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
Apr 16, 2024 • 1h 26min
352 Quiet Presence, The Gentle Power of Teishin • G Klepper, T Sørensen, E Truitt
Here’s a question that I find difficult to answer. How does acupuncture work? Beyond the East Asian medicine phrasing that makes zero sense to your average citizen. Just what is going on in the body in response to a sliver thin needle being placed in the flesh? And once you have an answer for that, explain how a “needle” that does not pierce the skin can accomplish the same thing?It’s an annoying question isn’t it? Which makes it a very good question, and the motivation for inviting Gary Klepper, Thomas Sørensen, and Erhart Truitt to this conversation on teishin needles.Listen into this discussion on the paradox between intention and attention, perspectives on gently interacting with the qi, and how the teishin is a forgiving tool for beginners and an instrument of advanced technique for experienced practitioners.
Apr 9, 2024 • 1h 33min
351 The Trouble with Men • Damo Mitchell
Women develop through the cycles of seven. Men through the rhythms of eight. Women, more resonate with Blood. Men, with qi. Being human, there is a lot we share in common. Looking at our classic books on medicine, from the point of view of physiology and health, there are differences. And from the perspective of development, going from child to adult, and from adult to elder, we walk paths that orbit around one another. Damo MItchell recently commented on social media about his concern that men, younger men in particular, are not thriving. They are depleted in Jing and Kidney qi. Which is a curious and unusual condition given their relative youth. I too have had concerns about younger men and so invited Damo to this conversation. Listen into this discussion on how men and women process emotion differently, why men need to feel useful, the importance of manners and why man who does not take risks will deplete his Kidneys for sure.
Apr 2, 2024 • 1h 16min
350 Sa Sang, Bazi and Food as Medicine • Jaguang Sunim
East Asian medicine recognizes the central role that food can play in our health and wellbeing. We have various models for understanding the fluctuations and trajectories a human body can travel as we navigate the time we have between Heaven and Earth.In this conversation with Jaguang Sunim we explore the Korean Sa Sang constitutional perspective as it relates to our physiology, along with the strengths and deficiencies that we can mitigate with the foods we choose to eat on a regular basis. Additionally we’ll explore how the influences bestowed on us as viewed through the Ba Zi chart can help us to better understand how our unique mix of the Five Phases gives us insight into our constitution.Listen into this conversation on constitution, food as medicine and how understanding our constitution through the Sa Sang and Five Phases can quickly reveal our super powers and our kryptonite.
Mar 26, 2024 • 1h 17min
349 History Series, There's No End to The Study • Stuart Watts
Stuart Watts, with a passion for alternative health and spirituality, discusses the early days of learning acupuncture, the history of the first schools, and the value of challenging experiences in the field. Explore the transformative power of Chinese medicine, the importance of failure for growth, and navigating challenges in personal development through difficult individuals.
Mar 19, 2024 • 1h 48min
348 The Strange Flows • Daniel Atchison-Nevel
Change happens through time, it unfolds within the rhythmic inhale and exhale, it expresses through lunar and solar cycles, it follows the arc of development, fruition, and decline. There are recognizable pathways and markers that arise within what is mostly a non-linear experience of life.Daniel Atchison-Nevel used to skip school and hang out at the library where he found himself in the company of old Russian Jewish mystics, their stories and tattered copies of the Dao De Jing. Not a bad place to begin, if your destiny holds the potential to include the practice of Chinese medicine.Listen into this discussion of how undifferentiated wholeness ratchets down into the world of yin and yang, the constant interplay of fate and destiny, the vital importance of of being able to recognize the impulse towards healing within dysfunction, and how the most profound learning he received on the Extraordinary Vessels came from a man with whom he shared no common language.
Mar 12, 2024 • 1h 19min
347 The First Four Palaces of Alchemy • Leta Herman
Alchemy sounds like magic. It sounds like magic because it involves the transmuting of something coarse and without value to something refined and of worth. But really, there is nothing magical about it. It’s the process of finding a corner of the world you want to work on, and applying some elbow grease to make it better.In this conversation with Leta Herman we explore the first four of the nine palaces of Alchemy. Which is to say, the nuts and bolts of working with the everyday world, because before you can work on the higher levels. You need to build your foundation and capacity by first gaining mastery with everyday life.Listen into this discussion of spirit, matter and why matter matters.
Mar 5, 2024 • 1h 30min
346 Weaving Together East and West • Joseph and Sam Audette
You’ve probably heard about family lineage types of acupuncture from Asia. Here in the West, acupuncture is still a bit of a newcomer to the medical scene, but it has been around long enough that we are beginning to see second generation practitioners. In this conversation we have a father son team, Joe and Sam Audette. Joe is a medical doctor and has deeply studied and helps to teach the work of Kiiko Matsumoto. And in this conversation you’ll get all kinds of helpful tips on areas of the abdomen to pay attention to, along with Joe’s ability to think about and use both Eastern and Western physiology. Listen into this discussion on pursuing medicine across several different cultures, why it is important to be grounded in the fundamentals and how developing a sensitivity for our patients is essential in the work we do
Feb 27, 2024 • 1h 5min
345 History Series - Things That Don’t Make Sense Will be Helpful to You Later • Ted Kaptchuk
It was challenging enough for me in the 1990’s to set myself on the path of learning acupuncture. and by then, we had established schools and clear pathways to licensure and a livelihood. But back in the early days it took a rare kind of individual with a big spirit to seek out the knowledge required to learn acupuncture.The guest of this episode, Ted Kaptchuk, is one of those explorative pioneers that headed East because he was sure he’d find something, even though he’d no idea of how he was going to find it.Listen into this conversation on the revolutionary spirit took Ted from New York to San Francisco to Taiwan and then Macao. The twists and turned involved learning the medicine, and how the Web That Has No Weaver came into being.
Feb 20, 2024 • 1h 29min
344 Jing, Authenticity and Mushrooms • Mason Taylor
Medicinal mushrooms have made their way into the everyday lives of the “old one-hundred names,” us common folk. Formerly rare and precious substances like Ling Zhi and Dong Chong Xia Cao are now cultivated and readily available for people like you and me. Considered to be “higher” level medicinals, these are substances considered more for promoting wellbeing, than treating illness. Which brings us to the topic of “Tonic Herbs” and Yang Sheng, the nourishment of life. In this conversation with Mason Taylor we discuss the differences between “Tonic Herbs” and the use of herbal medicine to treat illness. We touch on Daoist practices, the fundamental role of Jing, and the challenge and opportunity of running your own business that allows you to explore something that is of vital personal interest. Listen into this discussion of mushrooms, longevity and the search for authentic meaning.
Feb 13, 2024 • 1h 20min
343 Chinese Medicine Dermatology • Mazin Al-Khafaji
Clinical experience and results are paramount in developing skill as a Chinese medicine practitioner. Theory should serve practice, not the other way around. Specializing in certain disease categories like dermatology can accelerate your learning process.In this conversation with Mazin Al-Khafaji we explore how he’s spent the past few decades using Chinese medicine to treat difficult skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. His study of Chinese medicine and unexpected collaboration with conventional doctors on eczema trials added fuel to the fire of his interest in dermatology. Since then, he’s dedicated his work to researching and treating recalcitrant skin disorders, and teaching others who have an interest in this speciality.Listen into this discussion on approaching and working with seemingly treatment-resistant skin conditions, and learn how the power of Chinese herbal medicine helps people not only with troublesome dermatological problems, but auto-immune issues as well.
