76 results found with an empty search
- The Kitchen Herbalist: Jing-Nourishing Superfood Bars
Ingredients: 1 bar gui ban jiao, or 2 sheets of gelatin, or 1 teaspoon agar agar powder* Handfuls of: Almonds Walnuts (Hu Tao Ren)-- Tonify Yang Goji Berries (Gou Qi Zi)-- Tonify Blood & Yin Chinese Dates (Da Zao)-- Tonify Qi Dried rose petals (Mei Gui Hua)-- Regulate Qi Black sesame seed (Hei Zhi Ma)-- Tonify Yin Recipe If using Gui Ban, soak Gui Ban Jiao in yellow wine for 72 hours. Gently simmer gui ban in yellow wine until it has a jelly-like consistency, add sugar or honey to preference. As that's coming to a simmer, line your mold/pan with rose petals & lightly toast nuts and seeds to release their nourishing oils. Mix the nuts & seeds into the pot with Gui Ban & remove from heat. Pour the mixture into the pan lined with roses and top with more rose petals. Let cool, then cut & serve! About the Medicine: These Jing-nourishing superfood bars make such a great treat because they tonify and strengthen many vital substances in our bodies, and are great for folks who present as deficient. Snacking on these bars while recovering from an illness (not while actively sick), or even post-partum, will help to strengthen your body! Learn more about some of the signs of deficiency these bars can support: Qi: Some signs of qi deficiency include fatigue, shortness of breath, poor appetite, spontaneous sweating. The Da Zao tonify qi, our vital life source or energy, and the addition of Mei Gui Hua can also move any stagnated qi, causing us to feel stuck. Blood: Some signs of blood deficiency include pale complexion, trouble sleeping, anxiety, heart palpitations. Gou Qi Zi are excellent for blood tonification - think of their red color being a sign they are good for blood! Yin: Some signs of yin deficiency include dryness, thirst with desire to sip, red complexion, insomnia, feeling hot (especially in the afternoon). Gou Qi Zi and Hei Zhi Ma both tonify yin, clearing some of the heat and bringing more moisture and fluid back into the body. Yang: Some signs of yang deficiency include feeling cold, desire to sleep all day, low back ache or pain, low energy and motivation. Hu Tao Ren are rich and fatty, making it perfect for tonifying yang and restoring some energy and warmth. A note: Because of their tonifying and building properties, these bars are not recommended for excess patterns of qi, blood, yin, or yang. Ask your Acupuncturist if they might be a good fit for you at your next appointment! *The original recipe calls for 1 bar of Gui Ban Jiao, which is an ingredient in the Chinese Medicine pharmacopeia made into gelatin bars from Tortoise shell. Gui Ban serves as a strong Liver & Kidney yin tonic and can be used in deeply deficient cases with deficient heat and signs that heat is rising. As an animal product and one that is may be hard to source ethically, we have listed suitable substitutes to make strongly nourishing bars without Gui Ban. Gelatin is a non-vegetarian option, and agar-agar is a vegan-friendly option for these bars. About the Creator My name is Molly Rodrigues (she/her) and I'm term 6 here at AIMC. I work as a flexologist at StretchLab and as a restorative yoga teacher. I am passionate about individualized and accessible healthcare, and trauma alchemization. When I'm not studying or working you can find me soaking up the sunshine, moving my body, reading, or pondering philosophies. I'm a big fan of all things coffee, music, and nature.
- Student Spotlight: A Visit to Oakland Chinatown
This term I am doing my Herb Room internship under the capable direction of the Herb Pharmacy Manager, Le Jiang. Spending time with the raw herbs and granules, mixing formulas has proven enriching to say the least. Le is a wealth of knowledge, and a terrific resource and an even better study mentor- especially where formulas are concerned. Imagine my surprise and enthusiasm when she asked me if I'd like to go on a field trip to Oakland's Chinatown! With no hesitation, we were off. The Mission Our mission was to secure more Lianhua Qingwen Jiaonang for the school pharmacy. It's proven an effective treatment for the symptoms of Covid-19, and having it in stock to support our community has been an important measure. After parking and walking a short distance, we happened upon HOAN CAU COMPANY, our destination. Le spoke with the store clerks while I marveled at the jars of medicine displayed like candy on the counters. They offered us bits of bites and giggled at our reactions. Le got a bit too much dried ginger that was deceivingly spicy! They took the time to answer questions about names and prices and let me browse, my curiosity leading the way. Le's alternate goal for the trip was to orient me to the neighborhood and also help me feel at ease with visiting a traditionally Chinese speaking institution, all which she did with a casual ease. I appreciated seeing a working Chinese herbal pharmacy in Oakland's Chinatown. It was amazing to peruse the plethora of trademarked medicines along side fresh, treated and packaged goods. I was pleased to buy dried buddhas's hand, or Fo Shou, packaged in small bites for my daughter as well as some beautiful jasmine flowers for tea. I also purchased some Pu-erh tea for my Mom and a bag of Dao Zao for my home. Lest we not forget what we came her for! Lianhua Qingwen Jiaonang. We'll take 13 boxes please! All in all what a pleasure it was to accompany Le on this errand for the AIMC pharmacy. When we got back to school, we were able to fill an immediate order for someone in the community who needed it. All in a days work of a student intern of the herb room. Visit Oakland's Chinatown Le was also kind enough to point out other landmarks and places in the neighborhood. Please find a little map and key organized by business type in the following pages! The following illustrations were done by Sam Lai for our last AIMC zine that came out last winter. (Thanks Sam for permission to use again!) About the Author: Leslee Kurihara lives on Ohlone land in San Francisco, CA. She is a student of Classical 5 Element Acupuncture with the Lingshu Institute, as well as a student of TCM at AIMC in Berkeley. She received her Undergraduate degree at the University of CA at Davis in Environmental Science and Design. Leslee believes in the tenets of healing as guided by the laws of nature and in honoring an individual's unique constitution as integral to the diagnostic and treatment process. About the Artist: Sam Lai (she/her) is a queer, mixed-race student of acupuncture and East Asian Medicine at AIMC Berkeley. Sam moved to the West Coast from her birthplace of Guam to study art, photography, and design strategy. She worked with startups and arts education organizations prior to becoming an acupuncture student. These days, you can find her treating patients at the AIMC Student Clinic; at UC Berkeley treating Cal student-athletes; or at Charlotte Maxwell Clinic, a free clinic serving low-income, underserved, and immigrant women with cancer. Sam is also a backyard beekeeper in the East Bay where she resides with her partner and little red dog Benji.
- The Year of the Yin Water Rabbit
With the recent shootings in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay, we honor those whose lives have been lost, and are holding in our hearts all those who are grieving among the AAPI community. This time of year is supposed to be a time of celebration. While this year’s celebrations are clouded with trauma and grief, we can look to the Water Rabbit for hope. Rabbits in the Chinese Zodiac Each year, according to the Chinese zodiac calendar cycle, a heavenly stem, one of the five elements, is paired with an earthly branch, one of the 12 zodiac animals. This year is the Gui Mao, or Water Rabbit year. Gui represents water, while Mao represents rabbit. Both of these hold significance, and can offer insights into the year ahead. While there are many variations of this story, according to ancient legend, the Jade Emperor invited all the animals to participate in a race for his birthday. Twelve animals lined up at the start of the race: a pig, dog, monkey, sheep, horse, rooster, dragon, tiger, rabbit, ox, rat, and a snake. As a prize, a year would be named after each animal, but their finish would determine the order! Each animal had a different experience and adventure crossing a river to complete the Emperor’s race. The rabbit arrived in fourth place, but how? The rabbit was quick, and hopped from stone to stone across the river. Partway through, the rabbit slipped and fell into the river, but was able to climb onto a log floating in the water. The dragon, who was right behind the rabbit, saw the rabbit floating on the log, and gave a supportive breath to blow the rabbit to shore. (Want to learn more about the other finishers? Read more about the race here.) The Yin Water Rabbit According to Five Element Theory, the rabbit represents wood. When we think about the relationship between water and wood, water generates or nourishes wood. Think about the way that watering our plants help them to grow. This can indicate that this is a year can be a year of prosperity, hope, and flourishing. Additionally, both water and wood are associated with Yin. Yin is slower, darker, quieter, while Yang is faster, brighter, louder. If we’re in a Yin year, we can interpret that this might be a good year for rest, reflection, slowing down. While water is associated with fear, it also is associated with calm. The rabbit is viewed as a symbol of intellect, longevity, peace. Rabbits also have qualities of kindness, empathy, and patience. Some believe 2023, the Gui Mao Water Rabbit Year, will be a year of hope. To learn more about the Yin Water Rabbit and the upcoming year, check out these helpful (and fascinating!) links: Want to learn more about the Water Rabbit? Read more here! Curious about what 2023 has in store for your Chinese Zodiac? Check out Astrologer Susan Levitt’s predictions here! Learn about the year ahead: For an extensive forecast for the upcoming year, including insights into what the Water Rabbit might bring to your health, relationships, work, lifestyle, and many other aspects, check out this in-depth review! Celebrating Lunar New Year Lunar New Year celebrations last for fifteen days. Lunar New Year kicks off the Spring Festival, where each day has specific significance and traditions and customs. Spring Festival culminates with the Lantern Festival, always landing on the first full moon of the new lunar year, and this year, landing on February 5th.The Lantern Festival is the celebration of looking to the future, and also releasing the past. Here are some tips for celebrating, and some great local events to check out! Check out San Francisco's Parade! Attend the parade and other festivities in San Francisco. Lunar New Year x Black History Month Celebration in Oakland: Oakland Asian Cultural Center is hosting a Lunar New Year and Black History Month celebration that you won't want to miss! Support local restaurants: Check out this list of places to eat and celebrate around the Bay Area. Cook at home: Tang Yuan is the "go-to" Lunar New Year dessert, because it brings us harmony and good fortune for the year ahead. Try making your own with this recipe! This Water Rabbit year we look ahead with hope for prosperity, growth, kindness, community, and peace. We wish you all a prosperous Water Rabbit New Year! About the Author Molly Pilloton Lam is a first-year Master's student at AIMC with a background in working with BIPOC communities in education, educational leadership, public health, and trauma-informed youth mental health program settings. She is interested in expanding education and equitable access to acupuncture and EAM in BIPOC and communities, particularly to support people with the impacts of trauma. She is excited to be a student at AIMC for her pathway to acupuncture, and looks forward to uplifting its traditional practices and other BIPOC practitioners' voices.
- Can acupuncture treat pain due to arthritis?
What is pain? Pain is an indicator that something is hurt or injured in the body. It is a way of telling you that something might be wrong and needs attention. When your body is injured (say you trip and fall on your knee), inflammation of tissues and nerves occurs in the area that has been hurt. Some key signs of inflammation include swelling, pain, redness, feeling warm to the touch, some loss of normal or typical function. These are all a part of a normal healing response in the body. Sometimes we experience pain for other reasons - we don’t have to trip and fall to feel pain! Sometimes we wake up with a sore back, or the cold makes your hands feel tight and crampy. How can acupuncture treat pain? Acupuncture has long been used as an effective tool to alleviate and treat pain. From a Western perspective and understanding, acupuncture releases neurotransmitters, endorphins and enkephalins, reducing the sensation of pain. It can help build white blood cells, which help to protect your body from injury and illness 5 . It also helps your body to release oxytocin, the hormone that gives you those warm, fuzzy feelings of love, trust, and relationship. From an East Asian perspective and understanding, acupuncture treats the pain by restoring balance to the Qi within the body through activation of various points and channels. Healthy Qi will flow with no issue, cycling through the body without getting stuck or too depleted. Qi or blood can stagnate within the body, or we can be susceptible to external pathogens that can cause pain. If we regulate the flow of Qi, we improve our health (and in this case, reduce or eliminate our pain)! Acupuncture also treats our organs by tonifying or harmonizing them, so our body functions properly. Lastly, it also treats our spirit, or Shen, which is our presence, vitality, consciousness. When we care for our Shen, we live in harmony and health. “...every needling’s method first must be rooted in Shen”. This sentence is usually translated as: “All treatment must be based on the Spirit”. (Ling Shu Chapter 8, Nei Jing) Arthritis & East Asian Medicine Arthritis causes inflammation, pain, and swelling of the joints, and is the leading cause of disability. The most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis, which typically affects the hands, hips, and knees. The cartilage in these joints begin to break down, and can change the bone. This is why it is often called “wear and tear” arthritis. Another common form of arthritis is rheumatoid arthritis, which is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease where your immune system begins to attack your healthy cells by mistake. This typically affects the joints, as well. From an East Asian perspective, arthritic pain often presents as a result of a Bi syndrome. Bi syndrome is a category of disease that is caused by an invasion of a pathogen (wind, cold, dampness, heat) on the meridians involving muscles and sinews. The different types of Bi syndromes present with different qualities of pain 4 . Typically, they present in the following ways: Cold Bi: localized pain, cramping, constricting, tight, better with warmth Damp Bi: joint swelling, heavy, achy pain Wind Bi: moving or radiating pain Heat Bi: burning pain, better with cold Arthritis pain can also involve other patterns, involving our Qi, Blood, and Body Fluids. These all are important to ensuring healthy, normal flow throughout the body, and any disruption may present as pain or other symptoms. Qi/ Blood/ Body Fluid deficiency: This results in dull, lingering pain that is worse with movement. Qi stagnation: This results in distending pain that is better with movement. Blood stagnation: This results in sharp, stabbing, localized pain. Lastly, some of our organs and specific channels can support when we feel pain, particularly related to our bones or muscles. Liver Deficiency: The Liver is responsible for proper flow of Qi, and regulates sinews and muscles. Kidney Deficiency: The Kidney responsible for bones. Sinew/ muscle channels: These channels are good for acute or chronic injuries because you treat the Jing Well points and Ah Shi points along the channel. Ah Shi points are found by reactivity or sensation (it doesn’t have to feel like pain necessarily, but could feel tight or sunken too!) Jing Well points are located on the tips of the extremities and can open up stuck Qi in a whole muscle chain 6 . Acupuncture Points for Arthritis East Asian Medicine treatments can include acupuncture points and herbal formulas specializing in combating and expelling these exterior pathogens, and in turn, reducing or eliminating the pain. There are some common points where you can apply acupressure or massage that can provide some pain relief, but it is always best to speak with an acupuncturist to determine the best course of action for your specific type of pain! Some acupressure body points for various types of pain (see the images below for the specific locations in order to find them!): For general pain , try Large Intestine 4, or He Gu, in the webbing between your index finger and thumb. For neck pain and shoulder pain , try Small Intestine 3, or Hou Xi, on the lateral side of your hand below the joint where your fingers meet the palm of your hand. For wrist & arm pain , try San Jiao 4, or Yang Chi, at the wrist joint. For knee & hip pain , try Gallbladder 34 or Yang Ling Quan, just below the knee joint. For low back, back of the knee, or foot pain , try Urinary Bladder 63, or Jin Men, on the lateral side of the foot. For ankle pain , try Stomach 41, Jie Xi, on the top of the foot near the ankle joint. About the Author Molly Pilloton Lam is a first-year Master's student at AIMC with a background in working with BIPOC communities in education, educational leadership, public health, and trauma-informed youth mental health program settings. She is interested in expanding education and equitable access to acupuncture and EAM in BIPOC and communities, particularly to support people with the impacts of trauma. She is excited to be a student at AIMC for her pathway to acupuncture, and looks forward to uplifting its traditional practices and other BIPOC practitioners' voices. References: Chou PC, Chu HY. Clinical Efficacy of Acupuncture on Rheumatoid Arthritis and Associated Mechanisms: A Systemic Review. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2018 Apr 12;2018:8596918. doi: 10.1155/2018/8596918. PMID: 29849731; PMCID: PMC5925010. Selfe TK, Taylor AG. Acupuncture and osteoarthritis of the knee: a review of randomized, controlled trials. Fam Community Health. 2008 Jul-Sep;31(3):247-54. doi: 10.1097/01.FCH.0000324482.78577.0f. PMID: 18552606; PMCID: PMC2810544. Yang L, Adams J. The Role of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Arthritis Management: Why We Need Public Health and Health Services Research. Front Public Health. 2020 Dec 17;8:597917. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.597917. PMID: 33392135; PMCID: PMC7773773. How Do You Treat Osteoarthritis in Your Practice? Med Acupunct. 2017 Jun 1;29(3):166-172. doi: 10.1089/acu.2017.29053.cpl. PMID: 28736594; PMCID: PMC5512319. Evidence Based Acupuncture: Acupuncture for Pain. Available at: https://www.evidencebasedacupuncture.org/pain/. . Acupuncture Today: The Sinew Channels. Available at: https://www.acupuncturetoday.com/mpacms/at/article.php?id=32443. .
- An Earth Day Conversation with AIMC's Dr. Nishanga Bliss, DAIM, DSc, LAc
In honor of Earth Day, we had the pleasure of speaking with one of AIMC’s long-time community members and professors, Dr. Nishanga Bliss, DAIM, DSc, LAc, about her work to educate practicing and aspiring acupuncture and East Asian Medicine practitioners, her call to action to support a healthy environment, and her hopes for the future. Nishanga has been with AIMC since 2008, and has been practicing Chinese medicine since 1999. She has always been interested in the public health aspect of Chinese medicine and health, but felt more drawn to it, especially living in the times that we're living in today. Becoming an Environmental Activist Nishanga watched her father, an environmentalist, work with the East Bay chapter of the Sierra Club in a time of environmental awareness in the seventies. During the eighties and nineties, Nishanga witnessed a “retraction” in our society and culture with regards to the environment. With this foundation of environmental activism, Nishanga was drawn to holistic medicine because of its nature-based approach, which led her to study Western Herbalism. With the roots of Western Herbalism being based in energetics, and studying eclecticism, it was an easy and natural step into studying Chinese medicine. Because of the power of food and plant-based medicine, Nishanga pursued a doctorate in Nutrition to better understand where her food comes from, and how it can support overall health. “We have to look at climate and how it's affecting plants. I mean, we know in agriculture that climate's already affecting the nutritional value of agricultural products. …there's so many ways that we can connect our medicine to the climate crisis, but herbalism is very easy in that way.” TCM & the Environmental Perspective Nishanga described climate change in terms of a TCM perspective, describing the balance (or imbalance) of Yin and Yang. “Human beings are too Yang. So we're heating the planet and… Yin and Yang are beginning to separate, and so we're getting Yin deficiency… More water is mobilized in the sky, and then it's coming down more forcefully.” Let’s break this down a little bit more! When we think about energetics, Yin is slower, quieter, more peaceful, restful, and restorative. Yang energy is very active with lots of movement; it’s faster, consumes more energy. If human beings are too Yang, that means we are using lots of energy, like when we are driving cars, flying in airplanes, movement around the state, country, and planet. Even when we look at political discourse and the social issues we are facing. We are very Yang; we are moving, talking loudly, engaging with others intensely. This creates more energy in the form of heat, which in turn, heats the planet. With this imbalance, we see a lot of Yang energy, with very little Yin energy, causing a deficiency. This leads to an overall degradation of the planet and being, which is how we see these environmental effects, like the 12 atmospheric rivers this winter, compared to three last year! Additionally, she described how fossil fuels, and continuing to extract them, is depleting the Earth’s Jing, or life force. “Oil is like the jing, the deepest reserves of the planet, the most precious. Like in your body, the Jing is the most precious substance that determines your lifespan, and we're like depleting it from the earth.” Actions You Can Take While this may seem discouraging, Nishanga offered many ways people can positively impact the environment and combat climate change. One of her recommendations is actively advocating for political change, especially working to influence the Farm Bill Reauthorization. She uses the Climate Action Now app, which is an easy and quick way to send letters to your local legislators, connect with other community members, and gain points that accumulate toward a tree being planted on your behalf. Also, “The Farm Bill connects to our whole food system in the . It connects to how food is grown, how food is processed. It connects to food in the public schools. It connects to legislation around, so if we bring a climate lens to that and a regenerative agriculture lens to that, it can be really transformative…people need to learn, learn what's going on with it and where specific times to write their legislators.” All of this starts with conversation. Community, education, and continual conversation around these issues will effect change. Climate impacts every aspect of our life, so it is important to talk about it with everyone and at every opportunity. Even in moments of waning motivation, Nishanga reminds us that we can’t ignore the emotion involved in this movement, and drawing inspiration from Chinese medicine as a way to process and re-energize. “It's not just turn your anger into action. But you also sometimes have to just feel the negative feelings and let them work through you… Ideally you feel it, you channel it, you allow it to move you.” Thank you for sharing your beautiful insights and wisdom with us, Nishanga! About the Author Molly Pilloton Lam is a first-year Master's student at AIMC with a background in working with BIPOC communities in education, educational leadership, public health, and trauma-informed youth mental health program settings. She is interested in expanding education and equitable access to acupuncture and EAM in BIPOC and communities, particularly to support people with the impacts of trauma. She is excited to be a student at AIMC for her pathway to acupuncture, and looks forward to uplifting its traditional practices and other BIPOC practitioners' voices.
- San Fu: Treating the Winter illness during the Summer
Treating Winter illness, or 冬病夏治 (dōng bìng xià zhì), during the Summer, or by using 三伏贴(sān fú tiē) What is 冬病夏治 (dōng bìng xià zhì)? 冬 病 (dōng bìng) means illnesses that happen more often or get severe in the winter. For example, bronchitis, bronchial asthma, rheumatism, rheumatoid arthritis, and Spleen & Stomach deficiency and coldness in Chinese Medicine perspective, etc. 夏治 (xià zhì) means the condition of the illness improves while the yang is rising in the summer. With the differential diagnosis, taking Chinese Medicine internally and externally can prevent the severity of the illness in the winter. What is 三伏贴(sān fú tiē)? 三伏(sān fú) usually appears between Xiao Shu and Chu Shu when there is a combination of high temperature and humid in nature. There are 30 or 40 days in San Fu, depending on the year. San Fu can be divided into Beginning Fu ( 10 days), Middle Fu (10-20 days), and Ending Fu (10 days). San Fu dates in 2023 Beginning Fu: 7.11-7.20 (10 days) Middle Fu: 7.21 - 8.9 (20 days) Ending Fu: 8.10 - 8.19 (10 days) 三伏贴(sān fú tiē) is a type of paste that includes Traditional Chinese herbs. (For example, mugwort, dry ginger, pepper, mustard seeds, and Chinese wild ginger. ) The pastes need to be applied in every Fu (+ 1 if the middle Fu is 20 days). Read more about 三伏贴(sān fú tiē) as a treatment, including recommended point locations, applications, and cautions, below!
- Celebrating Juneteenth and the Legacy of Dr. Tolbert Small
Dr. Tolbert Small is a hero of service and healing, as lead physician for the Black Panther Party and one of the first doctors outside of the Asian American community to practice acupuncture in the United States, and is still a practicing physician in the Bay Area. It might be possible you don’t know all of his incredible contributions to his community and the nation when you meet him at his doctor’s office. But in honor of Juneteenth, we want to take a moment to celebrate the activist, the healer, and “the People’s Doctor”, Dr. Tolbert Small. Dr. Tolbert Small was an activist before he was a healer, and began fighting for civil rights in college at University of Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. On campus he co-founded a student chapter of the NAACP, and decided to study medicine. He graduated from Wayne State School of Medicine, and moved for residency at Highland Hospital, here in Oakland, California. Inspired by the activism and connection he found while in Oakland, Dr. Small boldly approached the Black Panther Party. He offered to work pro bono, and became their primary physician in 1970. Dr. Small cared deeply about offering health care to the Black community due to the inequities he saw. He acted as Medical Director at the George Jackson Free Medical Center in Berkeley, and opened The People’s Sickle Cell Anemia Foundation, both creating access to health care, support, and education for many Black Americans. With the Black Panther Party, he was invited to join their trip to China. On this trip, Dr. Small and other leaders observed the “barefoot doctors’ movement”, where people trained in basic healthcare, including acupuncture, offer treatments to underserved populations. Dr. Small returned home energized, and taught himself how to treat with acupuncture, becoming one of the first physicians in the United States to practice it. He then went on to practice medicine and acupuncture in a variety of settings in Northern California, including caring for patients in San Quentin and Folsom Prison, and later opening the Harriet Tubman Medical Office in Oakland with his wife, Anola. He stayed at the Harriet Tubman Medical Office from 1980 until 2016 when it sadly closed. Dr. Tolbert Small Today Today, Dr. Tolbert Small continues to offer healing through internal medicine and acupuncture to his patients in the Bay Area. He also continues his activism through poetry and writing, and has published a book, Resistencia, Love, Healing that is available for purchase. Here is one of our favorite poems, that is especially appropriate for aspiring and practicing acupuncturists and healers: To the Healers (and Their Patients Who Have the Right to be Healed) We healers. We toiled for years to learn the mystery of the human body. We nourish spirits from birth to the grave. We mend the bones. We sew the cuts. We kill the pain. We cool the fevers. We soothe the spirits. We are healers. We bring new life. We close old life. We pick the herbs. We needle away the pain. We cut out the cancer. We poison the germs. We calm the troubled minds. We are healers. We treat the whole body as one universe. We treat each part of this universe. We keep the hearts pumping. We keep the lungs breathing. We know, as long as life exists, We will be healers. References: Meng, E. (2020, February 2). "Dr. Tolbert Small." Of Part and Parcel. https://www.ofpartandparcel.com/blog-2/dr-tolbert-small Dr. Tolbert Small: The People's Doctor. (2020, July 27). https://the-peoples-doctor.com/
- Staying cool with TCM-inspired foods and movement this summer
Summer sunshine, warmth, and longer days are finally here! In East Asian Medicine (EAM), summer is associated with the fire element, which makes sense given the warmer temperatures, longer time that the sun is out, and our overall warmer feelings in our body. Summer is also the most Yang time of the year, meaning it is the time that is most bright, active, warm (compared to winter, which is the most Yin time of year, meaning it is dark, slower, cooler). With all of this in mind, it is especially important to be taking care of our bodies in a way that keeps the fire in balance, not too much, or not too little. According to EAM, there are many ways you can care for your body during summer by balancing and supporting the fire element. This looks like managing heat to stay cool, staying hydrated, and moving the excess heat out of your body. Here are some food recommendations (with a yummy summer-inspired recipe!) and forms of simple movement that can help you keep your cool this summer! Foods that are good for you during summer The flavor associated with summer or the Fire element is bitter. The bitter flavor is good at clearing heat, especially in the organs associated with the Fire element (the Heart and the Small Intestine!). With this in mind, bitter foods, such as kale, bitter greens, radishes, cabbage, and even coffee or chocolate (without sugar), support a healthy balance during summer. Foods that also have high water content, such as watermelon, cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, peaches, and other fruits and vegetables can help with cooling your body down during summer. Try out this yummy summer salad, that you can easily find all the ingredients to during summer, and better yet, at your local farmers market! Tomato Watermelon Cucumber Radishes Lettuce Olive Oil Lemon Mint, dill, or any other fresh herbs Salt and pepper Movement to help clear heat In Qi Gong, there is an exercise called "Pulling Down Heavens" that may appear simple, but has profound balancing, cleansing, and descending effects on the body. Depending on your intention there are minor variations on the exercise, but generally this practice gathers earth and heavenly Qi, and then washes over and down the body. This exercise is a great way to start the day by gathering Qi for the day, or even close the day, bringing energy down and let go. Pulling Down Heavens can be a great part of any daily routine, but could help to descend and clear heat or excess energy during summer. Here's a video tutorial on how to do Pulling Down Heavens, and describes three variations you can try! A Note on Global Heat You may have seen the headlines that this week the world experienced the 4 hottest days ever on record. While it's important to know how to say in good health during hot days and beat the heat, the issue of rising temperatures is not an individualized one; the world is poised to see an increase in epidemics and climate refugees in the coming decades. We encourage everyone to do what they can to take action against climate change. For inspiration about how you can help and to read a Chinese-medicine inspired take on climate change, check out this article about Environmental Activist & AIMC Berkeley professor Dr. Nishanga Bliss, DSc, DAIM, LAc. About the Author Molly Pilloton Lam is a first-year Master's student at AIMC with a background in working with BIPOC communities in education, educational leadership, public health, and trauma-informed youth mental health program settings. She is interested in expanding education and equitable access to acupuncture and EAM in BIPOC and communities, particularly to support people with the impacts of trauma. She is excited to be a student at AIMC for her pathway to acupuncture, and looks forward to uplifting its traditional practices and other BIPOC practitioners' voices.
- Plastic-Free July at AIMC Berkeley
Head to our beaches this summer and you face a stark reminder of today’s plastics crisis as you squish through the sand, increasingly composed of microplastic . As the fossil fuel industry faces growing public pressure, it is turning toward using petroleum to produce ever-more plastic instead of fuel. Plastic and Your Health From a Chinese medicine perspective, the jing (deep energy reserve) of the planet is being tapped and either burned, creating either excess heat/yang and warming the atmosphere, or made into plastic and chemical compounds, which can be seen as pathological yin or phlegm. Chinese medical wisdom teaches that “phlegm is the mother of a hundred diseases.” A growing body of research links chemicals produced in the manufacture, use and breakdown of plastic to myriad health problems, including obesity, infertility and cancer . National Geographic research recently suggested that humans ingest about a credit card’s worth of microplastics a week in food, water and air, while microplastics have been found in human lungs, blood, breast milk and semen. What We Can Do to Turn the Plastic Crisis Around These plastic particles and novel chemicals may or may not be able to be removed or neutralized by the body’s natural detoxification systems. To best protect our personal and our planetary health, we need to both avoid and minimize exposure through opting out of plastics whenever possible and advocate for the removal of plastic from the economy and environment. At the AIMC clinic, we are supporting the global plastic-free movement by offering reusable glass jars for your granule herb formulas. You can purchase a jar with your next herb prescription for $2, wash it at home after you finish your herbs and bring it back for your next herb refill. Also, please re-use the plastic measuring spoon at home or opt out of plastic altogether by using a teaspoon to measure your granules (1 level teaspoon = 3 grams or 1 heaping teaspoon = 4 grams). We are also conducting an inventory of our plastic waste including needle tubes and packaging this month. We’ll be working to find lower-waste alternatives, stay tuned for details. Get Involved Want to get involved with Plastic-Free July? Explore the following: Take the Global Plastic-Free Challenge here. Petition the US government to take a stronger stance in negotiations over the UN Global Plastic Treaty here. Learn more with the animated short The Story of Plastic , or view the award-winning documentary. Plan ahead when you shop by packing reusable shopping bags and cloth bags for bulk items and produce. Stock your car or bike bag with a few utensils, reusable cup and shopping bags to support your efforts to refuse plastic on the go. Try bar rather than liquid soap, shampoo and conditioner, or shop at a refill store like Fillgood in Berkeley or the Re-Up Refill Shop in Oakland. Make your own yogurt, hummus, kombucha and more to save money and skip the containers. Check out the Zero-Waste Chef for recipes and kitchen-greening ideas. Whatever you do, don’t do it alone! We need to join together and magnify our efforts to beat this one. Speaking about the issue in your family, workplace and community has an impact. Food and Water Watch, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Sierra Club, Berkeley’s own Ecology Center and CalPIRG are just a few of the many great organizations working on this issue. About the Author Nishanga Bliss, DSc, DAIM, LAc, is a holistic doctor and educator who believes that personal and planetary health are interdependent. She teaches Chinese and integrative medicine at AIMC, where she practices in the community clinic, offering nutrition consults, herbal medicine and acupuncture. She is passionate about protecting the planet and is active in the climate movement. A former chef, Nishanga loves kitchen medicine and practicing the ancient healing art of fermentation. Her book, Real Food All Year: Eating Seasonal Whole Foods for Optimal Health and All-Day Energy (New Harbinger Press, 2012) dives deeply into the practice of eating with the seasons, weaving the ancient wisdom of Chinese medical nutrition together with nutrition science and real-world culinary know-how. Visit her website at: https://nishangabliss.com
- Best Ways to Incorporate Microneedling Into Your Acupuncture Practice
If you’ve ever considered adding microneedling to your acupuncture practice, know that there is much to learn about this effective, lucrative and popular modality. There are a growing number of acupuncturists utilizing microneedling to help their patients look and feel their best. It’s understandable to want to dive right in and offer this specialty to your patients, but taking the time to understand the right tools and approaches to make it the most effective will mean your patients will experience better and more lasting results. And that in turn will lead to more referrals, and an increased income and reputation. What is Microneedling? There are three distinct ways of answering that question - from a Western, Eastern, and Integrative perspective. From a Western perspective: microneedling uses tiny needles to create micro-injuries in the skin, stimulating collagen and elastin production and promoting cellular regeneration. It’s used to treat a variety of skin concerns, including wrinkles, scarring, acne, enlarged pores, stretch marks and hyperpigmentation as well as to promote hair growth. Microneedling can also be used to improve the effectiveness of topical treatments by allowing them to penetrate more deeply into the skin. From an Eastern perspective: microneedling has its roots in Plum Blossom technique, which has been part of Chinese medicine’s canon for over 2,000 years. Plum blossom technique is a superficial tapping on the surface of the skin with tiny needles to promote qi and blood circulation, disperse swelling and dampness, harmonize the ying and wei, reduce heat and toxic substances and eliminate pathogenic factors. Since microneedling is a form of acupuncture, it can heal the skin locally as well as work systematically through the meridian system. Integrative microneedling synthesizes the modern tools of microneedling, such as dermastampers and motorized ‘skinpen’ devices, with the internal health benefits of Chinese medicine. Beauty Through Health There is nothing wrong with your patients wanting to look their best. Acupuncturists understand that patients will look their best when they are healthy from the inside out. Beauty as a reflection of the health of the zang fu, meridians, emotions and spirit (shen) has been a concept in Chinese history and philosophy for over two thousand years. There are references to how acupuncture improves one’s physical appearance in the Suwen chapter of the Neijing medical text. Balancing the zang fu and regulating the free flow of qi through the meridians can help keep your patient’s skin clear, vibrant, supple and glowing and the shen radiating from their eyes. Acupuncturists are in the unique position of providing a modern aesthetic procedure that actually improves their patient’s internal health. Finding the Right Microneedling Courses With the right education and experience, you can expect to get two to three times more money for each appointment that includes microneedling compared to a standard acupuncture session. But more importantly, a rigorous microneedling course should help you understand: The history and philosophy of the modality The benefits and strengths and what your patients can realistically expect Possible contraindications How to interface with Western aesthetic treatments and facial rejuvenation acupuncture Which facial products and ingredients combine best with microneedling and which should be avoided The different types of devices, including the sliding versus stamping mechanism of actions, types of warranties and quality standards Treatment protocols that incorporate microneedling in the most effective way Pre and post-treatment recommendations for patients Legalities and scope of practice Treatment pricing considerations and how to effectively market A rigorous microneedling course should also give: Ample supervised hands-on practice time to use microneedling devices and practice protocols Customizable forms for your practice and detailed seminar notes. Ongoing community and individual support, such as access to a practitioners’ social media group and opportunities to talk with instructors. Your Experience is a Strength Licensed Acupuncturists in the US are, by definition, needling experts with a minimum of 2000 hours of training, 600 of which are in a supervised clinical setting. Your background and your experience with acupuncture - and possibly facial rejuvenation acupuncture - are why your patients return, so seek out a microneedling course that provides protocols yet allows you to bring your experience and talents to the table, making your patients’ time with you a unique experience. While you don't have to have a background in facial rejuvenation acupuncture to add microneedling to your practice, practitioners without that background may need a more intensive microneedling course to cover all the in-depth information required to understand this modality and practice it successfully. It’s understandable that you may get sticker shock when you see the price of the high-end devices and in-depth classes and courses for microneedling, but the investment will be worth it for your patients’ cosmetic results and health benefits and for your income. Ideally, the point of bringing microneedling into your practice is not just to add it to the list of services on your website. The goal is to be a “microneedling expert.” One who patients are clamoring to see and are telling their friends about. One who has increased their credibility through knowledge, expertise and effective results, leading to a schedule full of happy and healthy patients. About the Authors Diana Horowitz, L.Ac. and Amelia Vargas, L.Ac. and Licensed Esthetician, discovered microneedling independently of each other in 2015 in Colorado. As facial rejuvenation acupuncturists both trained in The Wakefield Technique, they strongly shared a belief in supporting a patient's constitution during any aesthetic acupuncture process. After creating their own holistic integrative microneedling protocol, they developed and now teach in-person and online seminars to acupuncturists around the world. Diana and Amelia are strong advocates for the acupuncture profession, serving as Microneedling Co-Chairs for the Acupuncture Association of Colorado since 2016. Their purpose is to open the door of this primarily western cosmetic specialty to acupuncturists while honoring microneedling’s roots in Chinese medicine. Learn more about their October 2023 Microneedling class at AIMC Berkeley here!
- Loving the Lungs for Autumnal Transition
Moving deeper into Autumn we can support the health of our physical and emotional bodies with the elemental logic of Chinese Traditional Medicine. Through this season we depart from the Heart-centered fire of Summer to honor the element of Metal, and the organs of the Lungs and Large Intestines which filter and purge. We have lived through annual peaks in Yang energy and start to distill the lessons we’ve lived through, deciding what is most necessary to carry forward. Energetically, Lungs process through the emotion of grief so the seasonal contraction truly is a gentle nudge towards inwardness, retrospection and release. The Lungs are a delicate organ often needing our support, and especially call in our attention in the Fall during California’s fire season and across seasons as the weather gets colder into Winter. The Lungs rule over the body’s water passages; the energy of the Lungs, Lung Qi, plays an important role in circulating all body fluids. By “descending and diffusing” - extracting “pure qi” from air and moving it through our bodies in networks under our skin (cou li, interstices) - healthy Lungs catalyze blood circulation and thus assist our immune defense, or (defensive qi). They can be thought of as the most external of the Zang/Yin organs because of their control over the skin and thus require some priority to protect from exterior pathogens in our environments and/or climatic factors. The Prime Minister and the Emperor The Chinese medicine-lineage uses imperial archetypes to orient understandings of organ energetics and how they relate to other internal systems. The Lungs are commonly referred to as “the Prime Minister” because they are in charge of regulation and work intimately with the Heart (the Emperor). The Lungs and the Heart have an interdependent relationship and we see this on physiological levels as well as the spiritual or emotive lens. The Lungs, which governs qi, and the Heart which governs blood, are connected through the Qi of the chest (Zong Qi) and are often healthy or deficient at the same time. Qi is the commander of blood and blood is the mother/vessel for qi, they are not apart from each other. Spiritually, the Lungs are recognized as the residence of the Corporeal Soul (Po) - the yin counterpart to the Ethereal Soul (Hun) housed in the Heart. Breathing exercises to strengthen and purify the Lungs are often also feedback to calm the heart-mind, the spirit. “Just as through breathing oxygen enters the blood in Western medicine, in Chinese medicine breathing is a manifestation of the Corporeal Soul which affects all psychological functions”. In harmonizing our inner and outer worlds, what is felt and and what is embodied, we can access the most support with a slower pace and moisture to aid gentleness in this “clearing” time. Get to Know Your formulas In cases of dryness inhibiting the flow of qi, the formula Clear Dryness and Rescue the Lungs Decoction (Qin Zao Jiufei Tang) may be prescribed to clear dryness and moisten Lungs. Formula Ingredients Mulberry Leaf/Moli Folium, , (Chief), Clears and disperses dryness from the Lungs. Soft and moist in nature, the harvesting of this herb is traditionally left until after the frost of winter. Gypsum/Gypsum fibrosum, , (Deputy), Clears heat from the Lung (and Stomach) meridians to relieve thirst. The dose of this herb is minimized to prevent limiting the dispersive effect of sang ye. Ophiopogon Root/Ophiopogonis Radix, , (Deputy), Sweet and cooling nature to nourish the yin by generating yang fluids. It assists sang ye and further protects the Lung by preventing warm-dryness (yang) damage to yin. Gelatin/Asini Corii Colla, , (Assistant), Moisten the Lungs by nourishing Lung yin. Counter and balance heat-clearing and Lung qi dispersal actions from other herbal ingredients. Dry-fried Black Sesame Seed/Sesami Semen nigrum, , (Assistant), Moisten the Lungs by nourishing Lung yin. Counter and balance heat-clearing and Lung qi dispersal actions from other herbal ingredients. Apricot Seed/Armeniacae Semen, , (Assistant), Descend Lung qi and moisten the organ of the Lungs. Honey prepared Loquat Leaf/Eriobotryae Folium, , (Assistant), Descend Lung qi and moisten the organ of the Lungs. Because this component is prepared in honey there is an additional layer of moisture to the decoction. Chinese Ginseng/Ginseng Radix, , (Assistant), Augment qi by harmonizing the middle jiao. Chinese Licorice Root/Glycyrrhizae Radix, , (Envoy), Harmonize the actions of other herbs in the formula. In herbal formulas titles of “Assistant” or “Deputy” work to the same effect to indicate the role of the ingredient and its dose or predominance within the formula. “Emperor, Chief, or King” indicates the power of a primary herb in a given recipe that may have the strongest action or the highest dosage to support the effectiveness of the formula. “Deputy” describes a supportive secondary ingredient that maintains the primary herbs service. “Assistant” herbs will also reinforce the effects of principal herbs while also contributing to balance the system or counteract the toxicity of other ingredients. “Envoy” herbs may help direct the formula’s action to a specific region of the body or harmonize the effects of other ingredients. ( References: Scheid, V. (2015). Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & strategies.) *The information provided above is being shared for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. This posting is not intended to facilitate or augment Provider-Patient relationships, please contact your licensed health professional for matters of your personal health. Want to see the difference that a custom herbal blend can make for you? Check in with one of our Clinic Interns or Professional Acupuncturists at the AIMC Berkeley Clinic to get your custom blend. Book your appointment , where we can offer you individualized treatment advice and create an herbal medicine prescription that is tailored to you. About the Author Wana is a second year master's student at AIMC with groundwork practice in reproductive and public health. They connect to East Asian Medicine through an ancestral root, and believe that land-based indigenous medicines deserve the privilege to supplement or substitute western care practices as conduits of more intimate contemporary healing.
- Ghost Points Origins
In the Northern Hemisphere, October marks the settling in of our Autumn season, and as our environment shifts - the days getting darker and nights longer - we’re also issued a shift to our daily rhythms. Across lineages and cultures people have ways of recognizing the movement into Fall times, and whether that’s through celebration of the harvest yields, a gratitude towards light’s presence despite darkness, or leaning into the “thinned veils” between the world of the living and the world of the ancestors, there is an importance around holding this turning point. In this space, I’ll hold the responsibility by honoring and uplifting the “Ghost Points” of Chinese Medicine. Spooky in name, but largely exorcized in practice, the Ghost Points are a group of acupuncture points originally issued in prescribed progression as a treatment for illnesses of the spirit - and health disturbances attributed to spiritual possession. Sun Si Miao and the Call for Kind Treatment In the early Tang dynasty renowned herbalist and acupuncturist Sun Si Miao (581-682) collected and formally introduced the treatment through his literature Beiji Qianjin Yaofang, often translated as “The Essential Formulas worth a Thousand Pieces of Gold”. This classic text is composed of 30 scrolls and included case studies of disease and their treatments, rare for publications of the time. While maintaining rank as a major medical study of the Tang dynastic era, it can also be thought of as a compilation of pre-Tang medical texts embodying greater influence and information from preceding culture than pieces produced later in the period. In his following accompanying text Quianjin Yifang, “The Supplement to The Formulas Worth a Thousand Gold Pieces”, he further describes clinical applications of acupuncture and herbal traditions conjunct with a broader experience with folk remedies - which were often less systematized and documented. The richness of Sun Si Miao’s contributions to medicine deepen as these two texts are some of the earliest preserved medical texts to discuss ethics and the physician’s active role in uphold dignity through treatment. His essay “On the Absolute Sincerity of Great Physicians” opens his first book with pledges to virtuous practice akin to the hippocratic oath. And with emphasis towards standardizing dignity within care distributed widely he formally establishes that the treatment of illness should be held in social and spiritual containers broader than clinical procedures. Gui and Gu Syndrome: Phlegm and Parasitism The ghost points were grouped together to address the presence of “gui”, which translates to both “ghosts” and “excess phlegm”. Phlegm, the so-called “Mother to 100 Evils” for the broad presentation of illness it can manifest, was thought to be the medium for spirits to enter the body as pathogenic accumulation and condensation. In physical assessments phlegm builds up, causing stagnation and swelling, or in heat, causes blood to become turbid affecting our mind, mood and behavior. The ghost point protocol is speculated to have shamanic origins, which follows as many traditions within Chinese Medicine are derived from ancient esoteric and folk practices. Older treatment principles prioritized the expulsion of spirits but in contemporary contexts practitioners will strategize to support psycho-emotional wellbeing. Whether one believes in ghosts or not, gui inhibits the flow of qi to weaken the body, the spirit, and eventually the will (to live). image courtesy of classicalchinesemedicine.org Similarly, Gu syndrome describes disease for which treatment can be challenging because of its nuanced presentation. There are a wide range of symptoms spanning gut problems, neuromuscular, mental, and constitutional signs. In the Hanyu Da Zidian - the great compendium of Chinese characters - the nine definitions for the term “Gu” are listed that reference historical inquiries to stagnancy and degeneration: Infection by a worm in the digestive tract A type of artificially cultivated poisonous bug Ghost of a person (often convicted of Gu-magic) whose severed head was impaled on a stake Evil heat and noxious qi that harms humans Insect pest that eats grain Sorcery that harms humans To seduce; tempt; confuse; mislead Affair; assignment One of the 64 hexagrams of the Yijing, specifically Hexagram 18. It is formed by the trigrams Gen (mountain) over Xun (wind) Originally thought to be derived from poisoning and curses affected through parasites (medical anthropologists cite Gu worms), in the last 2,500 years the concepts forming Gu diagnoses have largely adapted to note the presence of severe parasitic infection that has spread through multiple layers of infection that mutually work to weaken the body. In much of western society there is a common misbelief, compounded by racism, that parasitic infection is rare without travel to foreign countries. However, by denying the presence and clinical magnitude of systemic parasitism health practitioners may also minimize treatment of brain fog and digestive disorders - when inflamed nervous systems and digestive tracts are common signals of deeper developing issues. Treatment The ghost points were once taught in a cadence to address illness at varying levels of severity but because of the esoterism surrounding its origins the ritual of its original prescribed order is rarely taught or held to clinical standard. In modern clinics, the points - Du 26, LU 11, SP 1, PC 7, UB 62, Du 16, ST 6, Ren 24, PC 8, Du 23, Ren 1, LI 11, and YT - are advised to not be over stimulated, with calls to reduce needles to 3 ghost points in a given session. Treatments range from addressing chronic ails to supporting patterns of emotional health. More gently, points on the Yangming channels (Stomach and Large Intestine) can also be used to target gu syndromes - and accompanying herbs to move blood, tonify blood and yin, tonify qi, expel wind and dry damp can reinforce and add flexibility to inflammatory pathogens. Calming the Shen and other spirits will create a sense of peace to bring forward treatment effects of the ghost protocol and harmonize greater wellness at large within TCM frameworks. About the Author Wana is a second year master's student at AIMC with groundwork practice in reproductive and public health. They connect to East Asian Medicine through an ancestral root, and believe that land-based indigenous medicines deserve the privilege to supplement or substitute western care practices as conduits of more intimate contemporary healing.