Beautiful Treatment

I was attending the Alex Tiberi seminar in March when he made a comment that his mentor used to make about his treatment. It's not so good when it's not beautiful. As a practitioner, you'll know what I mean. It's the symmetry connection, the linking of the points as well as the functions of the points, the extent to which the patient not only tolerates the treatments, but they actually sink into it.

How’s that for medical arts practice?


Our environment is like a patchwork quilt. Each "patch" is dependent on those around it. If one part unravels, it affects the rest.

- Hemeon

Have No Expectations

     It’s a lot to ask, I'll admit, to put a limit on expectations. Expectations are the source of unnecessary suffering. Not having attachment to the outcome frees us to be a clear observer of what is.


Nature is trying very hard to make us succeed, but nature does not depend on us. We are not the only experiment.

- R. Buckminister Fuller

Hot Acupuncture

If I were practicing in Maine, here’s something I would do. It’s yours for the asking, just give me some feedback. (Do you pay your own utility bills? Hope not.)

Crank up the treatment room thermostat to about 80 and turn on a space heater about half hour before treatment so that it’s about 30 degrees C, around 90 degrees F.

You’ll need two old mike stands with goosenecks. Mount a 1500-watt hair dryer on each. Place one at the foot of the table to blow on the feet and the other around knee level blowing under the sheet.

Buy two bed buddies (bean bags you can put in the microwave for two minutes each); one for each hand.

Get a crock-pot and some assorted-size, round rocks (from a craft store or garden supply place). Practice with this a bit to see how long it takes to heat the water and rocks. Apply the hot rocks on cloth on the patient, on the CV line, between their toes, behind knees, some on the face, etc.

We’re going for sweating here. Hot yoga meets hot acupuncture.

I’ve tried the electric heating pad but they seem to screw me up some way or other when it comes to reading the pulses.

The supernatural forces of spring created windows in Heaven and wood upon the Earth. Within the body they create the liver and the tendons; they create the color green.. . .and give the void the ability to make a shouting sound. . .they the create the senses, create the sour flavors, and the emotion anger.



- The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine

Pancreatic Cancer

It's an odd thing. Where's the handle?


Even if a disease is of long duration, it can be cured; those who say it cannot be cured do not know acupuncture properly. - Nei Jing

Made Up Points

Made up Points

Double Sleeve Leaky - it's where you wipe your tears on your sleeve, either the patient or the practitioner.

The Blowhard Point The Liars Point – puff out your cheeks and at the apex of your inflated domes is the Liars Point. Treat that point for someone who cannot, will not tell the truth even though it may be easier, cheaper and would really serve them. It is more correctly named the Blowhard point (thanks Tiff.)



Be soft in your practice. Think of the metiod as a fine silvery stream, not a ravaging waterfiall. Follw the strea, have faith in its course. It wil go its own way, meandering here, triclking there. It will find the goroves, the craks, the crevices. Just folliw it. Neverf let I ti ou of your sigh.t. It will take you.


- Sheng-yen

Weather

New days. The past few have been spectacular. Low humidity, bright sunny skies, temps in the mid-80s. True southern California living here in Maryland. People who know me aren't surprised to hear me talk about the weather. I'm the reason for the success of the Weather Channel!

Are you affected by the weather? Are you blue when it rains? Feel like you might have SAD in the winter? Really like being in the light?


Amidst the grassland
Sings a skylark
Free and disengages from all things.
- Matsuo Basho

former Classmates

I'm coming up on the five year reunion with my acupuncture class. As with anything, it's interesting to see what experience they've compiled over the last half decade coupled with their Master of Acupuncture degree. You can search through the web lookers and see who has what kind of practice these days. With any group, there is the bell curve distribution. Of the forty in class of Sept '03, 10% have a thriving practice and I'll define that as seeing more than 25 patients per week in an office setting outside their home. I misss them.

Birthday Time

It's good to revisit how we're living every year or so. What's good to keep, what serves to discard. Do you ever reflect on that? How can I improve my life? What's my routine? Does it serve me?