Qiological Podcast

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. 

Doctor Huang Huang is a clinician, teacher, author and well studied expert on the Jing Fang, the classical formulas of the Shang Han Lun. He has a unique perspective on constitution and how that relates to a patient's illness, their strengths, and the kinds of herbs that will be safe and effective for them. The guest on today's show has been going to Nanjing and Studying with Dr. Huang for the past 10 years and is currently doing a Ph.D with him as his advisor. In this episode we dig into the details of Dr. Huang's approach of paying attention to patient constitution, formula function and illness presentation. Like all masterful practitioner's Huang's thoughts and methods have changed and matured over time, we discuss some of his latest thoughts on diagnosis and the use of particular formulas and herbs. Listen in and learn some news ways of considering the use of herbs in your clinic. 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 this episode we reflect on the burden and privilege of a clinical practice. How we grow into it by using a blend of our objectivity and subjectivity. And how mindfulness and a curiosity about our own internal landscape all help to inform our clinical work and development as a practitioner. We look at how learning the medicine not only helps the patients we see, but provides a deep benefit for our lives as well. And how to stay  present in the moments of failure in such a way that we can gain a deeper clarity about our work. Listen in for a discussion of how to gain a balanced sensitivity that helps us to navigate the challenges of learning from clinical experience, and support us in moving beyond the comfort of reliable skills when they don't prove so reliable.   Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. Join the discussion! Leave a comment on Qiological’s Facebook page.

We give a great amount of respect to the Classics in Chinese medicine, but understanding these foundational texts of our medicine can be challenge, even if you do understand the old form of Chinese. Just as many of struggle to get through the brilliance of Shakespeare, the classics of Chinese medicine require a particular kind of attention. And it doesn't hurt if you actually can understand the "gu wen" classical Chinese language. It's even more helpful if you engaged the other classic literature of China from an early age. Our guest in this episode did just that, and in this conversation we see how terse lines from the classics can speak eloquently to confusing cases in the modern clinic. Listen in and get a glimpse at how the classics can be applied to difficult clinical cases. You'll be wanting to spend more time with the Su Wen (Simple Questions) after this!                                    Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.  Join the discussion!Leave a comment on Qiological’s Facebook page.

Eastland Press has been bringing books on Oriental medicine from Chinese into English since the early days of Americans studying the traditional medicine of Asia. Actually, from even before there was a market for this kind of material.In this episode we go into the early history of Eastland Press. How what seemed like a good idea at the time turned into a multi-year endeavor and how Dan and John's dedication to "Westerner's owning our part of this long medical tradition" has kept them at the forefront of providing quality books for the practitioner of East Asian medicine. Listen in for an entertaining and informative piece of Chinese medicine history in the West, and for a glimpse of some future offerings from Eastland Press that you'll want for your library.     Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.    Join the discussion! Leave a comment on Qiological's Facebook page.

Oriental medicine draws distinctions between various aspects of mind, body and spirit, but unlike Western culture, it never severed the connections between these aspects of being. We know both from our experience in clinic and writings of Chinese medicine through the ages that emotional and mental processes can effect physiology and the body can deeply influence the mind. We see an entangled  system of mutual influence where Western medicine sees a hierarchy and disconnection between mind and body. In this episode we explore working with the aspect of emotions through the influence of the eight extraordinary vessels. Listen in for an introduction to how you can tap the influence of the eight extras to help your patients navigate psycho-emotive issues.   Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.    Join the discussion! Leave a comment on Qiological's Facebook page.

It’s really difficult to attract something that you actually have an aversion toward. Many practitioners have conflicted feelings about money, conflate marketing with dishonesty, and worry that material success is somehow suspect. Is it any wonder that for many acupuncturists having a thriving practice is something we both desire and at the same time avoid? In this episode we look at how a stable thriving practice comes not from doing the “business things” we dislike, but rather from the cultivation of value, integrity and responsibility. The “practice of business” is not separate from the “practice of medicine.” In fact, our business and the services we provide are as seamlessly integrated as yin and yang. Cultivating our business is no different from the cultivation of our medical skills, or any yang sheng practice we might have in life. And just as we see all kinds of problems in the conventional medical work when body and mind are split apart and considered separate, so too we cause all kinds of problems for ourselves when we image the practice of medicine and the practice of business to be separate entities. They are part of an integrated whole. Listen in to rediscover the joy and opportunities that can arise when we engage the practice of 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.    Join the discussion!Leave a comment on Qiological’s Facebook page.  

It is common knowledge that acupuncture is quite effective in the treatment of pain. However, for many of us acupuncturists we feel a bit uneasy about treating back pain in pregnant women, as we don’t want to move too much qi and blood in a pregnant woman.   In this episode our guest Debra Betts shares her long and deep experience in working with women in pregnancy, and in particular how to effectively and safely treat back pain that is due to the physiologic and hormonal changes that occur in the later stages of pregnancy.  As she reminds us, “Conventional medicine has nothing to help these women, while acupuncture can make a significant difference in these women’s lives, their ability to sleep comfortably and get about the business of daily life without pain.”  Listen in as we discuss common acupuncture points you’re sure to know about, that can bring profound relief to women that suffer this common discomfort during pregnancy.    Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.  Join the discussion!Leave a comment on Qiological’s Facebook page.

Our guest in this episode is a long time practitioner and teacher of Chinese medicine. Our discussion ranges through a number of different topics from approaching the classics in Chinese medicine, to how our practices season us and lead us in certain directions over the years, to some considerations that new practitioners might find helpful. We also discuss how to keep our growing edge vital and alive and dip into the difference between medicine and healing. Listen in as we explore the perspective of a long time practitioner of Chinese medicine who's been chewing on this stuff for a few decades.   Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.  Join the discussion! Leave a comment on Qiological’s Facebook page.

Studying medicine can be both a joyous exploration and a dry mind-numbing slog through endless technical material. In this episode we discuss the Eastland Press book "A Walk Along the River." This book is not just a glimpse into the mind of a seasoned and well-read practitioner, but also brings in the aspect of dialogue, as his clinical cases and considerations are further illuminated by the questions posed by three doctors.If you've ever read a book on medicine that gave you the "what" of a treatment, but left you hanging because it failed to include the "why," this book will be a useful addition to your library.In this discuss we discuss the process of translating, dig into Dr Yu's thinking, and touch in on how to move forward when you don't know what to do.    Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.  Join the discussion! Leave a comment on Qiological’s Facebook page.

Every acupuncturist is intimately familiar with the points and functions of the 12 commonly used acupuncture channels, as well as the functions and use of the 8 extraordinary meridians. In our studies we might have heard about the divergent channels, but for the most part we don't use these in everyday practice. For many of us, they are a bit of mystery and remain so as we generally can go about our business of helping patients with the 12 regular channels and 8 extras. In this episode we explore the use, function and treatment of the divergent channels. If you have patients autoimmune disease, or chronic issues seem to cycle but go nowhere, this conversation with Josephine Spilka will give you insights on how help your patients break these cycles of dysfunction.   Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.  Join the discussion! Leave a comment on Qiological’s Facebook page.