Having watched some of Andrew Nugent-Head's fascinating free webinars, I've decided to challenge myself to regular Qigong practice for 100 days. I've always been somewhat of a 'Qi sceptic', or at least I've been very cautious not to claim anything I can't back up with personal experience. I'm currently on day 3, and I will post updates occasionally in case anyone is interested.
Please note: this blog is intended for educational and general interest purposes only. If you have any health concerns, please discuss them with your doctor. www.tomtheacupuncturist.co.uk
Showing posts with label Qi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Qi. Show all posts
Friday, March 9, 2012
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Acupuncture myths #1
I believe there are many myths that have the potential to become barriers to good treatment in acupuncture. I'll start with a very commonly used point - GB-21. There is no reason I've started with this - I'm not suggesting it is the most important or destructive myth by any means. It's just somewhere to start.
GB-21 lies on the top of the shoulder, at a point where many people accumulate tension. It's perhaps the first place you would think to massage someone if you wanted to relax them. It has a reputation of 'descending Qi' - i.e. you needle or apply pressure to this point, and energy will descend. In my opinion, this is a great example of a point which has gained a reputation for the wrong reasons. Many people who suffer from stress will gather tension at GB-21, particularly in our modern-day society - sitting at a desk, typing at a computer in a stressful environment is a reliable way to build 'stuck Qi' at or around GB-21. And therefore, tension will tend to accumulate in the head, potentially causing headaches, neck strain etc. In these cases, needling or releasing the point in other ways will likely cause a release of symptoms, and allow 'Qi to descend'. But that doesn't mean the point itself causes Qi to descend. What it does - in my opinion - is to allow Qi to escape from the head if there is a blockage or build-up in the area. Needling here can create a downward movement of Qi, but that does not mean the point causes Qi to descend. KID-1, SP-6, BL-60 may all be better examples of points that encourage Qi to descend regardless of the general state of Qi in the body.
There are countless examples of similar truisms in modern-day acupuncture. I will gradually add more examples that occur to me, but if you are a practitioner with a questioning mindset, please feel free to add comments and suggestions.
N.B. Andrew Nugent-Head makes a similar point in one of his excellent free webinars available here.
Please note: this blog is intended for educational and general interest purposes only. If you have any health concerns, please discuss them with your doctor. www.tomtheacupuncturist.co.uk
GB-21 lies on the top of the shoulder, at a point where many people accumulate tension. It's perhaps the first place you would think to massage someone if you wanted to relax them. It has a reputation of 'descending Qi' - i.e. you needle or apply pressure to this point, and energy will descend. In my opinion, this is a great example of a point which has gained a reputation for the wrong reasons. Many people who suffer from stress will gather tension at GB-21, particularly in our modern-day society - sitting at a desk, typing at a computer in a stressful environment is a reliable way to build 'stuck Qi' at or around GB-21. And therefore, tension will tend to accumulate in the head, potentially causing headaches, neck strain etc. In these cases, needling or releasing the point in other ways will likely cause a release of symptoms, and allow 'Qi to descend'. But that doesn't mean the point itself causes Qi to descend. What it does - in my opinion - is to allow Qi to escape from the head if there is a blockage or build-up in the area. Needling here can create a downward movement of Qi, but that does not mean the point causes Qi to descend. KID-1, SP-6, BL-60 may all be better examples of points that encourage Qi to descend regardless of the general state of Qi in the body.
There are countless examples of similar truisms in modern-day acupuncture. I will gradually add more examples that occur to me, but if you are a practitioner with a questioning mindset, please feel free to add comments and suggestions.
N.B. Andrew Nugent-Head makes a similar point in one of his excellent free webinars available here.
Please note: this blog is intended for educational and general interest purposes only. If you have any health concerns, please discuss them with your doctor. www.tomtheacupuncturist.co.uk
Monday, January 16, 2012
Is 'Qi' real?
This is one of the hardest questions I had to face during my acupuncture studies. Having quite a logical, sceptical disposition, I found some of the concepts of Chinese medicine hard to accept, despite having experienced good results myself from prior treatments. I tried hard to open my mind to it all, and even tried to 'feel' Qi as some claim to be able to do. But if I'm honest, I'm yet to experience anything yet which convinces me that I have such abilities. That's not to say that others don't have these skills (a subject for another post), but I don't feel I can base any of my treatment decisions on Qi in this sense.
Which is why I was so pleased to come across the writings of Dr Wang Ju Yi and Mark Seem. Both highly respected and experienced practitioners and teachers, they argue that acupuncturists should hone their palpation skills to understand and interpret the physical landscape of a patient's body. To my mind, this is still developing an awareness of Qi, but Qi in its more solid and readily accessible form. When I examine a patient and locate acupuncture points that I hope will lead to beneficial changes, a large part of what I am doing is feeling for areas of congestion and lack of clear flow, not 'energy' in an ethereal sense, but tangible changes to flesh and blood. This is absolutely in keeping with the traditional Chinese concepts of Qi, channel (meridian) flow, and restoring balance in order that the patient's system can function better.
One great benefit to this approach is that the patient become directly involved in the process - their feedback about tender spots forms a vital part of my choice of treatment. This is better, I think, than simply basing a diagnosis and treatment on things only the practitioner can feel or verify.
Please note: this blog is intended for educational and general interest purposes only. If you have any health concerns, please discuss them with your doctor.
www.tomtheacupuncturist.co.uk
Which is why I was so pleased to come across the writings of Dr Wang Ju Yi and Mark Seem. Both highly respected and experienced practitioners and teachers, they argue that acupuncturists should hone their palpation skills to understand and interpret the physical landscape of a patient's body. To my mind, this is still developing an awareness of Qi, but Qi in its more solid and readily accessible form. When I examine a patient and locate acupuncture points that I hope will lead to beneficial changes, a large part of what I am doing is feeling for areas of congestion and lack of clear flow, not 'energy' in an ethereal sense, but tangible changes to flesh and blood. This is absolutely in keeping with the traditional Chinese concepts of Qi, channel (meridian) flow, and restoring balance in order that the patient's system can function better.
One great benefit to this approach is that the patient become directly involved in the process - their feedback about tender spots forms a vital part of my choice of treatment. This is better, I think, than simply basing a diagnosis and treatment on things only the practitioner can feel or verify.
Please note: this blog is intended for educational and general interest purposes only. If you have any health concerns, please discuss them with your doctor.
www.tomtheacupuncturist.co.uk
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