by Shawn Kirby

Since graduating from acupuncture college and starting my own practice, I’ve done a lot of internal questioning and soul searching, looking for answers to the question that sent me to acupuncture school to begin with – what is healing? More specifically, what is my role, as an acupuncturist, in the healing process?

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by Shawn Kirby

This technique was taught to me by one of the finest men I know, a gentleman, scholar and raconteur, Ted Hall. A veteran of over 25 years in practice Ted is, simply put, the finest acupuncturist I know. As a SWAC student, I fell severely ill in my second year. After quite a bit of TCM acupuncture and herbs, to little or no effect, I went to Ted as a last resort. Ted, a practitioner of Japanese meridian therapy, had me back on my feet and raising hell in three treatments. Previous to those treatments I had viewed Japanese techniques with a jaundiced eye. However, when it comes to my own health (as is the case, I would assume, with most people) it’s put up or shut up, and Ted was the person who helped me. Seeing is believing, and I took every clinic and elective I could with Ted before I left school. One of the hallmarks of Ted’s practice is his extensive use of, and love for, moxa. This little blog, based on his moxa rolling technique, is dedicated to Ted.

Why Roll Your Own?

Considering the number of prefabricated moxa rolls available on the market, the question on your mind is probably, “why bother?” Simply put because you can choose your own brand of moxa, upgrading the quality of moxa in your roll by a factor of ten. Just as you save money by cutting up your own chickens rather than going to the butcher, you can save a lot of money by making your own moxa rolls. With prefab moxa rolls, your hard earned dollar goes to processing and manufacturing costs instead of the moxa itself, which is typically garbage. “So,” you ask, “what determines moxa quality and why should I care?”

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by Shawn Kirby

Eric recently posted a blog on dairy. Judging from the number of responses (14 comments at last count) I’d say Dr. Brand touched a nerve. I find it amazing that something so wholesome, so innocuous as milk, could cause such an emotionally charged uproar. I’d like to offer a little of my own perspective on this subject by recounting a case study from my personal practice – a case that was a total success, for all the “wrong” reasons.

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by Shawn Kirby

Treating patients is a complicated undertaking that requires multiple skill sets. Being a good practitioner is about much more than academics or even hands-on practical skill – ultimately it is about effectively interacting with another human being. You may have been the best student in your class. You may have an agile mind filled with every conceivable piece of TCM trivia known to mankind. You may even be an old salt who’s seen it all, and thinks they know the business of TCM backwards and forwards. But if you have a lousy bedside manner, you probably aren’t doing your patients much good, if you’re doing them any good at all. Numerous recent studies indicate that, “The patient’s perception of provider bedside manner directly impacts health status, satisfaction, and compliance.” 1 (my italics) In other words, how you are perceived as a practitioner has a direct bearing on your patient’s health. The question then becomes, what constitutes a good beside manner? What is it that patient’s need from their interactions with their health care providers, and how do we go about giving that to them?

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by Shawn Kirby

This blog was inspired by a rather unique birthday present I received this year. Following my blog on practical herbal alchemy, or spagyrics, I found myself in possession of a bottle of Elixir Végétal de la Grande-Chartreuse, a gift from Bob and Honora who had acquired some while in France. Intrigued by this unusual and wonderful gift, I was inspired to research the history of its origins, and what I found fascinated me. As I dug deeper, I found myself led back to one of the most legendary herbal preparations in all of alchemy, the Primum Ens Melissa, and the legends surrounding it. What follows is a further discussion of this arcane yet fascinating branch of western herbalism.

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