February 6-7, 2010
Come and spend a weekend developing a well-structured, personal connection with the I Ching, or Book of Changes. We will explore the role of the I Ching as the catalog of possible combinations of Yin and Yang in all phenomena. You will leave this class with a sound understanding of the foundations of the I Ching and clear guidelines for ways to deepen your knowledge of this classic.
We will review the rules that govern Yin and Yang, and show how these rules apply to increasingly complex patterns. The Ba Gua, or Eight Trigrams, will be explored in great detail. We will also look closely at on 16 Hexagrams that allow you to unlock the meaning of all the others, and practice methods of using the I Ching that enable you to directly analyze your own choices and gain insight into your own personal connection with the movements of Yin and Yang all around you.
This class is open to anyone interested in a deeper understanding of the I Ching. No prior training or experience is required.
12 CEU/PDA points
Class held from 9:00-4:30pm at Sage Acupuncture, 62 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, MA 02420
Your tax-deductable investment: $295 ($250 for students)
Class size is limited to ensure individual attention and plenty of Q&A, so don’t delay, register today!
Friday, January 15, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Change in Format
I have changed the format of the Monday Missions. Instead of putting the dates in the titles, I will be heading them with "Season" and "Episode." Each Season will encompass a different larger topic, with the Episodes offering suggested exercises that build on each other. This will make it easier for people who arrive later to this part of the blog, allowing them to join in with Mission Buddies at the start of the most recent Season, rather than having to all the way back to the beginning and catch up.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Monday Mission: Season 1, Episode 2
Your Monday Mission for this week, should you choose to accept it, is to try to use your average number of points in more of your treatments, and force yourself to be more efficient in your point selection based on Actions and Effects. For this week, try to make your average number the maximum number of needles you insert. So if you found that 13 was your average number of needles, for example, try not to use more than that for any treatment this week. If you need to insert more, that is fine – the needs of your client will, of course, take precedence over the Monday Mission. So if you put your 13 in and decide that you have to put 4 more in the ears, or 3 more for the local treatment, or 20 more because it is appropriate for the treatment, go ahead and do so.
What I recommend you pay close attention to this week is the situations where you want to put in only a few more points than your calculated average. Such cases happen all the time, and are excellent ones to look at more closely after hours. Take home the files for the clients you wanted to add only a couple more points. Grab your copy of Deadman’s, or whatever other point book you prefer, and spend some time trying to see if you can make the point combination you selected for treatment a little tighter. Perhaps you are using two points to do the job that one could? Spending 15 minutes going over one case in this way can give you a tremendous amount of insight into old habits you may still be holding onto in how you choose points, but which no longer serve you. Be creative, think outside the box, and find a way to shave off those last few points from your treatment. Write the adjusted prescription in the client file (or use one of those 3M sticky notes). The next time you see that client, try the new prescription instead.
And when you try the new prescription, don’t check your critical thinking at the door! Check in with the pulse, the abdomen, or palpating the Meridians to get a sense of how well the adjusted point list is working. You may decide that some more points are, in fact, necessary. More often than not, though, you are likely to find that the new prescription works better. We all hold onto certain ideas about what points are “supposed” to do that do not actually hold up in the application of our own clinical style. This is an opportunity to say, “Hmmm… Large Intestine 4 and 20 are supposed to be good for sinus congestion, but I find that Large Intestine 6 alone does a better job!” And when you find such things out, congratulations! You have just used your Monday Mission to make your practice a little more effective, and a little more in-sync with who you really are as a practitioner and the unique gifts you bring to your treatments!
Try to do this practice every day this week. If you cannot do every day, go to the book twice this week. Every little bit helps, as long as it fits into your lifestyle. Keep notes of what you find. Talk it over with a Mission Buddy. Or post a comment below! This is an individual process for everyone, but we all learn from each other.
What I recommend you pay close attention to this week is the situations where you want to put in only a few more points than your calculated average. Such cases happen all the time, and are excellent ones to look at more closely after hours. Take home the files for the clients you wanted to add only a couple more points. Grab your copy of Deadman’s, or whatever other point book you prefer, and spend some time trying to see if you can make the point combination you selected for treatment a little tighter. Perhaps you are using two points to do the job that one could? Spending 15 minutes going over one case in this way can give you a tremendous amount of insight into old habits you may still be holding onto in how you choose points, but which no longer serve you. Be creative, think outside the box, and find a way to shave off those last few points from your treatment. Write the adjusted prescription in the client file (or use one of those 3M sticky notes). The next time you see that client, try the new prescription instead.
And when you try the new prescription, don’t check your critical thinking at the door! Check in with the pulse, the abdomen, or palpating the Meridians to get a sense of how well the adjusted point list is working. You may decide that some more points are, in fact, necessary. More often than not, though, you are likely to find that the new prescription works better. We all hold onto certain ideas about what points are “supposed” to do that do not actually hold up in the application of our own clinical style. This is an opportunity to say, “Hmmm… Large Intestine 4 and 20 are supposed to be good for sinus congestion, but I find that Large Intestine 6 alone does a better job!” And when you find such things out, congratulations! You have just used your Monday Mission to make your practice a little more effective, and a little more in-sync with who you really are as a practitioner and the unique gifts you bring to your treatments!
Try to do this practice every day this week. If you cannot do every day, go to the book twice this week. Every little bit helps, as long as it fits into your lifestyle. Keep notes of what you find. Talk it over with a Mission Buddy. Or post a comment below! This is an individual process for everyone, but we all learn from each other.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Monday Mission: Season 1, Episode 1
Your Monday Mission for this week, should you choose to accept it, is to discover the true average number of points you needle in your clients this week, and also the maximum number of points you needle. How to do this? Keep a piece of paper on hand with the date written at the top. Every time you treat a client, take a moment to count the needles you have put in, and write that number down. Also write down your client’s initials, in case you want to check something about that specific case later. At the end of the week, add the number of needles up, and divide by the number of treatments. That is your average. Then note the top three numbers of needles you inserted during the week. That gives you an idea of your maximum.
This week we are just gathering information that you will need to go forward. Next Monday we will build on this week’s work, and we will begin exploring how very useful it can be to know your average and maximum needle use for each client. When the week is over, if someone asks you, “How many needles do you use during a treatment?” You should be able to say with confidence, “About ___ on average, and usually no more than ___.”
This week we are just gathering information that you will need to go forward. Next Monday we will build on this week’s work, and we will begin exploring how very useful it can be to know your average and maximum needle use for each client. When the week is over, if someone asks you, “How many needles do you use during a treatment?” You should be able to say with confidence, “About ___ on average, and usually no more than ___.”
Mission Possible
This blog post will self-destruct in 5 minutes… bum bum Bum Bum bum bum Bum Bum BA DA BUM… BA DA BUM…
Starting in 2010, I will be starting a new feature on the blog: the weekly Monday Mission. Everyone works with different styles and has a different flow in the clinic, and the goal here is to help you develop confidence in your unique gifts and skills so you can become the best acupuncturist you can be. In essence, you will become just like those super agents from Mission Impossible. As we say in our clinic, “Healing is possible,” so every Monday we will have a Mission Possible. And, no, we will not need the Master of Disguise for these missions.
Each Mission is a suggestion for you to follow in your practice, which will hopefully give you some new insights into how you work, and increase your awareness of little details in your practice that you can modify to make your treatments more efficient and effective. The Monday Missions will build on each other over time, so if you are new to the blog, I recommend you start at the beginning and take your time going through the various exercises. Do not be in any hurry to get through the Missions. Go at your own pace, even if it means you spend longer than a week on each one. Over time, you will notice that you will be happier in your work, and your clinical efforts will feel more authentic and more “You.”
For best results, I also recommend you find a way to record, review, and share what you notice in terms of clinical results, any personal resistance that comes up, and any new ideas that are sparked by these exercises. One approach is to get a journal and keep notes. Another idea is to find a Mission buddy – a co-agent if you will – with whom you can work through the weekly entries and discuss what comes up for each of you. You can also feel free to post your experiences on the blog. There is a lot of room here for comments, and I would love to hear from you.
VIEW THE MONDAY MISSIONS
Starting in 2010, I will be starting a new feature on the blog: the weekly Monday Mission. Everyone works with different styles and has a different flow in the clinic, and the goal here is to help you develop confidence in your unique gifts and skills so you can become the best acupuncturist you can be. In essence, you will become just like those super agents from Mission Impossible. As we say in our clinic, “Healing is possible,” so every Monday we will have a Mission Possible. And, no, we will not need the Master of Disguise for these missions.
Each Mission is a suggestion for you to follow in your practice, which will hopefully give you some new insights into how you work, and increase your awareness of little details in your practice that you can modify to make your treatments more efficient and effective. The Monday Missions will build on each other over time, so if you are new to the blog, I recommend you start at the beginning and take your time going through the various exercises. Do not be in any hurry to get through the Missions. Go at your own pace, even if it means you spend longer than a week on each one. Over time, you will notice that you will be happier in your work, and your clinical efforts will feel more authentic and more “You.”
For best results, I also recommend you find a way to record, review, and share what you notice in terms of clinical results, any personal resistance that comes up, and any new ideas that are sparked by these exercises. One approach is to get a journal and keep notes. Another idea is to find a Mission buddy – a co-agent if you will – with whom you can work through the weekly entries and discuss what comes up for each of you. You can also feel free to post your experiences on the blog. There is a lot of room here for comments, and I would love to hear from you.
VIEW THE MONDAY MISSIONS
Monday, November 9, 2009
Goodbye is not The End
Keep in mind that everything you do professionally reflects on you and your practice. This includes the way you deal with difficult clients. Someone once advised me, “If your clients have a great experience, they will tell one or two other people. If they have a terrible experience, they will tell ten.” Sometimes things don’t work out in the clinic. Perhaps you find your client personally hard to work with and you cannot find a way to improve your relationship. Perhaps your client has had an upsetting emotional release or reacted badly to a misunderstanding around something you said. Or perhaps the acupuncture simply does not work as quickly as your client would like, and he decides to stop treatment. Whatever the case may be, when things do not work out, you still have to be professional and deal with your client openly and with compassion.
I recently heard a story of a teacher who told his class that when he didn’t like a client, he needled her badly, so she would go away and not come back. Now, I heard about this third-hand, so I am going to give the teacher the benefit of the doubt and assume that this was meant as a joke. It was not, unfortunately, heard in that way by his student, who thought this was a valid option in the clinic. I am going to… suggest… that intentionally causing pain to a client is not only a horrible and immoral idea, but that it is also a terrible business practice. This one is for all you out there for whom “horrible and immoral” is not enough to deter you from thinking that this intentional-bad-needle thing is a good idea: If a client were actually treated in that way, you would not just lose one client. That client would revile you, by name, every time acupuncture came up in conversation.
Imagine a group of people talking at a party somewhere. One person mentions that he is considering trying acupuncture for the first time. Standing nearby is a former client of yours who, for whatever reason, was not helped by your treatment. One of two things happens next. In the case where you intentionally caused her pain in order to get rid of her, she chimes in that she tried acupuncture and saw YOU (she will remember your name) and that you were terrible and it was the most painful thing ever. Hmm... In the case where you held a compassionate space for your client, dealt openly with her and perhaps referred her to the homeopath down the street, she chimes in that she tried acupuncture, it didn’t work out, but that her practitioner (she might not remember your name) tried very had and ended up referring her to her awesome homeopath who did such wonderful things for her.
Everything you do professionally reflects back on your practice and your name. So treat every client how you would want to be treated if you were in their shoes.
I recently heard a story of a teacher who told his class that when he didn’t like a client, he needled her badly, so she would go away and not come back. Now, I heard about this third-hand, so I am going to give the teacher the benefit of the doubt and assume that this was meant as a joke. It was not, unfortunately, heard in that way by his student, who thought this was a valid option in the clinic. I am going to… suggest… that intentionally causing pain to a client is not only a horrible and immoral idea, but that it is also a terrible business practice. This one is for all you out there for whom “horrible and immoral” is not enough to deter you from thinking that this intentional-bad-needle thing is a good idea: If a client were actually treated in that way, you would not just lose one client. That client would revile you, by name, every time acupuncture came up in conversation.
Imagine a group of people talking at a party somewhere. One person mentions that he is considering trying acupuncture for the first time. Standing nearby is a former client of yours who, for whatever reason, was not helped by your treatment. One of two things happens next. In the case where you intentionally caused her pain in order to get rid of her, she chimes in that she tried acupuncture and saw YOU (she will remember your name) and that you were terrible and it was the most painful thing ever. Hmm... In the case where you held a compassionate space for your client, dealt openly with her and perhaps referred her to the homeopath down the street, she chimes in that she tried acupuncture, it didn’t work out, but that her practitioner (she might not remember your name) tried very had and ended up referring her to her awesome homeopath who did such wonderful things for her.
Everything you do professionally reflects back on your practice and your name. So treat every client how you would want to be treated if you were in their shoes.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Keeping an Open Heart
It is inevitable in building our practices that we will see clients who are belligerent, unpleasant, and just “push all our buttons.” The most important thing to ask yourself in such a situation is whether you can have love for this person. In order to do your best treatment, you need to feel a love-your-fellow-human love for each of your clients. This love helps you to see the best in people. When you see the best in your clients, you will be looking for possibilities for growth and healing, and your treatments will always be successful. Regardless of whether symptoms go away, you will be moving your clients towards a better state of health in their lives, and doing your job correctly.
Without love, you can get bogged down in your work by things your clients may do or say that upset you or make you feel diminished in your authority and validity as a practitioner. You do not have to like everything your clients say and do. What you have to do is be as grounded as you can in the face of whatever comes, and address things that have become difficult. A strain on the relationship between you and your client that is not addressed will grow over time. It will be like the proverbial elephant in the room for you, and will create a distance between you and your client. At that point, you will no longer see the best in them, you will miss opportunities for helping them get to their best health in life, and you will end up allowing your own greatness as a practitioner to be diminished.
The other day, on my way to work, I was stopped at a traffic light near some road construction that narrowed the space for cars to get through. As the light was about to change so I could go, a lady surged forward and stopped suddenly to spectacularly block the grid, forcing everyone to wait until we could squeak around her. For three blocks, I was pissed off. After that, I was able to breathe and think about the look on that woman’s face. She wasn’t trying to inconvenience anyone. She just made a mistake. And she was clearly embarrassed and off-center as she sat in the middle of the intersection. This is what I mean by love. When I was angry, all I saw was the bad in her. When I was able to open my heart, I had compassion for the fact that she was probably a good person who was just having a bad day.
Your clients will have bad days. Heck, they could be in the middle of a bad month or year when they come to see you. Give them the benefit of the doubt. Hold a space of love for them. Try to see the best that they could be, and do the best you can to help them. And if all else fails, do the right thing and give them a good referral to another practitioner you respect and who you genuinely think could help them.
Without love, you can get bogged down in your work by things your clients may do or say that upset you or make you feel diminished in your authority and validity as a practitioner. You do not have to like everything your clients say and do. What you have to do is be as grounded as you can in the face of whatever comes, and address things that have become difficult. A strain on the relationship between you and your client that is not addressed will grow over time. It will be like the proverbial elephant in the room for you, and will create a distance between you and your client. At that point, you will no longer see the best in them, you will miss opportunities for helping them get to their best health in life, and you will end up allowing your own greatness as a practitioner to be diminished.
The other day, on my way to work, I was stopped at a traffic light near some road construction that narrowed the space for cars to get through. As the light was about to change so I could go, a lady surged forward and stopped suddenly to spectacularly block the grid, forcing everyone to wait until we could squeak around her. For three blocks, I was pissed off. After that, I was able to breathe and think about the look on that woman’s face. She wasn’t trying to inconvenience anyone. She just made a mistake. And she was clearly embarrassed and off-center as she sat in the middle of the intersection. This is what I mean by love. When I was angry, all I saw was the bad in her. When I was able to open my heart, I had compassion for the fact that she was probably a good person who was just having a bad day.
Your clients will have bad days. Heck, they could be in the middle of a bad month or year when they come to see you. Give them the benefit of the doubt. Hold a space of love for them. Try to see the best that they could be, and do the best you can to help them. And if all else fails, do the right thing and give them a good referral to another practitioner you respect and who you genuinely think could help them.
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