AOMA Blog

Each month we will be featuring fun information about a faculty and/or staff member to introduce the wonderful community of people behind AOMA’s graduate program!

This month, we’re happy to introduce Jillian Kelble, Admissions Coordinator, who works with prospective students and applicants in the Admissions Office.

Where are you from?

“Short answer is California but I was born in Virginia, then moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico and then Southern California, then Northern California and now Texas!”

 “I love rock climbing, yoga and hiking with my dog and husband”

 “The positive, supportive and community-centered environment. ”

“Welcoming all of the new students each term and getting to meet everyone that I had been working with over the previous months.”

“The abundance of live music, outdoor adventure and like-minded people.”

“It depends on the subject. In regards to Austin events, I would say www.Austin360.com”

To learn more about the AOMA Admissions Office, log on to www.aoma.edu/prospective-students/admissions/.

The introductory tenets of Yin and Yang are among the first subjects AOMA students learn in Chinese medicine school. The theory is one of the foundational principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine and its elegant wisdom guides students throughout their years at AOMA and acupuncture school.

When we hear the phrase “Yin and Yang” many of us may first think of the Yin Yang symbol so ubiquitous on key chains, college posters, childhood doodles, and t-shirts throughout the country. The theory of Yin and Yang is much more profound than an image on an old t-shirt may lead you to first believe, however.  This ever-present symbol is called the Taijitu. It’s the universal symbol for the theory of Yin and Yang and of Taoism.

Yin and Yang can initially be understood as darkness and light. Yin (the black part of the Taijitu) is the “shady side of the mountain,” while Yang (the white portion of the Taijitu) is classically referred to as the “sunny side.” From here, we can attribute many characteristics to either a Yin category or a Yang category. Some of the more common examples of Yin and Yang include:  

Yin:

• Nighttime
• Fall and Winter
• Female
• Right
• Cold
• North and West
• Darkness
• Substance
• Slow
• Wet
• Lower part of the body
• Front of the body

• Daytime
• Spring and Summer
• Male
• Left
• Warm
• South and East
• Light
• Energy
• Fast
• Dry
• Upper part of the body
• Back of the body

Yin and Yang

Though Yin and Yang can be understood individually, they cannot exist separately. They might seem like opposites—and do typically represent two different sides of one coin—but their properties are actually complementary and dependent on one another.

This indivisibility is a central aspect of Yin and Yang. Without Yin, Yang cannot exist. Without Yang, Yin is not present. Yin and Yang are inseparable; just as we cannot have only sunny days throughout the year, we will not only have cloudy either.

Another important element in Yin Yang theory is the concept that Yin and Yang can change into one another. Clouds can give way to sun in the same way that Yin can be transformed into Yang. Within Yin, the seed of Yang exists; within Yang, Yin is always present. This dynamic balance between Yin and Yang is represented in the Taijitu symbol by the small circle of opposite color within each half.

As a consequence of this nature, Yin and Yang can be divided infinitely. For instance, we might say that a cloudy day is Yin while a sunny day is Yang. However, we can divide the cloudy day into Yin parts (the nighttime of the cloudy day, as an example) and Yang parts (the morning of the cloudy day). We can then further divide the Yang (morning) part of the cloudy day into Yin and Yang, and so on.

Yin and Yang is a theoretical way to understand the natural dualities present in our world, our relationships, and within ourselves. The simple wisdom gained through an understanding of Yin and Yang enriches our lives and constantly reveals itself in our medicine and personal experiences.

Applying the theory of Yin and Yang to our everyday living is simple and rewarding. Recognizing the natural ebb and flow of our world will allow you a comfort in your current circumstances and in your future, while providing an illuminating viewpoint from which to see our Yin and Yang world.

About the author:

Carly Willsie enjoys putting Yin Yang theory into practice as an acupuncture school student and tutor. Carly grew up on a dairy farm in upstate New York and has a background in journalism and publishing.

AOMA’s premier doctoral program welcomes its first cohort of students this summer and the program director, Dr. John Finnell, has been hard at work recruiting world-class faculty and putting the finishing touches on the doctoral program curriculum. Check out this easy-to-browse overview of the curriculum with links to DAOM faculty rosters.

DAOM Program Overview

• Specialty in Integrative Management of Pain

• Professionalism, Leadership and Teaching

• Inquiry and Scholarship

Modular Format

• 2 year program of study

• 14 week-long intensives on campus

• Continue professional practice while enrolled

DAOM Program Competencies

• Integrate Traditional Chinese Medicine and Biomedical Concepts

• Systems-Based Practice

• Pain Management Specialty

• Systematic Inquiry

• Scholarly Publication

• Leadership, Teaching & Professionalism

• Lifelong Learning

DAOM Curriculum: TCM Theory, Classics and Techniques
Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine Faculty

The Classics

• Classical Chinese theories on pain

• Psychosocial phenomena in the Classics

Acupuncture

• Advanced techniques for treating pain

• Advanced electro and laser acupuncture techniques

Herbal Medicine

• Family lineage treatments of pain

DAOM Curriculum:  Topics in Pain and Associated Psychosocial Phenomena

• Pain in oncologic and palliative care

• Gynecologic, pelvic and visceral pain

• Vascular and lymphatic pain

• Neurological, sensory and dermatologic pain

• Pain from musculoskeletal disorders

• Eco-psychosocial pain and associated psycho social phenomena

Integrative Clinical Partnerships

AOMA Clinics - Specialty pain clinics

Austin Pain Associates - Integrative pain management

Seton Family of Hospitals and Clinics

• Palliative care

• Physical medicine and rehabilitation

DAOM Curriculum: Integrative Medicine
Integrative Medicine Faculty

Biomedical Theories of Pain

• Embryology, anatomy and physiology

• Pharmacology and drug-herb interactions

Functional & Nutritional Medicine

• Dietary and nutritional approaches to treating pain

• Clinical application of functional medicine

Integrative Medical Practice

• Case management in integrative care

• Integrative practice management

DAOM Curriculum: Research & Inquiry
Research & Inquiry Faculty

Paradigms of Inquiry - Exploration of scientific paradigms and beliefs

Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment - Overview of types of research

Research Methods and Design - Design of research proposal and Institutional Review Board application

Research Project - Publication of research manuscript

Potential Inquiry Topics (examples)

Quantitative Research

• Pilot clinical trial of TCM intervention in pain care

• Biomedical models for Qigong

Qualitative Research

• Recursive assessment of TCM in practice

• TCM knowledge survey for health professionals

Mixed Methods Research

• Patient centered outcomes research

• Comparative effectiveness research

DAOM Curriculum: Leadership, Professionalism & Teaching
Professionalism & Leadership Faculty

Leadership

• State and National Associations

• Legislative Issues in Healthcare

Professionalism

• TCM in integrative healthcare settings

• Negotiating position and remuneration

Teaching

• Educational techniques and technology

• Developing effective teaching materials

• Supervision and evaluation of student clinicians

Ready to learn more? Explore the Program:

Every year on the last Saturday of April, tens of thousands of people in more than 70 countries come together, to practice tai chi and qigong and to provide a healing vision for our world. World Tai Chi & Qigong Day is Saturday, April 27 at 10am, in every time zone, creating a wave of healing qi (energy) around the world. Please see the location update below. Check out the Facebook page for World Tai Chi & Qigong Day in Central Texas to find out about the official Austin gathering.

AOMA and Sheng Zhen Austin are co-sponsoring a free Qi “Tasting” in the afternoon from 2-5pm. Find out more details here. This event is suitable for all ages and abilities. Participants may come and go or stay from the entire program. Here’s the schedule of events.

2:00pm Welcome and Opening

2:15pm Practice movements from Heaven Nature Gong

2:45 pm Learn the form Awakening the Soul Gong

3:15 pm Practice movements from Return to Spring

3:45 pm Practice movements from Sheng Zhen Healing Gong

4:15 Master Li Junfeng will discuss Sheng Zhen philosophy

What is Qigong?

Qigong is an ancient Chinese health care system practiced for health maintenance, healing and increasing vitality. It is practiced through an integration of physical postures, breathing techniques, and focused intention.

The word Qigong (chi kung or chi gung) is made up of two Chinese words. Qi (pronounced chee) is usually translated to mean the life force or vital-energy that flows through all things in the universe. The second word, Gong (pronounced gung) means work or cultivation. Together, Qigong means life energy cultivation.

Widely practiced in Asia, qigong has recently become popular in the West as an approach to overall health and well-being. Practicing qigong induces a relaxation response that can positively impact your body’s natural healing ability and increase your sense of balance in our stressful society.

Visit the National Qigong Association website for more resources about qigong.

What is Tai Chi?

T'ai chi ch'uan or Taijiquan, often shortened to t'ai chi, taiji or tai chi in English usage, is an internal Chinese martial art originally practiced for both its defense training and its health benefits. Today, it is primarily practiced to maintain good health, both physical and mental. Tai Chi has been recommended as an adjunct therapy for chronic pain, arthritis, insomnia, asthma, high blood pressure, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, and many psychosomatic illnesses.

Here are some recognized benefits of practicing tai chi and qigong:

• reduces stress responses, lowering the incidence of anxiety, depression, fatigue, and general mood disturbance

• minimizes the effects of chronic conditions such as allergies and asthma T'ai Chi improves breathing capacity

• regular practice can lower high blood pressure

• improves balance and coordination TWICE as effectively as other balance training

• improves postural control, while stretching, toning and relaxing the body in a cumulative way that no other exercise can achieve

AOMA offers informal classes in taiji and qigong in south Austin. You can search for classes worldwide on the World Tai Chi Day website.

Elaina Stover received a $2,000 scholarship from Trudy McAlister Foundation for her acupuncture program studies at AOMA Graduate School of Integrative Medicine, one of the leading graduate schools of acupuncture and Chinese medicine in the nation.

Elaina grew up in Tallmadge, Ohio where she developed her passion for anatomical and health sciences.  She discovered in high school her passion for looking deep inside the structures of the body and obtained a Bachelors of Science in Neuroscience at the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York.

After her graduation she took an internship in Africa doing research on sustainable rural health care.  She comments, “I found it difficult to stay behind the scenes researching in the field, I realized I wanted to be able to touch and help people more directly.” 

Upon returning to the United States Elaina attended yoga teacher training in New York and worked with instructor Francois Raoult MA, RIYT, and learned the technique of  using the tongue as a diagnostic tool for better understanding of the body.  She learned that tongue diagnosis is an aspect of Chinese medicine, leading her to Austin to study at AOMA.

The Trudy McAlister Foundation awards students who are currently enrolled in an ACAOM accredited acupuncture school.  Students must also complete an essay to be considered for this scholarship.  Elaina wrote about the role of Traditional Chinese Medicine in health care today.  She writes, “Participation is how we take ownership of our profession, shape policy and affect decision making, as well as share our profession and knowledge with the public and health professionals.”  Elaina plans on graduating in 2014 and desires to work in an integrative setting with nurses, massage therapist, and naturopaths.  

Tara Lattimore is an acupuncture student in AOMA’s MAcOM program and hopes to graduate in 2014. For Tara, choosing to become an acupuncturist was an easy and natural path to take. She says, “My family would get weekly reflexology and acupressure treatments in Indonesia and while we used to be nutritionally challenged and eat dinner in front of the TV, we got into mindful eating after my Dad read Michael Pollen’s Omnivore’s Dilemma.”

She recalls an influential memory of the ninth grade on a school trip to Sumatra when another student had a massive panic attack and nausea. The class was far from a western hospital so the student was taken to a local healer for an herbal decoction and acupressure. Growing up with healers in Indonesia has provided Tara with a unique perspective on medicine.  This experience eventually led Tara to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), where she is able to recognize that “people are diverse, complicated creatures and deserve the time and respect to be treated as such.”  Tara appreciates TCM’s acknowledgement that all diseases are different and affect people differently. 

In her time at AOMA she has made many contributions to the student body. She launched The Needler, a student produced magazine that publishes articles about Chinese medicine and campus life at AOMA. At first it was a modest project that took much time and effort to get off the ground, but Tara feels the magazine helps build community at AOMA by giving people an outlet to communicate with one another. Tara reflects, “It is certainly a seed that needs to be tended and I hope it will continue to grow long after I’m gone.”

Tara has also been giving her time to AOMA Student Association and volunteered at the 2013 Southwest Symposium. This year’s Symposium was a transformational experience for Tara because she shifted her focus from the polarization of Chinese medicine versus Western medicine to the integration of both medicines in her future practice.

One challenge to working on extracurricular projects Tara faces as a busy graduate student is finding time outside of class. Realizing that this is also a problem for many of her peers, Tara reflects saying, “All I can do is offer my support for collaboration should they want to get involved in whatever craziness I am working on and do the same for them should they want to spice up student life at AOMA.”

When Tara is not busy with school she spends time relaxing with her husband, Brian, her 50 pound standard poodle, Homer, and her feisty feline, Goose Cat. She enjoys cooking and going to the farmer’s market and is currently growing her first garden. Tara is a painter and her subjects include moxa and bodies with acupuncture needles. With her husband’s encouragement she has started a blog at tealatt.tumblr.com. Here she says, “I can hopefully express my creativity on a more regular basis and since there are so many artists at AOMA, I foresee a riveting community art show in our near future!” She is currently on the China Study Tour with twenty AOMA students and has been updating her blog with amusing stories.

The following letter was submitted to the Daily Texan twice via email regarding a written response to Robert Starr's article that appeared on February 27, 2013. Unfortunately, the Daily Texan editorial staff has not acknowledged this written response. We have chosen to publish an open letter with regards to the article.

March 5, 2013

Dear Daily Texan Editor,

I am a licensed acupuncturist and President of the AOMA Alumni Association and wish to prepare comments to be published in the Daily Texan. I want to respond in writing to an article authored by Robert Starr, dated 27 Feb 2013 and titled, "When it comes to effective treatments, acupuncturists miss the point."

This article is misleading and does not reflect the body of evidence that validates acupuncture as an effective and safe medical practice for treatment of a wide variety of disease. Both the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and World Health Organization (WHO) support ongoing research into the efficacy of acupuncture.

A 2012 NIH funded study titled “Acupuncture for chronic pain: individual patient data meta-analysis” published in Archives of Internal Medicine supports the conclusion that acupuncture is an effective treatment for chronic pain. Included in the analysis were 29 randomized controlled acupuncture studies surveying 17,992 individuals. The 2012 study also indicates real acupuncture differs significantly from sham acupuncture in terms of outcome and therapeutic effect.

A document published in 2003 by the WHO titled “Acupuncture: review and analysis of reports on controlled clinical trials” acknowledges the challenges in designing blinded and placebo controlled acupuncture studies, as Mr. Starr indicates. However, there is a critical detail missing from Mr. Starr’s analysis: acupuncture is not a pill nor is it a pharmaceutical agent. Acupuncture is the surgical insertion of sterile, stainless steel needles at specific points on the body. There are currently doctoral programs that incorporate scientific research and examine the value of acupuncture in contemporary culture.  

Acupuncture is a medical intervention and invasive procedure that has real effects on the body. Given such responsibility, acupuncturists receive 4 years of education at the graduate level and are licensed under the Texas Medical Board.

Sincerely,

Gregory A. Carey, Licensed Acupuncturist
MAcOM, Dipl. OM. (NCCAOM)
President, AOMA Alumni Association

Here is the link to the original story in the Daily Texan.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Otorhinolaryngology is a clinical science that studies the disease of the ear, nose and throat under the guidance of TCM theories in combination with the clinical syndrome differentiation of modern TCM.

Holistic approach

Viscera are the material basis of the physiological functions of the human body, and meridians and collaterals are the channels where qi and blood of the human body circulate, and through which the general organs communicate with limbs. Normal function of the ear, nose and throat depends on the coordinative activities of viscera, meridians and collaterals, while the pathological changes of the ear, nose and throat result from the dysfunctions of one or more regions of viscera, meridians and collaterals as well. Therefore, the analysis of the clinical manifestations of disease of the ENT should be connected with viscera, meridians and collaterals, and should not individually consider the local pathological changes of the ENT. This also embodies the concept of TCM holism.

How TCM treats ENT

Acupuncture and herbs treat disorders of the internal organs, channels, and collaterals rather than focus on symptoms and signs. Generally speaking, from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory, the ear is connected to the "kidney", which physiologically stores "essence". When the kidney essence reaches the ears, the patient has normal hearing. Sufficient essence ensures the generation of brain marrow which is closely related to the human balance function. If brain marrow is deficient, vertigo and tinnitus occur. Besides the kidney, other internal organs like liver and gallbladder, lung, heart, spleen are also related to ear disorders. TCM treatment often leads to fewer side effects compared to conventional medicine.

Case Study: Mr. Cedar

Mr. Cedar came to our clinic with an itchy nose, persistent sneezing, nasal obstruction, and clear nasal discharge. He had been experiencing allergic rhinitis symptoms for more than a year, and noted they get worse when he’s tired. We treat this patient once every week with body acupuncture (LI 20, LI 4, LU 9, Yingtang) and ear acupuncture (internal nose, lung, endocrine and kidney) and prescribed him Chinese herbal medicine (Jade-screen powder in combination with Decoction for reinforcing middle energizer and replenishing Qi). One month later Mr. Cedar is getting much better after this treatment.

Chinese Herbs for ENT

Chinese herbal medicine is very individualized for each patient and scenario. So, depending on the syndrome differentiation and current symptoms, the herbs prescribed will be unique. In general, most aromatic flavor and light texture herbs will be useful.

The herbal patent medicine “Jade Screen” (yu ping feng san), is known to strengthen the immune system when taken regularly. Cang Er Zi (xanthium) is often added to this formula when nasal passage obstruction with thick nasal discharge is present.

Diet and Exercise

Every patient is different, so it is important to consult a licensed acupuncturist. In general, cut down on dairy products and sweets, since traditional Chinese medical theory believes these suppress the spleen to retain more damp, which will worsen the allergy symptoms.

Exercises like taiji, qigong, and meditation can help the ENT diseases by increasing the immune system and supporting the defensive qi in our body. TCM believes “if the body’s healthy, qi is sufficient, no evils will make disturbance”.

Author:

Shengyan ‘Grace’ Tan, PhD, MD (China), OMD (China) is an Oriental medical doctor of Otorhinolaryngology. After completing her PhD, Dr. Tan worked for four years as an acupuncturist, herbalist, and clinical supervisor in the ENT and Ophthalmology Department of the teaching hospital of Chengdu University. She is the first PhD-trained TCM practitioner specializing in ophthalmology to teach in the United States.

In my previous blog post “Energy Medicine: Medical Qigong and Reiki” I talked about the basics of Reiki and medical qigong and my experiences studying both and experimenting with energy medicine for more than 20 years. I wanted to share some more insights for students and practitioners of medical qigong and Reiki, so, here you go in no particular order.

Keep Practicing!

Reiki says once you are attuned you never lose the ability to flow Reiki to someone or something else even if you don’t use what you learned for 40 years. But like anything, the more you use it the more powerful the flow and the more effective you are in directing it. Use your energetic healing chops as frequently as you can. Even when I am in my kitchen I try to still my mind and let Qi/Reiki flow through me and into the food I am preparing. Everything is Reiki, everything is Qi. When I approach life like this everything becomes healing and I get stronger and stronger in my ability to let if flow through me. All things become healing practice.

Combining what I’ve learned:
Acupuncture + Reiki + Medical Qigong

Dr. Qianzhi Wu said very quietly and quickly in Foundations of Chinese Medicine class one day that you don’t need the acupuncture needles – they are just a convenience. Anything you can do with an acupuncture needle can be accomplished just as well with energy. It was one four second moment in a single lecture, but I’ve never forgotten it. It might be the one of the most profound moments of my education. I think of every treatment I give as a Reiki/Medical Qigong treatment. Acupuncture needles are just very convenient antennae which focus and transmit Universal Qi. It has made a huge difference in how I treat patients.

The Importance of Teachers

You can read out of a book and learn a thing or two, but being in the presence of great teachers has benefits you can’t get from a printed page. The energetic exchange between teacher and student is vital and has proven impossible to document. It does something to your Qi just to be in their presence. If you’re interested in learning from my two main teachers, Barbara Biro teaches classes in Austin, Texas and Master Li literally teaches around the world, including in Austin.

Being Present

Just as it is vital to be in the presence of a teacher, being in the presence of a healer can have benefits that are hard to explain. As a healer, being completely present for clients/patients creates a much stronger healing experience than a session in which the practitioner is distracted. It takes discipline and practice to learn to quiet the mind and keep it from wandering to either the past or the present. Patients don’t often get this gift from their practitioners. The last stat I read said that on average patients get about three minutes of face time with their health care practitioners. Most of this time is spent with the doctor poring over or making notes in a chart. In energetic medicine, as well as in acupuncture, we spend much more time with the patient. If our minds are still, our hearts are filled with gratitude for the Qi, which we bring to the session and to life, and we are led by our own intuition and training, then our patient has all of our attention and all of our skills focused on them. This dynamic alone gives them a gift of Qi that they may not get anywhere else in their lives.

Just as our own energies are changed and cleansed when we come into the presence of amazing teachers, our clients’ energies are changed and cleansed by coming into our presence when we are in this state of mind. Toward this end, at the end of any healing session I recommend changing your table linens and doing a brief cleansing of your space (I use a tuning fork, some people use a singing bowl, etc.).

Intuition

Integrate healing information, but let your intuition guide you during a healing session of any kind. Being present and connecting to the Universe (Medical Qigong terminology) or being led by Spirit (Reiki terminology) opens the healer to all of the resources that are available within the stream of Universal Love/Qi/Ki. AOMA trains us well in our healing arts. When you have been practicing a while these become second nature (as opposed to that struggle to recall what you experience during a test!). If you allow your intuition to guide you then the built-in skills and wisdom flow naturally and seamlessly to the benefit of the clients.

No Attachment

We are not healers, we are conduits. I read about a practitioner who would bow to his clients at the end of every session and say, “I release you to your life.” Our job is not to heal anyone, but to present the gift of healing Qi to clients. Detachment from results of our efforts is vital. We cannot take responsibility for another person’s path – our own is responsibility enough! Hoping for a good outcome is kind of like having a hook in someone – we want them to feel better so that we feel better about ourselves as practitioners. There are other motivations of course, but none of them are whole or healthy. Attaching to the results of your efforts is similar to planting a seed and then continually digging it up to see how it’s going. It is counter productive to everyone involved. Let them go. The Universe will care for them better than we could anyway.

About the author:

As the owner of Calhoun Acupuncture & Wellness in Austin, TX, Catherine Calhoun maintains an active clinical practice treating patients with conditions such as pain, allergies & respiratory infections, and substance addiction, as well as chronic disorders like arthritis, diabetes, neurological disorders, endocrine disorders, and cardio/circulatory disorders. A certified Usui Reiki practitioner and trainer, she also specializes in relaxation and meditation therapies such as reiki, medical qigong, and guided meditation. Ms. Calhoun is committed to implementing affordable healthcare options using oriental medicine and manages an on-site corporate wellness practice in addition to her private clinical practice. She is the owner and creator of CatsTCMNotes.com and has instructed at AOMA since 2012.

I started studying energetic healing almost 20 years ago now. When I first began all of my learning was self-study and experimentation. I got great results on many occasions, but healing sessions always left me tired and in some cases exhausted. It took me a long time to realize this was not normal and that I was giving away my own personal Qi (energy or life force). I quit doing healing work after one particularly draining session that left me so exhausted I didn't recover for several weeks. I knew without being told that this was the wrong way to approach it and that I needed more hands-on guidance. 

When the student is ready the teachers appear.

Evidently it took me some time to be ready because the span between my last exhausting healing session and meeting my teachers was more than 10 years. I enrolled in the master’s program AOMA and started taking Master Li Junfeng's Medical Qigong 1 class. I have to be honest: I hated that first term learning Return to Spring Qigong. I whined, I complained, I griped about how this wasn't learning to heal and was a general pain in the butt for several months. I vowed I was never coming back to his classes, but something kept tugging at my heart and I knew I needed to sign up for Medical Qigong 2. 

I honestly believe Medical Qigong 2 saved my life. My mother-in-law came to live with us that term and she was gravely ill. It took several months to establish home care for her so during that time my girlfriend and I were watching her around the clock. I was extremely sleep deprived and my stress level was a 12 out of 10. Sitting down during that once per week 3-hour class to do the Heart Spirit as One Qigong form was the only time that was just mine and I treasured it. The meditations we did in class opened my heart and my eyes. I went on to Medical Qigong 3 and then audited all of the classes over again several times. 

At some point during the Medical Qigong classes I met Barbara Biro who invited me to her Reiki 1 class. I found that the Reiki principles were very similar to what I was learning in Medical Qigong and that the two reinforced and enhanced each other. 

Reiki versus Medical Qigong

Reiki ('rei' meaning universal and 'ki' which is the Japanese pronunciation of 'Qi') and Medical Qigong have the same root philosophies - the concept that the Qi which animates and enervates everything in this Universe can be directed through the practitioner in such a way that the Qi which flows to the patient can to effect a healing and balancing response in the patient’s body. Master Li emphasized that you let the Qi flow through you so that you are both a recipient of healing and a channel for it. Reiki teaches the same concept, highlighting the need to let Qi flow through the Crown chakra, into the heart and out through the minor chakras in the palms. This profound yet subtle tidbit of information was vital to my own progression as a provider of healing energy and was the piece I had been missing early on in my studies. This is also why it is vital to have a teacher to help you open your own channels so that the Qi of the Universe flows through you: there are things you just can't learn from publications or from the internet. 

The differences between the two are small in many ways and yet significant. 

Medical Qigong 

Medical Qigong is one of the oldest branches of traditional Chinese medicine, predating acupuncture by thousands of years. Medical Qigong includes specific physical movements, breathing techniques, and mental imagery that direct the Qi within the body. Ultimately, the practitioner can control the Qi externally to heal others. In China medical qigong is used in hospitals to treat many ailments including tumors, cysts, paraplegia and hemiplegia, muscular atrophy, stress and insomnia, immune deficiency disorders, migraine headaches, and pain.

There are hundreds of forms of qigong and many ways to teach medical qigong, so let me say a few words about Master Li and my training. Before teaching qigong and medical qigong, Master Li was a world-renowned martial arts coach in China and the Philippines. After practicing and teaching wushu for many years he gave up his prestigious career to devote his time to teaching Sheng Zhen Wuji Yuan Gong, the qigong of unconditional love, around the world. So, to say the least, he brings a unique perspective to his teachings.

Master Li emphasizes the need to work on moving your own Qi for quite some time before you can even talk about moving someone else's. It was for this reason that he took us through Return to Spring Qigong in Medical Qigong 1: the physical movements help you learn to move the Qi of your own body. 

Medical Qigong 2 was 50% meditation and 50% subtle movement. This is the beginning of learning to move the Qi of your own body with the mind, heart, and intent. We learned Heart Spirit as One Qigong, which helped me learn to move the Qi with my heart and mind with smaller movements. I also learned stamina, how to expand the Qi in my body with my mind and intentions, and how to connect the Universal Qi. 

Medical Qigong 3 focused on Nine Turns, a form of Qigong that is all about moving the Qi with intent, directing it without moving a muscle. When you can control Qi in this manner with a quiet heart that reaches out to connect to the Universe, you are then ready to use this Universal Qi to help facilitate healing for someone else.

Reiki 

Reiki as compared to Medical Qigong is a strange blend of less stringent, yet more structured training. Reiki training is packaged to appeal to U.S. audience with little time and patience and has that “do it yourself” attitude in many cases. A Reiki Master, who has been through all 3 levels of Reiki, offers the training, often in 1-2 day classes then turns the new practitioners loose on the world. There is no intense training in meditation or in moving the Qi prior to beginning healing sessions and yet it is still a very effective form of healing even in the hands of a neophyte. That said, I see terrific benefits in Reiki.

Attunements

Reiki has an initiation process called the attunements. The power of these attunements is unmistakable. Once you feel them you know something profound has happened to you even if you don't understand the full implications of them at the time. A Reiki Master gives four attunements during the course of a Reiki training level.

During an attunement the Reiki Master opens the initiate’s Crown chakra and embeds healing symbols into the energetic fields. These act like filters through which the Universal Ki flows during a healing session. I think of them sort of as a stencil or lens, which focuses the Universal Ki into a certain pattern which promotes healing for the recipient. 

Opening to Spirit

Another Reiki emphasis is that we are *instruments* of healing, but we are not the healers. We have no abilities to heal - our job is to be a good conduit for healing energy and to be available to Spirit. We are, before anything else, faithful servants to the Universal Ki. This is very similar to Medical Qigong and reaching to connect with the Universal Love. When you do this, you really can't go wrong. Qi is filtered through you on a one-way street. You never feel depleted because it isn’t your own Qi you are giving away. You are also in far less danger of feeling the effects of someone’s “bad energy” because Qi only flows one way – from the Universe to the practitioner then out from the practitioner to the patient. An additional benefit to this is that the practitioner also gets a dose of healing. I feel energized and balanced after I give a Reiki or Medical Qigong session for this reason.

Structured patterns for treatment

This is something I really appreciate about Reiki that I didn't get from Medical Qigong. Reiki offers the new practitioner very structured patterns to follow during a healing session. I used them very faithfully at first, then found, as I got more familiar with my own intuition that my healing sessions became much more free form. But that initial "safety blanket" was extremely comforting and gave me something solid to lean on until I was able to stand on my own. 

Guides

Master Li spoke of Masters such as Quan Yin, Lao Tsu, Jesus, Hanuman, and Mohammed coming to him to give him new forms of Qigong to bring to humanity. Dude gets the big guns for sure! Reiki speaks of meeting your own guides. During my Reiki training sessions I was taken through a guided meditation in which I met my non-corporeal Reiki Master to whom I still go for guidance. I was taught how to find this Master and how to approach “him” (“he” doesn’t really have a gender, but has a definite masculine energy). I met my Reiki guides as well, many of whom will rotate in and out of my healing sessions depending on the abilities and energies needed by my patient at that moment.

Reiki levels and symbols

There are distinct levels of Reiki. Reiki 1 emphasizes hands-on healing and requires light physical touch or very, very near proximity to the patient to send healing energy. Reiki 2 teaches practitioners the art of distance healing and greatly boosts the level of Qi that can be channeled by the practitioner. Reiki students in the 2^nd level learn to use specific symbols to boost focus the flow of Qi and to send Reiki over distances great and small. Reiki 3 is the Master/Teacher level. Students at this level learn the attunement process as well as the Master symbol which is used to attune/initiate others into the various levels of Reiki.

Once the symbols are embedded in a practitioner’s energy field they are there for life (maybe longer since certain types of energy carry over from incarnation to incarnation), even if the recipient doesn’t use them for a very long time.

Gratitude

Reiki places a strong emphasis on gratitude for those who came before us – our energetic ancestors. Part of the Reiki training is learning and reciting the lineage as much as possible, thanking these ancestors for passing the gift of Reiki on to us. This has shaped my thinking about healing quite a lot. I begin each day by saying thank you to Mikio Usui Sensei, the man who brought Reiki to us, to Masters Hayashi, Takata, and Furomoto. I thank Barbara Biro for taking the time to teach me even when I was skeptical and rolling my eyes over the seemingly new agey-ness of it all. Over time I have found I was including Master Li, Dr. Yuxia Qiu, Dr. Qianzhi Wu, and Dr. Yan He (and most recently Dr. Mikio Sankey) who have taught me things about Qi and transmitting Qi that I could not have learned without them. My heart is filled with gratitude to my teachers every day and I send them healing and blessing often.

Doing this puts me in a terrific mood and has the side effect of making me a better practitioner and conduit for Universal Ki/Love. It’s a great Qi cleanser!

About the author:

As the owner of Calhoun Acupuncture & Wellness in Austin, TX, Catherine Calhoun maintains an active clinical practice treating patients with conditions such as pain, allergies & respiratory infections, and substance addiction, as well as chronic disorders like arthritis, diabetes, neurological disorders, endocrine disorders, and cardio/circulatory disorders. A certified Usui Reiki practitioner and trainer, she also specializes in relaxation and meditation therapies such as reiki, medical qigong, and guided meditation. Ms. Calhoun is committed to implementing affordable healthcare options using oriental medicine and manages an on-site corporate wellness practice in addition to her private clinical practice. She is the owner and creator of CatsTCMNotes.com and has instructed at AOMA since 2012.