For more than 45 years, I have been deeply involved in longevity practices, meditation, Medical Qi Gong, Taoist exercises, Buddhist teachings, yoga, and the cultivation of internal energy. Throughout those years, I have learned that building energy is only one part of the practice. The greater challenge is learning how to retain it.

We may spend hours, days, or even years cultivating greater awareness, vitality, focus, and inner peace. Then one angry outburst, impulsive decision, or emotional confrontation can scatter much of what we worked so hard to develop.

One of the greatest gifts of practicing medicine for more than four decades is realizing that every patient has something new to teach us. No matter how many years of experience we accumulate, the human body continues to surprise us.

Recently, I was treating a patient suffering from chronic lower back pain and persistent muscle cramping. After completing my evaluation, I decided to incorporate therapeutic bloodletting as part of her treatment.

What happened next immediately caught my attention.