At each session she asks a thousand questions constantly writing and drawing diagrams. There are wall charts and models with complicated body maps of lines and pin points, but I've never seen her refer to them. The room is decorated with oriental symbols and imagery and has the aroma of freshly burnt incense. Mai answers all my questions and always tells me what she is doing and why. Before each needle I must breathe in through my nose and then blow out loudly through my mouth as the skin is pierced.
Some pins go in easily, with virtually no sensation, others are more, errrr, noticeable.
Most of them go in my feet and hands with a few on my face and head - although I was nervous about these latter, they are the least sensitive. The sequence in which the pins are placed matters, apparently, as does the order of their removal. There are pins of different lengths for different parts of the body, but none go in very far - their purpose is to connect with the energy channels and either release or increase energy, at the point required. Total pins somewhere between a dozen and 20. I imagine it waving about like an antennae and expect to be able to pick up radio signals through it one of these days.