All first appointments are a full hour of discussion on your whole health. In all other sessions your pulse is always taken, and often you will be asked to poke out your tongue. The diagnosis is couched in terms such as deficiencies  of yin and yang or imbalances or invasions of damp or heat. You'll hear terms like "phlegm fire harassing upwards" or "stagnation of liver qi."

After that the needles are inserted into various points. They may be twisted or twirled slightly until you feel the slight "ache" or intial "grab" that goes with the energy being stimulated. Then you do not know that they are there. Most of the time you will just snooze while the needles do their job. The acupuncturist will not necessarily stay with you the whole time and leave you to rest, though are always a voice call away. You could stay there for 20 minutes or an hour depending on what your body needs.