Sunday 29 March 2009

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