Qiological Podcast

Qiological is on vacation for the month of July, this discussion is one of a series of ‘summer re-runs’ of some of our favorite conversations from Everyday Acupuncture Podcast, which was the forerunner of Qiological. 

Taiwan is famous for its high tech computer technology, bicycles, fragrant tofu, rivers of scooters, delicious street food, and of course, tea.

Today’s episode is a bit of a soundscape as we spend a portion of the afternoon drinking and discussing tea. Unlike your Western coffeeshop where you pop in for a beverage to go, or you grab a drink and sit with a couple of friends or work on your computer, a Taiwanese teashop has time unfolding at a completely different pace. And it is about dipping not only into something delicious in a cup, it’s about connecting with your community and making new friends.

Listen as my friend Pia and I imbibe tea and tea culture in a way that you only find in Taiwan.

Qiological is on vacation for the month of July, this discussion is one of a series of ‘summer re-runs’ of some of our favorite conversations from Everyday Acupuncture Podcast, which was the forerunner of Qiological.  

I thought my conversation with Njemile would walk through some of the step-by-step things women could do to improve their fertility. Turns out the conversation pivoted into including a deeper investigation of living a life that is connective, generative and mindful.

Listen in as we explore the cultivation of fertility and connectedness in all the aspects of our lives. And gain some insight into what it means to live a fertile life.

Qiological is on vacation for the month of July, this discussion is one of a series of ‘summer re-runs’ of some of our favorite conversations from Everyday Acupuncture Podcast, which was the forerunner of Qiological.

Many of us fire up a meditation practice only to find ourselves sitting in an overwhelming riot of thought and agitation. Isn’t this practice supposed to calm us down, lower blood pressure, ease the migraines, and maybe give our recurring assortment of anxieties, troubles and tribulations a nudge to the curb?

Yeah, that’s a common story, but the reality of a clear mirror held up to the mind will not have you feeling like those just-so poised and apparently calm models on the Internet. You’ll probably want to get away from the noise and chaos between your ears. And that’s a good reason to learn to sit in the storm.

Our guest today has decades of experience with both meditation and acupuncture. And in this show we will get into the details of why you shouldn’t believe everything you think, and why healing often defies the logical stair-step process we think it should take.

One certainty in life is that it’s uncertain; we can’t accurately decipher how our stories unfold. But having an outline helps as we chart a course through the seasons of time. A key part of navigating the ever-changing phases of life is embracing the duality and non-duality within the cycles of yin and yang.

It’s helpful to accept that there are different seasons and adapt to their ebb and flow. Tune in to the rhythm and harmony of the cycles. This is the underpinning of Chinese Polestar Astrology, which offers a symbolic lens through which we can look at our experience—leaning on the insights of the cycle of 60 and the influences that inform its unfolding.

In this conversation, we visit again with Gregory Done as we transition to the second half of the year. We spoke earlier this year in episode 249, where we discussed the interaction of character, nature, and fate—and how this informs our experiences. In this conversation, we explore the harmonizing of capacity and opportunity as the annual cycles of yin and yang change into each other, and how symbols in Chinese Astrology can help interpret the past, present, and the blurry future. We look back at the last 6 months before turning our gaze on what the rest of the year might hold for all the 12 Zodiac animals.

Listen into this discussion on the influences of the year according to Polestar Astrology, and the possibilities, opportunities and challenges for the coming 6 months.

The ability to perceive with our hands, to assess the flow of life through the body, is a valued skill in East Asian medicine. It’s a fine and discerning art that takes full form when thinking does not overshadow; when cognitive understanding of anatomical landmarks combines with the attentive impressionable mind. 

To fully understand and interpret what is felt underneath the hands, you must learn to listen respectfully to the ebb and flow of the fundamental substances Qi, Blood, Body Fluids, which are keenly involved in supporting human life itself. For this your critical, conscious mind has to quiet enough to accept the knowing that comes from your hands. 

In this conversation with Jeffrey Dann and Mark Petruzzi, we touch on the concrete yet nuanced experience of reading the body through touch, including how to create space for a more therapeutic connection for both the patient and practitioner. We explore the need to be attentive, the value of appreciation in our clinical work, and the application of the teishin. We also talk about their fittingly titled Qi, Blood, and Fluids class. 

Listen into this discussion on palpatory findings and the refinement of touch from a Japanese acupuncture perspective.

Our medicine is rooted in the understanding that mind, body, and spirit are integral parts of the whole – reflective of each other and inseparable in human experience.. The tools and perspectives of East Asian medicine invite us to attend to holistically healing mind-body-spirit by mediating between worlds with focused intent.

We at times journey beyond the veils of rationality and time—navigating between the seen and unseen, ancient wisdom and modern technology, the ordinary and non-ordinary reality, the magical and scientific.

This therapeutic bridge between the irrational-mystic and rational-material may seem novel to mainstream Western thinking, but it has long been understood by indigenous people through shamanism.

In this conversation with Sean Fox, we traverse the world of shamanism and how it connects with our work in the clinic. How it can be a bridge between time and reality. We explore how we can use physical sensing and guidance from non-ordinary reality to intentionally set up spaces for healing. We also touch on the role of the fascia network in Chinese medicine, the connective threads of synchronicity, the power of voice, and cultivating trust in our practice.

Listen into this discussion on shamanism and facilitating space for the harmonious interaction of body, mind, and spirit by walking between worlds.