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No worries. Venting Heat (if accompanied by Wind) is just finding an exit for it. So just add a Jing-Well point would do.
Hi Adina,
Signs and symptoms suggest that there is an excess Yang scenario: migraines that worsen with heat, being always hot, tendency to big appetite and not gaining weight, red tongue… leading to Yin deficiency (thin pulses, transverse cracks on the tongue). My guess is that long-term Stomach Heat along stress and irregular eating habits might have led to a Yin deficiency scenario affecting the Liver and generating Liver Yang rising (migraines, anger). Heat (which in her case is the root of the problem) should be cleared before nourishing Yin. By nourishing Yin at the Yuan level without clearing Heat at the Ying or Wei level might have caused “pressure” leading to an increase of Heat trapped and that possibly triggered a migraine longer or more intense than usual. Maybe you could use Guasha or bleed Luo points in order to vent the Heat at the Ying level or use Jing-Well points if venting at the Wei level before proceeding to nourish Yin or perform a more grounding treatment.
I hope that helps making sense as to why the migraine post-treatment might have occurred.
Monica
Hi Frederic,
The Heart is about the expression of the emotions and the Pericardium is about intellectual control of the emotions. Teasing is “to intentionally annoy a person or animal by saying something that is not true or pretending to do something, often in a playful way”; also “to laugh at someone or say unkind things about them, either because you are joking or because you want to upset that person”. A tease uses intellect to protect him/herself from intimacy and true communication Heart to Heart.
Whereas the Heart is about inability to express either because of past deception, trauma or a perceived belief that whatever one says will not make a difference, within the Pericardium scenario there is an element of expressing something different to what it is actually felt. In other words, the person does express but the result of it is incoherent with what is actually felt. The Pericardium role of protecting, guarding the Heart is brought to its extreme to the point that the Shaoyin connection Heart-Kidney is broken. The way this is done is through, humour, sarcasm, making fun…which are Fire element strategies that can be used to distort real communication and intimacy.
And the Pericardium scenario includes self-harm so this would include biting one’s tongue, as a literal way to prevent real communication in circumstances where intimacy is at stake such as when having sex or relating to pets.
I hope this helps,
Monica
Dear colleagues,
To my understanding the Blood is not storing pathology within the Divergent scenario, rather the Blood is being used to support the Jing in its attempt to hold pathology in latency because Jing is weakened (naturally with age and also induced by unhealthy habits) and that is why Divergent are often associated to chronic degenerative and autoimmune conditions. What this entails is that some of the functions of the body sustained by Blood will be weakened as the Blood is diverted to support Jing so you will get Blood deficiency signs and symptoms. The Luo scenario is a different one, here Blood is used as a vehicle to hold emotions that have become pathological and a Luo channel is created to that effect. In broad terms, the Luo scenario is based on the paradigm of Blood stasis whereas the Divergent scenario is based on the paradigm of Yin, Yang and Qi deficiency as the root cause of disease.
There are philosophical implications related to this. Blood contains the Shen and so the pathology stored in the Blood can be related to beliefs, ideas, memories about the self that limit the expression and excitement by the Heart at the unfolding of endless possibilities promoted by the Kidneys (unfolding of potential). The Heart moves Blood and the physical manifestation of the emotional pathology contained in the Blood eventually creating a burden for the Heart is Blood stasis. Primary channels, Luo channels and Sinew channels can be channels of intervention in this scenario. The Divergent channels might operate at the unconscious level by virtue of their connection, on the one hand to the Wei level, the Sinew channels and Wei Qi that do not have access to the conscious realm. Here we are talking about autonomous responses, and possible reactions that occur beyond our will without the intervention of Blood (consciousness). On the other hand, Divergent channels also connect to the Yuan level and Jing as the vehicle for the reservoir of pathology and trauma held at the deep unconscious layers, hence the connection of different confluences to various 8-Extra channels (1st confluence: Du mai and Dai mai, 3rd confluence: Chong mai..). As the body ages the body draws from other Yin resources to support the Jing in its function of holding pathology in latency and in doing so signs and symptoms will appear that are the reflection of deficiency of that resource that the body is drawing from. Even if there is a second confluence in the Divergent scenario that operates at the Blood level, this is Blood that is supporting Jing (Yuan level) not dealing directly with pathology itself.
Having said that, I agree with Armin that in broad terms treating a second confluence might boost the capacity of the body to sustain pathology at the Luo level and treating the Luos might release the burden of pathology held in latency at the Yuan level. Yet it is important to make a detailed and correct diagnosis to ascertain where the original problem lies in order to find the right scenario and so you can fine-tune your treatments.
I hope to have answered your questions.
Monica
Hi Frederic,
Healing crises can happen any time with any treatment if the patient is ready for it. All you need to do is make sure that the patient has enough Yang, Yin (fluids) and open routes of elimination. Spasms can be a sign of wind releasing through the Sinew channels, but cold hands might have been a sign of Yang deficiency, particularly if he is overworked and sleep-deprived. If he felt better afterwards it suggests that you did the right job. Well done!
Monica
Hi Brian,
Welcome! I think we’ve met before, haven’t we? Nice to see you here 🙂
Have a nice deep-diving into this site!
Monica
Sinews are about moving, they treat Wind! They are dynamic treatments as opposed to more static needle-retention ones, so it is perfectly OK to move your patient about, as long as it does not cause unnecessary discomfort. In any case, as you proceed with the treatment the very discomfort should be easing.
Hi Frederic,
Jeffrey’s lineage is transmitted orally, hence you will not find much written about it except for the transcripts you may find from the New England School of Acupuncture. I did a whole transcript for a Divergent class in Dublin with Jeffrey if you’re interested. As to Chong mai’s 5 trajectories you will find that different traditions describe them in different ways. It is not a case of one being right over the other, but any description makes sense in the context of its own lineage and transmission. Jeffrey was using Royston Low’s chart books. Yet, the most important information is not to be found in the books but in your actual experience, initiation work with your master and experiencing the channels yourself from within. Personal cultivation and guidance is essential here. Hence the importance of oral transmission. That does not mean that written material is not helpful, but you might find that without any cultivation other than books, deep work into these channels becomes somehow elusive. With cultivation comes a deeper understanding of the written material, trajectories…, everything starts making sense effortlessly.
Best,
Hi Frederic,
The Bladder Divergent channel features points along 大包 dà bāo, the Great Wrap, so points like Du10, BL15, BL44, GB22 oe Ren17 are particularly relevant. This is the Taiyang area that you are advised to Guasha prior to treating with needles in a Divergent scenario for a Bladder or Small Intestine treatemnt. Likewise 帶脈 dài mài, the Belt Channel features prominently in the Kidney Divergent channel. You can certainly use any point that is not on the trajectory as long as it is a point that resonates with the Yuan level or simply it resonates strongly with your intention (think about the name/s of the point, whether the point belongs to a group of points or trinity, different layers of meanings for the same point). Ultimately, cultivating your own points is essential in guiding your choice in point selection.
As to points featuring or not this or that trajectory, I would say the best way to find out is by testing it yourself and see what happens. I certainly use all Huatojiaji points along the spine regardless of them being in the trajectory since they resonate with the Yuan level (Huatojiaji pts – Jing, Inner BLadder Shu pts – Qi, Outer Bladder Shu pts – Shen).
Regards,
Hi Frederic,
Luo vessels located in the Primary channel are indicative of the Luo channel having reached a degree of saturation and emptying, (or shall we say “pouring in”?) of pathology from the Luo channel into the Primary channel. Heating the Luo point with moxa immediately after bleeding it, might help in draining the pathology from the Primary channel back into the Luo channel. Bleeding the Luo vessels (if any) in the Luo channel first will generate more capacity for the Luo channel to re-absorb pathology and so pathology can be redirected in there to be contained. After bleeding the Luo vessels in the Luo channel one would proceed by bleeding the Luo vessels located in the area of the Primary channel.
Monica
Hi Frederic,
The amount of blood released in a Luo treatment should not represent a threat to a deficient patient, unless the patient was very deficient to begin with in which case you would take a very conservative stance and you would limit the amount of Luo channels being treated as well as keeping the number of Luos vessels bled to a minimum.While the 六花 liùhuā 6-flower combination could be useful for very deficient patients, one could opt for a 血府 xuèfǔ Blood Mansion treatment which is more specific to nourish Blood in a Luo scenario. This treatment consists of 3 points: 大包 dàbāo Sp21 the Great Wrapping (master point of Da bao and the Great Luo of Spleen point where all Luo pathology may get access to the constitutional terrain); 極泉 jíquán Ht1 Supreme Spring (it connects to the previous point) and 章門 zhāngmén Lv13 Camphorwood Gate (helps release memories financed by Blood putting pressure on Jing -Daimai-).
Monica
Hi Frederic,
As a general rule, it is difficult to say that a problem or disease is “specific” to a particular channel. As Armin suggested, it very much depends on the context, namely, signs and symptoms associated, anamnesis data, case history, information gathered by pulses and tongue observation and the overall energetic situation of the patient. There should be other “reasons” to go for one channel treatment or another. Sometimes you might feel that the work does not really start with a channel that relates directly to the issue at stake and that you have to work on other superficial layers before addressing the main concern directly. The possibilities are limitless.Having said that, if you decide to go for a Bladder Divergent treatment, it might be a good idea to do guasha insisting in the area of Huatojiaji points to release the tension built-up over the years, if that is to be found.
Hi Anna,
It looks like you are doing a very good job with him. It might be just about the right time to work maybe at a deeper level. What emotions have you worked with and what was the result? Rigidity seems to be an issue here as well as the resulting anger and frustration associated with it and manifesting his body. Rigidity features prominently and intermittent fasting (resisting food) seems to be a clear sign of this. Another one being the difficulty that you sense in moving his energy (rigid energy tends to get stuck). After all, weightlifting is all about resistance (Yangming – bearing weight, upholdoing) and as an ex-Olympic weightlifter he must be very good at that! The way he looks at his son’s mother problem, without undermining his concerns and the inherent problems that go with a situation like this, might be the result of a rigid outlook in life, and he might just be putting up with a situation that feeds anger and ressentment. There are a number of possible avenues for treatment depending on how ready he is to heal at that level. As an example, working with the Yangming Sinew channels might help lower the reactivity if there is a degree of unconsciusness about it. This might pave the way to work at the conscious level and explore other avenues for treatment: possible traumas (particularly in the first cycle 7-8 and his childhood environment as a whole), what things did he have to put up with in life…, and work with the corresponding channels to address what is revealed through consultation, pulses and tongue.
Work at this level might help change his outlook to his son’s mother problem. If this particular situation and his response to it is what feeds his problem somatized in the body as pain of an inflammatory type, it also contains the potential seeds for an actual resolution to it maybe by unfolding the neccessary flexibility and acceptance to change it all.
Keep us updated, Anna.
Hi Kyle and Armin,
You seem to be doing pretty well, Kyle. All I would add to this is moxa on Dàzhuī 大椎 Du14 in order for the Yang you are stimulating from Dumai via Chongmai 3rd trajectory to be distributed to the Yang channels (they all cross that point). It is actually a point well known for its ability to boost the immune system.
Regards 🙂
Monica
