Upcoming lectures for Chinese medicine students and practitioners in Portland
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Some of you know that I am the student body President over at National College of Natural Medicine (NCNM). When I started my term, we created a survey to ask the students what they would most like us to do with our time and (their) money in the 2008-2009 school year. One of the top responses was, “Bring us speakers we care about!” We set about constructing a speaker series that began with Patch Adams (amazing, more on that another time) and will wrap up with Craig Mitchell in May.
Anyway, we have two lectures coming up pretty quickly. I’d like to talk briefly about both during the week. Today, I’d like to announce that Heiner Fruehauf, founding professor of the Classical Chinese Medicine program at NCNM, will be speaking this Thursday from 4-6pm on the NCNM campus in Room 322 (on the third floor). The lecture is open to the public and is titled, “News from the Classical Chinese Medicine scene in China.”
Those of you who want to know more about Heiner and his work can listen to my recent podcast interview series with him as well as many posts on Deepest Health that mention his influence on me as a student of the medicine. Yael over at Chinese Medicine notes also has a couple of posts, including a text interview.
Find two flyers below (click to enlarge) One shows the basic information for all of the upcoming events in the 2008-2009 SGA Speaker Series – please come and enjoy! The other flyer is specifically for Dr. Fruehauf’s talk.
Beginning tomorrow, I will be posting about the second talk in the series - with Mark Silver, founder of the Heart of Business. You’ll get a great taste of what Mark has to offer and I hope it will encourage local folks to come to the talk. Very timely stuff!
If you have any questions – please ask them in the comments so everyone can benefit.
Reading widely to learn Chinese medicine
It’s been almost four years, now, that I’ve been doing focused and formal study of Chinese medicine. Over that time, I’ve tried many study methods. Some of them were only useful during some specific part of my education, and still others were rejected because they didn’t work for me over the long haul. Others did remain because of their continued usefulness and effectiveness. In all, my efforts to constantly refine my mindset and study methods has resulted in established success and gradually increasing mastery of my field.
Lately, my bigger problem in studying acupuncture and Chinese herbs has been more subtle than a failed study method. As I discussed in a recent article, my difficulties of late have led me to an entirely reordered set of priorities and best practices. I promised I would discuss this more. The real core of my problem has been multi-factorial, and I hope to unpack those factors as I write over the coming weeks. Today, I’d like to reveal the single most important new practice that has helped rekindle my desire and ability to learn Chinese medicine at the deepest levels.
Unappreciated Advice
A couple of years ago, I took an experiential course at NCNM that disturbed me deeply. I won’t go into details, but let’s just say that my personality conflicted mightily with the teacher’s and the subject matter was sensitive on many fronts. I actually ended up with heat exhaustion, lost in the woods. I wasn’t the only one who had difficulty with the class, just so you know. :) What does this have to do with my current educational revelations? This teacher delivered some advice during that class that I rejected utterly at the time – probably mostly because of the difficulties I was experiencing then.
Almost as a side note, but in a way that you could tell he thought it was crucially important, he told us that if we want to learn Chinese medicine we need to read widely. He seemed to imply that the best way to learn Chinese medicine was to avoid becoming neck deep buried in books about Chinese medicine. I should note that he said this in a characteristically hyperbolic fashion, which probably also fueled my rejection of the advice. He even went so far as to say that one should never pick up another book on Chinese medicine again, after leaving school. :) Whether he truly believes this or not, I don’t know. I certainly don’t, but I’m beginning to comprehend the wisdom in what he said.
Analysis Paralysis?
I have to say that I don’t truly understand the reason why this advice matches up so well with reality. Is it that our brains work best when they are asked to create synapses widely, across divergent places in the brain? Is it because becoming too focused in one area violates that critically important principle of balance? Is it simply a way to avoid student fatigue?
I do know that, at least in my case, it has something to do with my essential nature. As I discussed recently at my personal blog, Ericgrey.com, one of the most central pieces of my personality revolves around learning. This learning obsession does lead me to want to really understand various subjects, but it is really the process of learning itself that drives me. Something about the particular way in which I exhibit this characteristic makes me have an insatiable need to dip my toes in diverse streams. I simply cannot remain mono-directional for long.
I want to point out that, at least in my case, remaining balanced in other ways doesn’t seem to quench my thirst. Yes, it’s desperately important to remain balanced throughout the various realms of your life. You must have a social life, you must nurture your spirit, you must indulge the needs of your body, you must become emotionally healthy. I have managed, over this four years, to achieve balance in that way. This is no small feat, and only recently have I realized what a real triumph that is these days.
Back to the future
So, read widely. What does this mean? For some people, it might mean remembering to read the fiction books they so adored before starting school in Chinese medicine. For others, it could mean reading non-fiction on various topics. I’m willing to assume that either of these could help a person, depending on their needs. Perhaps even reading a newspaper would be enough. It isn’t for me. My urge runs deeper, and I think it has more purpose than simply helping me maintain balance in some abstract way. For me, I feel that this desire is leading me towards something that will have deep ramifications for the rest of my career and my life in general.
As I’ve discussed before, I was a Philosophy major in my undergrad years and then moved on to a Graduate degree in Applied Ethics. At some point, I discovered that the life of an academic philosopher was not for me and at the time I couldn’t think of anything else to do with my Philosophy degrees. Thus, I turned away from the project entirely and embraced a new type of theory, a new way of looking at the world – that emphasized and utilized by texts and practitioners of Chinese medicine. This has been an eye opening experience and a project I feel that I am only just beginning.
It may have been an important part of my process to turn away from that kind of work, but now it is time for me to embrace it again. I can’t say why, I can’t say how deep or wide I’m going to have to go. I can say that I’ve been explicitly working with this for the last two weeks, and I have never felt more excited about Chinese medicine despite not having cracked the Shang Han Lun or Neijing for weeks. :)
What I hope to gain
It may take me a while to figure out how, exactly, to integrate these new insights into my life. I certainly don’t want to do anything that will accelerate any feelings of overwhelm. I also don’t want to jeopardize my Chinese medicine educational progress. I’m not exactly sure how my more Western philosophical study will support and inform the work I’m doing in Chinese medicine. Will it be an explicit melding of disciplines? Will Western philosophy simply become a side hobby, populating my side table with heavy tomes?
I do know this. In my experience thus far, there is a basic lack of ability to think deeply about Chinese medicine among Chinese medicine students and practitioners as a whole. I am fortunate to go to a school where this is not so much the case. We have many great students and professors to interact with and learn from here at NCNM. But, even in these hallowed halls, there is a problem. Folks haven’t been taught to learn how to think, they are all too eager to accept the simplest explanation for something without challenging it. Some would say that a more “Western” conception of thinking has no place in study of Chinese medicine. I say that’s a cop out.
While I do believe that one’s ability to work with intuition is critical to the practice of acupuncture and Chinese herbs, indeed to work with human beings on a medical level at all, I also believe that we should not abandon our intellect. Of course we must also learn the philosophical methods of the ancient Chinese. When reading the Neijing, for instance, we must not think it makes sense to apply the rules of formal logic. When confronted with a patient’s total landscape, we must not reduce it to empirically verifiable points of data. What I’m talking about is a quality of thought. A questing spirit. An ability to think very clearly about the matter at hand.
So, what I hope to gain is just that. As I’ve been working with texts and other materials in my reintroduction to Western philosophy, I’ve noticed all of those gifts returning to me. I find my ability even to memorize formulas is enhanced. My willingness to dive deeply into the most complex theories of Chinese medicine is increased. Even my subtler faculties – intuition and empathy – seem heightened. We’ll see if this continues.
Preliminary discourse on methods
I’m in no position to return to a formal, institutionalized study of Philosophy. So, I must use the methods of other lifelong learners. I’ve been searching far and wide for ways to engage with Philosophical material again. In this search, I’ve learned a new respect for the power of the Internet. What follows is a preliminary list of the ways that I’m learning Philosophy again. I’ll go into more detail in the future – why? Because this information is useful to anyone, not just someone who wants to study Philosophy without being in college. :) All of the resources I am listing can be used to study almost any subject.
- Online courses and lectures : I discussed the availability of online course materials in this post about studying Chinese language. I have done a lot of research and have more information to add to that general survey.
- Read and discuss : At least in Philosophy, the crux of the work is simply to read texts, seek to understand them, and discuss your understanding with others. These others don’t have to be experts, they just have to be willing to go the distance as you have. To this end, I am in the process of resurrecting an ancient online collaboration with friends from Grad school in Philosophy. I won’t reveal more now, but I will talk about it sometime after the first of the year. For the purposes of this post, it’s simply important to note that finding like minded individuals to work with the relevant subject material is an important way to dig into any topic.
- Public lectures : I have bookmarked the event calendars for all of my local colleges and Universities. Institutions of higher learning are constantly inviting interesting people to speak, or encouraging public speaking by their own faculty. When I was an undergraduate, I almost never took advantage of this fantastic resource – now I wish I had.
- Taking courses at an online or brick-and-mortar college or University : While I won’t be using this method right now, to avoid overwhelm, it is something I will keep in mind. You can often audit courses at colleges and Universities, or take courses without being admitted for a degree program. You can also take advantage of many schools’ distance learning programs – even at large and prestigious schools. Finally, you can work on a degree at a very slow pace – even one course a semester.
- Seeking out mentorship : In my case, I do hope to find a “working Philosopher” who would be willing to evaluate my work. In Philosophy, you don’t really know what you know until you write down what you think you know and have someone who really knows tell you what you DON’T know. You know? So, I’m contacting respected professors and seeing what I can work out in the way of an apprenticeship. This method might work for others in other fields.
I know this is a monster of a post and it risks being extremely boring to my fair readers. What do you say? Did this post strike a chord? Have you come to a similar realization? How have you solved a similar problem? Have any other methods for lifelong learners? Please share your thoughts in the comments – and thanks for sticking through to the end of this post. :)
Eric
Deepest Health Chinese Medicine Podcast : Episode 10 : End of term clinical reflections
Welcome to another Episode of the Deepest Health Podcast! In this episode, I discuss my reflections as I come to the end of my first term/quarter in clinic at NCNM. I reiterate the importance of memorization and excellent patient care, but then go in a philosophical direction on a couple of topics. First, I discuss my experience of being able to separate the disease from the person experiencing the disease. Second, I talk about the paradoxical reactions of some patients to treatment. I wrap up the podcast by a discussion of utilizing our many human gifts, referring often to the quintissential “Renaissance Man,” Leonardo da Vinci.
In the podcast, I reference a blog – but cannot remember the name of the blog, so cannot link to the post that inspired my da Vinci explorations. If you, for some strange reason, know what I’m talking about – let me know and I’ll link it. I also reference a book I’m currently reading about da Vinci and the practices one might take from his life. You can click on the link below to check it out.
Deepest Health Chinese Medicine Podcast : Episode 7 : Clinical confidence and memorization
In this episode of the Deepest Health Chinese Medicine podcast, I discuss what it means to have confidence in clinic and why I believe memorization is so important for Chinese medicine practitioners. I do go into a little detail regarding best practices around memorization, and I hope this information will be helpful for everyone.
Look for an interview with Heiner Fruehauf as next week’s podcast, assuming all things go according to plan!
Thank you as always – please do leave comments on this post if you would like to start a discussion about the podcast.
Eric
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20 benefits I have enjoyed since having a blog focused on Chinese Medicine
As a follow-up to my previous popular post about Why all natural health care practitioners should have a blog, I thought I would put forward a list of the benefits I have noticed so far in having my blog about Chinese medicine. I want to create this list because I feel that there could be so much benefit to patients if more health care practitioners would face their fears and put their thoughts out there. This is particularly true in the field of natural medicine, because there is so much low-quality information on the Internet about various natural healing modalities. By flooding the Internet with high-quality personalized content, we can be a force for change in the minds of the world’s citizens. A noble goal! Now, the list.
- Connections with peers : I have a lot of good friends at school and in the Portland acupuncture and herbal medicine community. I wouldn’t trade those connections for anything. However, it’s really wonderful to be able to connect with Chinese medicine students and new practitioners all over the world. Some of those connections seem to be bearing real fruit that will enrich my life for years to come. Lesson - if you want to network within your profession, become a blogger!
- Connections with patients and future patients : In the post I linked to above, there was some discussion about whether blogging is an effective way to bring in patients. I won’t really know until I thoroughly test it, but I have found that my current patients at the clinic enjoy reading my thoughts. At least one patient has rescheduled because she received her email update and it reminded her to reschedule! In the end, though, it’s really about helping to educate patients about the power and promise of Chinese medicine. Lesson – If you’re interested in keeping in touch with your patients, consider blogging and having them sign up for email updates!
- Free critique of my own ideas, refining my thinking about Chinese medicine : Many people are afraid to write about their thoughts concerning Chinese medicine. I’ve never supposed I have all the answers. Sometimes (gasp) I’m even just wrong. But, you really don’t know what you don’t know until you write about it and put it out there. It can be scary, but exhilarating and I truly believe I have grown as a student and scholar by blogging. Lesson – Want to be an expert in your field? Write about it and pay attention to corrections and criticism.
- Writing practice : I guess this is self explanatory, but it’s always easier to learn how to write by … writing. :) Lesson – If “you’re not a writer,” the best way to become one is to start writing. It’s funny like that.
- Crash course in Internet marketing : Because I decided I wanted to grow this blog as large as I could and make some money with it, I had to start learning a lot about Internet marketing. I’ve consumed a whole lot of information on the subject and while I’m no expert, I’m happy to say I get it for the most part. Lesson - Blogging is a multi-skill activity that will expand your knowledge in many different respects.
- Staying abreast of trends in technology : I’m not obsessed with gadgets (really, I’m not!) or even Internet trends. However, in an effort to keep reasonably well updated, I do learn quite a bit about what’s going on and what’s coming up. I like feeling like I know what’s going on and I learn by doing – so running a blog (or three) is an effective way to keep up to date. Lesson – Similar to the one associated with #5.
- Higher standard of personal organization (more projects means more organization) : For some people, more to do means less organized. Naturally, this leads people to believe that they can become more organized if they just simplify their lives and take on fewer projects. For some people, this may be appropriate. In my case, I find that (to a certain limit) the more I take on, the more efficient I become at managing it. When I have relatively little to do, I actually become less likely to fulfill my basic obligations! Many people have asked me how I do what I do – to them I say that the event that most shaped my ability to do a lot was the birth of my daughter. This surely has many dimensions, but one of them was that because of the compression of my available time, I had to become better at managing my time. My schooling, blogging and other activities just add to this. Lesson - You’re capable of more. Maybe much more.
- A higher than average tolerance for thoughtless comments : If blogging doesn’t give you a thick skin, nothing will. I have been blessed to have a lower than average number of “trolls” and my comment spam catching software is quite effective, but I still get a few folks who think it’s fun to be intentionally antagonistic. You learn to ignore them. Lesson – Don’t let a few bad apples spoil the whole crate.
- Less tendency to goof off on the Internet : I know, I know. This sounds crazy. But, because I see being online as part of my job, I really don’t want to use it very much “for fun.” I get off as quickly as I can unless a good friend is online and interested in conversation. My friends who primarily use the Internet for shopping and email seem far more likely to wander the crazytube of the Internet aimlessly. Poor things. Lesson - You can learn to be productive on the Internet. Yes, really.
- Helping others gain study skills : There are lots of ways that I feel that my work on Deepest Health has helped others – and this is truly the greatest benefits I have received by blogging about Chinese Medicine. I’ve listed just three ways I’ve helped here, but there are others. Lesson – If you are a person who likes to help people, blogging is one way you can fulfill that divine desire.
- Helping others understand Chinese medicine concepts : Countless examples abound, from talking to people about the six conformations to talking about the organ clock and so much more. I really enjoy sharing what I’m learning with others. I learn so much in doing so.
- Helping to promote friends’ businesses and hobbies : I’ve promoted others blogs but also businesses like Paul Rosenberg’s Sacred Tea.
- Walking farther along my spiritual path : While I certainly would have made spiritual progress without this blog, the connections I’ve made and conversations I’ve had have really helped me move along. Because I feel empowered to discuss spiritual matters on this blog, it’s been relatively simple to use my blogging as a medium to walk my Path. Lesson – Technology does not negate spirituality.
- Money and other material benefits : Of course it has been nice to get some material benefits from blogging. I’m nowhere near making even a part-time income, but it grows with every lesson from Yaro I am able to implement. I have enjoyed receiving review copies of books and software as well. While I wouldn’t blog ONLY for the material benefits, they are nice. Lesson – Blogging can be profitable in more ways than one.
- Lateral networking : Because of the nature of the Internet, people run across Deepest Health from many different walks of life and professions. While I do come in contact with all sorts of people in the offline world, I generally keep within a certain group of friends and colleagues. The connections I have made with people in very diverse fields has helped me to think differently about Chinese Medicine, and I’m profoundly grateful for that. Lesson – Reaching out on the Internet helps you connect with the whole world.
- Ability to say, in conversation, “I’m a blogger” : A silly one, perhaps. But, it is always interesting to see people’s reactions. More often than not, they try to ignore that I said it. Sometimes, they ask what that means. Sometimes, they launch into a diatribe about Myspace. It’s entertaining. No lesson required.
- A greater appreciation for the immense diversity of our planet : This is connected to some degree with #15 about lateral networking. Again, because of the nature of the Internet, you just end up connecting with a wider variety of people than you would normally when you blog. Particularly when I use various forms of social media, I get a sense for what’s going on in Cairo or Melbourne or anywhere else. I understand the struggles that normal people go through in places different from my own. I also begin to see how similar we all are. Lesson – The world is a vast, fascinating place. You don’t have to pay an arm and a leg to connect with it.
- Better posture : Over time I’ve gone from sitting in a somewhat ergonomically structured plush office chair to a kitchen chair to my current seat – a simple short flat bench. Strange? I find that I am able to keep better posture when I have less support. I don’t know if this makes any biomechanical sense at all. Regardless, I have never paid so much attention to my posture as I have on long days of blogging. Lesson - Just because other people slouch at the computer doesn’t mean you have to.
- A greater than average tolerance for sitting in long, long, long classes and seminars : This one goes with #18 to a certain degree. Instead of making me less tolerant to sitting, blogging has increased my stamina when it comes to sedentary activity. I should note that while I do have long periods of sitting and writing, I do get up to do a couple of minutes of exercise about every 30 minutes. I will sometimes do this in seminars when it is possible (as when I end up in the back of the room and it is not very quiet). I’ll just get up and stretch my legs. But, in general, I find that my ability to sit when necessary is much increased, and this has been tremendously helpful in some circumstances. Lesson - Yeah, sitting all the time is no good, but you have to count your blessings.
- Greater finger strength for needling : I have fingers of POWER from all of this typing, I assure you. Seriously, though, I pay close attention to my finger health, which includes finger exercising. I don’t know if this has actually helped my needling, but let’s just pretend. Lesson – See lesson#19 above.
Thanks for reading,
Eric
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Updates from my personal blog (Ericgrey.com)- Some lyrics… May 12, 2009
- A bikeride into God May 8, 2009
- Quiet versus moving Qigong practices March 7, 2009
- A new perspective on the healthcare crisis February 26, 2009
