Understanding TCM easily. We think Jonathan Shub´s way is a wonderful idea to transmit the thinking of TCM. Read here more…
Meet Sun, an intuitive and curious child whose grandparents are Traditional Chinese Medicine teachers and practitioners. Sun has been studying with their grandparents, Grandparents Terra, over the last two summers when they stayed with the grandparents Terra in the country. The grandparents Terra have now moved back to the city and below is a conversation Sun had with some students at the Chinese Medicine School where the grandparents teach. Sun is giving an example of the information they have learned from their wise tutors. The information in this conversation can be gathered from the two books Sun’s Season of Channels and Sun’s Dance of the Channels both of which are available from naturmed.
Sun Shines Light on Liv 3 Taichong
Sun arrived early at the acupuncture university and decided to get a drink in the cafeteria before going to see their grandparents as they were still giving a lecture. They sat at a table and started to listen to the other students talking about channels.
Student one, “I love learning about Chinese medicine, but I find it difficult with all the things we need to memorise. I mean all the channel trajectories, not to mention the points.”
Student two, “I know. For every point we need to know the location, function and indications. No one can memorise all of it.”
Sun was smiling to themselves and told the two students, “Excuse me. I couldn’t help but overhear you talking about how overwhelmed you are with the vast amount of information you have to learn. Have you taken lectures with the Terras? The old couple who teaches here?
Both students smiled at Sun. The first student answered, “We would love to. All the other students say that once you learn from them it all makes sense. But we have not got the chance yet. We transferred from another school and their course was full.”
Sun smiled, “Well if you got a chance I would suggest taking their courses. You won’t have to memorise as much when you understand it from a logical place.”
The second student asked, “What do you mean a logical place? How is any of it logical?”
Sun was excited. They had a moment where they could show off some of their knowledge. “You know the point Liv 3 Taichong. It is indicated for headache. Why do you think that is?”
The two students looked at each other. Who was this child talking about acupuncture points. For a laugh the first student said, “Well because it is written in the book. Also, because the liver is associated with the free flow of Qi so this point will help move the Liver Qi.”
“But why would a point in the foot work on the head?” Sun asked.
Both students were lost. They did not know what to say.
Sun went on. “If you look at the leg and the foot as an image of the head and the torso the foot would be the head, the ankle would be the torso, and the knee would be the naval. Now if the foot is the head, putting a needle in the foot will treat the head. Also, The Foot Jue Yin Liver channel interacts with the Foot Shao Yang Gall Bladder channel with a relationship of Interior-Exterior or Biao Li and the Hand Shao Yang San Jiao channel with a relationship called close circuit channels. Because of the placement and the channel interactions, the Point Liv 3 Taichong treats problems in the head on the Shao Yang channel and as it is on the Foot Jue Yin Liver channel it will also treat headaches associated with the Foot Jue Yin Liver channel.”
Both students looked at Sun with amazement and confusion. Student one said, “What are these channel interactions you are talking about?”
Sun replied, “Take the course and it will make more sense.”
By Jonathan Shubs
Sun’s Dance of the Channels
Understanding Channel Interactions and Holography
is a Naturopathic practitioner in Traditional Chinese Medicine with Advanced Federal Diploma of Higher Education (Swiss), Ac. Dipl. TCM-FVS, FNMTC, NVS, EMR, ASCA
