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Sometimes people ask whether they’ll be able to “incorporate” classical medicine into their practice, after study. Classical acupuncture involves the use of dozens more channels than in the modern acupuncture repertoire, so entering this world is really entering new territory for many. It also has fully intact theory and practice of the key concept of

Sorry to be out of touch. It’s been a very full and beautiful past few weeks. The first text today was from a staff member: “Long time, no blog, Ann!”  Timely. I hit the road at 4:17AM this morning, and now that I’m in the air, there is plenty of blog time. I enjoyed my very

“You don’t even know if the sun will come up tomorrow,” I wrote yesterday to a student who was having difficulty choosing what to believe. I encouraged him to imagine not believing anything at all for a while. It’s hard not to believe that the sun will come up in the morning, but last night

I just got through security at what must be one of the most beautiful airports in the world—Greenville, South Carolina—where you actually drive through a magical forest to get from the highway to the terminal. Then, when you’re through security, which today had no line at all, you can pause and enjoy a classically trained

Talking to patients about coffee is a challenge. Sometimes it seems to me that most people drink it. Last week I stayed with dear friends, one coffeed and one uncoffeed and I was stunned by the high voltage change in temperament after the first morning hit. This has become a cultural norm. Even Andrew, who

A few weeks ago I opened the front door to the office at 7:40am to find a patient sitting in the waiting room with his phone open on the side table. He was quite happily unwrapping what he told me was a homemade falafel wrap with hummus and parsley. He began to stand, but I

Tonight, curled by the fire with five inches of snow in the 10 degree cold outside (-12 degrees celsius), I’m reflecting on the subject of this afternoon’s third lecture of the mentorship, the Chong channel. How extraordinary is that channel—containing not only the blueprint for the physical being, but the whole plan of one’s life. 

As I head back to New York from a lovely family gathering in Massachusetts, a young person in the car just asked about my new year’s resolution. It’s very boring.Notice all thoughts, slough off 98% of them, and meditate to clarity—no matter how short-lived that clarity it is—every day.If the purpose of resolutions is to

Recently the office received an email from a practitioner who had been told by an advisor to go ahead and combine in a single session divergent treatments and treatments of a very different (modern) practice. He was justifiably concerned. Imagine you’re in a restaurant overhearing someone at the next table making an order:Yes, I’m ready,

Just a short note today.  This morning I received an email from an acupuncturist asking for tips for sustaining commitment.  The writer commented that I seem to have no trouble with it.  It took me aback because the premise of the question is that there is an elusive effort or skill in such commitment.  Certainly

Sorry to be out of touch. Right now it’s 5:45AM and Andrew is beside me driving in the dark while I write this very overdue missive as we return to the city from a day in the country. I’ll see eleven patients over twelve hours and Andrew will Zoomteach to Poland a dietary class in

“How does it feel to be Empty Nesters?” a friend asked this week, with a wink. There’s an expectation that the answer be something like, “I just can’t believe it—my little girl—it goes so fast—it seems like just yesterday she was saying her first word—where did the time go…”   But it felt like the

Sometimes when you feel into a person’s wrist, as you’re listening to the moderate level of the pulses, something extraordinary happens—the pulses suddenly adopt a pendular action, swinging laterally toward and away from the tendons in very regular fashion with every beat.  This happened a couple of weeks ago in a patient with a very

Picture: Miriam’s room is at the very far left of the building. It’s been a whirlwind few weeks. Sorry to be out of touch. The classes in Australia and Hawaii went beautifully, thanks to their amazing hosts, Mei Li and Jordan. It’s been so lovely to meet many new people eager to engage the medicine.

Today was another day of village-style healing.  I had taken my daughter out for a driving lesson, and we were coming up the driveway when I saw a person at the front door. There was no car in sight, so he had presumably walked, yet he wasn’t a neighbor. Miriam drove the car into the