In this day-long seminar, we will explore the Neijing Nature-Based Medicine (NNBM) method of exploring, examining, and restoring the lower taiyang watershed. This is one of the largest watersheds and includes all of the back Shu-Communication regions for the major organs and so is one of the first places we examine and treat.

Throughout the day, we will explore the watershed pathway, its root and crown regions, the major aspects of its western anatomical correlates including major vascular regions and musculoskeletal considerations. We will learn to see the river with the Artist’s Eye, balancing symmetry, contour, colour, texture, and exploring figure-ground relationships. And we will explore tissue-level palpation skills that are fundamental to any intervention in NNBM.

Date: September 20th

Time: 10am-4:30pm

Price: $105

One of the core concepts of Chinese medicine is that human beings exist within and echo the broader patterns of nature. Re-connecting ourselves with these great movements is one of the most reliable ways to restore and maintain health and reconnect ourselves with our true home. This concise and easy to apply series of passages from the Huangdi Neijing contains some of the most fundamental teachings on seasonal changes in nature and how we can best adjust ourselves to match these changes.

During this day-long lecture, we will gradually progress through all four seasons as described in the Neijing. We will go line-by-line through the text and explore modern interpretations and applications that can be adapted to everyone's life. Throughout the day, there will also be plenty of time for questions to ensure each student is able to take away the approach that is right for them.

Whether you're curious about Chinese medicine in general, an expert looking for more, or a new student of Chinese medicine looking for a stronger connection to the nature-based roots, this class is an excellent way to spend a Sunday.

Date: September 27th

Time: 10am-4:30pm

Price: $105

Understanding the workings of the mind and emotions is key for anyone wanting to treat patients with psychological concerns. In this day-long seminar, we will explore one of the most famous chapters of the Huangdi Neijing in which the models of the psyche and mental illness are described in detail. Some of the details in this chapter include the 5 aspects of awareness, the cognitive process, and some of the effects that the emotions can have on the internal organs. We will go through the text, line-by-line and pause to add commentary and explanations that bring the knowledge of the classic to life for people living in the modern world. While the focus of the class won't be specifically on treatment, we will inevitably explore some core concepts for treatment of illnesses rooted in the mind throughout. The pacing will be relaxed with plenty of time for questions throughout to ensure students have time to clarify and understand all concepts discussed before the class moves forward.

This class will touch on the essentials of the Chinese Medicine portion of the doctoral level Chinese Medical Psychology course the DJ teaches at Pacific Rim College. It is an area of great interest for him and so he brings a passion and enthusiasm to this content that is infectious!

Date: October 9th

Time: 10am-4:30pm

Price: $105

In this day-long seminar, we will explore the Neijing Nature-Based Medicine (NNBM) method of exploring, examining, and restoring the lower shaoyang watershed. This broad and complex watershed is often overlooked and under-treated in modern acupuncture treatments.

Throughout this seminar, we will explore the watershed pathway, its root and crown regions, the major aspects of its western anatomical correlates including major vascular regions and musculoskeletal considerations. We will explore the use of the Artist’s Eye, balancing symmetry, contour, colour, texture, and exploring figure-ground relationships for diagnosing and treating regions of change. And we will explore tissue-level palpation skills that are fundamental to any intervention in NNBM.

Date: October 19th

Time: 10am-4:30pm

Price: $105

The surface of the body is our doorway to the world around us. When it is thriving, we have easeful and open interactions with our natural environment, the winds of nature carry their influences through a body that receives them with joy and ease. Subjectively, we feel a sense of spacious comfort within our body when the surface is open. One of the core tenets of Chinese medical thinking is that the surface and deeper aspects of the body are connected, and so treating the surface can have effects on a much deeper level.

In this day-long course, we will explore five simple tools that NNBM uses to treat the surface of the body: Gentle Self Massage (导引/按摩 Daoyin/Anmo), Brushing the Channels, Guasha (刮痧), and Cupping (拔罐子 Baguanzi), and topical herbal treatments (外敷药 Waifuyao). In the first part of the class, we will learn the theory behind their use along with their indications and contraindications. In the second half of the class, we will practice with the variety of tools so that everyone feels comfortable and can use them safely at home.*

*Some of the methods (fire cupping and the prescription of any herbal medicine) are restricted to those with particular licensures, so students will be taught to perform what they are legally allowed to do themselves.

Date: October 14th

Time: 10am-4:30pm

Price: $105