Course Overview

Embedded in the long history of Chinese medicine is the understanding that we are intimately connected to the world around us. Using contemporary western climate science and a traditional Chinese medicine understanding of epidemics, we'll discuss the direct, immediate connection between COVID and the destabilization of the climate. Brendan also uses the ideas and research from his book “The Yin and Yang of Climate Crisis” to discuss the bigger and deeper issues connected to our warming planet including imbalances in our economic and medical systems as well as what we value individually.

We’ll also use the lens of the Chinese medicine's School of Heat/Wen Bing tradition--which was developed starting in the 1300s in response to other epidemics— to provide a larger, cultural view of the underlying conditions that contribute to creating wide-spread sickness and disease. Brendan will also discuss his clinical experience using western and eastern herbs to treat Chinese medicine's understanding of COVID and other viral infections.

Course Objectives

• Understand the basics of western climate science.
• Understand a Chinese medicine view of the development of epidemics based on principles from the School of Heat/ Wen Bing tradition.
• Understand a Chinese medicine view of COVID and other viral infections based on the principles from the School of Cold/Shang Hun Lun.
• Understand the connection between the deeper root issues that create the indivdual and societal conditions for COVID and climate change.
• Understand the use of eastern and western herbs to treat a Chinese medicine understanding of COVID.

Course Outline

0 hrs - 15 minIntroduction to western climate science and it's relationship to Chinese medicine principles, including Yin/Yang.

15 min - 30 minContinued discussion of western climate science and introduction to a Chinese medicine understanding of epidemics.

30 min - 45 minContinued discussion of a Chinese medicine understanding of epidemics with additional discussion of viral infections and COVID in particular.

45 min - 1 hrsContinued discussion of COVID and the use of eastern and western herbs based on a Chinese medicine understanding of the condition.