Qiological Podcast

Dr. Wang Ju-Yi was ever curious about why some treatments worked and others did not. He deeply studied the classical literature along with his own clinical experience, and somewhere along the way started putting his hands on patients to simply see what the channels had to say. For those practitioners who find palpation to be a key part of their practice, the work of Dr. Wang opens a whole new way of interacting with patients. And for those who are interested in how to puzzle through confounding clinical cases, Dr. Wang has some ways of clarifying complex situations. Pull up a cup of tea and listen in to this conversation that gives you a personal view of Dr. Wang and his work through the eyes of his apprentice Jason Robertson, co-author of Applied Channel Theory in Chinese Medicine, Wang Ju-Yi’s Lectures on Channel Therapeutics. Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

When I first went to Taiwan I noticed that around most of the larger temples there was a street of 算命師, fortune tellers. Some would use the ba gua, others attended to your birthdate, palm or some combination of numbers. Others would look at the face. The Chinese medicine section in bookstores would also have books that explained hot to use maps of the face to diagnose health concerns. In East Asia, it's common knowledge that there is more written on the face than we in West attend to. Our guest in today's episode learned to read faces at her grandmother's knee, she in turn had learned from her father, a successful businessman. Listen in and learn how paying attention to certain aspects of the face not only will help you better diagnose and treat your patient's, but give you clues in better understanding and communicating with them based on how they see the world and process information. Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

CBD, cannabidiol, has been making the rounds lately in the natural medicine world. Almost overnight it seems this botanical has popped onto the scene and there are lot of claims as to it health benefits. As Chinese medicine practitioners we are already familiar with some of the benefits of hemp seed, and as practitioners in the modern world we might like to incorporate something as useful as CBD. But how does this botanical fit into our thinking and practice? And where is the research, that is so readily touted, come from given that cannabis is still a Schedule 1 drug at the federal level?Listen in to explore not only the modern research on CBD along with the differences between hemp and cannabis, but more importantly how to consider this medicinal from a Chinese medicine point of view. Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

Practice acupuncture long enough and one of your patients is bound to mention some issues their pet is having. They might ask for some herbal advice, or see if you'd be up for treating their furry friend.Perhaps you've tried your hand at treating your own critters. Found that your cat is more frisky after acupuncture or that the dog's hips aren't such a bother after a few needles.In this episode we talk with a veterinary acupuncturist about the legal considerations,  training programs  and safety considerations for working with animals.Listen in and explore the world of animal acupuncture.

In this episode we take a look at marketing and practice building from the perspective of new practitioner who is excited and looking forward to building a business. No, you don’t need to go back and reread that last paragraph; you got it right the first read through. In this conversation we hear from a newly minted acupuncturist who is happily looking forward to building a business. Yes, this is a minority point of view, as many of us believe ourselves to be healers, but not “business people.” For many this aversion to engaging the “practice of practice” can be the source of emotional, financial, relational and spiritual struggle. We grudgingly do something we hate in order to get something we want. How’s that supposed to work?Listen in and update your perspective on marketing and business! Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

Precious and rare medicinal mushrooms like reshi (ling zhi) and cordyceps (dong chong xia cao) used to be available only to royalty, or those who knew how to spot them in the wild.These medicinals have a long history of use in East Asia and are associated with vitality, longevity and a connection to the spirit world. Even today it is said of the wild forms that "those who buy it don't eat it, and those who eat it don't buy it" as it is often gifted in a attempt to curry favor or influence.Fortunately for us "lao bai xing" (common people) these incredible fungi are available to us via cultivation. Or are they?In this episode our guest takes us on a deep dive into cultivation and extraction methods, and more importantly, how to read test results so you can better understand the potency of the products you are buying and giving to your patients.If you use medicinal mushrooms in your practice this episode will help you to better understand the important differences between polysaccharides, beta-glucans, and triterpenoids.Listen into to this conversation with an etno-mycologist who has been studying and working with mushroom cultivation for over 45 years.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

According to conventional medicine, macular degeneration is a progressive, incurable, degenerative disease. As good as modern medicine can be for some opthamological problems, it does not have much to offer those with macular degeneration other than say "take your vitamins and await the inevitable."While macular degeneration is indeed progressive, it's progress can be slowed and in many people some amount of function restored.Not only macular degeneration, but Stargardt's disease, retinitis pigmentosa and other eyes conditions can improve through the use of acupuncture using particular points on the palms and soles.Our guest in this show is fired up about helping prevent people from going blind. Listen in as we discuss how acupuncture and Chinese medicine can help to make a big difference in the quality of life for people with degenerative opthamological conditions.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

Tung style acupuncture is known for its curious collection of points that can be a challenge to the mind for those of us that learned to think about acupuncture strictly from a channel or function perspective. The methods handed down from Master Tung invite us to think about the resonance between points, structures, locations and tissue. It encourages us to consider not just the Spleen channel, but why its helpful to think of it as the leg tai yin as well. As well as why the shoulder is like the hip, and overlapping areas of influence can make for a more potent acupuncture treatment. Listen in as we discuss the power of resonance, how unlearning is part of learning something new, and why you don't have to understand everything from the beginning, but it's helpful if you keep pushing yourself to find the threads that connect.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 guest did not start out with the intention of building a medicinal herb import company. It started out as a way to solve his own problems with sourcing herbs. And as is often the case, one thing lead to another.In this episode we take a look at some of the common concerns practitioners have about herb quality, issues surrounding the use of pesticides, heavy metals and sulfur. Additionally we discuss how the concerns of Western herbalists has to some degree changed the herb market and growing practices in China. In the later part of the show we explore the use of granulated formulas. Explain why the 5:1 concentration that most products tout is misleading. Why crafting formulas and dosing granules is not the same as dosing raw herbs because granules are a fundamentally different medium of delivering herbs.  And finally,  how we can begin to think about dosing this herbal product that is fairly new on the Chinese herbal medicine scene.If herbal medicine is part of your practice, you'll want to listen in to this conversation!Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

This episode started out as a short solo show to give you a sense of what to expect from Qiological in the coming year. Then a friend who I wanted to interview for the show said, "Actually, I'd like to interview you. I've got some questions about the background of your podcast show, and what motivates and fuels you through the various projects I've seen you undertake over the years." So today's show is not only gives you a glimpse of what's ahead, but also a peek behind the microphone. Listen in and find out how I stumbled onto the idea for Qiological Podcast, how curiosity and failure make for a potent prescription for learning and creativity, and why running into resistance is not a sign you're on the wrong path, but rather the right one.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.