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

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter, Arizona

Volume 2, No. 8: September, 2009

Japanese Acupuncture, LLC (480) 246-0624: 

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

Oriental Medicine & On Human Conditions

Chapter Two

Heart: Joy, Arrogance, and Transcendence #8

My spiritual teacher, Zeerahk Khan, has made me realized that the transcendence is in the "breathing."

Breathing without consciousness, living through here and now in our truest form, and permeating Love through us and to be one with the Creation.

Acupuncture

How do we perform acupuncture when we are in the state? There are no forms, styles, or accumulated knowledge. No more measurements and technics. No more teachers. One senses where deficiency or

excess is. One also senses the Evil Qi (malady) and knows exactly what to do. There will be no set points.

This will be my life time endeavor.

Namaste.

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

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter, Arizona

Volume 2, No. 7: August, 2009

Japanese Acupuncture, LLC (480) 246-0624: 

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

Oriental Medicine & On Human Conditions

Must Check This Website

I urge everyone to check out the Zeerahk Khan's website. Zee is almost ready completing her first book. Once it comes out, I am certain that she makes a great contribution to our world. She truly walks her words and also her life. Every word comes out of her mouth is the manifestation of her experience and from the deepest and purest love. All I can say is that she is really really REAL.

Her website: www.zeerahkkhan.com

Namaste.

Chapter Two

Heart: Joy, Arrogance, and Transcendence #7

"The bliss of the heart cannot be stated in words." Upanishad

Joy is a part of love, and Love is transcendental. Love exists before the Creation. Love is causeless. Love is always Is and always will Be. Love is the Before and the After. It just exists. It is the fundamental energy, the vibration, and the cause of All. Joy and arrogance are just the parts of or the transitions of Love.

We must be careful here using the word love, for it contradicts as long as we use it as a word, and the contradiction is an illusion. Speaking about love is not Love, but only in living and in experience, do we understand it. Only then, Love becomes sublime.

To transcend, first, we must get rid of words, or learn not to rely on them. Words cannot describe the ultimate truth. Words are second rated compared to Nirvana. Seeking words of wisdom may give you an eternal wondering and longing for salvation. Wisdom is in experience. May it come in a zen moment, in a silent prayer, in a near death experience, or by the sound and the smell, but not with words. Words make us think, and the thought is an illusion. An experience is spontaneous. Remember, the word aum contains the silence as the fourth word.

The ending paragraphs of Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse read:

"Give me, my honored friend, another word, give me something that I can grasp, that I can understand! Give me something to take along on my way. My way is often arduous, it is often dark, Siddhartha.

Siddhartha silently looked at him with his still and unchanging smile. Govinda stared into Siddhartha's face with fear, with yearning. Sorrow and eternal seeking were written in his gaze, eternal failure to find.

Siddhartha saw it and smiled.

'Lean toward me! he whispered in Govinda's ear. 'Lean toward me here! Right, a bit closer! Very close! Kiss my forehead, Govinda'........................

Govinda bowed low. Tears ran over his old face, but he was unaware of them; the feeling of deepest love, of humbling veneration burned in his heart like a fire. He bowed low, down to the ground, bowed to the motionless sitter, whose smile reminded him of everything that he had ever loved in his life, that had ever been valuable and holy to him in his life."

*translated by Joachim Neugroschel

In acupuncture clinic, sometimes, if you listen to the words of a patient, your treatment may fail. It is very difficult to connect with our brain and the heart desire, especially when we are sick. However, the body does not lie. Illness and symptoms would manifest on the body as discoloration of the skin, pain upon pressure, weak muscles, abnormal pulse, etc. Mostly likely, if a patient tells you that he does not feel any progress, he has an alternate desire which he has not yet expressed. In this case, if you do not have a strong foundation of basic measurement, you will fall into his trap.

Basic aim for an acupuncturist is, of course, to treat and make one healthy. Ultimate aim is to recognize wisdom in each patient's experience, make peace and rejoice in the transition, and move to the higher consciousness.

How do we give a patient the higher level of consciousness with acupuncture? Here is one of the ways.

First, make a patient totally relaxed with deep abdominal breathing technique. Then, ask him to relax especially the muscles around the eyes. Carefully touch the neck, place fingers of both hands at the occiput, and pull the head gently superiorly (the occipital life). After a few minutes, go to his side, and with your thumb, gently but firmly press PC-8 (the center of the palm), making sure your energetic lasts longer for a patient. Do this on both hands. Come back to the head, place one finger of the weaker hand on DU-16 (at the occipital ridge), and place one finger of the dominant hand on Yin Tang (the Third Eye). Do not press, but gently touching. Pay attention to his breathing. If he takes a deep breath, this is a sign of the parasympathetic nervous activation. Keep the position as long as you like, but you must sense when to lift your finger (the body may reject you). Needle Ren-4 (the lower abdomen area) and moxa (kyu-toh-shin: above needle moxibustion). Needle Ren-12 (half way between the navel and the xiphoid process) an dmoxa. Needle HT-7 (on the crease of the wrist, at the small finger side). Needle DU-24 (on the head, at the hairline). Do the occipital lift again. All the while, pay attention to the emotional content of the body. For example, an anxiety issue always comes up as a zigzag energy pattern. Pay attention to the vibration of the body. Most of all, pay attention to your intuition, and follow whatever your intuition tells you to do.

Good luck.

© 2009 Dr. Y. Frank Aoi/Japanese Acupuncture

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

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter, Arizona

Volume 2, No. 6: July, 2009

Japanese Acupuncture, LLC (480) 246-0624: 

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

New Fourth Beginning

I will be renewing myself again soon when the time comes. I believe that the reinvention is necessary to grow my acupuncture while remaining true to the fundamental of the Tai Chi Treatment. The Tai Chi Treatment differs from a practitioner to a practitioner. It is what we make up of it. I sincerely hope by the later years of my life, if I can reinvent myself as Beethoven did with the late piano sonatas, no more forms, free spirited, and transcendental, I would be very happy.

Oriental Medicine & On Human Conditions

Chapter Two

Heart: Joy, Arrogance, and Transcendence #6

In my last newsletter, I talked about an Emily Dickinson’s poem, I heard a fly buzz when I died. Dickinson, in my perspective, was the most zen-ist of all American poets. Her poems are very close to my heart. From the deepest psyche of death to jubilant joy, she renews herself in each poem she writes: an each creative stage is the jubilation of experience.

When you are ready for change, no one can disturb your joy. In the creation, transcendence happens. It is an experience of profound. Nirmanakaya (Trikaya: The Three Bodies Doctrine, 三身, San Shen in Chinese, San Mi in Japanese), the human form (with time and space), Sambhogakaya (Body of Intense Joy/Bliss), and Dharmakaya (Body of Dharma, no limits and boundaries), are all experiences. The first is the experience of suffering, the second is the experience of spiritual, and the third is the experience of the absolute. Sukha is translated as happiness. It connotes the end of all suffering, therefore, it is a state of consciousness unaffected by pleasure and pain. It is intense abiding joy.*

*Eknath Easwaran: from The Dhammapanda

How can we direct people to joy (the Sukha) with acupuncture? If you are an acupuncturist, you may already aware that many things in Oriental Medicine come with three. A set of acupuncture points is no different. A formation of triangle is common and is important. For example, any triangle made by the following points is clinically important: Ren-9, Kid-16s, ST-25s and Ren-6, or upside down triangle made by, Ren-6, Kid-16s, ST-24s, and Ren-9.*

*Master Sawada’s triangles

I personally think Du-9 and UB-67s (Reaching Yang and Reaching Yin) are interesting points to conjure (UB-67s may not be clinically comfortable). Du-9 controls the entire spine*, so a combination with other two points will make an interesting result. Du-16, Ren-4, and Ren-12 are other important master points to consider. Since the Heart Element is Joy, any combination with heart points would be interesting. For example, HT-7s with Du-24 or Ren-15, and Du-11 with UB-45s, UB-47s, UB-49s, UB-52s, or even GB-25s would make some emotional changes. A triangle combination is endless and it all depends on how an acupuncturist proceeds. If you have found a good set, please share with others.

*Du-9 controls all Du points and also adjusts the scoliosis.

At the end of all possible set points, can we reach closer to the mind of Beethoven in his later years? Namaste.

© 2009 Dr. Y. Frank Aoi/Japanese Acupuncture

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

Japanese Acupuncture Newsletter, Arizona Volume 2, No. 5: May, 2009 Japanese Acupuncture, LLC (480) 246-0624:  600 N. 4th Street, Unit 147, Phoenix, AZ 85004 Oriental Medicine & On Human Conditions Chapter Two Heart: Joy, Arrogance, and Transcendence #5 I heard a fly buzz when I died; The stillness round my form Was like the stillness in the air Between the heaves of storm … I willed my keepsakes, signed away What portion of me I Could make assignable, and then There interposed a fly. With blue, uncertain, stumbling buzz, Between the light and me; And then the windows failed, and then I could not see to see. Emily Dickinson Emily Dickinson was, from my perspective, one of the most zenist American poets and I present the above poem as the prime example. She is about to commit suicide but when she is just ready a fly buzzes by and interferes with her contemplation. The window of opportunity shuts and she could not see to see. This poem is similar to the most famous haiku by Basho. The old pond, A frog jumps in... The sound of the water At the most quietest and private moment, a fly or a frog interferes, and the sound jets through the ear and the brain, transcending the consciousness to the dimension of non-duality: the self dissolves, everything becomes transparent as if all the questions in the universe are answered. You are at peace. You are one with the vibration of the Universe. It is very interesting to note that Dickinson used the words, "and then" three times. Each time, it was the realization, perhaps lasted only 1/1000 of a second, nonetheless, it was the deepest experience of her life. In the Daoist term, she had realized the Three: 夷(Yi in Japanese), 希(Ki), and 微(Bi). We look at it, and we do not see it, and we name it the Equitable (Yi: 夷). We listen to it, and we do not hear it, and we name it the Inaudible (Ki: 希). We try to grasp it, and do not get hold of it, and we name it the Subtle (Bi: 微)*. *Lao Zi: "With these three qualities, it cannot be made the subject of description; and hence we blend them together and obtain The One." Translated by James Legge What does Dickinson has to say about joy? 'Tis so much joy! 'Tis so much joy! If I should fail, what poverty! And yet, as poor as I, Have ventured all upon a throw! Have gained! Yes! Hesitated so – This side the Victory! Life is but Life! And Death, but Death! Bliss is but Bliss, and Breath but Breath! … We know all emotions are illusions and nothing to do with the realty. Joy she speaks is not emotional but an ineffable one. It has transcended so that she has nothing to fear or desire. She is in bliss at the moment of Now which is her victory, letting go her ego and attaining the realization or in Dickinson's term "Heaven." Can an acupuncturist give such bliss? Try one needle technique as a starter. A patient my have many symptoms, but choose only one point. See if you can treat all symptoms with the one. Think about it. Namaste. © 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. 4: April, 2009
Oriental Medicine & On Human Conditions
"… to live in the world as though it were not the world, … to renounce as though it were no renunciation, … he is aware of the existence of that mirror in which he has such bitter need to look and from which he shrinks in such deathly fear."     from Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse
Chapter Two
Heart: Joy, Arrogance, and Transcendence #4
How do we cut the physiological manifestation of the Ko Cycle between the Kidney/Water Element and the Heart/Fire Element and restore health? (from my last newsletter)
When you have the Water Stagnation in the body, you might have general obesity, edema in the legs, puffy face, fatigue, shortness of breathe, etc. When the Water is not moving properly, it may cause a pulmonary edema affecting the heart function in its process. Fluid may retain in the liver likewise and causes a systemic organ failure. In this case, mostly likely, you will find pain at the lower abdomen, especially around ST-27, inferior and lateral to the navel, or at Ren-9*. You may choose such points as Kid-7, 9, 10 and Spl-5, 7, 11. If Ren-9 is painful, needle the right ST-24 (Nagano/Matsumoto) to reduce the pain, then Ren-9. Ren-4 also reduces pain at the abdomen. You want to treat the lung function then the heart (choose PC points). To cut the Ko Cycle, ancient Chinese wrote that the Kidney Heat manifested at Du-9*. Disperse the energetic at the point. It is up to you to decide if you want to needle the point before Ren-9 or vice versa (you must know how to trace the disease).
*Ren-9: appropriately named the Water Separation = on the midline of the abdomen, about 1/2 inch superior to the umbilicus.
*Du-9: from Su Wen
For any dysfunction related to the Kidney, we must assume that the San Jiao is affected since the Kidney controls the Water and so does the San Jiao. The difficulty is that, to the day, the San Jiao* is hard to understand exactly what it is. There is the meridian line and the related manifestations, but not much anatomy behind it. In my opinion, whoever master the San Jiao can give amazing treatments. The three Wans, for example, Ren-10 (下完: Xia Wan = Lower Cavity), Ren-12 (中完: Zhong Wan = Middle Cavity), and Ren-13 (上完: Shang Wan = Upper Cavicity) will be in misalignment when the Ko Cycle is in progress. Particularly in a severe case, we must bring back the functions of the Three Wans properly: you are aiming for the Tai Chi (太極) treatment. There is simply no other way. I am sure you find the way yourself.
*San Jiao: I am sorry it is too hard to explain the concept. Please read on to get a whole picture if not the understanding.
*Three Wans: here is one of the great reasons why the meridians need to start at the Stomach.
Once the Three Wans or Three Dantiens* are properly in their orders, and the Stomach functions* are restored, you will see a better Shen in a patient's eyes and mind.
*Three Dantiens: read my past newsletters.
To be a ferry boat operator (the Mahayana Buddhism) is no easy task. Sometime, you could only watch the flow of river, but somehow, if you have a right skill and the mind, they turn around and get on the boat since we are all curious creatures. Compassion without attachment is the key. Namaste.

開経偈*

無上甚深微妙法

百千万劫難遭遇

我今見聞得受持

願解如来真実義

*Did not want to translate the above verse from a Buddhist scripture. It is fine as is at the moment. It is my wish.
© 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. 3:  March, 2009 Oriental Medicine & On Human Conditions Even a little effort toward spiritual awareness will protect you from the greatest fear.                                                                                                                  The Bhagavad Gita Chapter Two Heart:  Joy, Arrogance, and Transcendence #3 …break the flower-tipped arrows of Mara.  Never again will death touch you.                                                                                            The Dhammapada In Buddhist terms, many of us are ever wandering at the shore of pain and sorrow, not knowing how to cross the river to the other side.  It is up to the Mahayana Buddhism to ferry us to the destination. In my past newsletters, I mentioned about the Shen Cycle, the Harmonious Cycle, where every organ is in order and balanced.  When the health of a person starts to fail, the Shen Cycle turns to the Ko Cycle, the Destructive Cycle, where each organ starts to affect in a negative way and reduces the function of a related organ.  For example, when the Kidney starts to fail, it influences the Heart function.  The functions of the two organs are related just as the lungs' and the heart's are.  In Oriental Medicine, the Kidney Element embodies Fear and Will.  Its element is Water.  The Element represents death* and the beginning of life.  Just as fear resurrects will, making you stronger, water creates life.  A cancer patient may fear death, but out of the fear and frustration, emerges hope.  Hope dissolves fear and transcends us to the Heart Element of joy in knowing the true self, the Atman. *death:  some place it in the Metal Element. In the past, I presented that it was important to know which point to take between the Elements to move the Shen Cycle in the right direction.  For example, the Liver/Wood Element to the Heart/Fire Element.  It is an equally important and more difficult task to know which point to take to break the Ko Cycle of destruction, for this point would be the ferryboat of the Mahayana Buddhism. I struggle with the point on a daily basis.  Most of my patients do not have their priorities in the right places.  They lack focus and patience.  They are the wanderers at the shore.  How do we ferry them to the other side with acupuncture? Needless to say that sometimes it is not an acupuncture point that really matters.  It is our choice of words and compassionate manner* or intuition to read their concerns that is the key. *words and manner:  the Noble Eight Path = right understanding, right purpose, right speech, right conduct, right occupation, right effort, right attention, and right meditation. However, for the physiological transformation to happen, it would be nice to know which point to take to break each of the Ko Cycle.  I will be writing about it in my next newsletter.   For now, I would like to ask you this:  At what point do you drop fear and reach the other side of the shore? "Let me tell you what I lost through meditation:  sickness, anger, depression, insecurity, the burden of old age, the fear of death."    Buddha Namaste © 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. 2:  February, 2009 Oriental Medicine & On Human Conditions Chapter Two Heart:  Joy, Arrogance, and Transcendence #2 I love myself I love you I love you, and I love myself                              Rumi 江月照我心(1)    江水洗我肝(2)    端如径寸珠(3) 堕此白玉盤(4)    我心本如此(5)    月満江不波°(6)                 蘇軾(Su Shi)  (蘇東坡Su Dong Po:  b.1036 ) °Could not find the right Chinese character, but a close approximation. 1:  The moon over the lake (蒼梧江:  Chuang Wu Jian) illuminates my heart. 2:  The water of the lake cleanses my gut (liver). 3:  Truly the gem of treasures, 4:  Like this White Jade reflecting onto the bowl, 5:  My heart is as Is (such): 6:  The moon is full, and the lake has no waves. When you know exactly who and what you are, you are in the bliss (ananda).  Joy emanates through you and you lead to destiny.  You are the unmovable mountain.  Here is an another poem. Cool wind gently blows through my mind No matter what happens. No matter what happens, Cool wind gently blows through my mind.                            Ummon How do we ground people with acupuncture?  It is quite common for health care personnel to meet people with worries and fear.  If he fails to address the emotions and treats only physical symptoms, prognosis would be slow. Fortunately, there are many acupuncture points to choose from.  Needless to say, all Shen (Spirit:  神) points are important.  But, we must keep in mind that all emotional disturbances stem from imbalances of organs.  We need to treat especially the five zang fu organs ( Liver, Heart, Lung, Spleen, Kidney). For example, if a patient has an anger issue with irritability and red eyes, need to treat the Liver.  If the same patient has digestive problems, need to treat the Spleen and the Stomach.  My point is that when a patient has, say, a diarrhea, avoid addressing the spirituality by using Shen points. For a patient with neurosis, a combination of HT-7s (Shen Men = 神門:  God Gate) and Du-24 (Shen Ting = 神庭:  Courtyard of the Spirit) is good.  You may certainly add Du-20 (Bai Hui = 百会:  Hundred Meetings).  If bipolar, choose the Metal/Water points of meridian affected (Nagano/Matsumoto style)*  Adding Du-9 (Zhi Yang = 至陽:  Reaching Yang) or Du-12 (Shen Zhu = 身柱:  Body Pillar) is also effective. *There has been a long time discourse on Nang Jing's chapter 69 and 75 among acupuncturists of the past and present as to why chapter 75 was added to the list.  I believe a case of bipolar is one of the reasons why. If a patient has dizziness, needle Hua Tuo Jia Ji (華陀穴) of T-4 and T-5.  If it is due to pituitary imbalance, choose the Metal/Water points of the Stomach line or other points such as Liv-2 (Xing Jian = 行間:  Moving Between). If a patient has a headache or migraine, need to treat Liv, SJ, and PC line appropriately after treating organs. For anxiety, do not forget that a hands-on therapy is also extremely effective. For any grounding or reduction of nervousness, Ren-4, 6, 12, and 14 are essential (I have already mentioned the effectiveness of these points in my past newsletters). Overall, if we intend to ground a patient and possibly awaken the spirituality, we need to see God or the Self within each person.  Perhaps, letting go of our egos is the most difficult practice we need to learn. Namaste. © 2009 Dr. Y. Frank Aoi/Japanese Acupuncture