An Exploration of Ken Wilber’s ‘Integral Vision’ and How it Might Relate to Acupuncturists and Better Integrative Practice Gregor Joepgen This article explores the work of the American author Ken Wilber, especially looking at those aspects of his theory that might be important for those acupuncturists who are seeking to work as 'integral informed practitioners'. It was decided to use Wilber's term 'integral informed' rather than 'holistic practitioner', because it was felt that the word holistic has been used too often and in a fashion which encompasses all sorts of ideas making it often confusing and not descriptive enough any more. An integral informed practitioner, as Wilber puts it, is someone who is healed and 'wholed' first themselves, before helping others. As will be discussed by the author in more detail, Wilber describes development as a process of transcending and including. Here growth of consciousness therefore means transcending and including, and one might also call it transformation. If we become able through understanding to transcend our own limited views and then to include these views in a new and more spacious awareness and outlook on the world, then our experience will be one which is truly free, to both meet and engage with the new.
The Roots of Classical Qi Gong Master Zhongxian Wu When we study the classical Chinese traditions without attempting to truly comprehend their original meanings, do we convey and protect them, or do we damage them? Of all the classical Chinese traditions, qi gong, in particular, is not the kind of knowledge that can be learned from books or teachers alone. In this article the author attempts to explain the original meanings of the Pure Yang Mudra, how to make the mudra and to understand the importance of its cultural roots. He also discusses the cultural background of the Pure Yang Mudra and its relationship to Yijing science, internal alchemy and Classical Chinese Medicine. In guiding the reader to an understanding more about the original meanings of the Pure Yang Mudra he hopes that the reader will follow the authentic traditional way of practising classical style of qi gong in order to gain oneness with the universe.
Chemotherapy Induced Neuropathy: A Case Study April Joslin The author uses a short case study to demonstrate how, by a careful examination both of a patient's own condition and of the symptoms induced by chemotherapy, acupuncture treatment may result in significant improvements leading to the beginning of a process of self-healing.
Yoshio Manaka's Acupuncture Practice Stephen Birch This article briefly describes Yoshio Manaka's model of acupuncture practice, 'yin-yang channel balancing therapy', with its unique theories of acupuncture and systematic four-step treatment process. The essential diagnostic assessments necessary for choosing the common step one to three treatments are described, as are their typical techniques. Step four is briefly outlined. The author is teaching workshops and programs on these treatment methods in London, York and a number of locations on the continent. Several books describing these treatment approaches are already published. The article is very well illustrated.
Dr Johannes Diedericus van Buren (November 27, 1921 - May 12, 2003) Pamela Stadlen This is a personal tribute to Dr van Buren who died in May 2003. The following is an extract: "Most of the early students were taught in small groups and observed him in clinic, which was an inspirational experience for patients as well as students. During my training, in the mid-eighties, students at ICOM fought for clinics with Dr van Buren; rumours abounded of how to acquire them on the black market! It was in these clinics that students experienced a healer and master of his craft. They were intense days, as patients with inoperable brain tumours, AIDS and cancers came to him from around the world because they believed and trusted in him. Patients felt better just by being with him, and he showed great compassion towards their suffering. To enter his oak-panelled treatment room was like stepping across a threshold, and it was with awe that we watched his dedication to the pulse and body diagnosis, assessing both afresh every treatment. Watching his hands gently and intuitively palpate the body, locating the points without measuring and needling with such expertise and authenticity, are images that will never fade." Read the whole article
Professor J R Worsley (14 September 1923 – 2 June 2003) Allegra Wint The author writes about the life of Jack R Worsley (JR), who died on 2nd June 2003, who was the founder and teacher of a style of acupuncture now known as Classical Five-Element Acupuncture®. The following is an extract: "The story of his life reflects the extraordinary nature of this pioneering and innovative man. His students are indebted to JR for the gift of this work which involves engaging with nature in all its variety and richness. For me and many others, he drew aside the veil and enabled us to experience the spirit that infuses all form. He showed how the more we find our compassion, the more sensitive and accurate are our perceptions. He taught us how to sense the stultification which arises when nature is out of balance and how to encourage the quality of boundless freedom that is characteristic of health." Read the whole article
Professor J R Worsley - A Personal Tribute Meriel Darby As the title suggests, this is a personal tribute to J R Worsley who died on 2nd June 2003.The following is an extract: "He spoke of the elements and suddenly we saw them as never before, vibrant or dying, creative or useless.... He spoke of the twelve officials in such a way that they became as familiar to us as our friends.... He aroused a deep pity for the distress of illness and gave us a way of understanding even the most disagreeable of people." Read the whole article
Remodeling the Arsenal of Chinese Medicine: Shared Pasts, Alternative Futures Volker Scheid This article, which first appeared in The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Volume 583, September 2002 (pp 136-159; copyright 2002 by The American Academy of Political and Social Science and reprinted by permission), examines the definition of Chinese medicine as being based on four key concepts: (theoretical) principles, treatment strategies, methods of treatment, and concrete medicinals including drugs or acupuncture. This definition of Chinese medicine was first explicated during the 1930s and has since become a standard adopted by the Chinese medicine community in China and the Chinese government. The origin of these concepts dates back much further, however, and physicians have used them to define their tradition at least since the late Song. This suggests that despite all outside change Chinese medicine can be thought of as being built around a stable core that constitutes, as it were, its very essence. The author sets out to deconstruct such a reading by showing that although the terms have remained the same, the meaning attributed to them and the manner in which they are integrated with each other have undergone significant change. He therefore cautions us to assume that Chinese medicine is a stable tradition and argues that the idea of stability stems precisely from a mode of discourse that allows for the continuity of key terms but does not hesitate to fundamentally manipulate their significance.
History of Chinese Medicine Online: A Guide to the Useful Sites on the WWW Fan Ka-wai Traditional Chinese medicine has been playing an important role in the prevention and treatment of diseases all over the world. It is invaluable for anyone who learns Chinese medicine to also learn the history of Chinese medicine at the same time. This article is divided into four parts: introduction, institutes and societies, special topics, and journals and bibliographies. The purpose of this article is to collect useful and well-known websites and introduce them to interested people for their further study, using the www.
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