Yellow Emperor's Classics: Inspirational Resources of Acupuncture


Book Description

The majority of Chinese historians are of the opinion that The Yellow Emperor's Classics of Internal Medicine was accomplished through the cooperative efforts of a group of most outstanding scholars around the 3rd century B.C. The invaluable first Chinese medical classics stood for an excellent presentation of past experiences that had been accumulated from the days Chinese medicine began to be practised in ancient China.The Chinese believe that the practice of Chinese medicine in China dates back to the time of Yellow Emperor around 2,600 B.C., primarily on the ground that this gigantic classic was attributed to Yellow Emperor himself. This implies that Chinese medicine had already been practiced in China for over two thousand years before the Yellow Emperor's Classics of Internal Medicine was first published.The position of the Classics in Chinese medicine may be compared to that of Plato's Republic in Western philosophy and that of Shakespeare in English literature, for the good reason that the classic in question had, since its first publication, become the most authoritative guidance for the practice of Chinese medicine. It had become the foundations of Chinese medicine in the same way as the thought of Confucius had become the foundations of Chinese philosophy. Very few, if any, Chinese physicians of traditional Chinese medicine would challenge the basic contents of this celebrated classic to this day."To make diagnosis without asking the patient as to how the disease originally started, whether he has any worry or irregular habits of eating, whether he has any excessive habits of living, whether he has suffered from toxic effects, and to rely solely on hasty pulse diagnosis at the wrist to come up with a name of disease on such shaky grounds, which could easily cause harm to the patient are the fourth fault on the part of physicians.""A physician may become known to people living as far as one thousand miles away by word of mouth, but he cannot be called a good physician unless he knows thoroughly about pulse diagnosis and human affairs. The way of treatment consists in the precious heritage of naturally established truth. It is not wise to stick to pulse diagnosis at the wrist without an adequate knowledge of the pulse of the five viscera. When one hundred diseases begin to attack, the physician may blame himself or he may blame his teacher for his failure to instruct him in medical knowledge, but the most important thing is to administer treatment according to the established principles. A physician who fails to administer treatment according to the established principles and foregoes the legitimate medical skills may treat his patients with effects by accident, but it is quite foolish for him to be content with his accidental success.""Alas. Medicine is so subtle that no one seems able to know about its complete secrets. The way of medicine is so wide that its scope is as immeasurable as heaven and Earth, and its depth is as immeasurable as the four seas. Unless you learn by heart, it is likely that you will remain in the dark about the bright theory of medicine."




The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Medicine


Book Description

The Neijing is one of the most important classics of Taoism, as well as the highest authority on traditional Chinese medicine. Its authorship is attributed to the great Huang Di, the Yellow Emperor, who reigned during the third millennium BCE. This new translation consists of the eighty-one chapters of the section of the Neijing known as the Suwen, or "Questions of Organic and Fundamental Nature." (The other section, called the Lingshu, is a technical book on acupuncture and is not included here.) Written in the form of a discourse between Huang Di and his ministers, The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Medicine contains a wealth of knowledge, including etiology, physiology, diagnosis, therapy, and prevention of disease, as well as in-depth investigation of such diverse subjects as ethics, psychology, and cosmology. All of these subjects are discussed in a holistic context that says life is not fragmented, as in the model provided by modern science, but rather that all the pieces make up an interconnected whole. By revealing the natural laws of this holistic universe, the book offers much practical advice on how to promote a long, happy, and healthy life. The original text of the Neijing presents broad concepts and is often brief with details. The translator's elucidations and interpretations, incorporated into the translation, help not only to clarify the meaning of the text but also to make it a highly readable narrative for students—as well as for everyone curious about the underlying principles of Chinese medicine.




Classical Chinese Medicine


Book Description

The English edition of Liu Lihong’s milestone work is a sublime beacon for the profession of Chinese medicine in the 21st century. Classical Chinese Medicine delivers a straightforward critique of the politically motivated “integration” of traditional Chinese wisdom with Western science during the last sixty years, and represents an ardent appeal for the recognition of Chinese medicine as a science in its own right. Professor Liu’s candid presentation has made this book a bestseller in China, treasured not only by medical students and doctors, but by vast numbers of non-professionals who long for a state of health and well-being that is founded in a deeper sense of cultural identity. Oriental medicine education has made great strides in the West since the 1970s, but clear guidelines regarding the “traditional” nature of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) remain undefined. Classical Chinese Medicine not only delineates the educational and clinical problems faced by the profession in both East and West, but transmits concrete and inspiring guidance on how to effectively engage with ancient texts and designs in the postmodern age. Using the example of the Shanghanlun (Treatise on Cold Damage), one of the most important Chinese medicine classics, Liu Lihong develops a compelling roadmap for holistic medical thinking that links the human body to nature and the universe at large.




Applied Channel Theory in Chinese Medicine


Book Description

Applied Channel Theory in Chinese Medicine demonstrates how a deeper understanding of the interrelationship between organ and channel theory can lead to more precise diagnoses and better clinical results. This book is a collaboration between Wang Ju-Yi, one of modern China's most respected scholars, teachers, and practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine, and his American apprentice and practitioner, Jason Robertson. While most textbooks focus either on the functions of the organs in basic physiology or on the uses of the channels in treatment, this book shows the essential relationships between the two. Theory and practice are connected through a detailed discussion of a channel palpation methodology developed by Dr. Wang, which leads to more precise and effective point selection, location, and technique. Applied Channel Theory in Chinese Medicine was developed during Mr. Robertson's apprenticeship with Dr. Wang in Beijing, and is presented in a unique and highly readable format that preserves the intimacy of dialogue between apprentice and teacher, with questions and answers, narratives, and case studies.




The Shambhala Guide to Traditional Chinese Medicine


Book Description

The Chinese approach to health and healing is a rich and complex tradition, encompassing disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of the full spectrum of illnesses, as well as offering a holistic approach to mental health. More than a system of medicine in the Western sense of the term, the Chinese approach to health care reflects the Taoist belief in the importance of promoting balance and harmony in body, mind, and spirit. In traditional Chinese medicine, this goal is achieved through nutrition, herbs, acupuncture, massage, exercise, meditation, and other holistic methods that restore the natural patterns of the human system. This book is an accessible and highly readable introduction to all the major aspects of this vast tradition. Topics covered include: • The foundation of traditional medicine in Chinese history • The theory of chi (energy) and how it influences health • The Chinese approach to health, happiness, and longevity • The use of Chinese herbal medicine and herbal formulas • Diet and nutrition as a form of preventive medicine • Acupuncture, acupressure, and massage—including sample techniques for self-massage • The practice of chee-gung, or "moving meditation," as a means of promoting good health • Meditation and internal alchemy • Suggestions for further reading and other resources




Heart Shock


Book Description

This book describes in detail the effects and ongoing impacts of trauma on the body and mind and provides the 'missing piece' in the treatment of these stubborn conditions that every practitioner confronts. Heart Shock refers to the systemic impact that emotional and/or physical trauma has on one's physiology and psychology, interfering with one's ability to heal, and also directly attributable to a host of progressive pathology. Synthesizing the teachings of Jeffrey Yuen and the Shen-Hammer lineage and focusing heavily on psychology, Ross Rosen addresses how to identify, diagnose, and treat Heart Shock from multiple perspectives, providing a multi-faceted approach to treatment, including all the acupuncture channel systems, herbal medicine and the use of essential oils. The approach presented can also be expanded to treat any condition or disease process.




Chinese Acupuncture


Book Description

Soulie de Morant's masterpiece is the most detailed study of acupuncture available in a Western language. It was nominated for a Nobel prize and provided the foundation for French acupuncture. This text is divided into 5 parts: the energetics of acupuncture, the application of the energetics, physiology, meridians and points, and treatment. This book is a unique historical document, but more than this, it is the most practical of texts and has already served a generation of clinicians well.




Explanations of Channels and Points


Book Description

Explanations of Channels and Points (Volume 1) is a Qing dynasty acupuncture commentary by Yue Hanzhen (1602-1693 CE). Despite having never been published, this work has survived owing to its historical significance. It was the first to integrate point locations and classical channel pathways, thereby setting a precedent of assigning a numbering scheme to channel points.The first volume includes explanations of the points and channels of the lung, large intestine, stomach, spleen, heart, small intestine and bladder channels. In addition to a discussion of text, author and the various historical texts mentioned in this work. Explanations of Channels and Points (Vol. 1), as a text is an important landmark in the development of Chinese Medicine, not only for its early use of numbering the points but also for its explanations of the pathomechanisms of disease. Its systematic approach, which is heavily sourced from the classics, was not uncommon for works of this era involving herbalism, but rarely was it achieved with the degree of detail and clarity found in Yuè Hánzhēn''s writing and applied to acupuncture. The entries for each point are comprehensive and clear, that they require little assistance for immediate understanding and application of the techniques suggested by the author. Michael''s translation makes this information accessible to the English speaking world. In doing so, has provided an essential and hitherto unavailable link to bridge the Chinese Medicine Classics and modern TCM practice. Given the readership it deserves this book could change the way we look at points and education in Acupuncture for the better. - Tyler Rowe, L.Ac., Institute of Classics of East Asian Medicine Instructor When I began studying Chinese language, one of my goals was to read ancient texts on acupuncture-moxibustion. Once I begin trying to decode some of the old acupuncture and moxibustion texts, I was shocked as to how different they were from modern English books on the points. So much of what I had studied in school was nowhere to be found. This brought me to an existential crisis that I have not fully resolved. If modern texts are correct, were the ancients wrong? Did they lack understanding of points functions and indications? If so, how did acupuncture even survive? Or had the modern texts gone astray? But then why does it seem to work in clinic? I have found that understanding ancient acupuncture is not a matter of digging deeper into what we already ''know''; it is really a different world. Explanation of the Channels and Points is a great place to enter into that world. Much of this text originated in Língshū 靈樞 (The Miraculous Pivots) or can be found in earlier books such as Zhēnjiǔ Dàchéng 針灸大成 (The Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion). What makes Explanation of the Channels and Points unique is the commentary given by the author. Old texts tend to pass on earlier information and make statements without explanation. Either the student figures out the whys by pondering the text, or he takes the information based on faith in the experience of earlier generations of physicians. Taking information on faith may have been acceptable for Chinese doctors in the past, but in modern times, we want to know why. While the reasoning in Yuè Hánzhēn''s explanations often does not follow our modern logic, it is still precious for providing insight into how doctors of the past processed information. Chinese medicine is not just learning a bunch of new facts. It also uses a different type of logic. This book not only elucidates why each point treats specific indications; it gives great insight into the manner of thinking used by famous doctors of the past. In this way, we can learn to be more fluent in Chinese medical thought, which will only assist us in treating patients. - Lorraine Wilcox, L.Ac., translator of Miscellaneous Records of a Female Doctor




The Birth of Acupuncture in America


Book Description

The Birth of Acupuncture in America: The White Cranes Gift is the first accessible and entertaining introduction to acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine for the ordinary reader. A basic overview of the field that has long been missinga short and readable, but authoritative guidebook that thousands of Americans who rely on acupuncture have always wanted. Even better, its author is one of the actual founders of this field in the U.S., Dr. Steven Rosenblatt. Among its many virtues, The Birth of Acupuncture is a narration of the story of Dr. Ju Gim Shek. As revealed in this book for the first time, Dr. Ju was a real-life medical hero, a deeply devoted teacher who first brought the gift of acupuncture and Chinese medicine to America. Beginning with a chance meeting in 1968, Dr. Ju passed his knowledge to the author, Steven Rosenblattwho he affectionately called the Chairmanand to a handful of other students. This small group of bold pioneers was the first graduating class in a field that has now grown to 18,000 licensed practitioners in the U.S.




The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine


Book Description

Annotation A historical and philosophical foundation to traditional medical practice in China. Ilza Veith provides an extensive introduction to this classic work in which the Yellow Emperor seeks information from his minister Ch'I-Po on all questions of health and the art of healing.