Qiological Podcast

Slipping into sleep. It’s the simplest thing to do. Or the most difficult. The quietude of sleep is a reflection of the activity in our lives. And if that cycle wobbles with an imbalance, it can be difficult to correct.In this discussion with Damiana Corca we explore why some ideas make sense in theory, but don’t work so well in actual practice. And some perspectives on how the taiyin, shaoyin and jueyin are involved with sleep disturbances at different times of the night. Listen in to this conversation on balance, rest and restoration in the yin of the night.

Do you know the costs that go into creating the opportunity for a patient to lay on your table? Do you know how much you're paying yourself? Have you built a profit into your business? We all know that word of mouth is the best form of marketing, but have you taught your patients how to talk about your practice to their family and friends?In this conversation with Laura Christensenwe talk business, as she shares some of the insights and new processes she’s put into practice after working with a business coach who has helped her to take her successful practice and make it more productive, profitable and enjoyable. Listen into this discussion on how paying attention to the nuts and bolts of your business not only will allow you to better understand your business, but free you up to focus more on your clinical work.

We often think of negotiation as a win/loss proposition that focuses around business deals, finances, large purchases and perhaps hostage situations. What we don’t consider is that negotiation is part and parcel of the work we do in clinic as we help our patients to integrate aspects of themselves or their situation into a higher state of health and wellness.In this conversation with Margot Rossi and Nick Pole we discuss the FBI Hostage negotiation methods of Chris Voss and how the principles he writes about are not only useful in your clinical work, but you might already be using some of his ideas. LIsten into this discussion of how empathy, rapport, and lack of aggression can help you bring forth hidden resources that your patients already have for healing.

Any seasoned practitioner leans on the patient practitioner relationship. There is something in the interaction that cannot be separated from the response they have to our treatment. In this conversation with Vitaly Napadow we discuss the Art of Medicine and how fMRI imaging from the brains of patients and practitioners with an established clinical relationship gives us a breathtaking glimpse into how our brains mutually interact with each other. And more importantly, how that can affect clinical results.Listen into this discussion of mirroring, rapport, neuroplasticity and how human connection and therapeutic results are intimately connected. 

Learning medicine requires books, memorization , and knowledge. But knowledge without practice is useless. It is through the clinical encounter with patients that the principals come to life and the medicine goes from theory to living practice.  In this 200th episode of the Qiological Denise Hung, a student, shares her questions and thoughts about mentors and mentorship in Chinese medicine. Listen in to this conversation on learning, expectations, and the importance of being in the room where it happens in the process of learning medicine. Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

Our job in clinic is to help people both through knowing what treatment to provide and having the ability to discern how to help when the signs are not clear. We constantly dance with both knowing and not-knowing.In this conversation with Ben Hawes we discuss how the alignment of the vertebra on the spine tells a story and helps to guide an acupuncture treatment. And beyond that how we tease apart ways of knowing, and how our perception both gives us information and blinds us to where our attention does not flow.Listen in to this discussion of perception, attention and how keeping an open and skeptical mind is essential in seeing more clearly how we can be helpful to our patients.

The ancient Chinese were not the only people to observe nature and develop medicine in the service of relieving suffering and promoting health. But they were the only culture that wrote it down and managed through the centuries to preserve significant portions of it. In this conversation with Edward Chiu we discuss writing case reports, which is a time honored process of how medicine has been preserved, passed along and learned throughout time. Not only can we learn from the past, but we can also help to educate future generations of practitioners. Listen into this discussion of how to write case reports that will not only help you to clarify your own clinical thinking, but also to effectively share it with others. Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

In nature we see that rivers have a flow and shape, but in times of flooding or if there are obstructions they will find other ways to move their water downstream. The divergent channels can be seen as a channel phenomenon that allows the main channels to deal with various kinds of excess. In this conversation with David Euler we explore his perspective on divergent channels and his process of using palpatory feedback as an aid in diagnosing and assessing the effectiveness of his treatments. Listen into this discussion on channel flow, the wisdom of the body, and using your sense of touch to guide your treatment.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

Attending to yin in a world that preferences yang does not come easy, and perhaps only begins to catch our attention once we’ve reached the edge of what activity can sustain. In this conversation with Brodie Welch we look at how sometimes subtracting counterintuitive as it seems, allows our lives to be richer and fuller.Listen in to this conversation on quietude, the curious nature of change, learning to put your voice forward,  and the importance of being clear on your “why.”Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

There are yin and yang ways to be with a horse, or for that matter— with a person as well. That yin aspect might be yielding, but it’s far from weak. And having a broad receptive gaze allows us to see the wholeness beyond the so-called broken parts of those we are here to serve.In this discussion with Sam McLean we look at some of the multifaceted aspects of using touch and presence. The importance of not having an agenda, how a sense of yielding is essential to connection and the essential role of a loosely held sense of attention can guide our mind and hands in the work we do.Listen in to this conversation on listening, following, presence and touch. And how something luminous we see in others is a reminder of some resources we carry within ourselves.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.