I am fascinated by looking at the history, philosophy, politics and evolving culture of the East Asian medicine professions. How have these medical modalities been practiced in various cultures and times? What happens when traditional medicine encounters contemporary commerce, technology, social expectations and organizations? What can we learn when we use the tools of philosophy to examine East Asian medicine, both in its foundations and its manifestations?
I’m also very interested in how learning and practicing East Asian medicine affects us as practitioners. How does it shape who we are? If we take our teachers and traditions seriously and “make the medicine our own,” what does that mean? How can we use the theories and energy of this ancient knowledge to become better people and, thus, practitioners?
This is the heart of my geekery, and I welcome you to it. 🙂
Note: I use the term “Professions” because there are many different professions contained within East Asian medicine including acupuncturists, Chinese herbalists, medical qigong practitioners, tuina and other SE Asian bodywork practitioners, and more. While I can best speak specifically to “acupuncturists” (which are usually also herbalists) in the US and Canada – the underlying philosophies and principles underpin all of these diverse practices.
The Personal in the Professional
- Simple actions you can take to strengthen the East Asian medical professions
- The importance of lineage in [Chinese] medicine
- Chinese medicine and liberation
- In which I am reminded again that Chinese medicine theory can save my life
Phenomenology and East Asian Medicine
- Phenomenology and Classical Chinese Medicine
- Phenomenology and Chinese Medicine – Body as medical technology
- Phenomenology and Chinese Medicine – lifeworld, holism and integrative medicine
- Phenomenology and Classical Chinese medicine – opening doors for further exploration
Professional oaths and values
- The professional culture of East Asian medicine in the US : an introduction
- A Chinese medicine oath serving as a foundation for acupuncture medical ethics
- The culture of professional Chinese medicine in the US : the reality and use of nature-centrism as a value
This evolving resource page includes links and information from Deepest Health, as well as from other websites where appropriate. Last update : Sunday, September 19, 2021 1pm PST.