Qiological Podcast

Our work as practitioners involves restoration. We know that neither we nor our patients are separate from the natural world. Our daily clinic might be focused on the microcosm that is our patient, but we know that their relationships to family, kin and friends are also part of the tapestry of their lives. As is the health and vitality of their communities and world at large.In this conversation with John Stan we explore the backstory of the manufacturing and environmental impact of our most essential tool— needles. Listen in to this discussion of all that goes into those pins you use everyday and how a few changes of habit can have an impact on the waste generated by your clinic.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

There is a saying in Chinese, 以人為本, Understanding a person is basis of knowing how to treat them. Our work requires we both understand our medicine, and understand how it applies to that individual who sits before us in our clinic.In this conversation with Bryan McMahon we explore the importance of congruence in health and illness, take a look at the dynamics of counterflow that will give you a new perspective on this pathomechanism. And we’ll look into how more deeply understanding physiology will help you with difficult presentations in the clinic.Listen in to this discussion of medicine, service and the interactions of heaven and earth through the dynamics of the five phases and six qi.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

What is the best business model and size of acupuncture practice? That depends on the practitioner, their values, goals and individual perspective. Just like our medicine, while there are core principles that form a foundation, the methods that arise and the various ways to engage the medicine and a practice as unique as each individual. In this conversation Ji Ling Lin, a fairly recent graduate, grabs the microphone and steers this conversation with podcast host Michael Max and gets his perspective and experience with having a home office.  Listen into this discussion on the benefits and challenges of having a home office, and how our practices are an expression of our own spirit, vision and values.

Mistakes and discoveries go hand in hand. And there is really no way to get it right in medicine without getting wrong on the way to getting right.This is another in a continuing series of conversations between Toby Daly along with Laura Christensen and Sharon Weizenbaum who are actively engaged in learning the Saam acupuncture method.While we know that the practice of medicine requires of us constant study and sometimes diving into a new perspective, it is usually easier said than done.Listen in to this conversation for some areas of uncertainty in the midst of learning a new system, and for the clinical insights that come from attentive and thoughtful practice.

We think of the meridians as being a connective network within the body. But it is the fluids that actually permeate all the organs and tissues, and in a sense connect and allow for communication between all aspects of the body. And at the same time provide the medium for nourishment and exchange.In this discussion with Steve Clavey we discuss the vital role of fluids, the vast connectivity of the San Jiao, the mischief created by phlegm, and how some simple herbal formulas can make a big difference in the state of a patient’s fluids and health.Listen into this conversation on fluid physiology and pathology and how the process of learning medicine is an ongoing investigation in proving to ourselves how this medicine works. Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

East Asian medicine practitioners want to be helpful. That is often a large part of what drew us to this work. Sometimes being helpful is not in what we say yes to, but rather that to which we say, no.In this discussion with Elisa Yip we look at how saying no is deeply related to our ethical and moral stances. How our “yes” is more trustworthy when we can say “no,” and that there is a lot we can find out about ourselves when we dig into the discomfort that comes with a heartfelt and unequivocal, no. Listen in to this conversation on the power of no, and the clarity that it can bring. Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

Confidence at the beginning of any endeavor, especially at the beginning of a medical practice, a new business, or new career is not possible. You may have some skills, tools and competence in their use. But confidence, that comes later after you’ve had some skin in the game and learned to sort out problems and challenges on your own.In this discussion with Vanessa Menendez-Covelo we explore how the learning process itself is our teacher, that our confidence comes not from knowing but learning to work through the gaps in our knowledge, and that persistence and perseverance are required for this journey.Listen in to this conversation on developing a sense of stability in your work, the importance of learning through challenging situations and how a background in computers can help you with learning and practicing acupuncture.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

There is a moment in between sensing and allowing what is felt to enter the world of cognition and concept. It’s a liminal space of being and feeling and if you can linger there for a moment there is information that is beyond the ken of words. In this discussion with Nigel Dawes we explore how palpation allows us an opportunity to imbibe that sensual place between being and thinking, and how that can help us with our diagnostic work. We also consider how our herbal medicine readily lends itself to the treatment of Post-Covid syndromes and how our medicine can be of great service in the aftermath of coronavirus infections. Listen into this conversation on cultivating that attentive perceptual space just this side of language and the maps of the mind, the opportunities for using ancient formulas for modern problems and the circuitous journey that went into the writing of Nigel’s new book.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

There isn’t anyone who doesn’t have an opinion about money. Regardless of what kind of economic system you have an ideological bent toward, one thing is for sure; as long as humans have worked together and pooled their resources for mutual benefit there has been some way of recognizing value and exchange. In this conversation with Lacey Dupre we look at the yin and yang of money, consider some archetypal influences and get friendly with the transformative potential of money.Listen into this conversation on money, value and worth. Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

Zhuang Zi says, “Words exist because of meaning. Once you've gotten the meaning, you can forget the words. Where can I find a man who has forgotten words so I can talk with him?”  Any seasoned practitioner will tell you that skillful use of language and the ability to listen beyond words is an essential aspect of clinical practice.  In this conversation with Randy Clere we explore the use of language not only so that we may better understand our patients, but so that they may better understand themselves.  Listen in to this discussion of how the fluid medium of language facilitates connection, rapport and presence.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

I rather enjoy the idea of our medicine being a sort of applied philosophy, that there is a way of looking at the world that has such coherence and connection that it not only helps us to make sense of this moment, but to bring healing as well. David Marks set off on the path of medicine through his interest in philosophy, which in turn has guided him through a life of practice, inquiry, filmmaking and writing. Listen in to the conversation on how receptivity and curiosity can take you a long way.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

The Tang Ye Jing— where to start? Way back in the Shang Dynasty so the story goes. The Yang Ye Jing is a “lost” text on herbal medicine that has played hide and seek with practitioners over the centuries. How much of it is myth? How much archetypical patterning? And how much a ghost story we like to tell ourselves? All worthy questions. And while the topic of this episode touches on the Tang Ye Jing, our main concern is a medieval text from a Buddhist cave with its own colorful story— the Fu Xing Jue.In this discussion with translator and historian Sabine Wilms we trace the footprints of the Tang Ye Jing through history and discuss its connection to the Fu Xing Jue, another text equality fascinating and problematic. Listen into this conversation on the mythic roots of herbal medicine, stolen treasure and principles of medicine that are timeless regardless of their source.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

True entrepreneurs and visionaries don’t go into something for the money. They go into it because of purpose and passion. The business piece is in service of the difference they are looking to create in the world.It’s not surprising that Peter Deadman would be focused on Yang Sheng, the  Nourishment of Life, he’s been at it his entire adult life  in various forms and pursuits. Listen in to this conversation on passion, business and how our interests don’t just help us to make a living, they assist us in creating a Life.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

Forty years is a long time to practice medicine and gives plenty of opportunity to follow your interests while helping patients. Our medicine includes various kinds of hands on bodywork, and in this conversation we explore the use of micro current. While electricity is often applied to needles in our work, Malvin Finkelstein has found a way of using a micro current probe along with bodywork to bring rapid and profound changes to the underlying tissues.Listen in to this conversation on electricity, touch and how profound change can occur right under our fingers. Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

Working with the conventional medical system takes a lot more than simply letting doctors know your practice exists. Like any relationship it takes time, effort and persistence, along with a sense of common values and language.In this conversation with Kym Garrett we explore the process of building a practice around the treatment of cancer that dovetails with conventional treatment. Listen in for this discussion of building trust and creating a practice that helps patients to navigate between Chinese medicine and modern oncology.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

Here we are at the end of 2020, you'd think the alliterative rhyme of 2-0, 2-0 would imply a year of balance of and stability. It's been anything but, and yet, it's been a year that has asked us to grow in terms of flexibility and resilience and through adversity discover strengths of which did not we did not realize we were capable. This last episode of the year is a solo show taking a look back at the year, along with a glimpse into the future, along with some thoughts of shadow side of our practices and thoughts in response to questions from students. Listen in to Michael's thoughts over tea here in the winter of the year.

生意 sheng yi, are the characters in Chinese that mean business. They literally mean, “create meaning.” And when you think about it, any successful business does exactly that; it creates meaning and provides something of value. From your favorite indy coffeeshop, to the yoga studio where you love to stretch into your body, to the company that makes the winter coat you love to wear, there are people who are spending their life energy creating something in which you find value, meaning and joy. Why is it that so often we have such a dim view of business, when business is about creating something helps to make other people’s lives better?Listen in to this conversation with Dave Kaster as we take a look at how running a business is part art, part science, and requires a steady  and committed heart. Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

Questions are a key aspect of helping us to understand how to help our patients. In school we learn the classic 10 questions. But asking useful questions in clinic goes far beyond the basic 10 and what’s more our lines of questioning are not about creating conversation, but able sifting through a patient’s experience so we can come up with a diagnosis so that we can then craft an effective treatment.In this conversation with Jason Robertson we touch on how Dr. Wang Ju-Yi would use questions like a great detective. How questions can act like the qi transformations of Open, Pivot and Close. And some questions gleaned from other practitioners  that Michael has brought into his practice.Listen in to this discussion of how skillful questioning is an essential part of the treatment process, as we need to first know what we are seeing, and who a patient is,  before we can skillfully intervene. Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

Microcurrent offers acupuncturists another way to help their patients.

The great thing about being a student is that you have permission to be curious. It’s your job to push the edges. To crank open your mind and leave a vast swath of empty space in your being so as to allow your studies and experience to shape you into something you’ve imagined, but have not yet attained. Students are expected to push the edges, and they have permission to discover.This conversation with first year acupuncture student Megan Bulloch started as an email that said… I need to reach out and talk about business and marketing as part of my studies. Can I ask you a few questions?You know how I love questions. Listen into this conversation about medicine, marketing and muse.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

Barry Danielian is one of the most in demand trumpeters and arrangers in NYC, having recorded on over 400 CD’s. Barry’s music is used throughout the television and media industry.His touring and recording credits include diverse artists such as: Bruce Springsteen, Barbra Streisand, Jay-Z, Tony Bennett, Sting, Tower of Power, Queen Latifah, Eddie Palmieri, Blood, Sweat & Tears, KRS One, Branford Marsalis, Paul Simon, Tito Puente, James Taylor, Billy Joel, McCoy Tyner, Illinois Jacquet, Marc Anthony, Ricky Martin, & The Roots. In 2016, Barry was accepted in the MSTOM program at PCOM-NY, maintaining a 3.70 GPA while continuing a busy music career. In 2020, he was one of 3 recipients of the NuHerbs Scholarship.Barry is also a lifelong Martial Artist, training and competing in Boxing, Muaythai and Grappling for decades. He is a certified instructor in Pekiti Tirsia Kali (Filipino Martial Arts) and Silat Kuntau Tekpi (Malaysian Martial Arts). Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

Chinese medicine has a treasure house of methods and treatment for women’s health. From the work of Sun Si Miao to modern day practitioners women’s health has been a key concern in our medicine. In this conversation with Genevieve Le Goff we explore the transformations of qi through the five phases and six confirmations as we discuss Fu Xing Jue and the mythic lost text, Tang Ye Jing. Listen in to this discussion of women’s health and some ways of thinking about our medicine from a non-modern perspective.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

CBD is a big deal these days. Is it really the panacea that is constantly being sold to us? How does this substance and cannabis in general fit in with our thinking in terms of Chinese medicine? How do we separate wishful thinking from fact, and how do we know what constitutes a reliable and pure product from those of inferior grade?In this conversation with Chloe Weber we investigate CBD from the perspective of Chinese medicine practitioner. Listen in to this conversation CBD, cannabis medicine and how Chinese medicine practitioners can think about how to integrate this medicinal into their thinking and practices.  Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

Our western world hides death. We are taught to avoid it. Avoid thinking about, do everything medically possible to prolong life, and focus on “more time” without regard to more of “what.” In this conversation with Tamsin Grainger we look into how death is inextricably entangled with life. How we care constantly dying to one moment as we emerge into a new one. Listen in to this conversation on living into the surprising unfolding of life and how the mindset of pilgrimage helps us to transition through the seasons of our lives.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

In this “part two” conversation with Felip Caudet we get into the nuts and bolts of how he uses moxa, and how to find and treat “moxa points.”Additionally there is an excerpt from his soon to be published book String Moxa Method. Go to the show notes page to read or download it. 

Our medicine teaches us that all things move through cycles of generation, flourishing, decline and disappearance. It’s the way qi moves through this world and so not a surprise that at some point there is an end to the practice that has sustained us and allowed us to help others along the way.In this conversation with Charlie Braverman we discuss the sunset of an acupuncture practice. The opportunities that arise while you still have time to learn something new. The importance of having a kind of support when beginning that goes beyond getting the diagnosis right, and how success sometimes means it is time to move onto something else. Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

Good cookware requires seasoning. A hearty stew takes heat and time. Good wine needs a few years; whiskey, that requires a decade or more. And to develop as a practitioner of Chinese medicine, that ripening can take a lifetime.In this conversation with Peter Mole we explore the dynamics of doubt and certainty, along with the role of intuition and artistry in the development of an acupuncturist. Listen into this conversation on the inner journey of becoming a Chinese medicine doctor.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

Research when done well is an inquiry that can shift the foundation of your cognitive model. And that’s exactly what it is for. In this conversation with Brenda Le we both explore how TCM is seen in our Western Chinese medicine world, and how doing this research opened her up to aspects of medicine and practice that she did not previously see. Listen in to this conversation on inquiry, exploration and discovery.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.  

My initial introduction to moxibustion was the classic Chinese mugwort cigar. I hated it. But only because my lungs are the weak link in my chain of being. The smoke was intolerable. Japanese rice grain moxa, that was a whole other universe. It’s not that less is more, it’s that the focused and directed aspects of Japanese moxibustion invite a completely different experience of heat and sensation. In this conversation with Felip Caudet we follow his path of discovery with moxibustion. Listen in to this discussion on mugwort, calling and surrender to the path that beckons.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.  

Stress management is something we started to hear about in the 1980’s. But compare the “stress” of the 80’s with the 2000’s and we are talking very different worlds. Then 2020 arrives and we wish we had the stress and problems of just a year or two ago. In this conversation with Heidi Lovie we look at how to handle life when things change more in four months than they used to change in four years. Heidi’s take no prisoners approach to Covid, social unrest, failing economies, troublesome  landlords and political monkeyshines will give you some hope for our off the rails world.

The medicines and martial arts of Asia have long considered the lower belly and back to be of significant importance in health, wellbeing and as a kind of seat of power and presence.In this conversation with long time practitioner Jeffrey Dann we explore the structural powerhouse of the Koshi, the dynamic lower abdomen with all it’s energetic and physiological functions. Additionally we explore how to approach the body and appreciate the body and develop a sense of listening and connection that becomes the compass that guides our work.Listen into this discussion of discovery, appreciation and medicine.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.  

Ethics is never a simple black and white calculation, but rather the inquiry into proper relationship in a world filled with variability. It’s about considering the relationship with self, other, and society. And it’s a way to check ourselves for blind spots and to consider how our actions affect others, as well as ourselves.In this conversation with Laura Christensen we explore common ethical issues that all acupuncturists are likely to run up against. And you might be surprised to hear about how when considering ethical modes of practice we not only need to consider our patients, but our selves as well. Not operating our businesses in a sustainable way can also be seen as an ethical issue, as we put a burden on our patients when we are overburdened.Listen into this conversation on some surprising ways you might want to reconsider some of your ethical stances, and why there are situations where crossing ethical boundaries might be of benefit to the patient.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.  

There is a kind of poetry to Chinese characters. They gives hints and clues about the names we give to the world. They tell a story. In this conversation with Elisabeth Rochat we explore, like you’d explore bottles of fine wine, some of the meaning and nuance in the characters 意 yi， 通 tong， 命 ming，and 理 li. There are some delicious surprises in this conversation as I’m more conversant with the common meanings of these characters, and Elisabeth’s perspective gives me a whole new appreciation for Chinese language and thought. Listen in to this discussion of characters, medicine and what it takes to be a human being.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.  

Jing, Qi and Shen— the three treasures. Like so many of these pithy quotes about Chinese medicine there is a lot here if you have taken the time to investigate it and see how it fits within your experience of practicing medicine. In this conversation with Yair Maimon we touch on the three treasures as they relate to treating cancer with acupuncture, immunology from Chinese medicine perspective, and ways of working with research that help us to further our understanding of our medicine here in the modern day.Listen in to this discussion that touches both on the classics and modern day perspectives in health and healing.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.  

Chinese is not that easy, and the 文言文 (wen yan wen) the classical Chinese, that stuff is a whole other order of magnitude in challenge to the modern Western mind.And yet if we are going to practice this medicine with deep roots into a long gone time and culture, we need access to the stepping stones that have been handed down to us over centuries through books and writing.Translating language is one thing. But translating culture, bringing something of the mind and perception from another time, that is a whole other task.It helps if you can understand the poetry, the stories, the world view and beliefs of the time. And it helps if you can track the changes in the meaning of words and ideas across the centuries of commentary.In this episode we are sitting down for tea with Sabine Wilms, a self described "lover of dead languages," for a discussion of Resonance from chapter five of the Simple Questions.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.  

The medical model is useful for certain conditions and problems. It also lends itself to a factory sort of medicine that allows a large number of people to be served using protocols and standard procedures. But when a patient’s issues don’t fit neatly into “the machine” then that system of medicine is not just not helpful, it can bring harm.Engaging with a patient free of flowcharts and diagnostic codes invites into a space free of agenda and technique. It allows for a kind of non-doing that can allow for a patient connecting with resources they did not know they had.Listen into this Part Two conversation with with Alice Whieldon on the cost of the medical model.

We venerate the masters, hold them up as shining examples of what we would like to be one some day, but let’s be honest here— most of us will never be masters. Those rarified characters are few and far between. And the process it takes is not one most of us would willing sign up for. We do however have a good shot at being a fine journeyman or journeywomanWhy it’s hard to become a master? Master’s are usually forged in troublesome fires. They may be living through a time of war and disease and their medicine comes through the crucible of deep suffering. Perhaps they’ve gone through a terrible illness or accident of their own. Or they are acutely sensitive in ways that make every life difficult.The journey we take with practicing medicine is not to become like one of the masters we idolize, but to become the practitioner with our particular  slant on the medicine that is our’s to become.This episode is a discussion of inquiry over time. The discovery's that come not from understanding a book, but rather from the drip, drip, drip of experience from our clinical work that over time teaches us to focus in a particular way. A process that does not guarantee, but rather sets us up, so that one day we read something in the old books and get it. Get it not with so much with our minds, but rather our heart and being. Because it is something that we have grown into. And so we can better understand the writing of others who have also grown into their experience.Listen in for a discussion how to become a good journeywoman or journeyman.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.  

Stems and Branches are old Chinese science. Our medicine touches on it, but most of us rely on the more modern perspectives for our clincal work. The Stems and Branches speak to a perspective of the universe and our place in it that is foreign to our minds not because of language and culture, but because we live a world that focus more on humanity than cosmos.In this conversation we touch on the influence of numbers, the spiral nature of unfoldment and change, a few things about the Hun and Po that will surprise you, how time and space give us different glimpses into reality and how a sense of playfulness wtih medicine and philosophy just might be a most wise approach.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.

There are many ways to attend to our patients in clinic. We can work through mental models that we’ve acquired from our schooling, study, and clinical experience. We can also use our innate human ability to touch, palpate and sense.In this episode with Chip Chase we discuss the importance of down-regulating our nervous system. Along with the use of palpation and sensing references to anchor our ideas about what might be going on for a patient, and to track the progress of the treatment as it unfolds.Additionally we touch in on the use the eight extraordinary vessels and their relation to internal cultivation, take a look at the relatively new emergence of using the divergent channels, and discuss the difference between intending and attending during the treatment process.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.  

We often consider the Five Phases when doing acupuncture, and the Six Conformations when treating our patients with herbal medicine.In this conversation we consider the interplay of “wu yun, liu qi” the five movements and six climatic qi from the perspective of diagnosis and understanding not just what problem a patient has, but also its progression through time.Listen in to this discussion on understanding the cycles and interplay of yin and yang that will help you to better understand why a patient’s illness has manifest and how to use both the movement of the phases and the influence of the conformations to treat illness and help your patients.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.  

This is the audio from a Teal Time talk with Sabine Wilms. Sabine holds these conversations with practitioners who have a taste for the classic and scholarly perspectives.I love the translations that Sabine so lovingly puts her heart and soul into. Humming with Elephants with one of my all time favorite books on our medicine. I was delighted to have this conversation with Sabine and how you enjoy it as well.

We give a great amount of respect to the Classics in Chinese medicine, but understanding these foundational texts of our medicine can be challenge, even if you do understand the old form of Chinese.Just as many of struggle to get through the brilliance of Shakespeare, the classics of Chinese medicine require a particular kind of attention. And it doesn't hurt if you actually can understand the "gu wen" classical Chinese language. It's even more helpful if you engaged the other classic literature of China from an early age.Our guest in this episode Leo Lok did just that, and in this conversation we see how terse lines from the classics can speak eloquently to confusing cases in the modern clinic.Listen in and get a glimpse at how the classics can be applied to difficult clinical cases. You'll be wanting to spend more time with the Su Wen (Simple Questions) after this!Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.  

Medicine is a curious business. The “agreement” is that the patient has a problem and we as practitioners are going to fix it. It’s not an unreasonable expectation in our fee for service world. And after all, we are the experts that are supposed to know how to resolve a medical condition.But what often gets left out of the conversation is the question of “what is healing?” Along with “who” is responsible for that and “what” is to be done?Healing is a curious business. And while patient and practitioner both play a role, more often than not, it’s an inside job.In this conversation with Alice Whieldon we explore what is helpful, the invitation that arises from dropping expectation and agenda, and the connective resonance that arises from simply seeing how it is for another.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.  

Nothing new about city and rural life being very different. But what about when it comes to having an acupuncture practice? What’s it like to practice to practice away from the bustle of big city? Are country folk really that different from city slickers? And what about non-mainstream medicine like acupuncture, how’s it accepted in the hinterlands?In this conversation with Barbara Bittinger we discuss the benefits of living and working in rural America and how community is not just an idea but an essential aspect of day to day life.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.  

Can you remember in those first couple of years of puberty when your senses began to quicken and a new world began to open up and you started to question your place in the unfolding this world?Adolescence is a glorious and often troublesome ripening and as with so many aspects of our lives these days... it’s medicalized as pathology instead of being seen as a series of dress rehearsals for the challenges the world will ask of us in the future. Acupuncture can be tremendously helpful teens navigating this phase of life and for their parents and families and as well, as medicine does not see kids separate from the family in which they live. Listen in on this conversation with Rebecca Avern on using acupuncture to treat adolescences. Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.  

It’s easy to think of researchers as stotic characters in laboratory coats who rely on their frontal cortex and religiously follow the flowchart of “science.”But science is not a flowchart, and researcher is really another name for someone who grew into adulthood with their curiosity intact.Listen in to this conversation on luck, intention, intuition, investigation and biofields.

It is surprising where life can take us. We follow a hunch or a nudge and somehow gain some momentum that in time generates wind for our sails.Not many westerners in the 1970’s started along the road of Chinese medicine. In this long ranging conversation with Jake Fratkin we discuss his perspectives over time and his current thoughts on medicine.Listen in for a conversation about herbs, TCM, Japanese acupuncture and the curious road of practice that unfolds when you follow your interests.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.  

Chinese medicine is not one medicine; it’s a kaleidoscopic plurality. There is no one true acupuncture; we have a rich ecosystem of perspectives and methods. The  trouble with learning something new is that we have let loose of our current understanding usually acquired through effort and hard work. It’s hard to release what we’ve struggled to learn. Our limited understanding of the terrain becomes our turf. It takes a certain amount of confidence in ourselves, and recognition we know we don’t know, to be able to learn something new that may contradict or call into question that which we comfortably feel like we can rely upon.Two years ago I started learning Saam acupuncture on a hunch after reading Toby Daly’s article from the Journal of Chinese Medicine. It was at first unpleasantly mind-bending, it took me far afield of what comfortably felt like competence. It invited me into another perspective that eventually came full circle, in that it connected up some of the streams of herbal medicine that I’d been following over the years.In this conversation, two years after my first podcast discussion with Toby, I’m able to bring a different set of questions and perspectives now that I’ve got a taste for how the Five Phases and Six Conformations connect in ways I could not previous see. Listen into to this conversation to get a sense of lenses and perspectives of the Buddhist monastic stream of Saam acupuncture. Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.  

We often think of emotion as one thing. That we are sad, or angry, or frustrated, or joyous. But often it’s more complicated than that. Many times there will be an entanglement of emotion. Love and anger, grief and guilt, or excitment and anxiety. It’s when emotions get entangled people can really get stuck as it is hard to sort work through one emotion when it’s intimately connected with another toward which you’re not attending .In this conversation with Lillian Bridges we explore our emotional makeup, how it shows on the face, and how we can use the dynamics of the five phases to better understand and sort out these deep internal influences that can so dramatically effect our physiology and relationships.Listen into this conversation that goes into our “internal weather,” the right use of Will and how our feelings can strongly influence our perceptions and perspectives.

The Chinese say 活到老學到老 hou dao lao, xue dao lao, which can be translated as “continue learning for as long as you live.” It’s good advice, and when it comes to the practice of medicine, it’s essential. Our work gives us an endless opportunity to learn and deepen our understanding.In this conversation with Kathy Taromina, Craig Mitchell and Dan Bensky we discuss what they have been learning about using Chinese herbal medicine in responding to the symptoms of Covid-19, as they carry out a study that is being done at the Seattle Institute of East Asian Medicine.Doctors of the past have left us a treasure trove of ideas and clinical strategies for treating epidemic illness and all of these methods are coming into play in our modern world, as we learn more about how the Coronavirus affects different people.Listen into this conversation on how experienced herbalists are learning from the wide range of presentations that are showing up in the clinic. And how you can access the information that is being collected from this study for your own learning and use in the treatment of infectious illness.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.