“The heart that gives, gathers.” ‒ Lao Tzu (c. 531 BCE)

The British political icon Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” Most people wouldn’t place the ancient Taoist philosopher Lao Tzu and Churchill on the same page, but each expressed a perception of the same truth: the dynamic of giving brings something greater to the giver.

A gift is usually something tangible. We may give our best friend a sweater, donate money to a cause, hug someone that is feeling blue, or spend time at a local soup kitchen. These things are related to the physical world we live in. If our intentions are pure, we don’t expect anything in return.

Most times, the recipient does reflect something back to us, such as a smile, a returned embrace, or a simple “Thank you!” On one level, this makes us feel good. Studies show that the reward center in our brain is activated by the giving process. Yet there is still something much greater going on.

When we give, we mirror the Universe. In its constant source of giving, it shares life with us every nanosecond we are on this earth. And there’s nothing we have to do to earn this gift; it’s our birthright.

Grand Master Nan Lu expresses it this way, “The Universal source doesn’t discriminate. It pours out its love continually to every living thing. Its promise is that it will support us always. It doesn’t base its love on gender or race, on age or sexual orientation, or any other factors. It doesn’t say, because you are beautiful I will give you ninety percent of my sunlight. Or, because you are a criminal you only deserve ten percent. It showers everyone with the same amount of warmth unconditionally.”

This connection to the Universal source is a key component in all forms of authentic TCM treatment: acupuncture, acupressure herbal therapy, and Qigong—a self-healing energy practice. At the deepest levels of our reality, everything is energy and everything is interconnected. TCM’s goal is to restore balance within the individual, harmonize that person with nature, and enhance this inborn connection to Universal Life—the source of true health and healing.

When we give, we connect to the energy of Universal Life itself. This connection is a channel that can restore us to balance and make us whole. It’s the connection that can create miracles in our reality. Giving from your heart places you on a profound pathway that is aligned with the very source of Life and its healing power.