Technological teaching : social networking for natural medicine practitioners and a study update
I’ve been working with Saturday features these last few months. I like the idea of a links post, but they don’t get much traffic and they’re sort of boring to write. I figure it makes more sense to offer something of real value while enjoying the process myself. So, on this cloudy Oregon summer morning, I’d like to try something new. On Saturdays, until I find something that works even better, I’ll offer a technological teaching geared toward the natural medicine crowd. Remember when I wrote about why every healthcare provider should have a blog and the ensuing discussion about the apparent misgivings most natural medicine practitioners seem to have about technology? Well, I have a passion for bringing our profession up to speed - we belong on the Internet - people need us! Every week, I’ll try to think of something new to point out. It will still be links-based, but the links won’t just be stuff I think is interesting. Instead, the links will be part of the teaching.
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Before I continue with the technological teaching, I wanted to refer back to another post I made recently about studying Chinese medicine. As school approaches (my last year!) I find myself being forced to think increasingly of how to get myself back into the mindset for institutional education. I’ve also continued to notice my knowledge deficiencies while in clinic. Not to mention, I’m supposed to be working on the thesis required for my Classical Chinese Medicine degree at NCNM. I find that in the summer, I naturally turn away from intense study and towards other things (like blogging) but now it’s time to turn back. In the article referenced above, I decided to try a new method of studying that would allow me to cycle through topics each day. As usual, I bit off a little more than I could chew. In this case, I simply picked too many topics. I found that it was too difficult to keep the categories discreet, and often because of the natural flow of my weeks I was “into” particular topics on particular days.
To refine the process, I will suggest the following topics be studied each day - with the complete group to be studied at least every two weeks. This allows for a more natural decision making process when I sit down to study, yet still ensures that I actually work on each topic. This last part is important, because I find that sometimes I get a little too obsessed with one topic and my knowledge and skill in the other crucial areas suffers.
Topics:
- Formulas : names, dosages, signs/symptoms (especially pulses) and all associated information
- Points : mostly just location and categories for now
- Diagnostics : working more closely with pulses, tongues and other diagnostic information
- Pathology : six conformations/shang han, 19 lines/5 evils, Zangfu/TCM and Western when desired
- Physiology : working with the information I have to keep diving deeper into the physiology of Chinese medicine organ systems and their interrelationships
- Symbolism : working more explicitly with the information I’ve gleaned from Classical texts and my professors at NCNM
If this succeeds, I’d like to see how it works to share something I’ve learned from each topic each week. I know that some of you students out there have been missing the more basic posts I used to write, and my explicit study in these various areas might bear some fruit as far as sharable content is concerned. Stay tuned.
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Now, what about technology? To keep this post as short as possible, I won’t launch into any diatribes. I hope to just show people how valuable the Internet can be and how crucial it is that we, as healthcare providers, link into this rapidly growing method of connection and communication. Today, I’d like to talk a little bit about…
**Social networking**
Human beings are social animals. Some have lamented the invention of the computer, and then the Internet, claiming that it negatively impacts social relationships between people. Now, of course, I think this is a bit of a chicken-or-the-egg question since for our society to accept such a technology implies that we had already gone far afield. That is, of course, if this lamentation has any basis. I’m not ready to deliver a proclamation on that just yet, but I do believe that any such insinuation is probably overstated. Anyway, the thing has doubtless been improved by the invention of blogging and, most recently, the flourishing of social networking tools.
Both blogging and social networking tools share something in common - they encourage conversation among people. You are all mostly familiar with blogging, I assume. You may be less familiar with the various social networking tools. There are quite a few types, and those who are more detail oriented than myself could probably explain them in encyclopedic fashion. But, to keep it real, I offer these simple categories and definitions:
1. Social networking sites that are more about keeping people updated and sharing more static information: These sites are usually larger and more feature-rich. They invite people to develop a very full profile, often include advertising and other monetization, and frequently connect with other types of content (like static websites containing large amounts of information). Most of these do include aspects of the second type, but most people don’t use them that way. I’m thinking here of sites like Facebook, Linkedin, Myspace, Gaia.com and Rootdown.us (links to these sites that allow you to add me easily as a friend are below).
These sites require some set up to be most functional. You go in, set up a profile and add a picture, add groups and interests, find your friends and colleagues and gradually over time will build a group of people (a network) that is easy to connect with. In my experience, the social aspects of these sites are relatively deemphasized. What I mean is that there’s not much conversation going on and often, particularly among the over-25 set, updates are infrequent. They are still very valuable, however. I have found lots of long-lost friends using these tools, plus the integration of microblogging tools (see below) allow for more conversational interaction. The more robust nature of these tools allows for a wider range of functionality as well. For instance, on Gaia.com - a social networking site for “conscious living” - you can write blog entries, list your favorite books, search for information on a variety of alternative lifestyle topics and be informed of upcoming events you may be interested in.
2. Social networking sites that are more about conversing and sharing developing information : These tools are often grouped under the word “microblogging.” Microblogging is a way of sharing short bits of information (under 150 characters) frequently. Using these sites, you set up a small profile and add friends. You can easily update the services (eventually even using your mobile phone) and read others’ updates and in doing so, you have a good sense for what your contacts are doing in any given day. Lots of news bytes are shared using this service - it can be interesting to watch the unfolding of a given story as percieved by people all over the world in all different socio-political circumstances. It’s also an easy way to share links to your latest blog content or ask people for support for charity causes or for promoting your content on sites like Digg and Stumbleupon (which are also, technically, social media sites - but are very different so I won’t cover them here). Twitter and Plurk are the two most popular microblogging services. See links below.
Why should you get involved?
These sites are a great way to start establishing yourself as a presence on the Internet. The conversations you have with others will gradually introduce you into the online flow - which can be very helpful if you ever plan to promote yourself or your clinic online. It’s also a fantastic way to meet people from all over the world and to begin to see things through eyes other than your own. I also find it a very helpful way to keep up with friends, family and colleagues that I otherwise would need to have an hour-long “catching up” conversation with each time I met up with them. Some may say that this is degrading normal human interaction, but I’ve found it only to enrich the relationships I have with people “in real life.”
Join me in the social media revolution - add me as a friend!
Here are my links for the various social media sites. You can click here to add me to your profile and we will be able to see one another’s updates. If you have any questions or anything to share about social media, go ahead and leave a comment at the end of this post and I’ll answer any and all questions as well as participating in any ensuing conversation. I look forward to seeing you all there. :) Note: Some of these links are not going to lead you to my profile, but to the page where you can sign up for an account. Once you do that, you can add me - sometimes using the links below or just by searching for me by my username or password.
- Facebook (I think I’m found as Eric Grey in this service)
- Myspace (I should note that I don’t use this service as much as the others, I’m pylonian here)
- Gaia.com (I’m pylonian on this service)
- Rootdown.us (I’m deepesthealth on this service)
- Linkedin (I believe I’m just Eric Grey on this service)
- Twitter (I’m pylonian here)
- Plurk (I’m deepesthealth here)
It’s worth noting that there are a variety of social networking sites that are specifically aimed at particular groups of people or particular kinds of content. For instance, there is a social networking site for Muslims, as well as one just for sharing information about Travel. There are also photosharing social networks like Flickr. Rootdown.us (listed above) is one such type of site - geared particularly towards people interested in Chinese medicine. I should note that Rootdown isn’t a social networking site as such, but incorporates some of those elements - a practice becoming increasingly common on the Internet.
If you’re interested, here’s a Wikipedia list of most of the popular social networking websites.
Thanks for reading,
Eric
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Tags: Blogging, education, fun, internet, links, student, study, studying, Technology, websitesRelated posts
Deepest Health Chinese Medicine Podcast Episode 5 : Interview with Abdallah B. Stickley
I have a special treat for you. Deepest Health’s first podcast interview! I am honored to offer this interview of Abdallah B. Stickley talking about his practice and teaching of Contemporary Pulse Diagnosis, his work with Dr. Leon Hammer, his understanding of Classical Chinese Medicine and more. Near the end of the podcast, Abdallah and I discuss a number of topics that refer to our upcoming project here on Deepest Health.
As a first try at a long-distance podcast interview, we didn’t do a bad job - but I recognize that the recording quality doesn’t do the content justice! I do hope you enjoy it. Note: I have higher quality recording equipment on the way and hope you will stick with me while my skills and knowledge increase! Thanks again.
Note: I will not be doing my normal Friday summary podcast - I’m going to wait to do another one until I get my new sound equipment, which should arrive around August 13. I hope you will enjoy the new sound!
Some important links to sites and books discussed in the podcast:
- Abdallah’s site covering Chinese medicine, self-cultivation, Islam and much more : Even Unto China
- Dragon Rises.org : site containing articles, links and information about seminars pertaining to Contemporary Pulse Diagnosis
- Dragon Rises College of Oriental Medicine
- Dr. Leon Hammer’s two most well-known books (affiliate links - if you buy through them, Deepest Health gets a small percentage of the sale - thanks!) :
Dragon Rises, Red Bird Flies
Chinese Pulse Diagnosis: A Contemporary Approach (Revised Edition)
Click below to play the podcast:
Deepest Health Chinese Medicine Podcast Episode 5 _ Interview with Abdallah B. Stickley [35:04m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (145)Related posts
Deepest Health Chinese Medicine Podcast : Episode 4 - Cancer, pulse taking and trust
Hey everyone,
It’s time for another Friday podcast from me! On this episode, I talk about my experience treating patients with cancer - particularly around the question “what can Chinese medicine do for cancer?” I realize that some of you are probably expecting the next article in my cancer series, hopefully this will hold you off a little bit longer. :) I also discuss pulse taking and my difficulty with it in this podcast. I wrap up the show with a discussion of a problem a dear friend has been having in terms of his confidence in prescribing formulas. I think it’s a common problem we all face, so I thought I would share his story. The names have been omitted to protect the innocent. :D
Please have a listen using the player below. I discuss my new blogs in the podcast as well, so I thought I would provide the links again:
My personal blog, Ericgrey.com, and
the Natural Medicine Business Success blog. Both are still in their infancy, but I expect you will be hearing plenty from them soon.
Deepest Health Chinese Medicine podcast : Episode 4 [20:57m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (117)Related posts
Shameless self promotion?
This Saturday’s links are, perhaps, a bit self serving. I hope you won’t think it’s too much - but if you do, I apologize. I just started two new blogs that I hope you will be interested in reading. They are both just brand new - like a baby still covered in various tissues, squinty eyed, bright red and squalling. The designs are fairly stable, but the sidebars will get more complex and certainly lots of new free content will be added over the next several months. Remember how fun it was a the beginning of Deepest Health? No? Well - get in on these while the fun is still building. :)
1. Naturalmedicinesuccess.com : This blog has multiple purposes. At base, it will be a blow-by-blow chronicle of the building of my medical practice with my partner, Amanda Barp LMT. We will take you through our process from nascent vision statement to opening day and beyond. Along the way, we hope to offer tons of value. We’ll do reviews : of herb and other types of companies, of software and hardware, of organizations, of anything that warrants a review. We’ll do interviews : of prominent business people in the field of natural medicine, of folks in various companies in natural medicine, of our peers who are struggling to do what we’re doing, and so on. We’ll tell stories : of the adventure that is working with your spouse, of the even greater adventure that is integrating your whole immediate family into one’s business, of interacting with patients (confidentiality preserved, of course), peers, vendors and official persons of all stripes. We’ll offer our take on the best of the best and the worst of the worst. We may have other folks joining us in the writing as well. I think it will be a great read for beginning entrepreneurs in any field but the particular bent will be, of course, natural medicine - since that’s what we’re doing.
2. Ericgrey.com : It’s time for me, finally, to have a personal site. There’s just so much I do that has little to do directly with Chinese medicine. I want to keep Deepest Health as focused on Chinese medicine and the things it directly connects with in my mind. I hope you appreciate that. Ericgrey.com will be far more personal, and it is the one of the two that you may be less interested in as Deepest Health readers. No offense taken, I promise. I’ll talk about a variety of subjects, but because of the nature of my life I will almost certainly focus primarily on the following topics:
- My eclectic spiritual practice (that takes Christianity as its base but involves Daoism, Confucianism and Buddhism)
- Veganism and raising a vegan family in a wacky, wacky world
- Personal development, including personal organization and various technology involved
- Raising a conscious and compassionate kid (again, in a wacky, wacky world)
I reserve the right to go off-topic there. It’s mine, ok? :D
Okay, so I owe it to you to put a non-me link in the list. :)
3. I’m not sure how many of you know Steve Pavlina. I acutally read most of Steve’s stuff before I started Deepest Health, so I may not have talked about him much on this site. Steve has nothing to do with Chinese medicine, but his personal development philosophy (focused on love, compassion, and clear thinking) certainly resonates with many of the principles of the medicine. I’ve linked specifically to a great month of his blog archives - nearly every article is a winner. He has an extensive archive - I recommend you read through the first two years in particular. Great, great stuff. Very helpful for practitioner development.
Thanks for reading,
Eric
Tags: Blogging, Business, eric grey, fun, internet, links, Personal Development, vegan, veganismRelated posts
A fun and effective way for you to start earning money blogging
As I discussed in my earlier post, I believe that healthcare providers should start blogging in bigger numbers. But, really, I think everyone should start providing high quality, easily accessible content via blogs, regardless of profession. It does take time, it’s true, and no small amount of bravery (putting yourself out there can be scary) but the promise of earning an income may help you to overcome your fears.
But can you really make money blogging? Yes. A little over a year ago, I began a blogging course called Blog Mastermind with blogger and Internet marketer, Yaro Starak. I was drawn into his way of thinking first by reading about his incredible Blog Profits Blueprint which he offered for free on his blog, Entrepreneurs-journey.com. I read the blueprint in about 45 minutes - once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. Here was what I had been waiting for, a way to make money simply by sharing what I’m learning, thus helping my family and eventually (hopefully) taking the pressure off of patient visits when I’m in clinical practice! Fantastic!
I started this blog, Deepest Health, immediately. Unfortunately, my way through the course got a little choppy and I actually ended up having to quit before the end. However, the information I gleaned from those couple of months was more than enough to catapult me from making nothing to making several hundred dollars. I have to admit that, because of the intensity of my schooling (and the rest of my responsibilities) I wasn’t able to do things exactly as Yaro instructed. However, going back over my notes and really implementing what he taught me now has already brought great benefits - resurgences in traffic and a threefold increase in daily income! He’s really got something special.
He’s opening his training program again, newly updated, incorporating the lessons he learned during his last implementation. I can recommend this to anyone who is interested in making an income blogging. I’m happy to talk to you about my experiences in the course - through email or comments.
As is Yaro’s way, he’s offering some great free content as he launches his new membership site. He does this first and foremost because he likes sharing what he learns - but of course he hopes that you will be impressed enough with the free content to consider becoming a paid member. I should also disclose that if you buy into Yaro’s membership program through my link, I will get a commission. I appreciate that extra income and pledge to use it to improve my blog here and also put together my new blog, naturalmedicinesuccess.com, coming soon. On to the free resources…
First, definitely check out the Blog Profits Blueprint - this is an incredible FREE guide that will help you understand the basic way that blogging works and how it generates income. Download the Blog Profits Blueprint.
Second, head over to Yaro’s site and watch his excellent, informative videos that cover his unique take on how to take making money online with blogs to the next level. I was amazed at the quality of this content - I’m already using it to help take Deepest Health to an even wider audience.
Third, sign up using the links on any of those pages I sent you to or by following this link directly to Yaro’s sales page. I promise that you will not be disappointed in your experience. Yaro will take you through the earliest stages (setting up the blog) and step-by-step help you to get up to full functionality, making money and having a great time. I have learned that there are some things that don’t work as well in the natural medicine niche of blogging, and that’s why I’m considering developing a course of my own. But you can easily get up and running and making a profit while getting your face, your name and your unique perspective out there using Yaro’s methods. He offers excellent customer service and connects you with a community of folks who are walking the path alongside you. I found that the member connections were one of the best parts of the program - I think you will, too.
Anyway - thanks for letting me go slightly off topic, here. I really believe that the more natural medicine (and associated) bloggers we have out there, the better health we will have as a community of human beings. I hope you share this opinion and are ready to share your voice with the world. If you do sign up and get a blog going, please contact me as soon as you do and I will put your blog address up on my soon-to-be-created natural medicine blog subpage. I’ll be your first high-quality link, helping you build traffic from search engines and starting your meteoric rise to the highest strata of blogging. :)
Thanks again,
Eric
Tags: Blogging, Business, business strategy, chinese-medicine, community, internet, links, natural-medicine, service, video
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