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 intuition was as natural as enjoying the feel of sunshine on your skin. Like any skill or sense, intuition is an innate aspect of our sensorium that can be trained and developed. In this conversation with Wendie Colter we discuss the role of the medical intuitive as in our modern world, some research ...
Jul 06, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 207
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 conversation with Shelley Ochs we discuss her Ph.D dissertation on this mythic character that adorns ancient tombs, and shows upin imagery that suggests a connection between the heavenly and earthly realms. Chinese medicine’s bird-headed healer is not the first or only image of divine presence that is associat...
Jun 29, 2021•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 206
“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 because our focus tends to be narrow and we fail to ask the right questions. In this discussion, we welcome back Sam MacLean to delve into the topic of knowing your path, drawing on her experiences. Sam previously worked in the corporate world helping businesses with their purpose. But following cert...
Jun 22, 2021•42 min•Ep. 205
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 in the therapeutic setting it is far better to use language with respect, and that respect comes from a deep rooting in our presence and embodiment. In this dialogue with Margot Rossi and Nick Pole we learn some key fundamentals of staying in our own experience while helping guide our patients deepe...
Jun 22, 2021•17 min•Ep. 205
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 Sifflet and Heidi Lovie explore how our medicine and our presence can help our patients and our communities to navigate through the choppy waters of our times.
Jun 22, 2021•42 min•Ep. 205
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 points, needle technique and useful fundamentals on thinking about and locating points.
Jun 22, 2021•11 min•Ep. 205
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 consider? If you did not consider marketing, you might want to think again. And give MB Huwe a listen here, because marketing is an essential aspect of your practice that you ignore at your peril, and your marketing has to resemble no one other than you. So you can’t buy a solution off the shelf, because it...
Jun 22, 2021•16 min•Ep. 205
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 qi can be seen through this lens. In this case presentation with Eran Even we get a glimpse of this shaoyang dynamic and see how a clinical presentation that you might also see illuminates a line from Jin Gui Yao Lue.
Jun 22, 2021•22 min•Ep. 205
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 some encouragement for the process of helping yourself by learning the basic characters that will help you to better understand and think about our medicine.
Jun 22, 2021•7 min•Ep. 205
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 as separate from the practice as the mind is from the body. Which is to say; not at all. If you’re taking the pulse of your business, the overhead is one of the parameters you need to pay attention to. Stacey Whitcomb gets in your business on this. Listen up!
Jun 22, 2021•8 min•Ep. 205
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 difference in the effectiveness of our clinical work. Furthermore, our modern culture disportionately values curing over healing, and sometimes there is no cure. But the whole-person aspect of our medicine gives us a unique perspective on illness, suffering and bearing witness. In this conversation Jonathan B...
Jun 22, 2021•36 min•Ep. 205
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 difficult to correct. In this discussion with Damiana Corca we explore why some ideas make sense in theory, but don’t work so well in actual practice. And some perspectives on how the taiyin, shaoyin and jueyin are involved with sleep disturbances at different times of the night. Listen in to this con...
Jun 15, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 204
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 that word of mouth is the best form of marketing, but have you taught your patients how to talk about your practice to their family and friends? In this conversation with Laura Christensenwe talk business, as she shares some of the insights and new processes she’s put into practice after working with a...
Jun 08, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 203
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 part and parcel of the work we do in clinic as we help our patients to integrate aspects of themselves or their situation into a higher state of health and wellness. In this conversation with Margot Rossi and Nick Pole we discuss the FBI Hostage negotiation methods of Chris Voss and how the principles h...
Jun 01, 2021•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 202
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 conversation with Vitaly Napadow we discuss the Art of Medicine and how fMRI imaging from the brains of patients and practitioners with an established clinical relationship gives us a breathtaking glimpse into how our brains mutually interact with each other. And more importantly, how that can affect clinica...
May 25, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 201
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 medicine goes from theory to living practice. In this 200th episode of the Qiological Denise Hung, a student, shares her questions and thoughts about mentors and mentorship in Chinese medicine. Listen in to this conversation on learning, expectations, and the importance of being in the room where it ...
May 18, 2021•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 200
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 and not-knowing. In this conversation with Ben Hawes we discuss how the alignment of the vertebra on the spine tells a story and helps to guide an acupuncture treatment. And beyond that how we tease apart ways of knowing, and how our perception both gives us information and blinds us to where our atten...
May 11, 2021•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 199
The ancient Chinese were not the only people to observe nature and develop medicine in the service of relieving suffering and promoting health. But they were the only culture that wrote it down and managed through the centuries to preserve significant portions of it. In this conversation with Edward Chiu we discuss writing case reports, which is a time honored process of how medicine has been preserved, passed along and learned throughout time. Not only can we learn from the past, but we can als...
May 04, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 198
In nature we see that rivers have a flow and shape, but in times of flooding or if there are obstructions they will find other ways to move their water downstream. The divergent channels can be seen as a channel phenomenon that allows the main channels to deal with various kinds of excess. In this conversation with David Euler we explore his perspective on divergent channels and his process of using palpatory feedback as an aid in diagnosing and assessing the effectiveness of his treatments. Lis...
Apr 27, 2021•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 197
Attending to yin in a world that preferences yang does not come easy, and perhaps only begins to catch our attention once we’ve reached the edge of what activity can sustain. In this conversation with Brodie Welch we look at how sometimes subtracting counterintuitive as it seems, allows our lives to be richer and fuller. Listen in to this conversation on quietude, the curious nature of change, learning to put your voice forward, and the importance of being clear on your “why.” Head on over to th...
Apr 20, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 196
There are yin and yang ways to be with a horse, or for that matter— with a person as well. That yin aspect might be yielding, but it’s far from weak. And having a broad receptive gaze allows us to see the wholeness beyond the so-called broken parts of those we are here to serve. In this discussion with Sam McLean we look at some of the multifaceted aspects of using touch and presence. The importance of not having an agenda, how a sense of yielding is essential to connection and the essential rol...
Apr 13, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 195
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 es...
Apr 06, 2021•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 194
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 ...
Mar 30, 2021•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 193
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 perspec...
Mar 23, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 192
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. Liste...
Mar 19, 2021•56 min
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 diffe...
Mar 16, 2021•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 191
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...
Mar 09, 2021•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 190
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 ...
Mar 02, 2021•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 189
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...
Feb 23, 2021•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 188
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 con...
Feb 16, 2021•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 187
