natural painkillers get there, it's going to cause a reduction of the pain, a reduction of the stress and inflammation in that area. And so that's how, overall, the acupuncture works. And then these channels, these nerves channels, are connected to the organs. So, for instance, right here is the small intestine channel and then right here is the senja, which is like a imaginary, extraordinary channel, and then, like, right here is like the large intestine channel.
Speaker 2:So these channels are connected to the organ, so these are organ channels, and so putting needles in these certain areas is telling different organs to do certain things like hey, liver, start releasing hormones and balance and balance the hormones, the sex hormones. A large intestine, you know, start digestion. Hey, small intestine, start doing digestion. Hey, stomach channel. Help out, you know, with digestion. Hey, spleen, spleen. You also have already digestion also start to make more blood. Clean the blood. Hey, liver, clean the blood. So when you put these, these needles, in certain areas, it tells the body to start doing, start doing certain things and that's how it helps you.
Speaker 1:Is there some connection then? For instance, because I have a tendonitis and then, and like the like, I can feel it right now the tension in my muscles? And if the needle goes in and are are this? Is it attached to my organs like? Is there something going on at a deeper level aside from the tendonitis?
Speaker 2:energetic wise. Energetic wise it is that it is connected to the, to the organs. So, even though I might, I might read your tongue and read your pulse and be like, okay, like your liver organ is a little weak, like nothing is wrong with the organ itself, nothing's wrong with it is just your body is saying that, energetic wise, something is a little weak, a little bit off okay and so that.
Speaker 2:So hitting that channel is going to help balance that. Now you said the tendonitis in your elbow, um, like this, here at the elbow is large intestine 11. And it's at the elbow and I'm pretty sure the acupuncturist went to that point in the elbow to help to help with the help with your elbow pain. So locally, locally, putting the needle there locally is going to help reduce the pain there. But also, this point helps out with clearing heat. It's an empirical point for clearing heat. So maybe if the body's high or dehydrated, back and clear out heat, or maybe if the body has inflammation of the whole body, you want to reduce the heat the whole body by reducing inflammation. Doing that point is going to help clear out the heat of the whole body and reduce inflammation.
Speaker 2:So, um, it doesn't necessarily mean that something is wrong with your organ per se, but energetic wise, something could be a little off there and so doing that point will help the organ. But also, um, yes, your whole body is connected to each other. I think that's kind of where your question was. The whole body is connected to each other. So, for instance, if you have knee pain, I can put a needle in your elbow for the knee pain, or if you have shoulder and neck pain. If the needles at the wrist are, the ankle will help with the neck pain. So everything is crazy.
Speaker 1:I don't believe it. I'm like that's just so fascinating. That's what I mean. Yeah, he's not the right word. That's why you want to be careful.
Speaker 2:In terms of surgery because you never know.
Speaker 2:You never know what's being cut through. Um, you know patients that have digestive issues and sometimes you know they have a surgery that's done on the intestines and after the surgery is done they're still having digestive issues. And then I go back, I go and look, I'm like, oh, this channel, this organ channel, has been cut through that flow of energy, even though it's on the skin. That skin, that skin has been cut through. That channel has been cut and so that natural flow that the body had, that natural flow that the body had, has been disrupted. So I have to go through the needles and sometimes just I'll put a needle through the scar just so that I can connect that flow to the other side of that scar.
Speaker 2:Now you answered my next question, because I was going to ask if it's possible for you to like recreate the flow so that there is healing that happens.
Speaker 2:And then I do that sometimes and sometimes you know a patient might be like yeah, my gallbladder was taken out. I had a gallbladder surgery and you know you have to be careful sometimes when doing that because that organ had an energy there. And sometimes you know I'm not a person that can see certain energies, but you know there are people in this world that they can see, or is around people. They can see different energies and sometimes I've seen people like, oh yeah, I saw a black hole in that person. That black black hole because that person had a surgery there and whatever the dollar took out, now there's the empty space there, energetically wise, wow. So you have to be careful sometimes with surgeries because some because sometimes other things that we're that we don't pay attention to, like energy.
Speaker 1:Sometimes that gets disrupted and that is fascinating. That's actually very fascinating. I didn't know that. And how does acupuncture? So I wanted to. I'm going to rewind that question for a minute and ask about trauma and healing and things that happen to us psychologically and spiritually, and how does? And we you know it's recent studies, or more than recent studies have shown how that affects the body you know, all of that, what happens in our younger years or generationally impacts the body.
Speaker 2:How, do you?
Speaker 1:distinguish, because some people don't have that and some people just get injured or whatever and have pain. For you as an acupuncturist and and all the other you know healing modalities that you've learned and taken on. How does that help you distinguish? Oh, this is just. It's not just you know acute pain, it goes beyond that. There's something else there that also requires healing. So I guess I'm asking like a chicken egg question you know, you've got the trauma.
Speaker 1:You maybe you don't remember, or you do remember, but your back and your neck are hurting all the time, or this is hurting all the time. And so, as a healer in the, in the arts that you use, how do you determine oh, there's this that's happening or does it matter that? Does it matter that it's, it's something that's come from the past and you can. You know, you've just seen that the energy is not flowing there and as you work with the client you get the work that you do just kind of ends up releasing it.
Speaker 2:Yes, so to answer your question, I know that was a pretty.
Speaker 1:That was a long question.
Speaker 2:It was a good question, very good question For the most part. Usually when I'm treating patients and you know my goal my goal is to have the patients pain gone or at least reduced by 80% within like two weeks.
Speaker 1:That's my goal.
Speaker 2:as a practitioner, I'm like I want to get this.
Speaker 1:I need to Arizona, I think.
Speaker 2:You know, if most times it does take longer. But you know, like I, for me, I know it is okay. The patient came in with back pain or shoulder pain. Okay, I got the pain reduced, but it comes back every two to three days. I'm like, okay, what is this patient doing outside of here, outside of this clinic? Like, what are they going to? Like, are they going back to work, to stress at work? Are they going back to stress at home?
Speaker 2:Or, you know, this patient, we get their lungs feeling better, we get their cough reduced, but they're constantly having sinus issues, they're constantly having long issues. Like, and the lungs deal with grief. Like, is this person depressed? Like, are they, you know, do they lose a loved one? Is there grief that they have not released yet? Or let go? Like what is it? So, when I see that my treatments are not really working per se and it's not really clearing up what's going on, and this patient is with me for three months, six months you know for the most part I'm already on it, but I'm addressing that there is something more to just this physical pain.
Speaker 2:There's more to it, and so, as a practitioner, that's when I look more deeper, like, okay, there's more to this, because you should be getting better, and if you're not getting better, then there's something that's wrong.
Speaker 1:There's something going on.
Speaker 2:And then that's when I started to tell patients okay, we need to look at this in a more spiritual point of view. You know I can do Reiki on you. We need to clear out maybe some emotional pain, maybe there's something emotional that's trapped in the body that we need to release and acupuncture is going to do that, no matter what acupuncture is doing at all the time. But I know for the most part like we need to seek other avenues to address this.
Speaker 1:I like that. I like that Because I think it's like that's where the holistic piece comes in as well. It's like you know when trauma is stored in the body there's many. Obviously, we know there's many different ways of releasing it.
Speaker 1:But, you know me experiencing. I have experienced different modalities for releasing energy and releasing trauma and all of that, and I didn't think that acupuncture honestly could do something like that. It didn't occur to me. For me it was like oh, it's just pain relief. Like you know, my elbow hurts. I'm going to go to the physiotherapist. He's going to do whatever little adjustments that he does.
Speaker 1:He'll put some needles in, I will be in slightly uncomfortable, or maybe a little more than slightly uncomfortable, Especially when he puts the needle right into my elbow, which is my biggest pain point. Never like I should really be in a private room when he does that, Because if there's other people around I'm very sensitive to pain. So it's interesting, but it really like. Thank you for sharing that Cause I don't think a lot of people understand that. It's just not. It's not Tylenol, it's not Advil, it's not like you're just taking something for pain relief.
Speaker 1:You're actually looking at so much more like how is this all functioning in the whole body? And then, like you said, if there's something that's like you know this should work and it's not working, you begin to look at okay, what is going on that you're not telling me, or that maybe I haven't asked the right questions, or you know not that you haven't asked the right questions. You just weren't at that space.
Speaker 1:You know, so what happens with those clients that you have who come in and who are a little like I'm not sure about this stuff? You know like if you had asked me 10 years ago about, you know, acupuncture and it releases energy, I would have been like, no, I'm going to go to a therapist and talk to the therapist.
Speaker 2:I don't know how this is going to work.
Speaker 1:How do you work with clients like that, who like? Does it impact the ability for energy to move If someone is a little cautious? Yes, yeah.
Speaker 2:so usually let me give different scenarios, but usually when creation first come in, they're like I'm scared of needles. So what I do, I explained to them kind of what I said earlier. I'm like okay, I'm going to put the needle through the scan, we're going to go to the muscle layer, into the fascia, and it's going to just release some blood flow just to get you feeling better. And I say here's the needle. I wish I had one on me right now. But I'm like here's the needle is very small, very thin, and I'm going to go right here. And I go right there. And they're usually like oh, that's it. I'm like yeah, that's it. They're like just that prick. I'm like yeah, some points you might feel, some you might not.
Speaker 2:Usually the points that you feel are the ones that you need. Usually the tender ones are the ones that you need. And then they're like okay. And then, if they have any other fears about it, they're like so what is this? I'm like well, this is just using a needle to utilize your energy, what's inside of you? We're not doing any spells, we're not doing any hocus pocus, like I'm not pulling anything from anywhere. This is just your energy, your blood flow. We're just getting things moving, so I'm not putting anything in you. There's no medicine on the needles. I'm not putting any medicine on the needle or anything. And I forgot to answer your question about acupressure. Acupressure and acupuncture they use the same points.
Speaker 2:It's just that. Instead of using a needle with acupuncture, we just press on the point for acupressure. There are these pins out there that they send electrical stimulation, but they have these little pins.
Speaker 1:A friend of mine was telling me, oh, doesn't your physiotherapist, put a little electric stuff on your needles and I'm like I hope not I said because I'm already feeling enough stimulation, I don't want anymore.
Speaker 2:Yeah, see, you're sensitive to your body so you actually can feel tingling, you can feel like warmness. Sometimes patients might feel a little small, like heaviness, but that's when you're sensitive to your body that you can say okay, I can feel something going on. But yeah, sometimes acupuncturists might use a little needle that has a little electrical stimulation on it, stimulate the point, or they'll use a needle, a regular acupuncture needle, and put E-stem to it, which has known to be very, very effective, very effective.
Speaker 1:I'm already getting nervous when you're saying that.
Speaker 2:But with acupressure, my acupuncture teacher, he actually told me that acupressure works better. It's nothing about human to human touch. Human to human touch, he say, is more effective. And so you might have a practitioner press on a point for 30 seconds to three minutes and just hold it. And holding that point will stimulate the come back to me the receptors, the noceoceptors, but the receptors on the skin.
Speaker 1:it will stimulate those receptors to that's on the skin, to to send signals through the other body to start doing other things I can get that because, as a as a Reiki master, you know, when I have somebody in front of me versus a distance you know cause you can, as you know, you can do both, but when you have someone in front of you on a table and you are applying healing touch. It's. It's incredible, because I think the healing kind of goes both ways.
Speaker 2:It sure does.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:It sure does it goes both ways.
Speaker 1:I get as much out of it as the client gets, not only because, I feel like I've done a service where it's helping someone move and you get that little endorphin rush. But I don't know about you, but when I've done a session, I am on a high for quite a long time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but I have a colleague a colleague who I also went to school with later on when I did get an acupuncture job outside of also having a clinic. But when I did get acupuncture job, he was the clinic manager and he was a young guy. A young guy who happened to have gray hair yeah, white hair. He had white hair, white beard and it was naturally that way. And as he was doing acupuncture on the patients, his beard started to grow black, grow, get color back.
Speaker 1:It was getting black Wow.
Speaker 2:Because the healing goes both ways. So he was actually getting black hair again.
Speaker 1:That is so incredible to hear. And for those of you who don't, who are kind of on the fence of like, do I want to try something like this, do I not want to try something like this, I would really recommend to keep an open mind, unless you have a phobia with needles, and maybe acupressure would be the better one to go with.
Speaker 1:And Reiki because you're also you know you also have a Reiki background as well. But where is your clinic? And, if those of those listeners who are in the area, you're in Arizona. So where is your clinic located?
Speaker 2:So in the Phoenix metropolitan area, my clinic is actually currently in Tempe, tempe, arizona. I am on Mills Avenue in between Broadway and Baselon, broadway and Southern, and so, if you want me to give the full address, it is currently at 2121 South Mill Avenue, suite 223, tempe, arizona, cipco 85282. So I am currently located in Tempe Arizona.
Speaker 1:That is amazing and if anybody wants to follow you, you are also on social correct.
Speaker 2:Yes, so I am still making a social for my Instagram page, for my website, for my clinic, but you can still go on Instagram, reach me at Royal Lewis. It is Royal Lewis IV. That is my Instagram tag and then my Facebook. My Facebook is Benjamin Lewis IV and I do have a not only a personal Facebook page, but also a Benjamin Lewis IV business page too. Amazing.
Speaker 1:Amazing and if you like what you hear, heard listeners and you are in the area, please do give a shout to our friend Ben and you know, if you're looking for him and you didn't catch all that, he's on the Miracles Directory miraclesdirectorycom. You can find him there If you look up under Acupuncture right and then you can get to him directly.
Speaker 1:It's been such a pleasure having you with us today, ben. I loved our conversation. I learned so much, which you know. If I walk away learning something out of these conversation, I think it's a plus. So thank you so much for what you do in the world and the people that you serve. Stay blessed and we'll see you soon, alrighty. Thank you for joining us today on Healer's Talk Healing. We hope you've been inspired and empowered on your holistic healing journey. If you've enjoyed today's episode and want to continue learning and growing with us, don't forget to subscribe, follow, rate and review our podcast. Your feedback and support mean the world to us. Remember healing is a lifelong journey and you have the power to transform your life in profound ways. Make curious, keep exploring and never stop believing in your own capacity for healing.
