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Acupuncture and Qigong in Dobbs Ferry

Cary Brosius offers acupuncture treatment, qigong and meditation instruction from his treatment space in Dobbs Ferry.

In recent years acupuncture has achieved widespread popularity.  It is practiced in hospitals and private practices across the country, and professional athletes and sports teams now have acupuncturists on staff. 

Though the health benefits of acupuncture are widely lauded, the lesser known aspects of the art include mental balancing and spiritual expansion. Acupuncture is part of an ancient, comprehensive system of beliefs and practices that treat the mind, body and spirit. 

Cary Brosius--whose office is in Dobbs Ferry--has practiced acupuncture for over thirty years, graduating from the New England School of Acupuncture. He has extensive training in not only acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, but also in qigong and Tibetan Buddhist meditation.  A less westernized practice than yoga and tai chi, qigong refers to a system of physical and mental training for health, martial arts and enlightenment.

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In an interview with Patch, Brosius shared his perspectives on acupuncture, qigong, and the mind/body/spirit connection.

Patch: What inspired you to become an acupuncturist?

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Cary Brosius: I studied psychology in college, so I was drawn to the idea of therapy.  I had an interest in the mind/body connection in architecture, martial arts, meditation, food, flower arranging… everything.  Then I had an acupuncture treatment and I noticed that I was thinking differently afterwards.  I thought, "Wow.  This is powerful." 

Patch: For people who may not be familiar with it, what is Qigong?

Cary Brosius: Qigong is an active meditation practice and nei dan is an internal practice.  Qigong is the formal Chinese name for energy exercises.  It involves breathing and focused movement; that's the same description as aerobics, but what makes qigong qigong is what you are doing with your mind.

Patch: How can people receive health benefits and mental clarity from Qigong?

Cary Brosius: First of all, you are doing it to yourself.  You are tasting your own mind.  You are working with your own mind, your own stuff.  You can feel health benefits immediately.  After practicing, if you see yourself in the mirror you see that your eyes are brighter and stronger.  Anything that creates stability and unity of body and mind will be of tremendous health benefit.   

Patch: Is there a spiritual component to your work?

Cary Brosius: Absolutely. The spiritual component is what makes it work.  It is empty and lifeless without that. 

Patch: How do people achieve a better mind/body/spirit connection through the methods you practice?

Cary Brosius: Learning to practice acupuncture is like learning how to drive a car: First you look at pictures of the car, then you get into the car, and then there's turning the car on and driving it.  At some point you develop skill.  You actually inhabit the vehicle and are able not to kill yourself and others...and you actually get somewhere. 

Patch: What are some common misconceptions about acupuncture?

Cary Brosius: A lot of people think acupuncture is for weight loss and pain.  I don't do weight loss.  There is a misconception from marketing that acupuncture is strictly Chinese--but there are also Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese and Indonesian acupuncture variations.  There many other varieties and they have all gone in different directions.  My particular approach is also unique. 

Patch: What is a typical course of treatment like for your patients?

Cary Brosius: That all depends on what their condition is like.  I do body work, too.  I do craniosacral work and all kinds of tissue balancing along with the acupuncture.  It takes three or four treatments to see how it's going to go, and then we take it from there.  Some people come to me every time the seasons change, and that's a good time to get treatment. 

Patch: How do you incorporate your practice into your everyday life?

Cary Brosius: An ideal day for me would be this: get up, wash my eyes a little bit and then go to the shrine and meditate; then it's time to move.  So I would do some qigong stuff or tai chi, and then eat and go to work.  At the end of the day it would be nice to do some calming exercises and then meditate and go to bed.  But that schedule's beyond me right now!

Brosius currently practices at 63 Main Street, Dobbs Ferry.  He also has an office location in Katonah, at 215 Katonah Avenue.  To make an appointment or ask further questions, call (914) 595-1641. 

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