Qiological Podcast

Sometimes our curious venture into solving our problems lures us to overstep the boundaries we did not realize were important. A need to control pain may leave you chained to pain medication. An attempt to numb life stressors may plunge you into alcoholism. Solving a problem in the immediate moment, could lead us into habits that over time wear on the body and spirit.  Defining addiction has...

As acupuncturists, we practice our medicine as both a science and an art. Science in the sense of organizing the learned or experiential structure of the lens through which we view imbalances. Art in the sense of recognizing that each individual is a unique, multidimensional, and dynamic entity who embodies both revelation and mystery.  Our job is to encounter the energetic mystery of our pra...

Like everything else, power is a two-sided coin. It can be coercive and oppressive, but it can also be empowering and nurturing. And according to ancient Chinese texts, true authority is based on ethical inspiration rather than coercion. As physicians, we are in a position of authority—not by claiming the power, but by earning it from competence in our trade.  Our position of influence demand...

Moxa doesn't just stimulate Qi; it replenishes the vital life force. This Chinese medicine treatment brings nourishment in the form of pure yang that potentially rejuvenates the immune system  and restores dysfunctional internal environments. These functions raise  the question: can moxa be an effective treatment for Long COVID, which appears to feed off a weakened immune system? In this...

Where do we come from, where are we headed and what should we do in the interim? Is the blueprint of our life set in stone, or do we have the free will to control our destiny? It is so very human to contemplate our mortal fate and infinitesimal position in the cosmos. But what if the answers to life’s most elusive questions are written in the stars? What if we can catch a glimpse, a silhouette, or...

The most powerful lessons come not from a school curriculum, but from life. Our world is full of both problems and opportunities. There is what we struggle against, and what we stand for. And the unfolding dance of yin/yang reminds us that everything has aspects of its opposite. Problems contain opportunity. Injustices in the world catalyze our values and actions in the world that in turn create a...

Change is inevitable. Our lives are a series of transitions. Winter blooms into spring. Weekends slow down to Mondays. Puberty arrives and rearranges our psyche, feelings, and sense of self. And for half the population, menopause occurs. Change is constant in life. It’s always swirling around us, pulling us into its wake, and some changes are more transformative than others. It is not so easy to n...

Our tools don't just expand our faculties. They change what we can do by training our physical and cognitive senses. They temporarily become part of who we are. In a sense—we are the tool in our clinical work. We act as a kind of both filter and mirror for our patients, and help them tap into latent resources they did not know they had. In this conversation with Gary Klepper, we investigate the id...

Yin and Yang flow through every aspect of our lives. Understanding their ebb and flow gives us a glimpse into the nature of the universe, and our place in it. In our formed world forces exist to interact with the other; to maintain balance; to sustain life. This dynamic is one of the pillars of our medicine, which teaches that health arises from the harmony between people and nature.  As Chin...

According to the Chinese philosopher Confucius, “By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.” Imitation, observation, and reflection can help fine-tune our competencies, but true wisdom comes from experience. When you practice acupuncture long enough; when you start to see the...

When traveling do you turn on the GPS and follow the instructions, look at a map to orient yourself, or do you have a sense of the terrain and the capacity to navigate by landmarks, waterways and a sense of where north lies? In your clinical work, are you orienting to a theory or idea, or toward something in the patient that is telling you in the moment what is needed? Are you working off a map, o...

The image of China’s Barefoot Doctors struck a resonant chord with those in the West who were looking for simple and effective means of helping people with medicine that was not tied to an established medical hierarchy. In the late 60’s and early 70’s acupuncture had not made its way from the Chinese communities into the dominant culture. And the early adopters of Chinese medicine were just beginn...

Learning is continuous, not episodic. As the Chinese say, 活到老學到老, huo dao lao, xue dao lao, learn throughout your entire life. Resilience and capacity is built through the, at times, curious harvest of our experience. Life’s lessons don't come with a syllabus. Sometimes wisdom comes from misfortune; other times, you just stumble on it. Regardless, what we learn along the way helps us along t...

"Using the right tool for the job" may come off as rather clichéd, but it's true nonetheless. Knowing our tools, and that includes our theory, methods and skills is incredibly important.  Our tools don't inherently make us better at our craft, but rather facilitate our capacity to help our patients.  Producing our best work as practitioners isn’t about the tools themselves, but rather ho...

Building a successful practice is rewarding, but it's rarely a smooth ride. It's a path that takes us beyond our healing work and into the depths of business practices—from marketing to managing finances. Amid the multitude of details that go into running a small practice, it's easy to feel overwhelmed— which is why clarity of purpose is so helpful. Navigating the ebb and flow of a small practice...

As practitioners, it’s easy to ignore or fail to take note of the red flags that imply we’re headed for burnout. Not until the billowing smoke of burnout is blocking our view.  When you feel burdened by your responsibilities, it’s important to carve out space and build resilience—not necessarily to bounce back, but to grow through by adapting to the change. Learn to brake before you have a br...

We’ve long turned to the stars for guidance, from foretelling our destinies to celestial navigation. Chinese Polestar astrology was developed as a means to describe our interaction with the cycles of Qi using a system of calculations and imagery, including the 5 elements and various Chinese court archetypes. It looks at the delicate interplay of an individual’s fate and free will—pointing us to a...

Curious to know about your experience in the ER at Dong Zhi Men, where you using Western or Eastern medicine there? Or some combination? Diabetes and High Blood Pressure are two modern illnesses we frequently see. Most Americans are quite content to take medication for the rest of their lives. I’d like to get your thoughts on how we can help our patients to reverse these problems and live medicati...

Whether you're a young or seasoned practitioner, opening your own Chinese medicine practice is an exciting , daunting and worthwhile challenge. There's a lot that goes into being a practitioner—beyond the medicine part of it. You have to learn how to blend your medical expertise with business know-how. And as our society and life circumstances evolve, so must our perspectives and services. In this...

Acupuncture is technique, a method, a way to send the body a message. But the message we send— that comes from the long tradition and practice of the medicine that originated in China. Do you consider yourself an acupuncturist, or a doctor of East Asian medicine? Do you see yourself “owning” a technique, or do you see yourself as a link in a chain that stretches into the misty past and at the same...

“The poets did well to conjoin music and medicine, in Apollo, because the office of medicine is but to tune the curious harp of man's body and reduce it to harmony.” ― Francis Bacon Music and Medicine have a lot in common. In the deepest sense, medicine is a kind of performance. Like mastering musical instruments and tones, Chinese Medicine is only effective when it moves through theoretical and e...

Most of us typically devote our time, focus, and resources to building a successful Chinese Medicine practice. But how often do you take a step back to think about what will happen when you need to make a move, or stop practicing? We have to come to terms with the fact that change is inevitable. It is part of the natural progression of life. But managing transition with ease, that is part art, par...

Western medicine and East Asian medicine have often been seen as two completely different ways of approaching health and well being. Can they be blended together for the benefit of our patients? It has taken time for the Western world to familiarize itself with the modalities of Chinese Medicine. Similarly, maneuvering through large organizations like hospitals, the military, or the government can...

Steve has kept the pulse on dry needling and the impact to the acupuncture profession for over a decade. As a specialist in sports and orthopedic acupuncture, Steve's insightful narrative sheds light on the future of dry needling, how it can be leveraged in acupuncture practices, and legislative initiatives with the goal to set a high and consistent standard across professions.

Yin/Yang is a lovely idea. The counterbalance of opposites sounds so good on paper, but the expression of those heavenly ideas within the limitations and form of Earth brings a lot of suffering, strife and pain. And yet, when we look at the earth as a whole, when we look at human bodies as a reflection of the outer world. We can see how the interplay of opposites is essential to that balance from...