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Teaching Acupuncture the Right Way Student-centred Acupuncture Learning Acupuncture My Way
Acupuncture Dream 1Acupuncture Dream 2
Acu 1On Dec 1, 2013, at 9:43 PM, <[email protected]> wrote:
Dear Dr JEON Jaewon, Your required textbook 400 acupoints to pass the exam may killme at 74 year old. I shall happily learn 50 to pass the exam, or you can fail me as you please. In the pre-exam review class tomorrow, Monday,2 December 2013, would you be so merciful as to tell me which 50 acupoints I must learn---just to pass the exam? I am only interested in points that are most useful, most used, with best results. I’ll have only seven more days to memorize the points before this mid-term exam on Monday, 9 December 2013. Guanyin Bodhisattvaya!
Kwan KWAN Lihuen 关关关 (LH Kwan)88-2768 West King Edward AvenueVancouver, BC,Canada V6L 1T7Phone: 1-604-222-3033E-mail: [email protected] pages: http://www.kwanlihuen.wordpress.com
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------------o0o-----------
Sent: Sunday, December 01, 2013 10:30 PMSubject: Re: Acupuncture Exam 2013-12-09 Dear Mr. Kwan, The Acu 1 midterm covers about 250 points, not 400 points. I am really sorry to tell you this, but I cannot give you a list of 50 points in order for you to pass the exam. If I do that, it won't be fair to your classmates. You've been doing great so far on weekly quizzes. I wouldn't be worrying too much about passing the exam, if I were you. I just hope that you do your best. If you fail (I actually doubt that it will happen), you can talk to me again after theexam.See you tomorrow, Jaewon Jeon -----Original Message----- From: J Jeon Sent: Tuesday, December 03, 2013 9:03 PM To: <[email protected]> Subject: Cataract Dear Mr. Kwan, I heard you sent me email regarding cataracts treatment, but Idid not receive it. I assume you forgot to add me when you senout email. Anyway, if you want to get treatments for your eye condition, I advise you to seek a licensed TCM doctor who is specialized in treating eye disorders. It is not safe for you to practice acupuncture on your own because you have not had any training yet to practice acupuncture. Consult with a TCM doctor, and see what he/she can do for your eye condition. About the acu 1 midterm: because the main component of this course is mastering acu points, I did not make any change on the exam to accommodate your demand. I would bend the rule if I am tutoring you only, but this is the course for students
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who will need to practice acupuncture on patients later on; I do not think knowing 50 points would be sufficient enough for them to be competent practitioners in the future. Students in the past have had no problem studying the same amount of materials that were given to you, so I think you and your classmates will do fine as well. Best regards, Jaewon Sent from my iPad
-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, December 03, 2013 11:39 PM Subject: 250 Acupoints for Mid-term Exam Dear Teacher Dr Jaewon, Thank you very much for your response! I shall do my best with the mid-term exam on Monday, 9 December 2013. Since you will not bend, I shall bend to study all the 250 points, even though I am not studying acupuncture to make a living or even earn a little more money, since I have three pensions to live on. I am studying Chinese medicine, including acupuncture, becauseI am interested in the philosophy of Chinese medicine, e.g. the theory of Yin Yang and Five Elements. I study acupuncture because it is surgery with the needle as surgery with the scalpel in Western science-based medicine. The needle andthe scalpel
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are both steel weapons, invasive and terrible, and can both more easily kill patients than herbs or chemotherapy, so much so that patients are too scared to doubt them, the scalpel or the needle, as unscientific metaphysical nonsense. I study Chinese medicine because many people still think Chinese medicine, including acupuncture, is placebo or nonsense. I want to explain how Chinese medicine, herbs, acupuncture, and Chinese medical psychology, are scientific because they can be, though not yet, testable and falsifiable like other sciences. Today, Chinese medicine and acupuncture are practised as unfalsifiable metaphysics, or religion, or astrology, because you can never prove the theories false: errors are either covered up or explained away, as in religion or astrology. Unfalsiable conjectures are, for example, assertions of reincarnation or nihilism, that God exists or does not exist, that the stars inthe universe add up to an odd number or even number, that there is a one ton diamond somewhere in the universe, or there is a cancer cure in Chinese medicine, only if you could find it. I want to show that Chinese medicine and acupuncture are not only a pseudo-science, like astrology and geomancy (fungshui). I want to show that Chinese medicine and acupuncture are not nonsense.
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I want to show it with the needle. Problem: Legally I shall not be allowed to use the needle unless I pass the public exam administered by the College of Traditional Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of British Columbia (CTCMA). Examinations strangle curiosity, interest, enthusiasm, doubt, criticism, challenge, argument, and, worst of all, kill questions and discussion in your class. Examinations scare students into silent submissive cowards. They have no time for questions or argument. They have to memorize 400 points for the final exam. I have witnessed few questions, little discussion, and never argument in the classes at our School, International College of Traditional Medicine of Vancouver, in the courses of Chinese Tuina Massage, History ofChinese Medicine, or First-year Acupuncture. They choked my enthusiasm. I have struggled and survived so far, though I do not know how much longer. I have thought more than once ofdropping out from your class, because it had been stressful and frightening, even though you are a young and beautify woman as my teacher, unlike toughbut immature macho men like Harper. I live better with teachers like Bertrand Russell or Socrates than Plato or Hitler. I don't know whether I can survive a Margaret Thatcher, who cannot smile. You smile, innocent and fresh.
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Truly and respectfully,Your student,Kwan
---------------------o0o-------------------- > -----Original Message----- From: Luc Ortelli> Sent: Sunday, February 09, 2014 1:14 PM> To: [email protected]> Subject: Next Acu 1 class>> Dear Mr Kwan,>> After what happened last class and the months before I really felt the > need to write you. I would like to avoid any heated discussions during the > class hours in the future, and therefore I think it's betterif I express > my thoughts by email.>> If my words sound harsh or rude, please forgive me, but I will have to be > straight with you.>> I have to be honest with you, your comportment towards Jaewon, is a > behaviour that I have never experienced during my time as a university > student, which is a total of 10 years. Never have I heard a student talk > with so much disrespect and anger to a teacher, who is just doing her work > properly. The amount of aggression that can be heard in yourvoice, and > the content of your words are rude, intimidating, and don't fit the > purpose of why we are all in class for.>> During the last class you accused the class of "only caring about the
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> exam" and "not being really interested in the subject". I can tell you > from the bottom of my heart (and I dare to speak for all my fellow > classmates), that you are seriously mistaking. You are the only one who is > taking just 2 courses, and who is doing them to write a thesis about the > "mistakes of tcm". We are here to pursuit a career in healthcare with the > ultimate goal to help people in their healing process. We actually really > care about everything we learn at school, because we know that the > material is valuable for us becoming a good and professionalpractitioner > in the future. This is also the reason why almost all of us are passing > the exams, we take them seriously and work very hard for them.>> We have all clearly understood that you have build up a lot of frustration > after failing the midterm exam. But there is absolutely no reason to point > the finger at the teacher for you having insomnia, high blood pressure and > being depressed. Accusing another person of problems that you have created > yourself is mean, in this case completely untrue and inappropriate.>> Your behaviour towards the teacher and in general inside theclassroom, is > disturbing for all of us. I don't believe you realize that you are > interrupting the teacher almost in every phrase. You don't even put up > your hand or ask for permission to ask a question, you just overpower her > with your voice. Almost without any exception, your questions are
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> questions that are not helping anybody in the class, and if you would ask > me, I don't believe they are helping you understand the material as well. > Most of your questions are questions that would fit classes such as > "foundations of tcm, diagnostics, and acupuncture 2".> You often forget the purpose of acupuncture 1, which is onlyto learn the > "locations" of the points. And nothing else.>> I can speak for the whole class of full time students that we disapprove > your behaviour towards us and the teacher. Calling us "whiteghosts", > wanting to get needled in the class, and constantly challenging the > teacher in her knowledge of the "mandarin point names", and the > effectiveness of the acupuncture points, is not helping the productivity > of the class.>> I want to share with you that certain have considered filinga complaint > against you, but haven't due to your age. Therefore I want to kindly, but > strongly ask you to change your behaviour during class, and stop > interrupting the doctor during her teachings. Until now, ourclass has > been very patient and respectful towards you, but like mentioned earlier, > this patience is reaching it's limit. You are not having a private lesson, > but you are situated in a collective group, and you will need to adapt and > respect the needs of the class.>> I hope you will take my advice into consideration. So that we can continue
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> our acupuncture 1 classes with respect towards each other, and more > important, towards Jaewon.>> With best regards,> Luc Ortelli
>>> Sent from my iPhone---------------------o0o--------------------- > On Feb 10, 2014, at 12:41 AM, <[email protected]> wrote:Attachment: > <Agassi Teaches 关关关关关关 2010 09 23 edition 关.doc>> <Agassi's Philosophy of Education 关关关关关关关 draft 19 关.doc>
> Dear Luc,> Thank you very much for your honest and frank criticism. I accept your > criticism.> My voice was like thunder, my words like thunder bolts striking Dr > Jaewon JEON I was rude. I was mad.> I shall in class say sorry to my teacher Dr JEON and to the whole class > for my rude behaviour and ask all to forgive me, especially Dr JEON.> Please feel free to forward this message to our classmateswhose e-mail > address you may have and which I don't, or you can print outthis message > together with your criticism and circulate them together to the whole > class.> Even truth does not justify rudeness, let alone dubious truth. Even > Socrates was not rude to the sophists, let alone an insignificant foolish > old Chinaman.> Sarah advised me to think twice before I apologize, because she found me > apologizing too easily and too much at our restaurant lunch. In this
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> case, however, I don't need to think twice before I apologize. You felt > offended: the whole class felt offended. It was our teacherDr TEON who > was the patient Buddha: I saw her smile, her never-fail smile.> Yours truly,> Kwan -----------o0o-----------From: xiaojing liSent: Monday, February 10, 2014 12:45 AMTo: Lihuen KwanSubject: Re: Acu 1 Stay calm, Mr. Kwan. No need for any more apology.If you are different, be different. But try to cooperate with others. Xiao Jing
----------------------Original Message----------------------From: Luc OrtelliSent: Monday, February 10, 2014 7:55 AMTo: <[email protected]>Subject: Re: Acu 1 > Dear Mr Kwan,>> Thank you for your positive and humble reply. It is very much appreciated. > I have sent it to my classmates, and I am very sure they will appreciate > it as well. I'm very happy! We can move on now and forget it ever happened! See you next week and I truly hope you are doing well.
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With kind regards, Luc>> Sent from my iPhone-------------------o0o--------------------- From: Dr TEON Jaewon Sent: Monday, February 10, 2014 8:48 PMTo: <[email protected]>Subject: Re: Acu 1 Dear Mr. Kwan, Thanks for your email.I am glad that you had a moment to think about how others may have felt in class for the last few weeks. I know that the nature of this course could be dry and boring because it requires lots of memorization; but it's how the course and theprogram are designed, so I cannot make much of modification to suit your learning needs. I hope that you can find your own way to enjoy your learning as I did in the past. Just let you know that questions are encouraged in class, but if it is not related to the subject matter in ACU 1, please save it till later. You could ask me questions during office hours or via email. Then I willbe glad to answer your questions. Best regards,Jaewon
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-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, February 11, 2014 7:31 AM To: Dr JEON Jaewon 关关关关关 Cc: Dr Henry LU 关关关关关 ; Prof. Joseph Agassi 关关关关关 Subject: Acu 1 Dear Teacher Dr Jaewon JEON, I am sorry that from depressions and insomnia, my accumulated.suppressed frustration and anger exploded and drove me mad in your Acu 1 class. Please forgive me! I shall sit in front so that you can hear me whisper my requests and questions when I again fail to hear or understand you. My English listening skill is not good. Popper in "Agassi's Philosophy of Education" (attached) explains how the rigid design dictated by CTCMA College of Traditional Chinese Mediicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists) for the Acupuncture programme, compartmentalized and disintegrated for administrative control, is un-educational. You are chained by it, and I am strangled andchoked by it, killing me. My cry in class is that of a trapped animal. I do not understand how you smiled through the whole drama. Are you a Buddha? Year of the Horse, wishing you"Happy, Healthy, Wealthy, Wise!" Truly and respectfully,Your student,
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Kwanlihuen
---------------Original Message---------------- From: Kee Y. LAM (Professor Emeritus, UBC Maths.)Sent: Tuesday, February 11, 2014 11:38 AMTo: [email protected]: acupuncture class Dear Kwan, From the e-mails you forwarded to me recently, I cansee that you have some difficulty with your acupunctureclass, especially with the teacher. I think the classmate who sent you a long e-mail isquit4e reasonable. Careful consideration of his remarksmight be a way to dissolve some of your frustration. Ifyou feel that talking the matter over on the phone mayhelp, then I can be a listener. Hope things will improve soon. Kee
-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] Sent: Wednesday, February 12, 2014 9:05 AM To: Prof. Kee Y. LAM 关关关关关 Cc: Dr JEON Jaewon 关关关关关 ; Dr Henry LU 关关关关关 ; Prof. Joseph Agassi 关关关关关 Subject: Acu 1 Dear Kee. Thank you very much for your advice. My classmate Luc's criticism is valid. I have apologized for my rudeness,and shall apologize again in class on Monday, February 17th at2:00 p.m. Ishall first request Luc to read aloud his criticism in full. Then I shallread aloud my written apology or improvise a new one. Even Socrates was not rude to the sophists, and he drank the hemlock,
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verdict by democracy. Jesus was crucified: he madly drove thehawkers outof the temple. Confucius asked questions on everything he wasintroduced toin the state temple on his official first visit, and was criticized for hisignorance as a well-known rites master. Confucius answered, "That isreverence demanded of me by the rites, for fear that I may havemisunderstood and am in error about the rites." ("关关关关关关关 关关关 关关关 关关关关 关关关 关关关关，（），：。"the Buddha says, "Without doubt, you cannot gain wisdom." Confucius and theBuddha were smart, and were not killed. Kwan is only an insignificant ant.With the acupuncture needle, you can easily kill the patient. Questions andreverence are necessary. But NO rudeness or madness. University curriculums and exams are designed for the convenience of andcontrol by the professors and administrators. They are notstudent-centered. My hiking big brother Charles Arthur said, "Ever sincethe universities announced the admission mark, say 80%, from school exams,grade 12 students have no time or interest for questions or enquiry.Everything is obediently under control, and so ends the headaches of theteachers from curious students." My apology will not solve the problem. I shall politely and gently askquestions on what I don't understand or study problems I cannot solvemyself. The problem is there is no time for questions in the weeklythree-hour class. Acu 1, first year of the three-year syllabus, allows onlythe memorizing of locations of 400 acupuncture points. For the past five
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months, not a single demonstration treating a sick student in class wasallowed, though requested. Indications (conditions for treatment), needlingtechniques, or clinical observation or practice, have to waitfor thesecond and third years in due course. The three-year acupuncture course at school costs $20,000. Acu 1 costs$1,200 for 82 hours of class. Three tines I paid $50 for a two-hourprivate tutorial. Three times I paid $60 for a one-hour acupuncturetreatment by professional acupuncturists for my illness to experienceacupuncture and learn the points used. I have almost drained out my savingsaccount. 1. Could students practise acupuncture on themselves or on one another? 2. Could there be school tutorials of small groups, say four students eachgroup, eachled by a tutor for questions and discussions, in addition to the teacherreading out from the text book or projected text on screen in class? 3. Teacher Dr Jaewon JEON's new one-hour office time, 1:00 2:00 p.m. beforeclass, available for student questions, is graciously generous. It willsolve problems from the previous class a week ago. not when the problemsarise and fresh in class. And you cannot monopolize the wholehour toyourself. And you won't hear problems from other students or answers by theteacher to those problems.
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My rudeness has no defense. Yours truly and sincerely,Kwan -----------------Original Message----------------- From: Peter BallinSent: Wednesday, February 12, 2014 12:05 PMTo: [email protected]: Re: Acu 1 "I shall first request Luc to read aloud his criticism in full. Then Ishallread aloud my written apology or improvise a new one." (Kwan.) Kwan, since you are open for advice, don't do this. It's a furtherimposition on class time. Good luck, with hopes of a happy outcome for all. Peter
-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] Sent: Wednesday, February 12, 2014 2:35 PM Subject: Acu 1 My dear teacher Peter, Thank you very much for your wise advice! Learning Biology in Hong Kong disgusted me. Learning Biology from you, Ifell in love with the subject. In Hong Kong, I had to memorize 20 names fora single plant for petty biology; you made it fascinating teaching memacro-biology, e.g. the theory of evolution, and identifying ten
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interesting indigenous or migrant birds with their sighting location, time of the year, their sizes, shapes, colours, behaviour, etc. Homework. self-guided field trip, observing animal behaviour, puzzled by one bird mounting on another on land, and a different species doing the same on water, was enlightenment when you answered me that it was mating season. The class field trip to Tofino study of the inter-tidal species was also new and wonderful discovery to me. Geometry I found beautiful, simple, yet powerful. But when my grade 12 chemistry teacher put me down for asking too many questions, questions he said not even scientists of he day still had no answer to, I changed school and studied Macbeth: "Is this a dagger which I see before me? Come, let me clutch thee. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible to touch as to sight?" Father Sheridonhad us boys play the roles on the school stage. I still remember the lines. But vanished was my wish to study medicine, without biology or chemistry. I love Chinese medicine, and want to sort out its science, pseudo-science, metaphysics, superstition, and nonsense. This is important, as one bright and humorous student, Jayred, in the History of Chinese Medicine class said when the teacher Dr Claire KAO asked in the first class why we took the course, "I want to kill as few people as
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possible. " My answer was, "I want to find out the great and glorious mistakes in its three-thousand-year history, mistakes covered up and still repeated today. In other words, I am interested in the exposure and elimination of errors in Chinese Medicine. Science is the elimination of errors. (Popper/Agassi.) Today, Chinese Medicine, as it is,is as unreliable and also successful as Chinese astrology or Chinese Fengshui (geomancy), all three proudly claiming to be based on experience (关关关关 science of experience) rather than experiments (关关关关 science of experiments.) Imagine covering up the error of an earth-centred planetary system in our sun-centred planetary system, or the honorable error of Newtonthat a beam of light always travelled in a straight line, which Einstein;srelativity proved false, that the light beam could be bent by the gravitational pull of the sun. The knowledge of such great errors are enlightenment for me, which makes the study interesting and fascinating. I believe so it is in Chinese Medicine. Respectfully,Your student,Kwan -----------------Original Message------------------ From: Peter BallinSent: Wednesday, February 12, 2014 3:31 PMTo: [email protected]: Re: Acu 1
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I suspect that many of those around you do not understand the beauty and complexity of the type of seeking in which you are engaged. For too many, one is either for or against.
------------o0o-----------To: Peter Ballin Cc: Dale Beyerstein 关关关 ; Prof. Joseph Agassi 关关关关关 ; Prof. Kee Y. LAM 关关关关关 Subject: Acu 1 Dear Peter, You understand, Prof. Agassi understands, Dale (Byerstein) understands, and Prof Kee LAM understands: that is many. Thank you! I feel consoled. I am not defending my rudeness, nor my madness, which have no defense, but only need to be apologized for, and I have. Sincerely,Kwan
-----------------Original Message---------------- From: Luc OrtelliSent: Wednesday, February 12, 2014 10:41 PMTo: <[email protected]>Subject: Re: Acu 1 Dear Mr Kwan, I agree with peter, it's just a waist of time reading everything out loud. The class has read both the emails like you requested, so theyknow about your apologies. Change is the only thing that matters. Thank you for
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forwarding your emails. I think you do a mug better job expressing yourself in writing than during class hours! And this is a compliment! See you next monday. With best regards, Luc Sent from my iPhone > On Feb 12, 2014, at 5:31 PM, <[email protected]> wrote:
-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] Sent: Thursday, February 13, 2014 8:11 AM To: Luc Ortelli Subject: Acu 1 Dear Luc, Thank you very much for punching my mad conduct in class. Youpunched me on my Yin Tang acupuncture point, between my two eyebrows. It woke me up. That was the acupoint I begged our teacher Dr Jaewon JEON to needle and treat me for my flaring liver fire (uncontrollable anger) in class, for me to be healed on the spot, and to experience the teaching. Shewas teaching that point that afternoon. My Tuina physiotherapy teacher Dr Cyndia YOU three years ago treated me in class to demonstrate the teaching when I had broken my shoulder blade into three pieces, broken two ribs, and punctured my lung, from snowboarding.
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She did it in two classes in the two weeks. They were good lessons: we all learned. It is legal for a teacher, a registered acupuncturist, to needle a student in class, though not the other way round. 'Yin Tang' means 'the Seal or logo of the signboard overhead at the entrance of a hall. The name aptly describes the location of the acupoint, whereas EX-HN-3 is obscure, requiring memory effort to decipher. That explains my request to Dr Jaewon to give me the name, notnecessary in Chinese pronunciation, since it would be as difficult for her as it is for me to memorize the locations of 400 acupoints, but simply the translation of the name in English, to make it easier for me to know and follow what she was talking about, otherwise I should have to search for the name myself before I could understand and follow her talking, for which I should be left behind and miss what she would be going on talking and teaching, and she spoke fast, and my English listening skill was poor. My Chinese blind students, graduates from universities in Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture and Tuina Physiotherapy had never heard of the modern Western acupuncture meridian point numbers. They were tutoring me formy tests, mock-testing me. When I gave an acupuncture number with the meridian name, the intelligent girl WU Jia, specializing in infant Tuina therapy, said, "Grandpa Kwan, if I had to tell you the name of the meridian of the point,
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I'd be giving you the answer already, defeating the purpose ofthe test. And if you merely give me give me the number without the name of the point for me to help you, it would be you testing me, not me tutoring you. You're joking." I said I was not, but that was how acupuncture was taught in the West. My normal-sight 4th year students at the Guiyang College of Chinese Medicine, including acupuncture, had never heard of the meridian acupuncture point numbers either. The number device is only by and for foreigners, nick-named 'barbarian old friends' (Lao3 Fan1) in good humour, or 'Fan1 Guai2 Lou2' invulgar Cantonese, literally 'barbarian ghostly guys'. I did not say 'white ghosts'. But even 'ghost' [gui3] in Chinese medicine means the disintegrated consciousness returning to nature, in contrast with the living 'spirit' [shen2] still growing. [shen2] means the being that is extending, growinng, the wood and fire phases; [gui] means the being thatis 'returning' hone to nature, the metal and water phases of the life cycle in Chinese Medicine.. Our classmate Stephen, professional physiotherapist, said the meridian point numbers were difficult for him. He said he was not good with numbers. He dropped out from class and vanished after four weekly tests. He was kind to me, strong and healthy, but quiet and modest. He had expectedthat with his physiologist background the class would be easier for him thanit was for
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me. I miss him. Thiago, Sarah, and you were my friends in class. I felt support from Thiago and Sarah. As my friend, you did the right thing required of a true friend, i.e. to point out my errors, for correction. That is what friends are for. Between a father and a son, demanding good conduct from each other harms the loving bond. It falls on the shoulders of the true friend to honestly and frankly tell us our errors in conduct. You did. We can afford to lose friends, but we cannot afford to lose our father or son. This is the teaching of Mencius, a skip-generation disciple and successor of Confucius. As between a student and his master, I erred. Thanks to you! Kwan
From: Eugene TSIANG Ph.D. Astrophysics Sent: Saturday, February 15, 2014 11:45 AMTo: Kwanlhuen I admire your courage in challenging your acupuncture class into doing some critical thinking, but it sure doesn't look like it's the right venue. The students are in it to learn the craft for making a living and can't care less if it's physics or metaphysics, Popper or Dawkins, falsifiable or verifiable..
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--------------o0o--------------
“Acu 1” compiled by KwanlihuenVancouver, Canada2014 02 16 07:00 File: Acu 1 draft 2014 02 16 0700
KWAN Lihuen 关关关 (LH Kwan)88-2768 West King Edward AvenueVancouver, BC,Canada V6L 1T7Phone: 1-604-222-3033E-mail: [email protected] pages: http://www.kwanlihuen.wordpress.com
4965 words
TEACHING ACUPUNCTURE THE RIGHT WAYSTUDENT-CENTRED ACUPUNCTURELEARNING ACUPUNCTURE MY WAY
Acupuncture Dream 1Sunday 2014 02 16
Kwanlihuen
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“My left shoulder is aching badly. Needle my Tianzhupoint (Celestial Pillar), 1.5 cun lateral to Yamen (关关 Gate of Muteness.) Palpate for my Yamen point on the Governor Channel on the midline. Yamen is at thenape of my neck in the depression below the spinous process of my first cervical vertebra (impalpable). Just palpate down the channel from above and your finger will fall into the Yamen depression. ”
I found it, delighted.
“Use a 1-cun needle. Sterilize the spot and your finger-tips first.”
“Let the needle stay there. Now needle my Fengchi points (Wind Pools), below my occiput, at the same level as Fengfu (Wind Houses), slightly lateral and superior to Tianzhu. Palpate for it. This point is very tender to me. I’ll tell you when you’ve got it.”
I got the point, on her left side first.
“Let the needle stay there, and do the one on my right side.”
Guided step by step, I needled her left Jianjin point(Shoulder Well), midway between the tip of her acromion and Dazhui point (关关 Big Hammer/Vertebra on the midline at the base of the neck below the spinousprocess of the 7th cervical vertebra.
Then down on her left arm only.
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Guided, I needled her Jianyu (L.I.-15 Shoulder Bone) in the depression which lies anterior and inferior tothe acromion; Binao (Upper Arm L.I.-14); Shouwuli (关 关 关 Arm 5 Miles).
Quchi (关 关 Pool at the Crook L.I.-11). She flexed her arm and told me to look at the obvious lateral end of the transverse cubital crease.
Shousanli (关关关 Arm 3 Miles); Shanglian (关关 Upper Screen); Xialian (关关 Lower Screen); Wenliu (关 关 Warm Flow); Yangxi (关 关 Yang Stream L.I.-5).
Hegu (关 关 Joining Valley L.I.-4), a point she was very sensitive to. Tianzong 关关 （Celestial Ancestor S.I.-11.）
An hour and a half passed. She guided me to take outthe needles one by one.
We had a break.
Then one and a half hours of Tuina massage physiotherapy, her sitting first, then lying on her massage table, again guiding me all along, allowing me to improvise varying the manipulation sometimes. She taught me how to pluck the troubled tendons as ifof the strings of a guitar, even ‘hearing’ the bubbling sound with my fingers. I learned, hands on,what I did not experience with my first four massage patients before my Tuina massage therapy exam. She said I did it as well as a professional, with her hands on guidance. It was my best massage therapy practice.
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The session ended. She stretched and moved her limbsand joints, and said the therapy was very effective, as good as from a professional. She said she felt much better, loosened, flexible and comfortable from the treatment.
I had my best acupuncture lesson, my first real practice with the needle. It enlightened me.
My acupuncture study problem is solved. Although it was only a dream, I had a real experience, as real asreality. I have peace of mind now. Thanks to the angel in my dream!
“All I have to do is dream, dream, dream.”
(2438 words.)
