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
Oct 24, 2023 • 1h 20min
327 An Acupuncture Perspective on the Shang Han Lun • Maya Suzuki
There are several foundational texts that lay the groundwork for Chinese herbal medicine. Usually when you think about the Shang Han Lun, you’d immediately think of herbs. And when you think about the various herbs that make up the classic prescriptions, you’ll realize they all have a flavor, direction and character. In essence— a kind of qi.In this conversation with Maya Suzuki we discuss the dynamic of Gui Zhi Tang. How it leaves palpable traces in the body. And how to use acupuncture in a way that speaks to the action of each of the individual herbs, and the overall character of the formula.Listen into this conversation on the character of qi, inquisitiveness in the clinic, the trouble (and benefit) of not being able to remember everything, and how using our hands and attention helps to create a stream of attention that allows us know in the moment what to do next.
Oct 17, 2023 • 1h 3min
326 80/20 of Nutrition • Brenda Le
Confused by all the diet advice out there? Me too! Seems like there's always a new fad telling us what to eat– or not. I'm a fan of the 80/20 principle and I’ve been wondering if that might apply to diet, especially if you’re using diet as a way to improve health.I chew this over with acupuncturist and nutritionist Brenda Le and see if we can untangle some of the noise and drama around food. We’ll discuss the intertwinement of food and emotion, dealing with shame, listening to your body's signals, and more. Brenda suggests just 4 key guidelines: eat close to nature, make it yourself, plan ahead, and chew well. We also get into what to avoid - like diet cults and over-researching isolated studies.Listen into this conversation on age-old wisdom, self compassion, and making friends with food by finding your 20% for 80% success. Food should feel good!
Oct 10, 2023 • 1h 43min
325 Putting Your Heart In It • John Nieters
We have plans, but our destiny usually is not found in the maps we make of the world. It shows up in unexpected, random and often unguarded moments. There’s a lot we “do.” It does not come from knowing, but we can spin up a story in retrospect.In this conversation with John Nieters we notice how our work in time tends to simplify. That our plans and often enough lead to an unexpected potently changeable moment. We explore the East and West of blood stasis, and curiosities of the circulatory system. Along with noticing how strange it can be when you notice something everyone else seems to be missing.Listen into this discussion of potent paired points, poker, Zhuang Zi, real estate and attending to the smooth circulation of blood.
Oct 3, 2023 • 1h 21min
324 Ghost Points • Ivan Zavala
Ghost points.Read those words and let the sound echo into your head, your heart and body. Ghost points. Just the words carry an energy. An energy of spirit, of embodiment, or not. The words suggest something of the spirit that can go astray. Like a decision to never let a particular bad experience ever happen again, or on the other side, the addictive desire to recreate again and again something of the sublime.In this conversation with Ivan Zalava we consider the realm of spirit, ghosts, embodiment and psycho-emotive states that can generate a reality of their own..Listen into this discussion of memes and slogans as modern “possession”, trance states for shifting consciousness and a Chinese medicine view of ADHD.
Sep 26, 2023 • 1h 40min
323 Founding the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine • Rick Gold
If you don’t know where you want to go, it’s fine not to know where you’re going.Not all journeys have a destination– at least, not in the beginning. In the beginning you’re opening to options, surveying the landscape, getting a feel for who you are in the territory. It's the Open part of “Open, Close, Pivot.”Rick Gold, one of the founders of the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine did not start out to found an acupuncture school. He started out aiming at being a hermit in backwoods Kentucky. But as with most things in life, where we start and we end up– it can be surprising.Listen into this discussion of inquisitiveness, and how following something you find interesting will take you to places you didn’t know existed. And you just might help a lot of other people along the way.
Sep 19, 2023 • 1h 40min
322 Alchemy of the Organs • Peter Firebrace
Li Shi Zhen and Sun Si Miao, they shared an interest in alchemy. Often enough in our clinical work, patients will describe what happened with them as being magical, but as practitioners we know its not magic, its medicine. But it’s a medicine that works outside the parameters of Western thought, and the consensus of settled science.In this conversation with Peter Firebrace we explore being a Zhen Ren, a True Human, and internal alchemical practice. The journey to Emptiness through the three Dan Tian, and the process of returning to source, unity and simplicity.Listen into this conversation on the cultivation of Authenticity that goes from simple to complex and back again to simple.
Sep 12, 2023 • 1h 29min
321 Continuity and Change Within the Tradition of Chinese medicine • Volker Scheid
Chinese medicine looks to the perspectives of the past to understand the unfolding present. And for sure, there are threads of connection and perspective that come down to us through the curious tides of history. At the same time, there is this unique moment.What we hold, what we discover, these are yin yang aspects of how to make sense of a medicine patinated with history and lore.In this conversation with Volker Scheid we discuss continuity and change in Chinese medicine. And the starting point is not the deconstructivism so popular in our present moment, but rather the inquiry of Chinese poets in the 12th century.Listen into this discussion of living and dead traditions, the influence of Tang poetry, and the position of Chinese medicine in the modern world.
Sep 5, 2023 • 1h 23min
320 What I Learned in the Last Year From Teaching • Deborah Woolf
I still remember the moment when I realized that the character for Listen in traditional written Chinese was composed of the characters for Ears, Eyes, and Heart. Twenty two little strokes that unambiguously describe what is required to genuinely listen.Deborah Woolf has spent the past year teaching a course on basic Chinese for East Asian medicine practitioners. And while the content of her course is of interest to me, in this conversation what I’m more focused on is what it is that she’s learned in the past year from teaching this material.Listen into this conversation on the challenges of translation, the multidimensional nature of Chinese medicine, and key learnings and questions from the past year.
Aug 29, 2023 • 1h 45min
319 I had no idea what I was in for • Dan Bensky
If you’ve studied Traditional East Asian Medicine in English, you no doubt have benefited from the work of today’s guest.Dan Bensky has translated, written, published and taught for more years than most students entering an acupuncture school now have been alive.He set off for Taiwan in the early 70’s to follow his interest in learning Chinese. Taiwan was still under martial law and the mainland… the mainland was going through the horrors of the Cultural Revolution. Chinese medicine, not even on the radar for him, but something happened in Taiwan.Listen into this conversation on language, cultural, and learning medicine street smart style.
Aug 22, 2023 • 1h 38min
318 A Peripatetic Education • Andy Ellis
Andy Ellis, author of Foundations of Chinese Acupuncture, discusses the transformative effects of acupuncture treatments and the importance of exploring ghost points for personal growth. They also delve into the challenges of translating Chinese concepts and share their experiences studying acupuncture in Taiwan.
