NEW COURSE ON Nei Jing Daoist ACUPUNCTURE
2017

(Click here to download the Daoist Acupuncture course enrolment form)

THE UNIQUE APPROACH OF HUANG-LAO DAOIST ACUPUNCTURE (includes Classical Stems and Branches.)

Daoist acupuncture means learning to go with the flow, which in acupuncture terms means harmonizing treatments with the Dao of the patient and the Dao of now. Huang-lao Daoism, prevalent during the Han dynasty when acupuncture was being fully formulated, took the basic tenets from Lao Tse and conjoined these with the newly emergent ‘science’ of cosmological astronomy. In order to ‘go with the flow’, one needed to be able to spot the current patterns in life, and no pattern was writ so large and with such dramatic influence on our day to day lives than that seen in the
recurring patterns of the sun, the moon and stars. We, and all of life, have daily rhythms in tune with the sun. We wake, become fully invigorated, wane, and go to sleep with a regularity consistent with its movements. And while the moon’s influence can often be seen in women’s reproductive life, it also influences the cilia surrounding almost every cell in our body. These primordial organelles play a vital part in human development and in day to day life and turn on and off certain proteins in line with the full and new moon!

Course Content

Each day will include the theoretical basis and the practical application of Daoist acupuncture. They can be taken individually or as part of the full course. However, the course as a whole is structured to lead you through the complex maze of Daoist medicine. The reward you’ll find at the centre of this maze is crystal clarity, whereby many previously opaque concepts become crystal clear and it all suddenly seems so very simple.

NB – all course content will give references to source material.

First module

Time and Heaven-Earth-Man
Day 1
Friday 3rd November 2017
Acupuncture Time
You will learn how time is integrated into the core concepts of acupuncture. You will learn how to use the rise and fall of yin and yang in a day and in a year to best effect and about seasonal effects on the levels of qi, meridians, and the pulse. You will learn how to apply these important considerations by choosing the right needle techniques, element points, and meridians. You will also learn how the waxing and waning of the moon has specific effects on blood and qi in both men and women and how to use this clinically.

Day 2
Saturday 4th November 2017
Five Elements
Today we will learn about Five Elements in relation to Daoist concepts of heaven, Earth and Man, including the relationship between the Plough and the five element directions, the numbers of the He Tu (Yellow River) map, and the relationship of planets to elements and the alchemical sequence of elements. We will also learn about the Farmer’s Calendar, the Xia Calendar and the Lunar-solar (yin yang calendar) which provide the basis for knowledge of Stems and Branches theory and these will be explained in detail. These are also essential to fully understanding the flow of qi through the six divisions of yin and yang, and the amount of blood and qi in each division.

Day 3
Sunday 5th November 2017
Heaven, Earth and Humanity (part 1)
Heaven, Earth and Humanity incorporate the cosmological ideas that go to the core of acupuncture theory. A thorough grounding in this is an essential prerequisite for understanding acupuncture theory, and especially the six divisions, Heavenly stems and Earthly branches. On this first part of HEM you will learn about:

  • The source/ origin of life.
  • We will examine the tai qi symbol.
  • You will understand the similarities as well as the differences between Heaven and Earth on the one hand and Yin and Yang on the other.
  • How HEM explains the association between the organs and elements
  • The four seas and their treatments
  • The eight extra meridians in relation to origin of life

Second Module

Heaven Earth Man & Six Divisions
Day 1

Friday 19 th January 2018
Heaven Earth and Man Part 2

  • We will examine HEM in relation to their creative energies (man is born from Heaven and Earth.)
  • You will learn precisely where in the body Heaven, Earth and Humanity are reflected. You will also learn about reproduction and also the production of energy within the context of Heaven, Earth and Humanity and how to use this knowledge in treatment.
  • You will learn the pulses of the three regions of HEM and treatment principles.
  • Learn how to incorporate HEM into point choice.

Day 2
Saturday 20 th January 2018
Six Divisions part one

The six divisions provide spatial divisions of the body, divisions of time, and divisions of blood and qi. You will learn how all of these relate to the Farmer’s calendar. You will learn their five elements associations, their climates and attributes, and the disharmonies that can arise when there is conflict between the divisions. You will learn the host division sequence and their typical symptoms. You will also learn the guest divisions of heaven and earth and how these are reflected in the body. This also covers the rationale behind the progression of fevers as described in the Nei Jing and expounded in Shang Han Lun.

Day 3
Sunday 21 st January 2018
Six Divisions Part two

We will go on to learn how guest heaven and guest earth energies interact with each other and with the host energies, and the typical symptoms that are produced. You will learn how to treat using the divisions; their concentration points, internal/external balance, heaven earth balancing, left and right guest energies, as well as the compatibility between divisions. You will discover the relationship between guest earth energies and reproduction. You will also learn how to create the first level of your own energy calculator disc.

Third Module

Stems and Branches
Friday 9 th March 2018
Ten Great Movements (of Five Elements)

You will learn the ten great movements of the five elements, their arrival times and their changes. You will also learn the qualities of the pure energy of the five elements at the level of Heaven. You will learn about their balanced energy, and the imbalances caused by an excessive (yang) or deficient (yin) yearly element. You will also learn about important interactions between the six divisions and the ten great movements and how these can be harmonised.
Day 2
Saturday 10 th March 2018
Ten Heavenly Stems

The ten stem organs interact with the ten Great Movements. The important sheng and ke cycles imbedded in the stem and great movement interactions will be fully explored. I will lay out the key symptoms associated with the stem organs and you will learn specific stem treatments, including individual stem treatments, using unlike qi, and (if time permits) divergent meridian treatments associated with stem organs and great movements.

Day 3
Sunday 11 th March 2018
Twelve Earthly Branches

I will thoroughly explain the Terrestrial Branch sequence and the timing of the twelve branches. You will learn about their inner energy and how this interacts with the element of the organ to give a more comprehensive understanding of organ function. In exploring the branch sheng cycle you will more thoroughly understand the interdependence between the five elements and the rise and fall of yin and yang. You will discover how the meridians have been placed on the body according to calendrical considerations and how to use this information in treatment.
Learn specific branch treatments.

Module Four
Completion
Day 1
Friday 11th May 2018
Putting it all together

You will learn how to record and use the personal stems and branches chart in order to put all of the above information together to inform diagnosis and treatment. We will examine each aspect: – the stem organ, the Great movement, the guest heaven and guest earth, as well as the side energies, in relation to each element. Learn how to put together a four pillars chart and how to use in treatment.

Day 2
Saturday 12 th May 2018
Special combinations of elements

We will examine special combinations of stems and branches, and I will explain the general rules which apply. If we haven’t done so already, we will complete the energy calculator disc. We will re-examine what you have learned so far, with particular emphasis on application.

Day 3
Sunday 13th May 2018
Case study day.

This day will be spent looking at case histories as examples of how to use Han dynasty stems and branches. Please do bring in any case history that you want analysed in this way. I will try to answer any remaining questions.

Eligibility

This course is intended for qualified acupuncturists but does not require previous specialised knowledge or knowledge of stems and branches acupuncture. Much of the information on this course is new. It is founded on painstaking in-depth research into Huang Lao Daoism and the Han origin of heavenly stems and earthly branches acupuncture. It is therefore also suitable for those who have had previous training in stems and branches who want to clarify the theory and to understand the practical applications.

Venue

Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Airports

City Airport (15 minutes in taxi)
International Airport (30 minutes in taxi)
Dublin Airport (2 hours on bus or train to Belfast city centre.)

Cost

To includes lunch and snacks*

*This is dependent on class size. If this is not possible a reduction of £15.00 per day will be refunded.
Individual Days – £120.00 per day
10% discount if you take the full 3 day week-end – £108.00 per day. (£324.00 total)
18% discount if you take the full 12 day course – £98.40 per day. (£1180.00 total.)

PAY BY INSTALMENT AVAILABLE FOR FULL COURSE ONLY.

Total cost is £1080.00. You can spread the costs until May 2018 by paying by standing order.  You can start anytime up until 13 th October 2017 by which time you should have paid £298.00 non-refundable deposit and then £100.00 each month starting 5 th November, until and including May 5 th.
To Book Course Tel. 020 7978 8009
Email if you have specific questions.

Advanced Course.

If, after doing this course, you appetite is whetted then do join me for any one of the week-end advanced courses.
Course description coming soon.

Roisin is no longer taking patients in order to spend more time teaching classical acupuncture to a wider audience. For more information on Roisin's work, please click here