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 2, 2019 • 1h 1min
079 Cultivating the Wild- Growing Chinese Herbs in the West • Peg Schafer
As herbalists we know a thing or about the therapeutic application of botanicals. But the lifecycle of plants we work with, the way they interact with their environment, the differences between cultivated and wild medicinals, and the farmer’s eye that takes in the influence of weather, the rightness of soil, companion plants, insects, nutrients and stressors, all these are hidden from view when we are not connected to the growing and harvesting of the herbs we use.Cultivation is not just giving the plant what it wants. It also includes giving the plant what it needs so it can develop its medicinal properties. And there are risks when bringing a plant from one ecosystem to another. What lives in balance in place could become an unrestained problem in another.Listen into this conversation on the challenges, risks and opportunities of cultivating Chinese medicinal herbs in the west. Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.
Mar 26, 2019 • 1h 7min
078 Wavelengths, Milli-Watts, and Joules- A Look at Using Lasers in the Acupuncture Clinic • Lorne Brown
We all can feel the difference between a sunny and cloudy day. The influence of long summer days brings a sense of expansion, while the short weak light of winter naturally makes us turn inward. Light, the quantity and quality of it powerfully effects us. You know this in your bonesIn today’s conversation we looking into a particular kind of light— lasers. These concentrated beams of focused coherent light can be used to upregulate certain biochemical processes that help to promote healing and even can be used to promote neuroplasticity in the brain.Much like acupuncture, laser light is a a technology that seems kind of magical. And so sorting out science from imaginal flights of fancy is important if we want to understand how to skillfully apply this tool in our clinical work.Listen into this conversation that will give you some helpful basics on using lasers in your acupuncture practiceHead on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.
Mar 19, 2019 • 1h 6min
077 The Opportunity of Business • Renee Klorman and Russell Brown
Many of us think that business is something we “have” to do. But really, it is something we “get” to do. It is a kind of privilege to create a life and practice that deeply reflects who we are. And it is an opportunity to work through any issues we might have with money, power and authority.In this conversation we explore business as a creative process that allows us to bring our unique vision of health and healing into the world. And at the same time invite us to grow beyond self imposed limits and beliefs that keep us from growing into more skilled and able practitioners.Listen in to this conversation about discovery, creativity, profitability and the resources we find in ourselves when we willing inhabit the opportunity of creating a business that allows us to bring forth our latent talents.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.
Mar 12, 2019 • 53min
076 Charlotte Maxwell Clinic- A Model of Service and Effectiveness • yvonne charles
We know that acupuncture can be helpful in the treatment of chronic or ongoing illness, and can be effective in reducing the side effects of invasive or toxic treatments that go along with a cancer diagnosis.The Charlotte Maxwell Clinic has 27 years of experience helping low income women with a cancer diagnosis. Running an organization like this not only requires skilled volunteer practitioners, it requires a savvy business and operating model.Listen into this conversation about an organization with a power mission and a business model that allows it to operate in a powerful and effective way. Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.
Mar 12, 2019 • 18min
075.4 A Conversation Along the River two • Yu Guo Jun
We mistakenly thought our conversation with Dr Yu had ended, but what can I say… wrong again.There is a little more of the conversation genereated from Dr Yu’s thoughts on the qi transformation of the six confirmations and the role of theory in the 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.
Mar 11, 2019 • 36min
75.3 Learning How to Learn a Formula • Craig Mitchell
Learning formulas is far more than memorizing as series of functions and indications in a book. It requires a kind of attentiveness. A sort of rigorous and yet flexible way of parsing a patient’s signs and symptoms and checking it against both your book knowledge and clinical experience.In this discussion we explore that tender edge of knowing, not knowing and how to operate in the clinical reality of uncertainty.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.
Mar 10, 2019 • 28min
075.2 A Conversation Along the River- Investigating the Six Levels • Dr. Yu Guo Jun
Discussing medicine with a seasoned practitioner is like drinking well aged whiskey. Dr. Yu Guo Jun graciously agreed to sit down with Michael Fitzgerald and myself after his morning lecture at the Shen Nong Society’s conference.If you’re an herbalist, you’ll enjoy this discussion of the six confirmations. Listen carefully, there is something in here about how the levels connect that you might not have heard before.And do check out the PDF in the show notes area that our friends at The Lantern sent along. It will help you to better understand some of the turns in this particular 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.
Mar 9, 2019 • 1h 17min
075.1 Regulations and Privileges- the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 • Kevin Ergil
When we are putting herbs in a bag, or mixing together granules we are probably not thinking about the various laws and regulations from the FDA, or the historical arc that actually allows us to work with herbs in the way that we do.In this conversation we go into the history and impact of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994. There is a lot in the background that we don’t think about on a daily basis, and yet it provides a foundation for being able to practice with herbs.Listen in to this deep dive into the regulations that affect our practices, but which we rarely consider on a day to day basis.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.
Mar 5, 2019 • 1h 1min
074 Constitution and Present Condition- Integrating Different Perspectives • Peter Eckman
Some of the most important crossroads in our lives were not marked with a big Flashing Warning Sign, but rather instead were barely notable moments of “Oh, maybe this would be interesting.”Our guest in today’s conversation had just completed a medical degree and was looking to take a little vacation. That vacation turned into a lifelong inquiry into acupuncture and East Asian medicine.Listen into this conversation on how a sense of curiosity lead our guest from California to England to Korea and back. And has taken him deep into the investigation of pulses and constitutional medicine.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.
Feb 26, 2019 • 1h 11min
073 Connective and Conductive- Theory and Practice of Electro-acupuncture • Jeremy Steiner
Electro-acupuncture is a fairly new innovation. And thinking about its use in clinic does not quite match up with the traditional ways we’ve been taught to think about acupuncture and how it works.We know the body has a profound reliance on electricity for everything from how our brain’s function to how we sense and move our body. But how does electro-acupuncture influence our systems? And how can we combine our traditional thinking with modern bio-science?Listen in for a discussion about needles and electro-medicine.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.
