Into the Mystery: A First Contemplation on Classical Acupuncture Medicine
A Glimpse of The Channels
What are these mysterious channels of energy that move through our bodies?
How can they assist in healing disease?
And how might they help us feel more free in our everyday experience of being human?
These are the questions that arise as I sit down to write the first exploration of Classical Acupuncture Medicine; a tremendous gift passed down through generations of wisdom and practice.
But first, I want to begin with deep gratitude.
I owe the upmost praise to my mentor Ann Cecil Sterman for her guidance, wisdom and generosity. Ann is an author, practitioner, teacher and mentor of the usability of Classical Acupuncture Medicine. She is a self determined branch coming off a lineage that seeks to share openly, the preciousness of the medicine and the boundless healing capacity. Ann has studied for 20+ years with the current lineage holder, Jeffrey Yuen.
Jeffrey Yuen is a Master in Acupuncture, Qi Gong, Herbal Medicine, Daoist ritual, Daoist Classics, Medical Classics, Food as Medicine, Alchemy & Tui na. He is part of the Jade Purity lineage, which dates back to the Han Dynasty and has been orally transmitted for an astounding 88 generations.
Everything that I share here will be filtered through my lens of receiving these teachings of Classical Acupuncture Medicine. Into the mystery we go!
What makes Classical Acupuncture Different?
Unlike modern Acupuncture, which primarily uses a smaller number of channels, Classical Acupuncture employs all 68 channels. Originally needles weren’t even part of the practice. Shamans would cast intention over the channels, prompting the body’s organs to respond. With the right knowledge and focus, healing could be facilitated without physical tools. Here’s where it gets even more fascinating: A trained Classical Acupuncturist or Channel Practitioner can offer remote or distance healing. That’s right, no needles, no in person session needed. Healing through focused intention and transmitting the correct channel. How cool is that?
Photo by Dingzeyu Li on Unsplash
What are the Channels?
The Channels are a network of interconnected pathways. Blockages or obstruction in the pathways are considered the root cause of disease. What causes these obstructions?
The most stagnating force to the body isn’t always external, it is often the limiting beliefs we choose. Thoughts are transient in nature, but when we lock into a belief, it begins to color our reality. Add in other external factors like poor diet, lifestyle habits and environmental toxins, the channels can become even more obstructed.
In the perspective of Classical Acupuncture Medicine, the brain is a “curious organ,” a sea of Jing- a material essence akin to candle wax, which contains the blueprint for your destiny. What you believe, has the power to affect you on the deepest levels. The belief, locked into the brain, resonates in the network of the other curious organs which are the bones, bone marrow, uterus, prostate, gallbladder, 8 extraordinary channels, and spinal cord.
The Eight Extraordinary Channels
These are deep reservoirs that contain our ancestral inheritance, influence our DNA, govern the rate of aging, contain inherited and congenital issues and also contain our unique destiny.
Photo by Jonny Gios on Unsplash
Destiny, in this perspective, is the call to experience maximum expansion in this lifetime. It’s the spark of curiosity or passion that invites us to follow our unique calling. Pathology, however, is RESISTANCE to that expansion- when fear or doubt or limiting beliefs hold us back from following our deep inner knowing.
Think of those moments when you’ve felt a gut pull toward something- a passion project, a career change, a move- but you talked yourself out of it with thoughts like:
“I won’t make any money from this.”
“I’m not good enough to be an artist.”
“I’m too afraid to leave my job or relationship.”
The resistance causes obstructions in the 8 Extraordinary Channels, holding us back from living our purpose and most expansive life.
I invite you to contemplate for a minute or 2, if you have a limiting belief that may be holding you back. If so, say the limiting belief out loud and notice where you feel tension in your body. Fully feel it. Then, ask yourself, am I 100% sure this belief is true? If it’s not 100% true, feel if your body softened. Then, bring in the new, empowered belief and feel that in your body. Sit in that new belief and expansive feeling. This is a cultivation practice you could do every morning or night, that over time can change deeply held patterns of belief.
The role of Free Will and the Spleen Channel
Free will, in the lens of Classical Acupuncture, is the ability to choose the thoughts you believe. And this capacity is intricately linked to the strength of the Spleen/pancreas channel.
Photo by Dominik Martin on Unsplash
The spleen/pancreas govern digestion and metabolism, not just food, but also beliefs and emotions. Weak digestion makes it harder to release obsessive thinking and let go of unhelpful beliefs. Strengthening this channel can help you gain clarity on what you find interesting, to be in a state of continually learning and engaging with the world.
Generally, eating and drinking the 9 inflamers + cold and raw foods weakens digestion. The 9 inflammatory foods are: coffee, chocolate, garlic, onion, hot spices, alcohol, sugar, gluten and dairy. I know…a total bummer. We can looking deeper into why another time.
Where to Next?
This is just the beginning of our journey into the profound world of Classical Acupuncture Medicine. In future writings, I would love to explore topics like:
How to strengthen digestion and nourish Jing through diet and lifestyle
The fascinating specifics of the 8 Extraordinary channels
The Nine Palaces of Life and how they influence our challenges and growth
My journey of receiving remote Classical Acupuncture treatments and the profound shifts that have occurred
What interests you the most? Let me know in the comments below!