Qiological Podcast
Michael Max
Acupuncture and East Asian medicine was not developed in a laboratory. It does not advance through double-blind controlled studies, nor does it respond well to petri dish experimentation. Our medicine did not come from the statistical regression of randomized cohorts, but from the observation and treatment of individuals in their particular environment. It grows out of an embodied sense of understanding how life moves, unfolds, develops and declines.
Medicine comes from continuous, thoughtful practice of what we do in clinic, and how we approach that work. The practice of medicine is more — much more — than simply treating illness. It is more than acquiring skills and techniques. And it is more than memorizing the experiences of others. It takes a certain kind of eye, an inquiring mind and relentlessly inquisitive heart.
Qiological is an opportunity to deepen our practice with conversations that go deep into acupuncture, herbal medicine, cultivation practices, and the practice of having a practice. It’s an opportunity to sit in the company of others with similar interests, but perhaps very different minds. Through these dialogues perhaps we can better understand our craft.
Medicine comes from continuous, thoughtful practice of what we do in clinic, and how we approach that work. The practice of medicine is more — much more — than simply treating illness. It is more than acquiring skills and techniques. And it is more than memorizing the experiences of others. It takes a certain kind of eye, an inquiring mind and relentlessly inquisitive heart.
Qiological is an opportunity to deepen our practice with conversations that go deep into acupuncture, herbal medicine, cultivation practices, and the practice of having a practice. It’s an opportunity to sit in the company of others with similar interests, but perhaps very different minds. Through these dialogues perhaps we can better understand our craft.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Sep 19, 2023 • 1h 42min
322 Alchemy of the Organs • Peter Firebrace
Li Shi Zhen and Sun Si Miao, they shared an interest in alchemy. Often enough in our clinical work, patients will describe what happened with them as being magical, but as practitioners we know its not magic, its medicine. But it’s a medicine that works outside the parameters of Western thought, and the consensus of settled science.In this conversation with Peter Firebrace we explore being a Zhen Ren, a True Human, and internal alchemical practice. The journey to Emptiness through the three Dan Tian, and the process of returning to source, unity and simplicity.Listen into this conversation on the cultivation of Authenticity that goes from simple to complex and back again to simple.
Sep 12, 2023 • 1h 31min
321 Continuity and Change Within the Tradition of Chinese medicine • Volker Scheid
Chinese medicine looks to the perspectives of the past to understand the unfolding present. And for sure, there are threads of connection and perspective that come down to us through the curious tides of history. At the same time, there is this unique moment.What we hold, what we discover, these are yin yang aspects of how to make sense of a medicine patinated with history and lore.In this conversation with Volker Scheid we discuss continuity and change in Chinese medicine. And the starting point is not the deconstructivism so popular in our present moment, but rather the inquiry of Chinese poets in the 12th century.Listen into this discussion of living and dead traditions, the influence of Tang poetry, and the position of Chinese medicine in the modern world.
Sep 5, 2023 • 1h 24min
320 What I Learned in the Last Year From Teaching • Deborah Woolf
I still remember the moment when I realized that the character for Listen in traditional written Chinese was composed of the characters for Ears, Eyes, and Heart. Twenty two little strokes that unambiguously describe what is required to genuinely listen.Deborah Woolf has spent the past year teaching a course on basic Chinese for East Asian medicine practitioners. And while the content of her course is of interest to me, in this conversation what I’m more focused on is what it is that she’s learned in the past year from teaching this material.Listen into this conversation on the challenges of translation, the multidimensional nature of Chinese medicine, and key learnings and questions from the past year.
Aug 29, 2023 • 1h 46min
319 I had no idea what I was in for • Dan Bensky
If you’ve studied Traditional East Asian Medicine in English, you no doubt have benefited from the work of today’s guest.Dan Bensky has translated, written, published and taught for more years than most students entering an acupuncture school now have been alive.He set off for Taiwan in the early 70’s to follow his interest in learning Chinese. Taiwan was still under martial law and the mainland… the mainland was going through the horrors of the Cultural Revolution. Chinese medicine, not even on the radar for him, but something happened in Taiwan.Listen into this conversation on language, cultural, and learning medicine street smart style.
Aug 22, 2023 • 1h 39min
318 A Peripatetic Education • Andy Ellis
Andy Ellis, author of Foundations of Chinese Acupuncture, discusses the transformative effects of acupuncture treatments and the importance of exploring ghost points for personal growth. They also delve into the challenges of translating Chinese concepts and share their experiences studying acupuncture in Taiwan.
Aug 15, 2023 • 1h 17min
317 Following a Hunch • Malvin Finkelstein
Often enough at the beginning of a sea change, you don’t know what’s coming next. You’re already part of a current, a flow, and while you can steer within current, you’re caught up in a flow that is beyond your capacity to fully understand.In this conversation with Malvin Finkelstein we take a trip in the Wayback Machine to 197xx and his first encounter with acupressure, acupuncture and the potency of nutrition. We visit the early years of acupuncture education, the challenges of making a living when most states did not offer licenses to practice acupuncture, and crafting of standards and valid testing that would become the foundation for licensure.Listen into this discussion of serendipity, passion, persistence and contribution.
Aug 8, 2023 • 1h 44min
316 Growing Up with Herbs • Yvonne Lau
What you grow up with, that’s what becomes normal. You could be smack dab in the middle of something extraordinary, but it’s simply everyday life for you.In this conversation with Yvonne Lau we reflect on her experience of growing up as the daughter of immigrants from Southern China who ran an herb store in San Francisco’s Chinatown. It was a time when a few dedicated young people from the mainstream culture began to show a respectful and insatiable interest in Chinese medicine.The interest of those young people was part of what would become a growing acceptance of Chinese medicine in the west. And the herb store; it too has grown through the years.Listen into this conversation of playing hide and seek behind bags of uncut herbs, some of the characters who made up the Asian Chinese medicine community, how her parents herb store has become a major supplier of medicinals, and some of the challenges we face in this moment of time.
Aug 1, 2023 • 1h 18min
315 Importance of Structure, and the Freedom That Comes From It • John Myerson
What do you do if you’re interested in learning and practicing acupuncture, but there are no schools, standards or licensure?You built it yourself; with help of other spirited colleagues.In this conversation with John Myerson we go back to the days when acupuncture was just coming into the mainstream of American life. It wasn’t there yet— but it was close enough to intuit.John was there in the early days of the New England School of Acupuncture. And he helped to create the academic structures required to give our profession legitimacy in mainstream culture.It was a grand experiment, gutsy when you think about it. And those early influential pioneers, they created the foundation we stand on today.Listen into this discussion of vision, steadfastness and risk taking as we take a trip in the Wayback Machine to a moment when acupuncture and East Asian medicine was just beginning to emerge into mainstream culture.
Jul 25, 2023 • 1h 35min
314 Channel Dynamics, Time Streams and Unlocking Latency • Sean Tuten
The transport points are rich in story, function, connection and seem to have a capacity for engaging qi in profound ways as it flows from the tips of the fingers and toes, up to the elbows and knees. Lou points are particularly interesting as they both connect yin and yang channels.In this conversation with Sean Tuten we investigate the capacity of the luo channels to act as a first defense against overwhelming experiences that come from the outside. How they both protect against and can storage pathogenic influences. More importantly, the kind of treatment that removes these obstructive influences.Listen into this conversation on time streams, channel dynamics and understanding pathology as a useful response by the body.
Jul 18, 2023 • 1h 36min
313 The Heart of Practice • Ross Rosen
The heart of our work, often enough, leans on the connections and capacity of the heart.In this conversation with Ross Rosen we explore the importance of the patient-practitioner relationship, the concept of negotiating a diagnosis and some Daoist practices in medicine.Listen into this discussion on practical clinical strategies and how traditional medicine intertwines and overlaps with our everyday lives.
