Essence & Qi

Nǐ hǎo! (or Hello!) Welcome to Pacific College of Oriental Medicine’s blog: Essence & Qi! If you're wondering what our name means or where it comes from, here’s what you need to know: essence and qi are believed to be the essential energies sustaining human life. All living things possess essence and qi, and each of these energies is fundamental to an individual’s well-being. Essence and qi are key components to a person’s overall health and happiness. We hope our blog can help enlighten, entertain, and spark your thoughts along the way. Comments, shares and reblogs are appreciated! We’d love to hear from you!

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Jing Shen; Understanding Your Vitality

Leading up to my online CEU course on Jing and nurturing life practices (2 hours of CEUs for FREE, sign up here), I sat down with scholar and Chinese medicine practitioner Dr. Phil Garrison to disc…

Leading up to my online CEU course on Jing and nurturing life practices (2 hours of CEUs for FREE, sign up here), I sat down with scholar and Chinese medicine practitioner Dr. Phil Garrison to discuss Jing (Essence) and the less discussed Jing Shen.

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Jill Blakeway's Grow Cook Heal

Grow Cook Heal is a podcast full of sensible and practical advice about natural healing and eating seasonally, hosted by author and Chinese medicine practitioner Jill Blakeway. Each week on the show Jill talks to growers and food producers about where our food comes from, to cooks about their favorite healthy recipes and to healers about living vibrantly and living well.

PCOM-NY faculty member Jeremy Pulsifer was featured cooking a healing soup to treat a cough on PCOM alumna Jill Blakeway's show "Grow Cook Heal". Check it out! ‪

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The Most Notable Medical Findings of 2015 - The New Yorker

This year in scientific advancement, from cancer to the Zika virus.

And at #7: the Power of Placebo, featuring Ted Kaptchuk--Pacific Symposium 2013's keynote speaker and a longtime PCOM associate!

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50 Reasons to #LoveTheWorld

We asked a range of people, from writers and chefs to musicians and photographers, to share one experience from the last year that truly inspired them – something that, in no uncertain terms, reminded them why they love the world. Madly. Here's what they told us.

“ 32 - Because joining a ragtag band of fellow travellers, cooks and guides as I trekked back from La Ciudad Perdida in Colombia reminded me of the joy of sharing your journey with others.”

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In 404 CE, the first foreign medicine was imported into Japan from Korea, which has been deduced as being mostly herbal in nature. During this time, waves of migration from the Korean peninsula brought Chinese technology and writings to the island nation. It was through these transplants that the native Japanese learned of Chinese medicine and acupuncture. As passageways between China and Japan became more open, the first formal introduction of acupuncture in Japan occurred in 562 by a Chinese monk name Zhi Cong. He made the trek across the Sea of China east and brought with him medical treatises on herbal medicine and acupuncture meridians including the Mingtang tu, also known as the Illustrated Manual of Channels, Collaterals, and Acupuncture Points.

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Thanks to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation for honoring Pacific College for our support for the important work they do. And thanks to Dr. Jeff Poplarski who makes it all possible.

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The Bodywork Blog, The Bodywork Podcast © 2015

David Rich Sol, Dean of Asian Holistic Health and Massage of PCOM’s Chicago campus, talks extensively about this method to reduce pain and tension.

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Happy Constitution Day! On this day in 1787, the US Constitution was signed. The United States Constitution is the world's longest surviving written charter of government, and many nations that have been established since 1787 have considered the Constitution as a model for their own foundations. More than two centuries after its ratification, the United States Constitution remains a vital and living document, strengthened by amendments, serving as both guide and protector of U.S. citizens and their elected officials.

http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/generic/ConstitutionDay.htm

http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/constitution-day/

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Are Raw Foods Damaging Your Health? Why The Temperature Of Your Food Is So Important

It may go against what we’ve been programmed to think from an early age – the idea that eating salads will aid in weight loss, and “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” – but according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), a system of medicine that has been around for 2000 to 3000 years, raw […]

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Arthritis is one of the most pervasive diseases in the United States, and the leading cause of disability. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of every three Americans is affected. Most people over the age of 50 show some signs of arthritis. Fortunately, arthritis can often be managed with acupuncture.

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Smudging- or the ceremonial and ritual burning of medicinal and fragrant herbs and resins of specific plants for spiritual cleansing, is an ancient practice that has been honored and carried out the world over in cultures spanning the centuries.  It is also one that is finding a great surge of added popularity in many non-indigenous cultures and circles in the modern world. The basic concept is that by burning particular plants parts and resins, the energetic blueprint or spirit/intelligence of that plant is released, producing a medicinal smoke.  The smoke is then utilized to cleanse the energy of individuals, groups, spaces or object.  Herbs like Sage, Palo Santo, Copal, and Sweet-grass are common smudging herbs that are widely used for healing and to remove unwanted energetic and spiritual buildup and also to instill blessings.

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Shrek needed a bit of acupuncture, apparently.

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Regina begins her pop!TALK--"Beauty and the Brain: What Does the Brain Have to Do with Outer Beauty?" - https://www.facebook.com/PCOMSanDiego/photos/gm.132954920374425/1081444418549823/?type=1&ref=3&ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular&action_history=null

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What is Spleen Qi Deficiency?

By Emma Suttie, D.Ac, AP The spleen is my favourite organ in the body. As an acupuncturist, I am not really supposed to play favourites, saying you love one organ more than the others is like a par...

Everything your patients ever wanted to know about their spleen qi (with artwork from thespicedoc.com/content/glossary)

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PCOM-Chicago Massage students volunteered to provide chair massage treatments at the Ronald McDonald house. Next event coming up in July!

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May 6th-12th is a special week. Why? It’s National Nurses Week, and we couldn’t be more excited! In honor of this week-long celebration, and to lead up to the May 21st Info Session at PCOM-NY, we’d like to talk about holistic nursing.

Just like East Asian medicine, holistic nursing focuses on the wholeness of the patient. This nursing specialty is concerned with the integration of a person’s mind, body, and spirit with their environment.

When treating the physiological, psychological, and spiritual needs of their patients, holistic nurses may integrate alternative modalities into Western treatment plans. This integration does not undermine conventional medicine, but complements, enriches, and broadens the scope of nursing practice and ensures that patients have the opportunity to reach their full healing potential.

Becoming a holistic nurse requires a person to incorporate self-care, responsibility, spirituality, and reflection into their lives. This powerful combination results in a greater awareness of the interconnectedness with the self, others, nature, and spirit. It is this awareness that enhances and facilitates the healing process that a patient undergoes with holistic nursing. The holistic nurse is a strong symbol of healing and health in the medicine world.

Come see us at the May 21st Holistic Nursing Info Session at PCOM-NY!

Fun Fact: Florence Nightingale is considered to be one of the first holistic nurses. She was the founder of modern nursing and set an example of compassion, commitment to patient care, and diligent and thoughtful hospital administration. Read on here!

Did you know that our PCOM New York campus offers a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (with an emphasis in holistic nursing)? If that isn’t news enough, our nursing program has advanced to candidacy for ACEN accreditation. Read more about it here!

We would like to thank ALL of the nurses out there for your compassion and selflessness.  You know how to keep us going, literally! Happy Nurses Week!

-PCOM

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Chinese Remedies for Hay Fever

PCOM-NY department head is featured in today's Epoch Times article on remedies for hay fever! “Usually it’s not one thing. Yes, the pollen will trigger it. But people will start to notice that they have symptoms when they’re not getting enough sleep, under stress, drinking too much coffee, and not eating really well,” she said. “Really it’s a compounding of all of those factors that creates the problem.”