Acupuncture and East Asian medicine was not developed in a laboratory. It does not advance through double-blind controlled studies, nor does it respond well to petri dish experimentation. Our medicine did not come from the statistical regression of randomized cohorts, but from the observation and treatment of individuals in their particular environment. It grows out of an embodied sense of understanding how life moves, unfolds, develops and declines.
Medicine comes from continuous, thoughtful practice of what we do in clinic, and how we approach that work. The practice of medicine is more — much more — than simply treating illness. It is more than acquiring skills and techniques. And it is more than memorizing the experiences of others. It takes a certain kind of eye, an inquiring mind and relentlessly inquisitive heart.
Qiological is an opportunity to deepen our practice with conversations that go deep into acupuncture, herbal medicine, cultivation practices, and the practice of having a practice. It’s an opportunity to sit in the company of others with similar interests, but perhaps very different minds. Through these dialogues perhaps we can better understand our craft.
How we are with ourselves affects how we are with patients. Our own difficulties in life can assist us in helping others, but it requires that we are able to come to a sense of neutrality with those …
Thinking about autoimmune illness from the Chinese medicine perspective is vastly different from how we think about in modern biomedicine terms. And the four levels of wei, qi, ying and xue are very …
Community is something we often talk about, and yet it is not easily defined. Our practices include not just us and our business, but the ecosystems of commerce, profession, and location.
In this co…
We all know the feeling of having a hunch, of getting a glimpse, of having a kind of knowing that does not come from thinking or knowledge. There might have been a time in your life when using your i…
Much of our medicine is shrouded in myth, and one of the obscure, but persistent figures is that of Bian Que, the bird-headed healer first associated with the use of stone needles.
In this conversatio…
“What is my purpose? Why am I here?” These are questions that we all grapple with at one time or another in our personal and professional lives. But finding the right answers is often elusive—mainly …
Language creates walls or openings. We can attempt to coax our patients into our view of the world, or softly and with respect enter into theirs. There are clever ways to use language as a trick. But…
Grief and fear are a potent combination of influences, and when you add the pressure cooker effect of Covid-19 and all that entails it can be powerfully disruptive to our collective wellbeing.
Seanna …
In Oran Kivity’s review of Finding Effective Acupuncture Points we not only get a taste for the character and content of the book. We are also treated to some valuable insights into acupuncture point…
When we think of the essential aspects of the human being, we think Jing, Qi and Shen. When you think about the health, wellbeing and flourishing of your business; what are the essentials you conside…
Shaoyang issues have a kind of cyclical nature. The problems come and go with a wobbly periodicity. Not unlike the wheel of a bicycle that is slightly out of true.
The flaring of heat and uprising of…
Knowing a little medical Chinese can be very helpful in learning and practicing the medicine.
This review of the Chinese Medical Characters app will give you a good overview of the app, along with so…
It’s easy to think of our practices as “acupuncture.” But the truth is our practices are first and foremost— a business. An infrastructure that allows us to do the healing work we do. The business is…
Through the boundaries of time, language and culture East Asian medicine has found its way into the West. But there is a cultural component that we often don’t consider. And that can make a differenc…
Slipping into sleep. It’s the simplest thing to do. Or the most difficult. The quietude of sleep is a reflection of the activity in our lives. And if that cycle wobbles with an imbalance, it can be d…
Do you know the costs that go into creating the opportunity for a patient to lay on your table? Do you know how much you're paying yourself? Have you built a profit into your business?
We all know th…
We often think of negotiation as a win/loss proposition that focuses around business deals, finances, large purchases and perhaps hostage situations. What we don’t consider is that negotiation is par…
Any seasoned practitioner leans on the patient practitioner relationship. There is something in the interaction that cannot be separated from the response they have to our treatment.
In this conversa…
Learning medicine requires books, memorization , and knowledge. But knowledge without practice is useless. It is through the clinical encounter with patients that the principals come to life and the…
Our job in clinic is to help people both through knowing what treatment to provide and having the ability to discern how to help when the signs are not clear. We constantly dance with both knowing an…