Course Overview

“First inspect the channels, separating and following...then adjust them accordingly” – Su Wen

In this Level Two class, you will fine-tune the skills you learned in Level One, where you learned to follow the Channel Qi: Here you will learn to separate them, distinguishing between the various types of channel Qi.

Liver channel Qi gives off a very different signal than Spleen channel Qi. Kidney Channel Qi feels different from the Liver or the Spleen. Once you have even a mild sense for “following” the Channel Qi, you can quickly learn to tell the channels apart!

You'll learn to trust yourself when you feel unusual channel behaviors – such as Du Channel Qi responding to a blockage by floating up out of the body and into thin air – and understand why the patient with this pattern has profound deficiency symptoms that don’t respond to the usual tonics or stimulation.

Please note that Detecting Channel Qi Aberrations - Course 1, Level 1 is a prerequisite to this course.

Course Objectives

• Differentiate between the sensations given off by the various channels, particularly the three Yin Leg channels.
• Learn how to coach patients in the use of acupuncture and/or Qi Gong to rectify channel attacking patterns in the three Yin Leg channels.
• Learn to recognize patterns where a blockage on one side of the body (left/right) causes stimulation or trauma occurring on one side of the body and manifests as pain on the opposite side, sometimes in an “illogical” location.
• Tangibly experience Du or Ren channel Qi aberrations in which channel Qi exits the body in response to a channel blockage, and learn how to treat them with acupuncture and/or Qi Gong.

Course Outline

0 hrs - 30 minReview of how to feel the channel Qi of the Stomach and Ren channels. This is a review of the material in the Level One class. Demonstration and recorded group work with instructor's guidance on how to notice the relative strength or weakness of Channel Qi flow, and the direction of channel Qi flow. Non-parasympathetic mode patterns and channel Qi blockages will be highlighted in instructor's demonstration.

30 min - 1 hrsNext, recorded demonstrations of channel Qi in Du channels. Recorded discussion on blockages and other variations.

1 hrs - 2 hrsDiscovery: After noting Channel Qi aberrations in provided demonstrations, recorded discussion on the most blatant and/or curious irregularities. Demonstrations with instructor's commentary on the most compelling of the discovered irregularities.

2 hrs - 3 hrsDiagnosis and Treatment Plans: Discussion of treatment plans for restoring correct flow of Channel Qi in the recorded patients with the most interesting variations and aberrations. Demonstrations of checking patients’ tongues and pulses to see if/how they conform with the behavior of their Channel Qi is examined.

3 hrs - 5 hrsTreatment: Attendees will watch demonstrations of executing treatment plans and commentary from the instructor on how changes detected in on-screen volunteer's Channel Qi before and after treatment occur and what to look for. Students continue to watch demonstrations of detecting the changes that occur in on-screen patients' Channel Qi after treatment. It will be discussed how developing the habit of confirming whether or not a treatment is working by taking note of the changes/improvements in the flow of Channel Qi is a crucial step towards becoming a brilliant acupuncturist.

5 hrs - 7 hrsDifferentiating between the channels: Reviewing the healthy locations of the Liver, Spleen, and Kidney channels, the depth of these channels. The locations of these channels do not lie in the locations usually ascribed by the modern texts of Chinese medicine. By the end of the course, attendees will understand the actual locations of these channels.

7 hrs - 9 hrsDemonstration: Learning how to differentiate between the three different types of electromagnetic signals given off by the Liver, Spleen, and Kidney channels. This is often the most exciting time of the entire course. During this part of the class, most viewers, often still doubting what they have learned,suddenly realize that the signals given off by the Channel Qi in these three channels are each different. This is the point where students realize that not only are they feeling or know where Channel Qi is, but also that the ancient references to the channels refer to a palpable, knowable (and often incorrectly described) schematics that regulates all body functions.

9 hrs - 10 hrsTreatments: Based on aberrant findings during the earlier segments in the course with the Liver, Spleen and Kidney channels, viewers watch recorded treatments. Demonstrations on how to feel the Channel Qi in these subjects are given, and tongue and pulse analysis by the instructor are provided.

10 hrs - 11 hrsTreatments. Frequent detection of the changes in Channel Qi during and after treatment are provided.

11 hrs - 12 hrsRecorded discussion, Q and A; case histories, and demonstrations.