Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter, Phoenix, Arizona （日本鍼灸、アリゾナ）

Japanese Acupuncture, LLC (480) 246-0624: 

600 N. 4th Street, Unit 147, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter, Arizona
Volume 2, No. 1: January, 2009
Oriental Medicine & On Human Conditions
You are what your deep, driving desire is.
As your desire is, so is your will.
As your will is, so is your deed.
As your deed is, so is your destiny.
(Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: IV.4.5)
Chapter Two
Heart: Joy, Arrogance, and Transcendence #1

知不知　上、不知知、病
                                                     老子
To realize that one does not know is superior,
Not to realize that one does not know is a (spiritual) disease.                                              Lao Zi (Tao Te Ching, 71)
A virtuous person learns ten and thinks he has learned one, but an arrogant person thinks he has mastered ten by learning one. It is important here that Lao Zi used the word "disease (病: Bing in Chinese, Byo in Japanese)" to describe the arrogance of man. His teaching also tells us that irrationality (craziness) comes from ignorance and conceit comes from shallowness. We could say that arrogance is the beginning of mania.* He concludes that a sage knows that it is a disease, therefore, he does not get sick (聖人不病…是以不病).
*Mania: The Heart of the Fire Element is represented by joy, but ancient Chinese warned us that over-joy is a mania, a disease. In Ling Shu chapter 8*, it reads: when the Heart (energy) is Excess, there is an unceasing laughter.*Ling Shu (Spiritual Pivot): from Huang Di Nei Jing (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon).
The Heart is the Element that radiates and creates with respect and confidence. It is the realm of "I think, therefore I am." Its purpose is to transcend like a phoenix rising from the ashes of fire. Before the transcendence, however, we must cut off an illusion, arrogance. The ultimate ignorance is to think that one is superior without realizing that there is yet a higher entity, God, or not realizing the Self within.
Before I lead you to the spiritual level of the Heart Element, I would like to start with its physiological aspect. I often mention in my lecture series that men are terrible at taking care of themselves, and whereas women are more aware of their bodies and act when they need help. They are more survival oriented. Men are suicidal. Whereas men are blocked by their own egos and arrogance, they tend to wait too long for help. I have a good friend whose father died of heart disease, so he is subconsciously fearful that he may face the same fate. Yet, he has not gone to see a doctor or to have a blood test done in the past 15 years.  All he does is complain about how expensive his health insurance premium is.
Once a man experiences a stroke and brushes with death, he understands that he is no longer invincible (or at least the awareness that he is no longer a 20 year old but a middle-aged man). The primordial fear of death sinks in and he starts to search for more meaning in life. He may have a pale complexion and slightly fearful eyes that do not focus and his face always turned away from you as he speaks. His Spirit (the Heart stores Shen (神), the Spirit) is weak and wandering. He is in search for spirituality.
Oriental Medicine is always whole body balancing. While western medicine focuses on the heart itself, Oriental Medicine focuses on the Liver, the Kidney, meridian channels, and other organs. Nan Jing* says that the Heart itself does not malfunction but the peripherals do. According to the book, treating the heart alone cannot cure the disease.
*Nan Jing: one of the must read Chinese classics, written by Bian Que during Han Dyansty.
As in the Chakra system, a certain energetic in the body has a spiral movement.* Ren and Du,* and to some extent the Spleen, are spiral in motion. Ren energy is not only spiral in nature, but as with the Chakra, it entwines like a snake, connecting with organs in its pass. The one branch of the Ren energetic passes through the left Kidney, then moves to the right, connects with the Liver, then turns once more to the left, connecting with the Heart.  Ren then connects with the tongue and the eyes.
*Spiral movement: I believe this movement is primordial, since the beginning of life form (when a life form developed a mouth and an anus: (the mouth to anus connection: Dr. Kiiko Mastumoto).
*Ren & Du: Ren, the mid-center energy line of the anterior of the body; Du the mid-center energy line of the posterior of the body)
*Connecting with the Heart: note here that this is the Sheng Cycle (相生: please read my last newsletter).
Therefore, from the Oriental Medicine perspective, treating the Kidney and the Liver is essential, especially when the Heart is disturbed by Liver Excess energy or it is weakened by Kidney Deficiency or Excess (Kid Excess:  Japanese understanding; i.e., any kidney failure). Master Sawada mentioned that Heart ailment was due to the imbalance and unstableness of San Jiao*. Since his approach is directly on the Ren line, it is a spiritual treatment* as well.
*San Jia: one of the 12 main meridians.
*Spiritual treatment: three Daintiens must be balanced (please read my past newsletter).
The Heart has a direct connection with the Kidney. Any kidney ailment will affect the heart function. They are inseparable. They form a symbiotic Yin and Yang relationship and are inseparable. If you have read my past newsletter, you will know that the Heart has also a direct relationship with the Uterus (the Bao Mai).
The Five Elements diagram shows that the Liver is the Mother element of the Heart. Therefore, any ailment of the liver will affect the heart function as well. It is common in the case of a heart attack which occurs at night. During the time 1 am to 3 am belongs to the Liver. At this time, the Liver is the strongest and if it is excess in energy, it disturbs the Heart during the hours. Conversely, if the Liver is deficient and weak, then during the hours between 1 pm and 3 pm, when the Liver is the weakest, one might feel palpitation and other heart symptoms.
How do we treat the Heart with acupuncture? For prevention, the adrenal system must be in balance. We can needle Kid-6 and Kid-27 (Matsumoto-Nagano style) or Ren-4, Ren-6, and Ren-12 to calm the autonomic nervous system (avoid Ren-4/6 if a patient has very slow pulse). Ren-14 as I mentioned in the past newsletter is an important point for prevention. Add, Sp-4 or Sp-3, but avoid Sp-4, if a patient has an ischemic condition, for Sp-4 draws blood away from the heart (Dr. Matsumoto). Any Heart or Pericardium point is good. If you choose a Pericardium point, I would advise to combine with a Spleen point.
With almost all heart ailments, SI-11 (天宗)* on the left side is tender. In this case, perform the Dr. Matsumoto's Zong Qi treatment: Right Hua Tuo Jia Ji at L-2 (Ming Men), bilateral Hua Tuo Jia Jia at T-7, and the Left SI-11. This will alleviate pressure pains for the heart reflex (for details, please read her book, Kiiko Matsumoto's Clinical Strategies, Vol One/Two).
*SI-11 (天宗:  Tian Zong = Heavenly Gathering, on the scapula, about one third of the distance from the midpoint of the inferior border of the scapula spine to the inferior angle of the scapula).
For angina with mental and emotional stress, HT-7, PC-4 (Japanese point), Ren-14, Ren-17, Du-11, Du-12, etc. For arrhythmia, HT-7, PC-4, SJ-5 or 6, Ren-12, Du-12, UB-15, UB-18, UB-20, etc. In addition, I would loosen up the scapula* and all the muscles of the neck.*
*Scapula: the scapula bone is not attached to any other bone but floats by attached muscles. Freeing the movement of the scapula will help reduce tension in the pectoral muscles and the heart function.
*Muscles of the neck: mainly, all the scalenes, the SCMs, the upper trapezii.
Reduction of stress and changing of habits are most important in our daily life. Since the Heart stores the Shen, the Spirit, emotional stability and balance is important as well. How to balance the Joy, the Heart element and the Fear, the Kidney element, is the topic of my next newsletter.












Lao Zi

© 2009 Dr. Y. Frank Aoi/Japanese Acupuncture

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter, Phoenix, Arizona （日本鍼灸、アリゾナ）

Japanese Acupuncture, LLC (480) 246-0624:  600 N. 4th Street, Unit 147, Phoenix, AZ 85004 Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter, Arizona Volume 2, No. 1:  December, 2008 Oriental Medicine & On Human Conditions "How communicate to people who insist on the exclusive evidence of their senses the message of the all-generating void?"  Joseph Campbell Chapter One Liver:  Anger, Love, and Redemption #10     It is time to review the Liver (Wood) Element of the Five Elements. Organ     Liver Paired Organ    Gallbladder Element    Wood Direction    East Season    Spring Emotion    Anger Color    Green (also blue green) Dislike    Wind Governing    Tendon Manifestation    Eyes Taste    Sour Transformation    Redemption "Transforming anger into excitement rendering the process to personal salvation, and transforming it to spiritual love is the Liver Element of healing.  Out of the healing comes compassion.  However, compassion is met by its opposite, attachment, especially to love.  We must turn attachment to virtue so that true compassion manifests and radiates the transcended love."  Newsletter Vol. 2 No. 1, Chapt 1/#9, November, 2008) A Wood type person may be skinny, muscular, and bony. He is prone to digestive problems.  He is easy to get angry but displays extreme tenderness.  He may not sit still and moves swiftly from one place to another.  He may smell sour, has a greenish or yellow greenish tint (as in jaundice), and is weak against wind (a long time exposure to an air conditioner or a fan makes him sick).  He could be a very good leader or a healer. In The Beginning When our ancestors did not have technical knowledge to observe and understand the human body, they relied on empirical observations of external manifestation to infer the functions of organs within. They were apt to grasp nature, or the Intention* and the manifestation of diseases, and they perfected observation of the exterior and insight to the interior.  They emphasized the human body as a whole to the relationship with the natural phenomena they experienced; such as day and night, light and dark, hot and cold, and four seasons.  By regarding the human body as a small universe* (therefore, part of the Universe), astronomy and Ba Gua (八卦) were further refined to incorporate physics and mathematics.  By applying and establishing laws, they strived to attain the fundamental truth that transcended time* (The Tai Qi = The Oneness).  To this day, the fundamentals of Oriental Medicine have not changed over millenniums. *Intention:  Yi (意) *Small Universe:  we are made of atoms that are constantly vibrating (the energy). *The fundamental principle of western medicine is always changing. © 2008 Dr. Y. Frank Aoi/Japanese Acupuncture

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter, Phoenix, Arizona （日本鍼灸、アリゾナ）

Japanese Acupuncture, LLC (480) 246-0624: 

600 N. 4th Street, Unit 147, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter, Arizona
Volume 2, No. 1: November, 2008
Oriental Medicine & On Human Conditions
(This newsletter is dedicated to the late Joseph Campbell.)
Chapter One
Liver: Anger, Love, and Redemption #9
月落鳥啼霜満天 (1) 江楓魚火対愁眠 (2)
姑蘇城外寒山寺 (3) 夜半鐘声到客船 (4)
--- 張継『楓橋夜泊』
The above Chinese poem has long been loved by the Japanese. Personally, I think because it has a characteristic that Japanese uniquely love, namely 情緒 (pronounced Jou-Cho in Japanese). The word is quite hard to translate but roughly is aesthetic atmosphere, emotional longing, delicate emotions, or thoughts on living, on nature, etc.* The poem is an honest and straight forward explanation of what the poet saw, heard, and experienced. It explains his pure experience in the style of Jou-Cho.
*Japanese Wikipedia does not have a page on the word.
The first line reads:
"The Moon had set, crows cried, mist is rising, filling the area as if to fill the Heaven."
The second line reads:
"Barely awake, seeing the fisherman's fire and maple trees, sensing melancholic (愁)"
The third line reads:
"Outside of Ku Su City, there is a temple called Han Shan (Cold Mountain)"
The fourth line reads:
"Past mid-night, the sound of the temple bell could be heard even on my boat (making me more melancholic)"
Zhang Ji (張継) traveled to Su Zhou (蘇州). Su Zhou is known for its canals and round bridges. He was tired and sleeping on a boat. When he woke up a little in the late hours, he realized the scenery around him had something reminiscent, then as if to tally the feeling, he heard the sound of the distant bell of Han Shan Temple, intensifying the experience of being there at the moment. Because of this poem, many Japanese visit Han Shan Temple (寒山寺) today.
The poet's experience is about transforming what is on the level of sentiment (the melancholy and the reminiscence) to become (identification of himself with the moment), and what has become has transcended to being (the sound of the bell triggering a Zen moment of "Oneness") on the plane of consciousness.
In my last newsletter, I have encouraged readers to experience life as it reveals to you without judgment. Find out what the universe provides for you, and then you will find a doorway to bliss. The poem is a perfect example of experiencing life as it reveals. Nothing complicated. The poet just jotted down what he had experienced. Can you be as sensitive to nature and life as he was? Can you live in the moment? Can you merge your psyche to your own inner nature as it reveals to you? Zen master said to an apprentice, "what did you hear this morning?" Young apprentice said, "a chirping of birds," and the master replied, "why don't you start from there?"
The direction, east, is assigned to the Liver in the Five Elements.* Its virtue is benevolence (仁): the highest virtue that Confucius gave. In the Buddhist mandala, the east is represented by Amida (in Japanese) or Amitabha (in Sanskrit). Amida means compassion and "bha" means radiance. Amida is a celestial Buddha whose compassion radiates and permeates even the darkest places of hell, transcending time and space. It is the realm of Dalai Lama.*
*Five Elements: please read my past newsletters.
*Dalai Lama: Joseph Campbell, The Mythic Dimension.
Transforming anger into excitement rendering the process to personal salvation, and transforming it to spiritual love is the Liver Element of healing. Out of the healing comes compassion. However, compassion is met by its opposite, attachment, especially to love. We must turn attachment to virtue so that true compassion manifests and radiates the transcended love (Amida and Christ in us all).
How do we free ourselves from attachment by acupuncture? This is a very difficult question, for it is more of psychological and spiritual province than the physical domain of acupuncture. I may evade the cardinal rule that what is best is not teachable and cannot be expressed in words (行不言之教---老子: teach without words---Lao Zi*).
*Teach without words, for the second best is easily misunderstood.
I believe I must refer back to the Five Elements once more. As I mentioned in my last newsletter that there is a natural transition of five Elements which is called the Sheng Cycle (相生-AKA: Harmonious or Generating Cycle – the cycle of health and living). As in Yin and Yang, there is a counter movement to the cycle called Ko (相剋-AKA: Controlling or Destructive Cycle – the cycle of harmful imbalance and unhealthy relationship). For example the Heart (Fire Element) can adversely affect the Lung (Metal Element), and the Lung can affect the Liver (Wood Element). It mutually destroys their functions and the end result of the cycle is death.
We have been talking about the Liver, the Wood Element, and as I have already mentioned that the Lung, the Metal Element, destroys the Wood Element. If the Metal Element is not controlled, it influences the negative aspect of the Liver, such as anger, to rise. Now, the emotion assigned to the Metal Element is grief or sadness. Going back to attachment, attachment is clinging; and grief is also clinging, and is intensified by fear (Water Element). We must cut this destructive cycle if the Wood Element were to transcend.
There are a few emotional points in the acupuncture body system for grief and sadness. Some were already introduced in my past newsletter, such as Ren-17* as the Receiver of Emotion, and Ren-9* (the Water Point) as the Carrier of Sadness. In addition, we have UB-42,* the Door of the Corporeal Soul* and all the points in the Lung Meridian line. UB-42 is indeed the door to the lungs. It is not only good for the functions of the lungs but also for any emotional disturbance by lung ailments. I would choose Lu-6, 7, 8, or 10 among the Lung Meridian. Lu-6 is a Xi-Cleft point.* Lu-7 is a Luo-Connecting point and opens the Ren Mai.* Lu-8 is the Metal Point* of the Lung Meridian (metal of the Metal).
*Ren-17 (壇中: Zhong-Wan = Middle Cavity, on the centerline, at the 4th intercostals, between the nipples).
*Ren-9 (水分: Shui-Fen = Water Separation, on the centerline, about ½ inch superior to the navel).
*UB-42 (魄戸: Po-Hu = Door of the Corporeal Soul, level with the third thoracic vertebra, about 3 inches lateral to the midline. When there is heat in the zang organ, you need to disperse the energy
*Corporeal Soul (魄: Po): connects between the corpus (body) and the spirit (psyche).
*Xi-Cleft Point (aka: Alarm Point): where energy gathers
*Luo-Connecting Point: connected to the paired organ, in this case, with the Large Intestine. Lu-7 opens the Ren Mai (an extra Meridian, closely related to spiritual functions).
*Metal Point: each Meridian line has its own five Elements (elements within the Element).
I would tonify* UB-42 with moxa* or may disperse the Metal energy from Lu-8 (or 10), and may open the Ren Mai by Lu-7. Ren-17* and Ren-9* may be needled or just a gentle touch by a finger would suffice. Keep in mind it is more important to sense how the body is reacting than performing techniques. You must sense that grief, sadness, or anxiety is dissipating, or at least, whether the body is relaxing or not.*
*tonify: strengthening
*moxa: Chinese herb to warm the body
*Ren-17: if there is pain, you first need to take the pain out. If there is pain on the right side, it is due to the Blood (Yin/female) and the left side is due to the Qi (Yang/male). Try to find out which points reduce the pain at Ren-17 for youself.
*Ren-9: if there is pain, needle the right ST-24 first.
*anxiety is dissipating, or … at least: sorry, I cannot teach you this - you must experience.
In addition to cutting the destructive connection of the Ko Cycle, two others must be done. The Liver, the Wood Element, is the time of regeneration. It is the springtime, a beginning of the year and the season when seeds start to germinate and come up from the ground as young plants or trees. Everything is the Yang energy. In order to help the Yang energy further, we need to strengthen it by cutting out the Yin energy, especially from the Kidney (Water Element). Not only do we need to shut down the fear aspect of the Kidney, but also reduce its Yin energy so that the Yang energy of the Wood Element is nourished (by the Yang energy of the Kidney). I might choose Kid-4 or Kid-6* to disperse the Yin energy of the Kidney, or tonify the Yang energy by UB-23, UB-52, or GB-25.* I might use Hua Tou Jia Ji* at L-2 (the Ming Men*: at the second lumbar vertebra).
*Kid-4 (大鐘: Da-Zhong = Great Bell, at the anterior border of the Achilles tendon): Kiiko Matsumoto suggests this point for over worrying and obsessive thinking.
Kid-6 (照海: Zhao-Hai = Shining Sea, slightly inferior to the medial malleolus): Manaka's Mu Point of the kidneys, the adrenal reflex point (for shock, trauma, stress, fear of dying, psychological abuses, etc.).
*UB-23 (腎喩: Shen-Shu = Kidney Shu, lateral to the lower border of the second lumbar vertebra): the kidney point.
UB-52 (志室: Zhi-Shi = Residence of the Will, lateral to the UB-23): activates the will to live. Master Sawada took this point slightly lower than a regular location
GB-25 (京門: Jing-Men = Capital Gate, anterior and inferior end of the 12t rib): the Source point of the kidneys.
*Hua Tou Jia Ji (華陀穴: Hua Tou's Paravertebral Points, slightly lateral to the depression of each vertebra): According to Master Sawada, this line is the first UB line. Master Sawada was the master of the points.
*Ming Men, the Gate of Life: please read my last newsletter.
The third is to tonify the Liver itself. UB-18, UB-47, Liv-3, Liv-8* come to mind. Lastly, the three steps should be performed in the sequence starting from cutting off the Ko Cycle and helping emotions to settle, then to disperse the Yin energy and tonify the Liver.*
*UB-18 (肝喩: Gan-Shu = Liver Shu, lateral to the lower border of the spinous process of the ninth thoracic vertebra): the liver point.
UB-47 (魂門: Hun-Men = Gate of the Ethereal Soul, lateral to UB-18): increases the spiritual as well as the physical aspect of the liver.
Liv-3 (太衝: Tai-chong = Great Rushing, on the dorsum of the foot, in the depression between the first and the second digits): the Source point of the liver.
Liv-8 (曲泉: Qu-Quan = Spring at the Crook: tonifying, particularly good for GYN functions.
*and to tonify the Liver: this strategy of tonifying the Wood Element is culturally ingrained in Chinese and Japanese springtime traditions. Hiroko Yoshino: Yin & Yang Five Elements and the Japanese People (陰陽五行と日本の民俗).
Selected points are arbitrary. They are meant to inspire you. Acupuncture is merely a tool and guidance. We transform attachment by identifying with the inner nature, finding happiness and having strength to turn it to its highest virtue. In another words: strike the ground and find the root being. When we can do this, we see the bright light of enlightenment.*
*The bright light of enlightenment: I often think that enlightenment is like going down the black hole. It is the dark matter that sucks everything in the universe (including the light), and when we pass the point of no return, we get sucked into the vortex, our body elongates, atoms of the body disintegrate, approaching the speed of light, and then what do we see in the abyss? We will be illuminated by zillions of lights trapped by the black hole, and that is our end.* We become one with the Light. (*The end (nirvana): a dissipation of the Self like a drop of drew into the vast sea.)

"All is impermanent. All is without self."

Namaste!

蘇 州 楓 橋　Su Zhou, Maple Bridge

© 2008 Dr. Y. Frank Aoi/Japanese Acupuncture

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter, Phoenix, Arizona （日本鍼灸、アリゾナ）

Japanese Acupuncture, LLC (480) 246-0624: 

600 N. 4th Street, Unit 147, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter, Arizona
Volume 2, No. 1: October, 2008
Oriental Medicine & On Human Conditions
Chapter One
Liver: Anger, Love, and Redemption #8
巻土重来未可知
----杜牧「題鳥江亭」
There is always hope. Tragedy lies in not trying or doing. We do not know the outcome of a war unless we try till the end. When a doctor says that a symptom will be permanent, or there is no cure, people tend to swallow the words and fall into despair. Yes, pain is real and it seems impossible to get rid of. But, unless you are about to die any minute, the universe provides you with alternatives if you have the will to pursue.
Anyone who can read the above Chinese poem understands that life is full of ups and downs, glories and defeats, but we do not know the outcome unless we try. The poem is a lamentation for a famous Chinese general (項羽) who was defeated in battle and had a second chance to win by crossing the river to a neighboring country to regroup. At the edge of river, he decided not to, perhaps thinking about the dishonor and shame he carried. He committed suicide to present himself as a war prize to a good friend who had become a general of the enemy. Had he crossed the river, his new army might have defeated the enemy and thereby changed history.
Hope can change history. It always does. What you must do is to find courage in pain, joy in dying, and bliss in living. Sticking with the agony of pain or lamenting on death that certainly comes would not produce any change. It only propagates the situation.
How do we improve? Clear your mind. Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Relax the muscles around your eyes. Relax your forehead, your cheek and chin. Relax your fingers and toes. Relax your abdomen. Let go. Tell yourself, that it is dark here, but comfortable and relaxing. Your eyelids are now heavy, and you try to open them but cannot. Tell yourself that you are in a comfort zone; may it be a favorite room, at the beach, etc, and you are safe and relaxed. At this moment, take yourself back to your childhood. Remember what made you really happy when you were a child. Was it your mother's voice or an apple pie? Was it your birthday party, a Christmas morning, going to Disneyland? Whatever it may be, your healing starts from this point. Identify the happiness and pursue it once more in your life. Put aside pain: make it a secondary importance and a nuisance. Your goal now is to attain happiness. You had it once before, and there is no reason whatsoever that you cannot have it again.
Try not to classify what comes to you. Do not judge and shut down. Experience it as it comes. Let go of your ego, and you can let go of your pain. Face the experience of life, and in the redemption you will find happiness and bliss.
There is a Zen story. A young man wanted to become an apprentice to a respected Zen master. The master invited him to his room, and asked him to look at an image painted on a scroll hanging on wall. He then asked the young man to tell him what it meant. The image was of a poor and worn out old man sitting on a tree stump, looking vainly into space.
Not wanting to give an answer in haste, he carefully thought about it, and thought about it for four days. On the fifth day the master walked into the room and asked him if he had an answer. The young man replied that he really did not understand the meaning of the picture, but he surely could understand how hungry and miserable the old man was. Upon hearing, the master accepted him as an apprentice.
It is the experience that matters. Unless we experience, we do not know what the universe provides. Ego and intellect do not provide answers. We need to open up a doorway to bliss.
How do we open up a doorway to bliss in acupuncture?
In Oriental Medicine, we have the Five Element Theory (五行: Wu Xing)*. It is a system in which natural phenomena are categorized in five basic elements: the Water, the Wood, the Fire, the Earth, and the Metal. Five Element Theory has a cycle. Its proper movement* is from the Wood (Liver) to the Fire (Heart), the Fire to the Earth (Spleen), the Earth to the Metal (Lungs), the Metal to the Water (Kidneys), and the Water back to the Wood.
*Five Element: Eastern Indian has a similar idea of the Five: the Five Koshas of Vedanta which encloses the Atman (the Self).  For an acupuncturist, the numbers, 1, 3, 5, and 9 are important. My Hopi friend once told me that the numbers 4, 7 and 11 are important for the people.
*Sheng Cycle (相生, aka: Harmonious Cycle): the cycle of health and living.
Each transition between the Elements of the Five Element Theory is a realization. It is the point where the dynamic process of being connects with the consciousness.

Every acupuncturist knows what points to take for each Element, but not many know what points to take for the space between two Elements. For example, what points do you take for the transition of the Wood (Liver) transforming to the Fire (Heart)?

The transition of the Wood into the Fire, as you have read in my past newsletters, is the transition of anger into excitement, and in so doing, to realize "I Am." Needless to say, it is an important transition of self-realization (or actualization). The redemption it takes in transforming anger is pure consciousness. It is the power of expression forcing out of the body by pure experience (epiphany for example).
Well then, how does acupuncture guide the immense process of consciousness? The answer, I think, is to have the Tai Chi Treatment. Here, I do not mean the whole body balancing of the Tai Chi treatment I mentioned in my past newsletters, but an ultimate treatment that works for every symptom for all people. An acupuncturist should have a set of Tai Chi Treatment protocol points.*
*Effectiveness of the points entirely depends on the skill level of a practitioner and not on selected points.
Mine is based on the transitional spaces between the Elements. I have chosen Du-9* (至陽 Zhi Yang: Reaching Yang) for the transitional space between the Wood (Liver) and the Fire (Heart). The word 至 (Zhi) means arriving, spread through, gathering, final, maximum or apex. Therefore, this is the point where Yang Qi (energy) is at its maximum. What happens when the Yang Qi becomes maximum? It flips to the Yin. This is the point where Yin and Yang consciousness meets. A minor note: since acupuncture is conceived of Yin and Yang, there is a point exactly opposite to this point, namely, UB-67 (至陰 Zhi Yin: Reaching Yin)*. Together, the three (there is UB-67 on each small toe) make a triangle covering the front of the body (Yin) and the back of the body (Yang).
* Du-9 (至陽 Zhi Yang: Reaching Yang = depression on the spinous process of the 7th* thoracic vertebra)
*Ub-67 (至陰): This is the famous point for a breech baby to turn to the right position, so we tend to forget that the Kidney Meridian actually starts from here.
*According to the Five Element, the Earth Number 7 belongs to the Fire (Heart) Element and the Number 9 belongs to the Metal (Lung) Element.
Du-9 is at the diaphragm. It opens up the diaphragm and activates the Zong Qi (宗気 = Qi of the Chest ). It is the source of Post-natal Qi (energy you get from eating and breathing).
* Zong Qi [宗気 = Qi of the Chest = comes from Jing Qi (精気) between the Heaven and the Earth = the source of Ying Qi (営 = Nutritive Qi) and Wei Qi (衛 = Defensive Qi)].
Du-9 connects with the Ming Men*(Du-4, 命門, The Gate of Life). The Ming Men is the source of Pre-natal Qi (energy you are born with.). Therefore, Du-9 is the center of the transformational Qi. Furthermore, the Ming Men Fire* is the source of the Heart Qi (Fire Element). It is part of the "I Am-ness."
* Ming Men (Du-4, 命門, The Gate of Life, depression on the spinous process of the 2nd lumbar vertebra). If you divide the vertebrae into one third, you count seven vertebrae in each segment. The upper segment lies on Du-9, and the lower segment is at Du-4.
*Ming Men is the Kidney Qi which belongs to the Water (Kidney) Element. Each Element has Yin and Yang. Without the warmth (Yang Qi) of the Kidney, the Heart does not function well and leads to death (Death is the extinguishment of the Ming Men Fire). I need to explain the function of the Ming Men and its Fire in detail in another chapter.
As you can see, Du-9 is the pivotal point where Yin and Yang transform themselves into each other. It is backed by two fundamental energy sources: the Pre- and the Post-natal Qi. The maximum Yang Qi can be attained here, and at the same time, it is the beginning of Yin Qi. The emotions, therefore, flip too. It is a doorway to redemption and leads you to the Heart Element of hope and love.
One caution in clinical practice: Du-9 and Du-8 (筋縮, on the depression of the spinous process of the 9th vertebra) must be treated gently and cautiously. Strong manipulation or dispersion will bring about exact opposite results, such as severe anger or depression. Be extremely careful!
Now, my questions are:
What do you do when you come to the edge of river?
Where does your redemption lie?
Can you find a doorway?
© 2008 Dr. Y. Frank Aoi/Japanese Acupuncture

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter, Phoenix, Arizona, 日本鍼灸, アリゾナ

Japanese Acupuncture, LLC (480) 246-0624: 

600 N. 4th Street, Unit 147, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter, Arizona
Volume 2, No. 1: September, 2008

Oriental Medicine & On Human Conditions
Chapter One
Liver: Anger, Love, and Redemption #7
知彼知己、百戦不殆
---孫子/謀攻篇
Arguably, the most famous military strategist in the history of China is Sun Zi（孫子: historians debate whether or not he was a real historical figure). One of his most famous sayings was: "Know Him (the enemy) and know Myself, then a hundred battles could be won (cannot be beaten)." Many of his teachings were for the art of war, but they could be applied in many situations, and this teaching is one of them.
To cure an illness (enemy), we need to know what it really is. We must make sure that we can defeat it. However, knowing what it is and what to do sometimes are not good enough. There is always a human element, a weakness. I have seen so many people fall into self-doubt and fear, and they become weak minded. The mind easily tricks us when it is not grounded. It conjures up a dire consequence and eliminates possibilities. We fall into thinking that there is nothing we can do and there is no hope.
When we face a difficulty (as thousands of military generals in history did), we must first take a deep breath and strengthen our minds by saying I am OK, and that there is a hope and a way out. We must first win over our mind. By knowing our weakness and strengthen, we can change the course of our history. If we cannot, then an enemy has already beaten us.
How do we avoid a certain defeat?
When we are ill, we must have courage to face the fact and deal with it properly. The word "courage" in Japanese is pronounced "Dai-Tan." Literal translation is "Big Gallbladder." In Oriental Medicine, the courage is attributed to the Gallbladder. It is the organ that governs decision-making. It deals with adversity and leads to action. Action, then, must be activated with its paired organ, the Liver. Unfortunately, when we are ill, the liver is also weakened, and our mind is off-balanced. With most of illnesses, the liver must be strengthened (of course, in a certain condition, liver detox is recommended*: i.e., cancer, acute hepatitis, etc). I highly recommend acupuncture to strengthen the liver and to take vitamin 6 and 12 (the foundation of DNA) supplements.
*Liver detox: here in Arizona, I find many people overdoing liver detox to the point it is no longer beneficial, and so doing, forgetting about strengthening the liver.
In my last newsletter, I talked about the autonomic nervous system and the adrenal system to restore the mind (the Spirit). The two systems need to be balanced to help the Liver attaining the final goal, which is the self-actualization, helping the Heart Element to reach the realm of "I Am."
To balance the autonomic nervous system, we can start with a stress reduction. Identify stress factors. Create an action plan for the stress. Change behaviors or routines if necessary. Keep the blood pressure in the normal range. Have a proper diet. Eat well with discerning knowledge. Take some minerals along with water. Do light exercise with abdominal breathing technique. Consult with a physician. To balance the adrenal system, do all just mentioned plus take some tyrosine (amino acid: 500 mg/day) and iodine if the thyroid is affected (one drop in a cup of water, twice a day: consult with your health care provider).
To balance the both systems by acupuncture, one example is as follow.
Autonomic Nervous System:
If rapid pulse, needle Ren-4 (関元: Gate of Origin, on the midline, about 3/5 below the navel on the line drawn between the navel and the pubic symphysis) or Ren-6 (気海: Sea of Qi, on the midline, about an inch inferior to the navel). ) Reduce the pulse rate.
Palpate Kid-2 (然谷: Blazing Valley, on the medial side of the foot, in the depression distal and inferior to the navicular tuberosity). If the point is tender, LU-10 (魚際: Fish Border, on the thenar eminence of the hand, in a depression between the midpoint of the first one metacarpal) could be tender, too. Needle the Metal and the Water points of each meridian line (only if the Fire point is tender).*
*Nagano-Matsumoto treatment according to Nan Jing (難経) Chapter 75.
Adrenal System:
If Kid-27 (喩府) in the depression on the lower border of the clavicle) is tender (possible thyroid/adrenal imbalance sign), then needle the point and Kid-6 (照会: slightly below the prominence of the medial malleollus). Add LU-5 (尺沢: Cubit Marsh, half the distance of the elbow cubital crease). If Kid-27 is really tender upon palpation, then needle HT-7 (神門: in the depression on the lower border of the clavicle) first. It will reduce the tenderness at Kid-27 immediately.*
*note from Sawada/Shirota style
If with respiratory problems, needle Kid-3 (太渓: in the depression between the medial malleollus and the Achilles tendon, level with the prominence of the medial malleollus) instead of Kid-6. For an elderly person or he has general weakness, needle Kid-9 (築賓: Guest House, on the medial aspect of the lower leg, draw a straight line from Kid-3 to where it meets the inferior end on the gastrocnemius muscle) instead.
According to the Sawada/Shirota style, Kid-6 is Kid-3. It is one of the most crucial points. Add Ren-12 (on the midline, half way between the xiphoid process and the navel) and Left SJ-4 (陽池: Yang Pool, on the dorsum of the wrist, in the depression). They are the essential points.
One last thing. Human touch is the most powerful healing tool we have. Acupuncture does not come close to the power of touch. The autonomic and adrenal systems will be helped by it, but more importantly, one's realization of "I Am" is enhanced. The connectedness of the touch awakens the Heart Element: the joy and the love. The enemy within will be defeated by the elements, for there is always hope.
© 2008 Dr. Y. Frank Aoi/Japanese Acupuncture

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter, Phoenix, Arizona, 日本鍼灸, アリゾナ

Japanese Acupuncture, LLC (480) 246-0624: 

600 N. 4th Street, Unit 147, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter, Arizona
Volume 2, No. 1: August, 2008
Oriental Medicine & On Human Conditions
Chapter One
Liver: Anger, Love, and Redemption #6
There is a famous Chinese poem created in the 7th century China. The famous part of the poem reads:
Years after years, age after age, flowers look alike.
Age after age, years after years, man is never the same.*
年年歳歳花相似
歳歳年年人不同
劉廷芝『代悲白頭翁』
*My own translation.
Flowers bloom the same way every year, but a person who looks at them is not. Man is transient and not everlasting. The poem has a tone of lovely sweetness and beauty contrasted with the uncertainty of human conditions. It has an undertone of the ominous.
Perhaps, people adore the poem because of its ambiance of sweetness. We cling to the hope rather than an uncertain doom.

Human mind is never certain. Along with happiness and joy, we carry the fear of uncertainty. Anger, fear, and love are, therefore, inseparable. We cannot define and understand the human mind, but we feel the emotions to empathize with a person. May it be your loved one, a partner, a friend, or a total stranger, we can certainly try and console.
As I mentioned in the past newsletters, ancient Chinese left nothing in understanding human ailments. They knew from the very start that a certain emotion created an illness. 2000 years ago, they knew what emotion would manifest as what illness and where in the body system. Above all, they knew how to treat it.
For example, there are acupuncture points named specifically for the sadness, the will, the anger and the soul, the worry (or over-thinking) and the intelligence, and the spirit (mental and emotional). Another is the Gate (門) point. All the Gate points named the Spirit (神) are important in psychological and psychosomatic healings. Additionally, there are quite a few points named the Devil* that take care of special and unusual situations and therefore are important even though they are not often used.
*Devil (鬼) point is either an unique name or an additional name to a certain point. The name is not commonly used today but is in the ancient texts.
Readers who read my past newsletters would know that the Will is the Kidney Element and is the base of the action when the Liver Element activates the excitement. Anger turns to the Soul, the Soul leads to the destiny. The Soul manifests as respect and confidence which are the Heart Element, and when the Intention in the Heart Element merges with the destiny, the purpose takes over, and one is on the way to self-actualization, knowing who he really is ("I Am").
What happens if one Element is weak or sick, and how does the imbalance affect the body and the psych? To explain, I need to talk briefly about the notion of the Five Element. For now, I want readers to understand that the Kidney Element is the mother of the Liver. The Liver Element is, therefore, the son. Liver Element is the mother of the Heart. The Heart Element is, therefore, the son.
I start from the Kidney Element. The kidneys have a very close relationship with the heart. Arrhythmia, for example, immediately affects the kidney function, or any kidney failure affects the heart conversely. There are many reasons for arrhythmia, and one of them is the stress. Excessive stress causes the blood acidic level to rise up, affecting the endocrine system and the autonomic nervous system. The adrenal system is particularly affected since it is responsible in regulating the stress related hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline.
When arrhythmia happens, its energetic immediately manifests on the left arm at PC-4 (Pericardium point named Xi-Men: = Xi-Cleft Gate: on the flexor aspect of the forearm, about three fingers width distal to the crease of the elbow, a Japanese point) and travels to PC-6 (Nei Guan = Inner Pass: guan also means the Gate: on the flexor aspect of he forearm, about an inch and a half proximal to the crease of the wrist), and immediately flips and transfers to SJ-5 (Wei Guan = Outer Pass: exactly opposite side of PC-6 on the forearm), then runs through the San Jiao channel as electric sensation. In this case, one must immediately open the first Gate, HT-7 (Shen Men = God or Spirit Gate: at the wrist joint, the proximal border of the pisiform bone), to restore the irregular Qi flow and to calm the Qi and the mind. For irregular pulse, HT-4 (Ling Dao = Spirit Pathway: at the radial side of the tendon, about one inch proximal to HT-7) is also a good
point. The difference between the two is that when acute, HT-7 is better, and for a regulation of the heart beat, HT-4 works well. In addition, a combination of PC and SJ points or a combination of PC and Sp points is highly recommended.
Once the energetic goes through the left arm, it enters the body and manifests at around Du-11 on the back (Shen Dao = God or Spirit Pathway: at the fifth thoracic vertebra). If one were to chase the energetic with acupuncture, he will end up at Ren-14 (Ju Que = Great Gateway: on the midline of the abdomen, slightly inferior to the apex of the xiphoid process)* Therefore, if one were to prevent arrhythmia and other heart ailments, Ren-14 becomes an important point.
*Of course, not all symptoms follow the course, but I think this is a very good example of how a certain energy runs through our body. Notice that all the names indicated here have either Gate, Pathway, or Gateway. Chasing it with acupuncture following the course is very interesting.
Arrhythmia is scary, and fear is the Kidney Element. Fear will directly attack the joy of Heart Element, and once the joy is displaced with fear, the mind is disturbed. Kidney is the mother of the Liver. When the Liver is weakened, its anger or depression element further aggravates the mind. If one is weak minded, manic may set in, throwing all emotions out of balance. In Oriental Medicine, this is called the Shen (Spirit) Disturbance. If the neurosis is due to the weak heart, it gives oily sweat on the palm of the hands (where Pericardium and Heart channels run).
When the autonomic nervous system is in imbalance, one becomes more fearful and frightened by a sudden sound or even a negative word. He may have weird, fiery, or scary dreams. Anxiety makes him act more agitatedly and nervously and starts to worry everything in the daily life.*
*Whether you agree or not, I am just giving one sample assessment.
To restore the mind (the Spirit), one must treat the autonomic nervous and adrenal systems. I write how to do so in the next newsletter.

© 2008 Dr. Y. Frank Aoi/Japanese Acupuncture

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter, Phoenix, Arizona, 日本鍼灸, アリゾナ

Japanese Acupuncture, LLC (480) 246-0624: 

600 N. 4th Street, Unit 147, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter, Arizona
Volume 2, No. 1: July, 2008
Oriental Medicine & On Human Conditions
Chapter One
Liver: Anger, Love, and Redemption #5
As I explained that if the Liver Element were to have a meaning, anger must turn to the exact opposite emotion such as excitement. Only then, one is ready to transform the element to the next stage, which is the Heart Element where love resides.* We know anger destroys love, and so does fear (the Kidney Element). Many relations get stuck in the negative emotions because they are easy to congeal and cloud our minds. We are not really trained to deal with them either. In many situations, we learn, rather forcefully, through a case-by-case situation. Learning and coping with anger and fear come from experience. It takes some imaginations to transform anger into excitement, a leap of faith, so to speak. If one is not capable of the transformation, he feels destitute, and depression takes over since he cannot reach out to love. I must remind you that depression is very much a component of the Liver Element, too. The difference between anger and
depression is that anger is a stronger emotion, going mostly outward, and depression is a heavier emotion, and mostly sinking and going inward (or, anger could be Liv Excess and depression could be Liv Deficient).
If we examine anger, fear, and love, the Three represents the trigram of emotions. They are inseparable. Fear is an anticipation of loss, especially of love, and the loss of love creates anger or despair. But, love does not come about unless there are hope and excitement. The reason why love is so hard to reach is that, for most of us, the heart is the chamber of the most inner feelings of our consciousness. It is the most private sanctuary of our emotions. If exposed, we feel vulnerable. We all are expert in shutting down the Gate to the heart, and it is never to be pried open. It is the realm that no one touches. Since it is the core center of self, it must be maintained by the stability and the continuity.
Unlike the Liver Element that is easy to be agitated (like the wind), the Heart Element must be stable. This is true in physiology of the heart. In order for the heart to function well, it must keep the beat steady. Although it is constantly moving (the Yang element), it must be always cool (the Yin element) to maintain not only the body temperature but emotions as well. The brain functions in the similar manner. If there is heat in the brain, for example, in a case of meningitis, high fever, severe headache, confusion, etc. may occur. If there is heat in the heart, it may cause stroke or mania.
I mentioned about the Small Heart within the Heart, which carries the Intention (Yi = 意).
This Intention is more private than the Intention that resides in the Spleen (the Earth Element*). It is the consciousness of most inner feelings as in the longing for love. When the Heart is in balance and is harmonious with the Yin and the Yang, it connects with the mind and asserts itself with self-confidence. The Intention becomes purpose, and the purpose becomes action. The consciousness (or the subconsciousness) of the Heart Element leads to the self-actualization and to one's destiny. This is the realm of "I am."
Hypnosis is nothing more than making a false statement into truthful. Whenever we say, "I am," the subconsciousness has no other choice but to make you "WHO YOU ARE." What is impossible becomes possible. The Intention becomes the manifestation. There is one trick in attaining the goal. You must ALWAYS address in the present tense, and not in the future tense. "I Will Be" never work: always "I AM."
Anger, fear, arrogance, and ignorance are the pass to the wrong side. They make you not to see the potential. Unfortunately, many of us listen to the brain (analytical/Yang) more than the heart (intuition/Yin). How often do we hear sentences like "I do not have time," "I don't have money," or "I'm not good enough," and refrain from our heart's desire? Caroline Myss thinks it is because the communication between the heart and the brain is blocked by the will that resides in the throat. The heart intention is blocked up at the throat and does not connect with the mind (therefore, words do not come out). I mentioned about the similarity of the brain and the heart above, but the brain's thought and the Intention of the Heart are often times polar opposite. Both must connect, and the only way to do so is to get into our subconscious mind.
How do we get into the subconscious mind by acupuncture. How do we place the Intention back to the Heart? How do we open the Gate for the Heart? These are the goals of my next newsletter.

*Love is a broad subject and is subjective, and I do not wish to discourse here. For now, let me place love in the Heart Element.
*Earth Element: belongs to the Spleen where the Intention and the Worry reside
© 2008 Dr. Y. Frank Aoi/Japanese Acupuncture

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter, Phoenix, Arizona, 日本鍼灸, アリゾナ

Japanese Acupuncture, LLC (480) 246-0624: 

600 N. 4th Street, Unit 147, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter
Volume 1, No. 17: July, 2008
In The Beginning
When our ancestor did not have technical knowledge to observe and understand a human body, they relied on empirical observations of the external manifestation to infer the functions of organs within. They were apt to grasp the nature, or, the Intention* and the manifestation of diseases, and they perfected the observation of the exterior and the insight to the interior. They emphasized the human body as a whole to the relationship with the natural phenomena they experienced; such as day and night, light and dark, hot and cold, four seasons, etc. By regarding a human body as the small universe* (therefore, a part of the Universe), astronomy and Ba Gua were further refined to incorporate physics and mathematics. By applying and establishing laws, they strived to attain the fundamental truth that transcended time (The Tai Qi). To the day, the fundamentals of Oriental Medicine have not changed over millenniums.
*Intention: Yi (意)
*Small Universe: we are made of atoms that are constantly vibrating (the energy).

Most Commonly Asked Question
Everyone asks me if a particular symptom is treatable by acupuncture. To this, my answer is 99.9%, yes. I cannot think of a single symptom which acupuncture cannot treat. If we treat the body as a whole and bring everything in balance (homeostatic balance), then every possible symptom can be treated. It means by treating all major organs, namely, the Liver, the Heart, the Spleen, the Lungs, and the Kidneys, all diseases could be treated (or, one might say, all disease are the results of imbalance with the five organs). This is called the Tai Qi Treatment. Millions of diseases are deduced to the five elements, then to the Three*, then to Yin and Yang, and finally the Tai Qi (Oneness). This fundamental approach has not changed for millenniums.
Therefore, I do not like the idea of specialization in acupuncture. Specialization is a western idea, and it is against the spirit of ancient Chinese who established and perfected acupuncture 2000 years ago.
Consequently, I do not use fancy equipments. I believe in basic treatment with needles (Yin) and moxa (Yang). My mentor once told me that if there was pain, then it was not acupuncture. My treatment is very comfortable, and most of my patients fall asleep.
*The Three: could be interpreted as the Heaven, the Earth, and the Man, or the Liver, the Kidneys, and the Spleen, or the Upper (Jiao), the Middle, and the Lower, etc.
Western Medicine And Oriental Medicine
In western medicine, there are too many names for disease or symptoms that do not have cures. I will be very much ashamed of myself when I discover a new disease and name it Frank Aoi Disease, if I do not know the cure. For example, the restless leg syndrome or the fibromyalgia. The causes of the symptoms are unknown, yet doctors will prescribe you pain killer drugs (just because they have names). My MD used to say that fibromyalga is in the head. But the symptom is real. We need to address more on a treatment.
On the contrary, Ancient Chinese treated all diseases without fancy names. They had general terms and they paid more attention on treatment than discovery. They strived to treat no matter how weird and strange a disease may be. If you have a modern disease, most likely, ancient Chinese had already treated it 2000 years ago ("been there, done that"). Of course, western medicine excels in many areas of medicine. But it is time to reexamine the benefits of oriental medicine, and a good doctor should know the two disciplines well.

© 2008 Dr. Y. Frank Aoi/Japanese Acupuncture

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter, Phoenix, Arizona, 日本鍼灸, アリゾナ

Japanese Acupuncture, LLC (480) 246-0624: 

600 N. 4th Street, Unit 147, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter, Arizona
Volume 2, No. 1: June, 2008
Oriental Medicine & On Human Conditions
Chapter One
Liver: Anger, Love, and Redemption #4
In my past few newsletters, I have been mentioning about the transition of Liver elements. For example, I mentioned about a transition with the Five Element or one Chakra to the other. Each transition must happen to complete the cycle of being a human. I also mentioned about a Smaller Heart within the Heart which contains the Intention (Yi).
Explained simply, when anger, the Liver element, turns to excitement, the Soul manifests, and it becomes the destiny. For the Soul to take place, the excitement must be acted. The action is helped by the Will which is the Kidney element. Will is the mother of action. Once the action becomes the destiny, it radiates and creates respect and confidence which are the Heart element. Now the Intention(Yi) has the purpose. It transforms to the realm of "I think therefore I am." Self-actualization happens and one is on the right course of destiny.
How does acupuncture actually heal a person to help synchronize the transition? I am presenting one of the ways to harmonize emotions below. If it reads highly technical to some, I apologize. However, the process is highly intuitive and you do not need the knowledge to interfere with your experience (Remember? Do not think in the brain-last newsletter). Part of it, I already presented in the Simple Thing You Can Do For Your Health No. 16.
Psychosomatic Healing With Acupuncture Points
Goal:
There are three Dantiens. Wellknown one is at the about one inch below the navel. Any marshal artist would know that this is the center of the force, the Qi.
However, there are two more. One is the Brain and the other is Ren-17 (the Receiver of Emotion). In order to heal a person, the three Dantiens must be balanced and harmonized. Once this is done, the Ren energy flows downward. The Ren and Du energies flow in one complete circle. (Regular flow of the Ren energetic is upward to meet with Du).
Heart has a direct connection with the uterus. Ancient Chinese called it the Bao Mai (the pulse of Heart/Uterus connection). Heart has a Smaller Heart inside which carries the Intention (Yi). When the Intention (Yi) goes out from the Smaller Heart, the problem manifests as palpitation or other heart ailments and reflects at Ren-9. Ren-9 is the Water Point, but it is also called the Carrier of Sadness. Emotional problems show up here as tenderness upon palpation. It is the Bao Luo (the energy line of Heart/Uterus connection) connecting area. It is also connecting with the lumbar sacrum area.
Ren-17 is called the Receiver of Emotion. Any tenderness here at the fourth intercostals between the nipples indicates emotional distress. All emotions go to the point.
Yin Wei Mai (an extra meridian line) connects with Ren-22. It connects with Ren-17 and all the other Ren points. Importantly, it opens Du-20 at the apex of the head and dissipates fear.
Cong Mai (an another extra meridian line) runs through Ren-21. Ren-21 is called the Sextant, an instrument to measure the angles of stars for navigation. Its objective is to balance Ren-17 and Ren-6 in harmony.
Yin Tang, the Third Eyes, opens all the gates in the body (in acupuncture, there are 36 points named Gate where illness come and go). It is the upper Dantien. Since it is the upper, it balances the Middle (Ren-17) and the Lower (Ren-6).
Once the Ren energy starts to flow downward, fear is dissipated and the three Dantiens are harmonized, and a person is ready to heal (need a demonstration and a class session to understand. I occasionally offer such session for free. Check out my Meetup.com group for schedules). Sometime, the experience is profound. One thing to note is that since this is a highly intuitive process, any result is fine: there is no bad or failed attempt as long as a practitioner has a good intent. Do not over analyze the process or the result. Let go what you know, and just let it happen.
I have made a diagram below, but it is not what I really wanted (sorry I do not know how to fix it in the webpage).

Heart ⇒⇒⇒⇒ ⇒⇒ (Bao Mai) ⇒⇒⇒Uterus
(contains the Smaller Heart & Yi) ↑
Lumbar/Sacrum
↑
Yin Tang⇒⇒⇒ ⇒ Ren-17 (Receiver of Emotion)
(The Gate) (Middle Dantien)
↑ ↑
↑
Ren-22
(Yin Wei Mai, Opens Du-20, Dissipates fear) ↑

Ren-21 ⇒ Chong Mai ⇒⇒⇒⇒⇒Ren-17⇒⇒⇒⇒⇒⇒⇒Ren-6
(Lower Dantien)
↑
↑
Ren-9
(Carrier of Sadness: Yi Missing)
(Bao Luo)

© 2008 Dr. Y. Frank Aoi/Japanese Acupuncture

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter, Phoenix, Arizona, 日本鍼灸, アリゾナ

Japanese Acupuncture, LLC (480) 246-0624: 

600 N. 4th Street, Unit 147, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter
Volume 2, No. 1: May, 2008
Oriental Medicine & On Human Conditions
Chapter One
Liver: Anger, Love, and Redemption #3
The color green is interesting in a sense that it
represents polar opposites. For example, it is the
color of healing, but at the same time, it is the
color of anger. It is the color of resurrection and
fertility but also the color of toxicity and devilish.
We see the dichotomy in everyday life from the green
of Incredible Hulk to the Irish green.
In Oriental Medicine, the color green represents the
Liver (Wood Element). In my past two newsletters, I
described that anger is the Liver Element. However,
in the Five Humanities (五常) section of
the Five Element, the Liver is designated by the
benevolence (仁). It is the highest virtue
regarded by Confucius.
When a person is capable of emerging from the deepest
and the darkest place where anger takes and turns it
to excitement and joy, transforms himself as a true
healer. He who resurrects from the agony of anger
becomes the leader and the purveyor of peace and
happiness. He is guided without fear. Destiny leads
him. He will preach healthier and better life styles,
heal many, and change history.
Compassion drives him to the highest level of maturity
and fulfillment. In giving, he finds joy and his
place. His intention and purpose are clear and
strong.
In Oriental Medicine, it is said that the Heart has a
smaller Heart within itself. It is occupied by the
Intention (Yi = 意). When the Liver energy
flows smoothly and anger does not agitate it, the
Intention is well planted, and the Heart function is
steady. However, when anger or worry displaces the
Intention out of the small Heart, it creates a
disturbance in the physiology of the heart and in the
energy flow. The Intention is the source of Joy, and
when it is misplaced, anxiety sets in causing
palpitation of the heart. Joy maybe replaced by
depression, and the energy of the Liver gets wobbly
and weaker.
Like the Chakra model, the transition from the Third
Chakra (Manipura) to the Fourth (Anahata) is as
equally important as in the Five Element transition
from the Liver to the Heart. Without the transition,
it is not possible to connect the communication
between the Heart (Fourth Chakra) and the Brain
(Fifth, the Will, and Sixth Chakra). We find the
disconnection daily in our lives. We often yield to
the thought of the brain rather than trusting our true
heart's desire, only to wish the otherwise. When the
Liver and the Heart is well connected, the Intention
and the Joy of the Heart are nourished by the Will of
the Kidney*, and we act and accomplish what we truly
desire.
*Kidney: Will belongs to the Kidney, the Water
Element.
Anger creates tragedies, tragedies create healing, and
the healing brings about the balance. The circle
completes, yet before all this happens, one thing
needs to be experienced. It is the experience of
death and emerging, and the experience belongs to the
other Element that I shall talk about it in a
different chapter.

Simplest Thing You Can Do For Your Health No. 16
In the last newsletter, I described how to balance the
three Dantiens, and I mentioned Ren-17 as the Receiver
of Emotion. One other point which reflects emotion is
Ren-9, which is located about ¾ inch above the navel.
It is simply named as the Water Point by ancient
Chinese. There is only one other point named so
simply: Kid-13, the Qi Point. Since the name of
Ren-9 is simply, the point is for any water related
problem: ascites and fluid stagnation, poison, water
edema, etc. However, this is also a reflex point for
emotion. Press straight down the point gently with a
finger and if you feel pulsation, it could be due to
emotional stress. If this is the case, you want to
warm the navel and the surrounding area by placing
both hands together directly over the navel. Feel the
warm sensation of your hands permeating down through
the abdomen. As you feel the warmth, calm yourself
down by relaxing the muscles around your eyes and
taking deep breathes. With each exhalation, tell
yourself that your eyes are getting heavier and your
body relaxing.
With your right index or middle finger, press straight
down an area about 1 ½ inches lateral to the right of
Ren-9. Go deep if you feel like. It should be a
gentle push straight down to the abdomen. Then check
the Ren-9 pulsation again. The procedure should
reduce it.
Once the pulsation is reduced, bring the left hand to
the heart chest area. Feel the gentle heartbeat and
warmth of the chest. Mentally, connect the two hands.
As you are well connect, search out your emotions,
find out what your true heart's desire is and mentally
speak to the heart your desire (remember, do not think
in the brain).

© 2008 Dr. Y. Frank Aoi/Japanese Acupuncture

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter, Phoenix, Arizona, 日本鍼灸, アリゾナ

Japanese Acupuncture, LLC (480) 246-0624: 

600 N. 4th Street, Unit 147, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter
Volume 2, No. 1:  April, 2008

Oriental Medicine & On Human Conditions

Chapter One
Liver:  Anger, Love, and Redemption #2

"Every nerve ending in my body felt like it was exposed....I was dying from within."                                                                                                   domestic violence victim


Anger is easy and quick to arise.  But, we know little to extinguish it or how to come out from the state.   Since anger is a very strong emotion, we hold on to it longer than our heart desires.  In the back of our head, we wish we could end it, but as it lingers, the personal weakness is exposed, and the frustration builds up.  The frustration pushes away the help and the love, and we feel more trapped as we find ourselves unable to dissipate anger.  We then justify anger and search for the scapegoat.  When anger turns to righteousness, it inflicts psychological damages to a person we love.  It could turn into a daily verbal or physical abuse.  Violent and irrational actions are stemming from trapped emotions, not knowing how to escape from the shell we think we cannot break.

When anger is stored internally.  Angry words are trapped in the mind, and it is constantly fed and reinforced by negative thoughts.  Past negative experiences are amplified, and we feel trapped by a current circumstance even though we may not know clearly what we are angry about.  Our mind constantly spins, searching for an answer in vain.  Insomnia sets in.  The adrenal system goes out of balance.  The blood pressure rises.  The eyes get redder, facial expression becomes distressed, and indigestion becomes constant.

In a case of domestic violence, daily yelling, demeaning phrases, and physical threat become routine.  Nothing is good enough for him since anger makes him forget why he gets angry in the first place.  A victim on the other hand experiences fear, hopelessness, and numbness.  She forces herself to close her most inner feeling, filtering her thoughts to the fear of retaliation.  The sense of entrapment sets in.  She becomes fearful and self-doubtful.  When she speaks, her voice shudders.  Outburst of crying becomes frequent.  Her whole body aches and she feels that she is dying from within.

Both man and woman feel trapped, for anger attacks and displaces the intention and the will.  The original intention moves out from the heart's desire, and the process displaces the will.  The communication between the will of the heart and the brain is lost.  We longer act on the heart's desire, instead, anger becomes abstract, and the brain tries meaninglessly to depicts and define what it is.  Since we loose the intention and the will, we have nothing to hold on to and feel vulnerable.  Now, only thing certain is the anger itself.

If we are unable to come out of anger, we fall into the chasm of dark and lonely place with remorse and regret.  No one can help.  Deed is done.  Time heals us, and sometimes, friends help us.  However, we know the only way to come out from the abyss is by ourselves.

It is unfortunate that we must fall hard to bounce back.  Great healers have come out of the stage.  Some become wiser and find the personal fortitude.  Some learn to be excited without anger.  Some find solace in newfound interest.  It is the beginning of reconciliation and the awakening of true human potential.  Once we find it, it is much easier to move to the next Element* which is the Heart.  Heart rules the joy, and joy heals the Heart.
*Five Element Theory:  Joy belongs to the Heart as anger belongs to the Liver.


Simplest Thing You Can Do For Your Health No. 15
Three Dantiens:
Anyone who does marshal art knows that the power source of his Qi comes from the lower abdomen area called Dantien.  It is located about an inch directly below the navel.
This is the lower Dantien.  There are two more:  the upper and the middle.  The upper is the brain and connected with the Third Eye (Yin Tang).  The middle is on the mid-center of the sternum at the 4th intercostals (mid-center on the chest bone between the breasts), and it is connected with point called Ren-17.  Ren-17 is also known as the Receiver of Emotion.  In healing, the three must be balanced.

Yin Tang, being the Third Eye, opens all the gates* in the body, releases the anterior nape of the neck and then the mid-back.  It then sets Ren-17, the Receiver of Emotion, in position.  Ren-17 then sets all the lumbar vertebrae and the sacrum.  It then sets the lower Dantien.

In healing, especially emotional, you bring your finger to each point and place it gently, starting from the Third Eye.  Take a deep breath and try to be in alpha wave stage we talked about my last newsletter.  When relaxed, bring another finger to the sternum.
Now, two fingers are connected, and you should feel the healing energy going down.  Then bring the finger on the Third Eye, open the palm, and gently place on the lower Dantien.  Feel the warmth of your hand spreading all around the lower abdomen.  Disconnect the finger on the sternum, and gently place the palm on top of the other.  Again, feel the warmth.  Imagine that the warmth from the lower Dantien is spreading all over the body, down to the leg and up to the head and arms.  Once the feeling is complete, disengage the hands, bring finger to the inferior boarder of the supra-sternum notch (the base of the triangle at the nape of the neck) or ½ inch below it.  From here, you can listen to the Heart and connect with the Uterus.  Now all the Dantiens are balanced.  When this happens, you realize that this point looks on the North Star* which is represented by the Kidney meridian of the foot.  North Star being the center of the universe, it is to reflect on the Center* of ourselves.
*gate:  where sickness and emotional distress come and go
*North Star:  astronomy is incorporated with acupuncture, Ren-21 is called the Sextant.
*Center:  whatever you make up and feel connected
© 2008 Dr. Y. Frank Aoi/Japanese Acupuncture

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter, Phoenix, Arizona, 日本鍼灸, アリゾナ

Japanese Acupuncture, LLC (480) 246-0624: 

600 N. 4th Street, Unit 147, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter
Volume 2, No. 1: March, 2008
Oriental Medicine & On Human Conditions
Chapter One
Liver: Anger, Love, and Redemption #1

I often say to my clients that men are very much
suicidal because they do not try to maintain good
health until too late, in a case of stroke for
example. Women are fundamentally attune to the body*
and I think because of childbearing, they are more
survival oriented. The difference makes the relation
between man and woman difficult. I have seen many
wives crying and worrying about her husband's health
but feeling impotent to convince him to do something.
[*the body: recent surge in heart problems and
diabetes are concerning, however]
Most men do not easily reveal his weakness. He could
be stubborn, difficult, and stuck-headed. He does not
easily admit his faults and mistakes either. His
emotions are congealed, and he surrounds himself with
a shielded and knows less about how to come out from
it than putting up. Such characters are depended on
up-bringing and social circumstances. However, I
believe, it is partly based on the man's spirit or
shall I say fortitude that he sworn sometimes in his
life. It is the conviction that his spirit should not
be easily broken when difficulties arise. It is his
part of making an effort, as a man, and to go out in
the world to supply sustenance for his family.
In Oriental Medicine, the fortitude comes from the
Liver. The Liver is considered to be the general of
an army. It has the greatest influence on others, and
it is the Qi (Energy) mover. If the Liver starts to
fail, all the other organ will, too.
Liver houses the Spirit of Hun, the Ethereal Soul,
which gives the purpose and the guidance to the soul.
It pairs with the Gallbladder, and both are the
decision makers and the sources of determination. As
a boy goes through the puberty age and becomes an
adult, the energetic of the Liver gets stronger and
influences his state of being much so than for girls.
Being an adult male is to have the healthy and strong
Liver and Gallbladder.
As the Liver* energy gets stronger, he is no longer
susceptible to crying. His muscles and tendons grow
stronger. He desires to be independent and to be
individual. The desire conflicts with the mother's
nurturing instinct, and he rebels against her. At the
same time, the strong Liver energy along with the
hormonal secretion desires to mate and to explore sex.
The conflict juxtaposes a secret longing for the
mother and the mother-ness in an opposite sex.
[*Liver: controls the muscle and tendons, stores the
Blood, opens into the eyes, manifests in the nails,
and influences the sexual functions.]

However, the openness of the heart does not belong to
the Liver. If the Liver energy gets imbalanced, he
shuts emotions down and conceals it in the Liver*.
When he does this, he could be irritable and quick to
anger since his emotion has nowhere else to go. He
feels trapped, unable to communicate. He thinks he
can alleviate situations but lacks actions to change.
As he goes through the stage, his congealed anger gets
stronger. He is not only angry at someone or
something, but mainly at himself.
[*Liver: if not controlled, he becomes neurotic and
manic]
Anger is the intrinsic nature of the Liver. It is
such a strong Qi mover. It gives a direction and it
balances with worrying*. It is usually under control
because anger hurts so much*. When anger is properly
handled, it turns to excitement, joy, and bliss. If
not, through anger comes regret and remorse, through
regret and remorse comes repentance and shame, and
through repentance and shame comes humility and
humbleness. If one masters how to control anger, he
is truly a master of life.
[*worrying: the Spleen element, sometimes the Ke
Cycle is needed to be reversed
(Ke Cycle: from the Five Element Theory, the
destructive direction of five organs).]
[*anger hurts: physiologically, it hurts in the
stomach, in the shoulder, the neck, and the temporal
area of the head. One common place to store anger for
men is in the lower back.]
The transition of anger to excitement, joy, and bliss
depends on what the Japanese call it "a paper thin"
trait. There is not much difference between a great
man and an ordinary. Flip a paper, and you are great,
and flip the paper again, and you are ordinary. What
separates us is whether we have a substance or not at
the time it is truly needed. A few have it, most of
us struggle with it. For some, deep fear* hold them
back. Success and failure depend only on a very small
personal trait we all have. It is a click in the
brain saying "I want to change," "I can do it," or
something simply saying "No" or "Yes." It creates a
cross road in our lives.
[*fear: the Kidney element, also the Mother element
of the Liver/anger = I discuss this in later chapter]
Most of us are successful in the clicking, but
sometimes his humility comes too late as in a marital
conflict. As he ages, the Liver energy gets weaker,
and he senses that he is easily swayed by emotions and
is susceptible to tears in the eyes. He becomes
little more sentimental but is more grounded. He
knows that he is no longer invincible and somewhat his
health is failing. Strong emotions are weakened and
he slowly accepts the need to open his heart. As he
looses the Yang (male) energy, he begins to understand
and feels the female side of the energy. However,
this coincides with the wife's Yin (female) energy
loosing out after the menopause. She no longer needs
to deal with the female cycle. As she looses
femaleness, her Yang energy rises, and a desire to be
independent becomes stronger. This is why the time
shortly after the menopause is a crucial period for a
married couple, especially, when all children are gone
from home. She who has given so much love through out
her life wants to be independent more than ever
before. For a husband, he faces with a choice of
keeping his regular appearance or to change his
attitude to open up more. Unfortunately,
most men do not know how to change or his ego blocks
it.
Anger, unhappiness, and regrets are abundant. But the
Liver belongs to the Spring, the beginning of the
season, and the life must go on. As spring turns to
summer, anger will subside, reconciliation will
happen, and our thoughts will turn.

Simplest Thing You Can Do For Your Health No. 14
Abdominal Breathing:
It is blissful if we can be at the alpha brain wave
length at all time. To be in the alpha stage, we must
begin to learn how to breathe. It takes some
practice, but try to breathe air into the lower
abdomen rather into the lungs. The abdomen should
rise before the chest. Concentrate. Breathe slowly
into the abdomen, feel that it is expanding, then as
you exhale, feel the stomach goes down, at the same
time, relax the abdominal muscles. Do this a few
times. Then, as you exhale, start concentrating on
relaxing not only the abdominal muscles, but the
shoulder,
the neck, and the muscles around the eyes.
In Oriental Medicine, the inhalation belongs to the
Kidney and the exhalation belongs to the Lungs and the
Heart. If you find a difficulty in the process, you
need to consider that an appropriate organ maybe weak.
Qi Gong, zen/monk, and marshal art masters all can
breathe air down to the foot*.
[*foot: Kid-3, the Yuan Source of the Kidney (Yuan
Source: origination of basic Energy of the organ0.]
© 2008 Dr. Y. Frank Aoi/Japanese Acupuncture

________________________________________________________________________________

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter, Phoenix, Arizona, 日本鍼灸, アリゾナ

Japanese Acupuncture, LLC (480) 246-0624: 

600 N. 4th Street, Unit 147, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter
Volume 1, No. 16: February, 2008
Chinese Acupuncture and Japanese Acupuncture
Frequent question I am asked is the difference between
Chinese and Japanese acupuncture. Here are some
differences.
1) Japanese acupuncturists tend to diagnose an illness
with western science, follow by the Oriental Medicine
treatment protocol. For example, in case of
diabetes, Japanese would simply say symptoms due to
diabetes rather than the Yin Deficiency, and a
treatment protocol would be to nourish the Yin. A
different concept regarding a disease brings about the
difference in technique and point selection.
2) The most obvious difference is in the technique of
acupuncture. Japanese needle insertion is very
shallow and applies gentle and less manipulation. My
mentor told me once: "If there is pain, it is not
acupuncture." If I need to induce pain, it is a
dispersion technique (dispersion of excess energy).

3) Location of a point is different as well as the
purposeful usage of the point. Over the years,
Japanese develops slightly different locations on
certain points. Knowing the differences really helps
to choose the right location for a certain symptom.
4) Japanese acupuncturists prescribe Chinese herbs
less. This is because historically they were behind
Chinese in herbal remedies,* and they had to rely
more on acupuncture to be effective. In fact, an
herbalist in Japan would be looked down where as in
China the opposite is true.
*It took Japanese 400 years to catch up with Chinese
in herbal medicine.
Japanese intensely study Chinese classics, namely Su
Wen, Ling Shu, and Nan Jing*. Chinese revere herbal
classic, Shang Han Lun. For most American
practitioners, they are disadvantaged from the very
beginning of schooling because many important books by
Chinese and Japanese are not yet translated.
*In my opinion, Chinese perfected acupuncture 2000
years ago. Lessons are still
learned from the great books, and everything we do
today is simply an add-on to
the knowledge which already existed.
Lastly, the emphasis on a style and a technique of
acupuncture is not really important. You should
choose a practitioner who is effective and can reduce
symptoms the fastest in the most comfortable way.
How To Choose A Practitioner
The best way to find a right acupuncturist is to try
many different ones. As with anything, you need to
invest time and money: acquiring knowledge and
experience to discern a good from a bad. Second best
is by referral. Ask your friends and relatives if
they ever had an acupuncture treatment and how the
experience was. Third best is to call and talk to a
practitioner.

Words of Advise:
Do not make a decision on practitioner's credential
and fees alone. Inexperienced practitioner will
cost you more in a long run, and credentials sometime
do not mean much when the skill is concerned. Don't
make a decision on availability of insurance. When
you need help, you should have a plan and a budget.
Insurance coverage helps, but it is not an answer to
your cure or healing. Once you decide on a certain
practitioner, stick with him/her at least three to
five times. However, if there is no significant
change in ten sessions, choose an another*.
*Keep in mind that some conditions prevent from having a perceptible improvement: over medication, addiction to pain, mental blockage, extreme deficiency, chronic case, mentally ill, etc.

Free Lecture Coming Up in February
Please mark your calendar for my free lecture at New
Vision in Scottsdale on February 21, Thursday, 2008,
from 6 pm to 8 pm. Everyone attending receives a $10
off coupon from a treatment. This lecture is about
answering questions you have and performance of simple
demonstrations. There will be time for drinking
Chinese herb tea at the end. New Vision is at 9659 N.
Hayden Road. Please call 480-391-1126 for direction.

Simple Things You Can Do For Your Health No. 13
Tapping of the head. With your fingers, gently tap
the head from the front to the back. The front part
is good for the brain function, the top area for metal
clarity, back is for de-stress and for the eyes. All
area is good for de-stress and relaxation.
If you find a soft or a painful spot on the scalp, you
need to knead the area. As you shampoo every morning,
check to see if there are such spots. They are
usually indications of something deficient. If you
feel like your finger goes down ½ inch or more (of
course, this is physiological not possible), you need
to seek a treatment or a medical advice. The
extremely soft spot is precursor to either a
manifestation of an imminent stroke or a chronic
condition.

© 2008 Dr. Y. Frank Aoi/Japanese Acupuncture