We start off this episode by exploring the meaning of "tiao qi" 調氣, which is the title of one of the chapters in Sun Simiao's volume on Yangxing (self-cultivation and longevity). Inspired by Sun Simiao's writings and our work in translating and teaching this material, we start within this context of yangsheng but end up exploring much broader clinical practices. We reject the judgmental tone of "regulating," as a translation of "tiao" 調, in favor of the playful curiosity and flexibility of "modulating," "calibrating," or "playing with." As a side note, it delighted both of us to discover the significance of embodied experience and of discernment rooted in the five senses as we have both been practicing this art of calibration in the tradition of Sun Simiao's teachings over the past couple of years.

To understand our own and patients' behaviors that get in the way of healing disease, avoiding suffering, and improving wellbeing, we then looked at the difference between inability and unwillingness to "do what is good for us." But we quickly got more nuanced and changed the direction of our inquiry: To avoid judgment, which is a dead end in useful communication between any two people, we considered searching for obstacles and blockages instead. Could this perhaps be meaningfully expressed in the concept of "Qi stagnation," since this concept goes beyond just physical lack of flow, to include mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions?

In the end, we discussed the unaddressed need for specialized training in Chinese medicine so that practitioners can more easily slip into the role of skillful communicator and coach. At the end of the day, what practitioners need, beyond technical expertise, to truly help their patients, are the qualities of equanimity, patience, and more than anything, loving kindness...

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• Yangxing — Happy Goat Productions

In today's conversation, I asked for Leo's help in exploring Confucius' teachings on social cohesion, authority, and the creation of harmony in self, family, society, and the world, on the one hand, and on ethics, on following our "mandate from Heaven," and standing steadfast by our values, on the other.

• What does the classic Confucian pair of virtues, ren "Humaneness" or "compassion" and yi "justice" or "righteousness," mean in today's world and how can we possibly use it for guidance in this moment?
• Does it change Confucius' message on hierarchical relations when we realize, as Sabine reminds us, that Confucius did not address his teachings to those in the lower position (servants and common people, women, younger men, and children) but to the elite men in charge, or in other words, the rulers, elders, and male heads of households?
• Most importantly, how did Confucius himself respond in situations where the men in power above him did not act in accordance with the values he held? And how do we apply that to today?

Whether you are a person who grew up in a traditional Confucian household and culture or are somebody who is looking at traditional East Asian culture from the outside in, we sincerely hope that this conversation is helpful. Right now, it feels to me that Confucius is once again relevant for this dance between self-realization and service to others, through the prism of personal cultivation. For more details on Confucius' original teachings and some literal quotes from the Analects, please read this article by Sabine:

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• Confucius and Willful Peacekeeping — Happy Goat Productions

In today's episode, I got to ask Leo to speak more specifically about the different kinds of love that are found in the Buddhist teachings. Together, we were able to explore how I can make sure that the deep love I feel for my daughter, to use the example closest to my heart, does not turn into a suffocating blanket of mutual needs and wants, as conditional love between parent and child does all too often.

Instead, unconditional love can become a powerful generative and regenerative force of healing, when it rests on the solid triple foundation of compassion, well-wishing, and equanimity. This same spiritual foundation can also save us from getting exhausted and disabled by sorrow, whether caused by a personal loss, by us witnessing the suffering of a friend or patient, or by our response, as empathetic beings, to devastating global news.

With the support of community, we can find love and joy in that delicate dance between attachment and liberation.

In this conversation, Leo and Sabine feature our friend Paola Campanelli, an international practitioner and graduate of Sabine's 2-year classical Chinese training program. Together, we explore Paola's journey from philosophy to sinology to Chinese medicine, from her native Italy to China and Taiwan and ultimately to her current home in southern Germany. We discuss Paola's challenges and insights gained through studying classical Chinese, in a range of topics as wide as Paola's life experience, from German philosophy to language acquisition and the importance of grammar, to poetry and the power of beauty and song... We also touch on the value of collaboration in translation and the potential for future projects in a collective of translators that has been Sabine's vision for her Triple Crown Classical Chinese training program. If you want to know about Leo's relationship to Italian opera, make sure you listen to the end for a cliff hanger that I personally cannot wait to find out more about.

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• Triple Crown Training Program — Translating Chinese Medicine - Dr. Wilms' 2-year training program in classical Chinese, starting every two years in September

In this episode, we (Sabine Wilms and Leo Lok) invited the Spanish practitioner and teacher of Chinese medicine Manu Moreno to share with us his personal journey of learning, practicing, teaching, and translating Chinese medicine. Manu generously introduced us to his childhood experiences, including his struggles with dyslexia, guidance from dreams and past-lives experiences, and connection to his family healing tradition, all of which eventually led him to drop everything and move to China. There, he immersed himself completely in the language and culture and ended up studying Chinese medicine in a rare combination of an institutional education and personal lineage transmission.

Our conversation explored the importance of cultural immersion, the challenges of learning classical Chinese, and the role of traditional teaching methods in understanding the complexities of Chinese medical texts. We discussed how to strike a balance between the need for modern interpretation and our shared commitment to honoring traditional knowledge, and briefly contrasted Manu's two experiences of learning classical Chinese: First as a student among fellow Chinese students in China, and then as a participant in Sabine's training program in classical Chinese for Western practitioners.

If this episode has whetted your appetite for learning classical Chinese yourself, you may want to consider enrolling in Sabine's two-year intensive training program that starts September 11, 2025 with the "Foundations" course. Find out more AT HER "TRANSLATINGCHINESEMEDICINE.COM" WEBSITE.

Additional Information

• Triple Crown Training Program — Translating Chinese Medicine - Dr. Wilms' 2-year training program in classical Chinese, starting every two years in September

In this conversation, we get pretty personal! In an honest exploration, we look at the intersection of Sabine's personal experiences, Leo's healing practices, and the power of intention. Specifically, we discuss the Surangama mantra and its protective and healing powers, and then consider the general impact of community healing through chanting and other ways of being present with a suffering person. We also briefly touch on ethical issues in practicing and training and transmitting intention in performative healing rituals like exorcism and chanting in the modern clinical context.

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• Shurangama Mantra in Sanskrit

Chinese medicine practitioners are all too familiar with the common pathology of "Liver Qi Stagnation/Constraint." Partly related to feminine gender norms in both China and the West that force women to suppress and deny their anger, it results from the inability to let the liver Qi flow freely. In light of the palpable tension in the air these days, which is erupting into violence all too often, whether locally, nationally in the US, or globally, Leo and Sabine consider the root causes and possible treatments. From a slightly different angle of cultural norms preventing men from accessing and expressing grief, how can we prevent such broken-heartedness from turning into violence or despair, and instead redirect this energy in righteous action, strength, and constructive acts of creativity? How can we stop the vicious cycle of trauma and violence in service of a better, kinder, and more tender world where we have learned to harness the power of our emotions constructively, instead of destructively?

What do we (as in Leo and Sabine) mean when we say with great urgency and earnestness that postpartum care can heal trauma for multiple generations into the past and future? Why is there such a gaping hole in our modern culture's attention to the deep exhaustion, isolation, dangers, and need for intentional recovery from childbirth? How can medical professionals utilize the many tools offered by Chinese medicine to address this hole, from diet and medicinal formulations to acupuncture and moxibustion, massage and sound healing, as well as by educating and empowering the patient and their supporters? What can each of us do to help the world rediscover the magic and bliss of childbirth and the precious first moments, days, and weeks of a newborn baby's life? And last but not least, what is the significance of Leo's insistence on "pampering," as opposed to just "care," and why does this phrase bring up painful emotions for Sabine and many of the participants in our info sessions that we have been running this past month?

The deeper we go with this project of "postpartum pampering," the more aware we become of the importance of this topic. Please take a listen and then join us in thinking about it, talking about it with your communities, and, if it touches you as it did us, do something about the current lack of it in global culture but in the US in particular.

Thank you!

And if you care to learn more, join us for our course on Postpartum Pampering starting on June 1! FInd out more ON OUR PUBLIC INFORMATION PAGE HERE.

Today's episode, which could also be called "the mother and child within each of us," explores the healing power of the heart through the joy that Sabine experiences when caring for her fluffy baby ducklings and goslings, or when sharing them as a healing tool with her community, old and young. Leo's direct observations and questions pierce right through to the heart of the matter, past any rationalizations:

In this case, the answer is delightfully simple, at least for Sabine and for those human beings who, like her, melt at the sight and sound of a baby falling asleep when enveloped by protective mama energy. And truly, it doesn't matter whether that "mama energy" is produced by the actual mama or by any human (or non-human) with a parental instinct.

Let's talk about exercise, strength training, aging, and, yet again, the need for careful calibration. In today's conversation we explore the sweet range between taxing the body, enabling it to work harder, and building strength, on the one hand, and resting and honoring a more Yin approach to life, on the other. As the counterpoint to our dominant culture, which celebrates productivity, youth and physical prowess, and caffeine-fueled Yang-type accomplishments, many Chinese medicine practitioners tend to advocate for more of a Yin approach, in the tradition of the historical scholar-physicians' writings. But that is not all there is to Chinese medicine, past OR present! Listen in as Leo Lok and I discuss traditional Chinese perspectives on strength training and exercise...

Additional Information

• Sun Simiao's Gifts — Happy Goat Productions
• Dr. Vonda Wright on the Mel Robbins podcast
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• Imperial Tutor Mentorship by Dr. Wilms
• Happy Goat Productions (Dr. Wilms' website)