How to make the transition from forced study to self-motivated study
Now that I am in my fourth year of schooling in Classical Chinese Medicine, the “academic” pressures lessen in a number of ways. We have a few classes outside of clinic, but they are not academically rigorous in the way that Acupuncture points and Herbal formulas classes were. Our focus now is clinic and our Chinese medicine focused thesis. The latter is, of course, academic - but it’s a very different thing to write a thesis than to study for and take an exam. Since the end of last term, I’ve been struggling to figure out whether and how much - but most of all HOW - to study without the pressure of exams.
Some of you may wonder - if no exams, why study? Every shift, I find things that I’ve forgotten or don’t know. Every shift I realize the importance of having key information readily available in the mind. Every shift I realize that while I know some, I *don’t* know even more. By the end of my first shift I realized that this summer is going to be a time of profound transformation as well as intense study. So, I’ve devised a plan and have been determining how I can dive even more deeply into the material.
There seem to be three key problems:
1. No regular testing to act as carrot and stick leading me forward.
2. Clinic and thesis to balance with other kinds of study.
3. Lack of confidence in what I need to be studying because I don’t have anyone helping me to understand where I should apply my focus.
Solutions for Problem 1 : No regular testing - the need for the carrot and the stick
Even the most engaged student sometimes will need some help to get motivated. It’s probably an artifact of our No-Child-Left-Behind like culture of education, but testing often serves as a motivational force for people. The carrot has many facets. There is the feeling of a job well done, the praise or relationship development with your instructor, the admiration of your colleagues (!), advancement to higher levels of learning, possible scholarship benefits and so on. The stick likewise has many aspects, most of which are simply the reverse of the “carrot” features above. No one can deny that, regardless of your dedication and internal sense of motivation, we are all motivated to some extent by the carrot and stick approach.
However, I’ve always maintained that in the practice of medicine and similar fields, things are different. When I studied Philosophy, it was crucial that I remember key points, that I be able to build an appropriate argument, see flaws in logic, etc… I had to learn the material that I was studying, sure. But, noone’s health and wellbeing was going to be impacted by how well (or not) I learned various arguments for the existence of God. Nobody’s ability to run around and play with their kids rested on my ability to memorize 42 logical fallacies and their refutation.
In my study of Chinese medicine, every sentence uttered by an instructor could be the key that unlocks a pathological process in a patient. Each formula I memorize takes me one step closer to being able to quickly and elegantly devise a perfect treatment for someone who comes to our clinic. I don’t allow that to stifle me, I also don’t have the arrogance to think that my treatment is going to be what is “saving” or “fixing” people. But, I do see a greater human significance in what I’m studying now compared to everything I have studied before.
I suppose one could see all that I’ve just said as a further instantiation of the carrot and stick - but I think it’s more than that. There’s also the fact that the vast majority of what I’m learning fits into a system of knowledge that is more than it seems. It’s a method of living (see - year of Sagely living), it’s a system for rearranging myself spiritually, for learning to interact more appropriately with the world…
What does this have to do with lack of motivation? Well, here are three tools I use to keep me motivated despite the lack of testing. I’m going to word these in such a way that I feel they can be applied to folks studying pretty much any subject that has a practical application in a similar way to medicine.
1. Get clinical/practical
Though I’m not being tested in the traditional sense right now, every clinic shift is a test. Will I understand how to fit the symptoms and signs into a pattern I can understand, will I be able to come up with at least a few points that would help the person, can I think of a decent formula to send them home with? In some way, this kind of testing is even more intense than the stuff that involves pen, paper and a ticking clock in the background. So, I dive as deeply as I can into the practical applications of what I am learning. Further, I realize that when I leave the site of that practical application, there’s still work to be done. After clinic shifts, I review the cases, analyze the formulas, consider alternative points and herbs, imagine future treatments, investigate the person’s Western diagnoses and prescriptions and so on. This is the real stuff. At first it seemed intimidating. But now, it’s just plain exciting.
Even more importantly, I remember that I’m dealing with human lives as I discussed above. What I’m learning, and how well I learn it, matters. That’s tremendously motivational.
2. Understand what it does for you, personally
Most true professions are meant to shape the professional. You don’t become a lawyer without examining your own life and embodying some kind of lawyer-ness. Perhaps in the law case it would manifest in becoming very cognizant of how the law relates to you personally, learning about historical figures in the field of law and emulating them and generally making yourself into the kind of person who is a great lawyer (and also a lawyer who is a great person). Of course, not all professions reach this lofty goal and even fewer people actually take this seriously.
In Chinese medicine, as I’ve discussed before, this is actually CRUCIAL. Self-cultivating and letting the medicine become part of us isn’t just icing on the cake - it’s the cake. What I’ve been doing is seeing how not studying this material has really been impacting me in larger ways. I’m less likely to do my Qigong and other exercise, I’m less likely to eat well, I’m less likely to adhere to my spiritual discipline, I become a vaguely irritated person in general. Observing this in myself has helped me to understand the deep transformation that this medicine is creating in me. So, as a solution to the lack of motivation, I focus on the many ways that study of Chinese medicine improves me as a person.
I have created a list of five main areas that are significantly improved when I engage deeply with Chinese medicine study. I have created an “ultimate” goal for each of these, with mini-goals that act as signposts along the way. I review these at the beginning and end of each day and allow myself to meditate on each for a couple of minutes. This helps recharge me on a very deep level. Quickly, as an example:
One of my “areas” is that of my physical health and well-being. My “ultimate goal” is to be at my ideal weight, with specific strength goals that are measurable and to have an abiding sense of buoyant energy throughout my day. One of my mini goals is a specific weight and body fat number, another is that I wake reliably at 5am with minimal grogginess. I review these each morning when I wake (not always at 5am!!!) and when I go to sleep at night. I allow myself to think about how my Chinese medicine study reinforces these goals (by helping me learn more about the human body, by learning about my place in the macrocosm, by deepening me in a vigorous Qigong practice, etc…) and how my doing these things reinforces my Chinese medicine study (by giving me more energy and ability to focus, by helping to ensure vigor into my elderly years, etc…) It’s been a profound practice.
3. Less desirable solution - focus on bigger carrots and sticks
Obviously, there are always carrots and sticks that we can use for external motivation. The most persistent looming for me is my board exams. I will be taking these throughout my fourth year and in the summer afterward. It’s never too early to study for these exams and they can provide me with a basic structure. I don’t feel that this is an ideal way to motivate myself, but sometimes it’s the only thing that works. Certainly even post-licensure there may be similar external motivators. Perhaps you could mention a few in the comments?
—
There are two more problems I’d like to look at, as described above. First, the issue of balancing study with thesis/clinical work. Second, dealing with the lack of confidence that I’m studying the correct things. I’ll discuss these in a separate post to be released soon. Please also expect another podcast this week - I’m hoping to work on my production and general quality of the podcast. If you have any ideas for what I should discuss, let me know in the comments!
Eric
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Tags: chinese-medicine, Student Life, study-methods, studyingRelated posts
Understanding Chinese herbs using Classical Chinese Medical thinking
Sometimes I learn small things that turn out to be very useful. I would like to start sharing these as bite sized treats interspersed in between the thicker cuts that many of you are accustomed to here on Deepest Health. Today, I would like to offer one of those which is a way of thinking about herbs (and, thus, formulas) that I initially learned from my mentor, Dr. Arnaud Versluys. It’s a simple thing, maybe, but hopefully helpful to you.
In our Classical Chinese Medicine education here in Portland, OR, we are given a variety of types of information. I’ve talked about this several times before. We are sometimes told that truly Classical Chinese Medicine includes the information in the standard TCM system and includes information in the Western/allopathic system, but then goes outside of those reaching back to the Classical texts and cultivated ways of knowing. All of this information must be explored and, ultimately, integrated. We are encouraged to find that which really drives us and dive deep into that, but always asked to keep our minds open to the whole symbol field of information that human striving has uncovered.
In that spirit, consider the study of Chinese herbs. There’s a huge amount of information one could associate with any given single herb. The information has many different aspects - let us consider the relative materiality and the relative size (in time and/or space) of the information. We can create two axes. One from grossly material to highly immaterial, and one from microscopic to quite macroscopic. We can find useful information anywhere in the field created by these two axes. Let me provide a partial list of information along these two axes that I use to understand single Chinese herbs. The information will be listed from more material and more microscopic to less material and more macroscopic (obviously not a perfect gradation).
- Specific biochemical constituents, chemical bonding (for example, discussion of specific alkaloids)
- Classes of biochemical constituents, herb-herb interaction (for example, what are alkaloids?)
- Western medical physiological understanding (for example, discussion of the endocrine system)
- This might include information from Western medical studies/clinical trials
- Habitat and other botanical information (what kind of plant is this?)
- Chinese herbal category information (qi, flavor, channel affinity) and dosage information
- Contradictions (both Chinese and Western)
- Use of the herb through history in China (what formulas? what doctors? what contexts?)
- Understanding via various systems of differentiation (Ba Gan/8 Pillars, 6 Conformations, 5 Element)
- Information in various Classical texts concerning this herb other than what’s already been covered in another category
- Symbolism behind any of the previous categories of information (for instance, given the relevant habitat in which the herb grows - how can we understand it symbolically)
- Use of categories of information associated with the organ clock (If this is a Spleen herb, how can the symbolism of the snake help us think about it?
Let’s just look at a quick example on a very basic level using just some of the partial list above. Bai Shao, anyone?
白芍 Bái Sháo (Yào)
Biochemical constituents/other minute level Western information
- Paeoniflorin, albiflorin, oxypaeonifloring, benzoylpaeoniflorin, paeonin, hydorxypaeoniflorin (glycosides), gallotannin, d-catechin, eugeniin (tannins), benzoic acid, proteins and other constituents
- To extend this into the next category, we might be interested to look more deeply at the general function of glycosides and tannins, their function in the body and the families of things on the planet that either create or use them in high amounts. Of course this must all be evaluated symbolically.
- Herb-herb interaction? We might consider that Bai Shao is often paired with Gui Zhi, look into the chemical constituents of Gui Zhi and investigate, from a Western standpoint, what those interactions tend to produce.
- Herb-drug interaction? What drugs does Bai Shao resemble? What drugs does Bai Shao work poorly with? For instance, one is asked to have care when using Bai Shao for patients on anti-coagulants. What does this mean?
We could definitely find many clinical studies about Bai Shao and isolate what pharmacological effects allopathic medical researchers have found. A quick look tells me that some researchers have found that Bai Shao has:
- CNS suppressant, gastrointestinal, antibiotic, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, anti-platelet and cardiovascula effects
Habitat and other botanical information
Bensky tells us that Bai Shao is Paeonia lactiflora with the bark removed and that Chi Shao is a wildcrafted version of the same species - with bark intact. It would be interesting to know more about this distinction and to understand whether this distinction held during the Han dynasty. Anyone with information to that effect?
It is native to a large part of the area from Tibet through China up to Russia. It enjoys a wide range of habitats and the entire plant can be used medicinally or as food. This may help us to understand its rather broad range of effects and its extensive use in the classics.
Chinese herbal category information, inclusion in formulas
- Wei/Flavor: Bitter and sour
- Qi/Temperature: Slightly cold/cool
- Channel affinity: Liver and Spleen
- Dosage: Typically 6-15 grams
A quick search at Rootdown.us shows us that Bai Shao is included in 48 formulas. As the formula database is not complete on that site (it’s growing every day!) I’m certain the number is much higher. We could look at the usage of Bai Shao in each of those formulas and come to some conclusions about what kinds of effects it has and use those findings to further dive into the symbolism associated with the herb.
Use of the herb through the history of Chinese medicine, inclusion in various Classical texts
How did Zhang Zhong Jing use Bai Shao? How is this different from the way later physicians used it? What is said about Bai Shao in the Shennong Ben Cao Jing? This entry is getting a bit too long already, so I won’t delve into these questions — but you can see how the information would be very useful in coming to a full understanding of Bai Shao.
Understanding some of the above information more symbolically
Just as a quick example take the broad habitat adaptation of Bai Shao. It’s a relatively easy plant to grow - and it grows quickly. The Earth seems to want to give it to us in abundance. An herb that adaptable has to be important for the basic physiology of the body - one might think. Perhaps it lends itself to a certain adaptability in us as well.
Various systems of differentiation
Again, to save time I will be very brief. One way to understand Bai Shao is that it backs Wood off of Earth. This doesn’t mean that Wood has to be very excessive. Earth merely needs to be a bit under the weather (so to speak) and the normal amount of Wood will be too much for it. This is part of the way we can come to understand Bai Shao’s use in Xiao Jian Zhong Tang. One symptom one might find in a XJZT syndrome is mild muscle cramping or mild abdominal cramping due to a weak Earth being unable to resist the basically “normal” Wood energy. Bai Shao mildly backs Wood off of Earth so it can recover.
Organ clock and other high level theoretical constructs
Bai Shao is basically a Wood herb. How can we use the symbolism behind the Wood organs - Liver and Gallbladder, to come to a fuller understanding of Bai Shao? We can consider, perhaps, the symbol of the Ox or the Wood constellations in Chinese astronomy. We could look at the clock pair of the Liver and try to uncover any mysteries there.
—
Ok, so this turned out a little longer than I expected. My gut level instinct is simply this. While I am not personally interested in going down every little rabbit hole that the current information culture serves up for me, I am certainly open to embracing a wide variety of information sources. I find that when I am able to see an herb (and by extension a formula) from many angles, my relationship with it deepens. I can only assume that this is molding me into a better clinician. I’d be very interested to hear anyone else’s thoughts on this topic in the comments. Go on - take a chance!
Eric
Tags: chinese-herb, chinese-herbs, formula-science, formulas, herbs, integrative-medicine, scholar, study-methods, studying, western researchRelated posts
Product Review: Living Meridian acupuncture charts
I have had the distinct pleasure of working with the Living Meridian acupuncture charts these last weeks while studying for finals. I wanted to spend some quality time working with them before I wrote a review so I could get a full appreciation for their strengths and weaknesses. My one line impression is that these are, bar none, the highest quality acupuncture charts available on the market. In fact, I encourage you to buy one right now. No joke!
One of the creators of these impeccable tools contacted me several months ago via my blog to let me know about the painstaking process he and his colleagues went through to create charts that are accurate, beautiful and easy to use. The team spent many hours palpating points, debating about their locations, looking for the perfect marking pens and generally ensuring themselves and their customers a product that meets their very high standards of accuracy. They worked for thousands of hours cross referencing their locations with the locations noted by all the major acupuncture book writers. They did find some disparities in the descriptions of point locations. Further, they found that their charts conflicted in several ways with the other commercially available charts. The result of their hard work is that they have created charts that show with great accuracy the most typical locations of points as modeled by a real human being, not simply approximated on a two dimensional drawing of a human being.
Think about this! There’s a lot of shifting of tissue that happens when a person stands up. You can see how this might impact the way that the points appear on the final product. You can see an example of the difference by comparing these two photos that Fifth Element provided. For instance, look at the top of the columns and the relationships of the points near the bottom of the columns. The fact that they figured this out and then adjusted their charts accordingly to be maximally useful really speaks highly of Fifth Element’s dedication to producing something that reflects the real world. I think using these charts also helps for us to think carefully about the way that the position and condition of the body should shift our thinking when we are locating points on our patients.
Robust set of features!
Aside from this dedication to accuracy, there are many other fantastic features of the charts. Perhaps most important of these - they are beautiful. The colors are vivid, the surface is glossy and of high quality. I have no problem having these on my wall, I want everyone to see them! They are also durable. Shipped from Australia in a sturdy cardboard tube for a minimal cost, they suffered no wear and tear. I’ve been using them for almost a month, moving them about, rolling and unrolling, letting my daughter mess with them and they look just like they did when I pulled them out of their packaging.
The points are numbered clearly and labeled according to their channel by using distinct colors for each. There is a key included, but the colors are intuitive for anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of Chinese medicine theory. They have also included special labelling to indicate Yin vs Yang channels, Yuan-source, Xi-cleft, Luo-connecting and all the Shu-Transport points. While it does take a few minutes to get used to their method of labeling, once you get used to it, quickly spotting the relevant piece of information to jog your memory is simple. The charts are shipped in pairs, one showing the Yin side of the body (front and right side) and one showing the Yang side (back and left side). Despite not having a top view, the locations of the head points are clear enough.
The company produces TCM charts, Zen Shiatsu charts and a chart with all of the channel pathways combined. I tested this latter set, but because my knowledge of the Zen Shiatsu system is limited, I cannot attest to the usefulness of it in terms of locations. I can say that this combined chart shares all of the same excellent features as the TCM only set.
The usefulness of the charts in studying acu-points
While finding the palpable landmarks and feeling the Qi of the point are the keys to accurate location - visual accuracy counts, especially when you are just beginning to learn. There’s really something special about seeing the points marked on a human body. As I talked about in my article about learning the acupuncture points, not much substitutes for seeing the points as they lay on a real human body. These charts are a perfect companion to that process, as you can see a highly accurate photograph of the points marked out and compare it to how the channels you’ve marked on your partner appear. The charts could also be quite useful if you’re not yet in the process of learning the points and channels in a formal way. You can simply have them up on a wall and pick a channel a day to study informally. You could simply follow the course of the channel on your own body based on how it looks on the chart - this process will be so much easier on these charts because of the closeness of fit between the image and the contours of your own body.
As someone who has already learned the points and channels but needs to refresh every day, I have found these charts to be an invaluable resource. When I need a break from my book study, I simply look up to my charts (they hang above my study table) and start following a channel point by point. While you could use other charts to do this, again the accuracy and quality of the Fifth Element charts make me rest easily knowing that the locations are correct.
Minor constructive criticism
First, some of the marking of the Shu transport points is a little difficult to differentiate at first, especially when the designated colors are very close to the channel colors. Perhaps stronger imagery or a different color scheme could help this. Second, I would have appreciated the inclusion of Chinese characters for the point names as well as other relevant information. This might have cluttered the chart, but a small font would have been alright. I have to say that, honestly, I don’t have much more in the way of criticism to offer! I talked to several others, including professors, to ask their opinion on the charts and everyone agreed that they are some of the best they have seen.
Edit (12/1/2007): In discussion with Fifth Element, I’ve learned that they chose to label the points as they did because it follows the naming system being devised by WHO and are willing to create charts with Chinese characters if there is demand. If you are interested in seeing something like this, do feel free to visit their website and provide them with this feedback.
In summary
I can’t think of a single reason that you shouldn’t buy these charts. If you think you don’t need a chart, but have never worked with one - I encourage you to give it a try. The price is right, even with shipping from Australia and if nothing else it will make a good decoration for some part of your clinic! If you’ve used these charts or buy them as a result of this review, please leave a comment to let us know about your experience.
I should note that this review pertains to the Wall Charts that Fifth Element offers, but they also have life-sized banners that adhere to the same quality standards. They offer quantity discounts and can ship large quantities in flat-packs for institutional orders.
Additionally, if you would like to be sure you catch all of my Chinese medicine related product reviews, be sure to subscribe to this blog via RSS feed or via email.
Eric
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If you’re not memorizing, you’re not paying attention
Note: I’m working on write-ups of the AAAOM conference in Portland. I’m writing something about Nigel Wiseman’s talk on Chinese medical translation and my general support for his ideas. I’m also writing about the national student organization meetings and my renewed optimism and excitement concerning the viability of our profession in the US. I’d also like to talk about a few new companies I had contact with and discuss issues around purity and quality of Chinese herbs.
I was just reading an article in the latest National Geographic magazine about memory. It is an interesting article as a whole, but more importantly it really got me thinking about the role of memorization in education. The article talks about the times before easily available printed material, when most everything had to be memorized if it was to be accessed at some future date. One sentence in particular really struck me - it’s actually a quote from the author of The Book of Memory: A Study of Memory in Medieval Culture 
“In a world of few books, and those mostly in communal libraries, one’s education had to be remembered, for one could never depend on having continuing access to specific material.” (Mary Carruthers, in National Geographic Magazine, November 2007)
It is my understanding that to this day, memorization of texts is still a valued (and even expected) component of Chinese medical education in China. All of my professors that learned the medicine mostly or entirely in China can recite maddening amounts of text verbatim from many classical texts. Additionally, they have memorized uncountable phrases, rhymes and poems used as mnemonic devices for various types of information. It’s amazing, quite frankly. We’ve had a few conversations in classes about this subject. One generalization I’ve heard is that for the Chinese, memorizing the material is primary and you are not expected to form opinions about it until you’ve had it in your memory for some time. The idea, I think, is that having the information coded in your head allows you to make connections between that text or information and other texts you are reading as well as between the texts and your clinical experiences. If you don’t have that information ready at hand - er, mind - then you’re not going to be able to make those connections as easily if at all.
There’s a serious amount of resistance to this notion among most US-based Chinese medicine and acupuncture students I am acquainted with. Most of us know that we need to memorize things in order to pass tests - but few people seem to see solid memorization of material (and continued renewal of that memorized material to keep it solid) as a foundational aspect of their educational program. The first year of study at my school doesn’t involve much memorization. It’s mostly about acquainting students with the cultural and philosophical foundations of the medicine, while getting their feet wet with basic Western and Chinese medicine concepts. There are few tests of one’s mental rigor, though lots of great intellectual growth takes place regardless. The second year, then, is a rude awakening for most students. It’s then that we take points, herbs, Chinese pathology and more Western medicine. Nearly all the classes have testing, and one professor in particular is notorious for his frequent (very frequent) testing and exacting standards. Many students fail his first midterm.
People underestimate the amount of information they will need to memorize VERBATIM. Many of them complain about what they see as “rote” memorization, they fail to see the value of this kind of learning for their future career. These folks and, I think, American culture in general puts a much stronger value on analysis of information and the formation of opinions and judgments. In my school in particular, I think folks tend to have a pretty philosophical frame of mind and thus are constantly trying to see patterns and interconnections among the various pieces of information. Education in some way is seen as a creative pursuit.
In my experience, it is only information that I have thoroughly committed to memory that is actually useful to me in the higher order creative activities I’m describing. The absolute base for this process is simple memorization. Information must be placed in the memory and repeatedly accessed until it becomes as familiar as all of the television commercial jingles we all undoubtedly have memorized. You might object, saying that you cannot retain material that doesn’t have relevance, material that doesn’t MEAN anything to you, yet. It’s true that it is difficult to commit something to memory that you have no context for, it is NOT true for any of us that this material we are studying has no context in our experience. While you may not know much about, say, 茯苓（Fu Ling, poria) with a little effort you can most certainly associate it with aspects of your experience. By studying a little about the applications of the herb you can help relate it to your life, perhaps with a time that you suffered from excess dampness. Also, there are numerous memorization techniques that help you build an infrastructure in which you can place any amount of seemingly meaningless information. When you do this, and do it well, it will begin to seep into your entire being and you will begin to understand.
I’d like to write a couple more articles about this, focusing on different memory techniques and resources that are available to help increase memory. Until then, I’d like to hear your thoughts on memorization in Chinese medicine. What role has it played in your education?
Tags: academics, Acupuncture, chinese-herb, chinese-herbs, cultural-differences, education, exams, memorization, students, study, study-methods, studyingRelated posts
8 Scholarship Winning habits I learned through Chinese medicine study
In the same vein as my popular article 7 Life Changing Habits I learned from Chinese medicine study, I thought I would provide something a little more focused for students since we are coming up on school season. I’ve been able to obtain big ticket scholarships in a variety of disciplines ever since I realized there were scholarships. Part of that is knowing how to write a scholarship application. There are a variety of websites out there that guide you through writing a killer scholarship app, this isn’t one of them. A couple of these habits I learned prior to starting my study of Chinese medicine, but I have since come to understand how Chinese philosophy supports and strengthens them. Most of the habits, however, I have learned through trial-and-error in my study of Chinese medicine or through my study of Confucian and Daoist educational philosophy. They are listed in no particular order.
1. Write or teach every day
#1 and #2 on this list are somewhat interdependent. The principle binding them is this: don’t take in a lot more than you put out. Although I can’t find the quote right now, I’m pretty sure that it was the philosopher Sartre who stated that you don’t know what you don’t know until you try to demonstrate what you know through writing. I think teaching provides the same checks and balances. Most of us are brilliant in our heads, most of us have our stuff memorized and ready to go. But try writing out, say, the definitions of Qi, Blood, Yin and Yang. Try to explain to your mother how the Kidney and Heart work together in the body. Not so easy.
I’ve used several methods to “get stuff out of my head.” One is this blog, obviously. I’ve used other online methods, too, such as forums. Study groups, when taken seriously, can be a great method for learning what you do and do not know. Get together with a few students at the same level of understanding and dedication as yourself and go through a list of topics, try to explain them to one another. I’ve also just used simple writing exercises to test myself. I’ll make a list of all the basic things I’ve learned in a given class, term or year either by memory or by looking over old tests, lecture notes and the like. I will then try to explain each of those concepts in writing. When I run into trouble, I research. If I’m not sure my explanation works, I run it by someone.
2. Don’t read too much
I wrote about this at length in my post about the perils of reading too much. The essential point is this: reading more doesn’t necessarily make you more well read. Paradox? Perhaps. Don’t put an emphasis on quantity, put an emphasis on quality. If you can thoroughly understand a text or otherwise incorporate it into your knowledge base, committing to memory the most relevant parts - then moving on to another book is probably fine. I want to emphasize that this exhortation includes not just reading books and other print media, but also online sources of information (except this blog, ;) of course!), even radio and television.
I would also like to add that in the study of Classical Chinese medicine, keep as close to the Classics as you possibly can. As I’ve said elsewhere, you will inevitably have to read outside of the classics, but they should be your foundation regardless of where you are going to school. I was just taught a simple lesson on this by one of my professors. I wrote to ask him whether it is truly important to memorize the Qi and flavor of each herb - as we are not required to memorize this information in the first year of herbs. I had actually already begun the process before asking the question, but decided I would get some advice before I wasted too much time on the activity. To begin, I had been working with my beloved Bensky’s materia medica
Oh, right. That book. There are differences and they are significant and I should actually learn the modern properties as well as the ancient ones. So - lesson learned. Read more
Tags: Acupuncture, chinese-herb, chinese-herbs, education, erics-habits, habits, Learning, lists, Personal Development, productivity, students, study-methods, studying
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