Guest guest Posted July 3, 2004 Report Share Posted July 3, 2004 Hello Everyone, I am new to the group, so I hope this is OK to answer some of the questions I have been reading. I practice 5 Element Acupuncture. I moderate a couple of other groups and quite often it can be hard trying to teach and explain 5 Element protocols to the more TCM and Japanese style acupuncturists. Firstly, the 5 Element style is completely different. It is not a variation, its not that we " did not do the whole course " or it is only a small part of . It is a complete style on to it self. Not better, just completely different. A lot of TCM acupuncturists try to understand it from their sometimes vast knowledge of Chinese medicine. In some ways this can get in the way. To this day, I still do not really know what damp is, as it is nothing to do with Five Element practice. In my small experience of TCM practitioners they continue to learn and grow in their knowledge of Oriental Medicine and continue to gain more and more tools for treating different conditions and capably healing their patients. Taking on 5 Element protocols as part of this gaining new tools would be a little like me learning a few herbs without knowing what they combine with a giving them to my patients. Probably not the best thing for my patient. The core of 5 element which is tonifying points of the patients constitutional weak element only, is a Han dynasty concept. J.R. Worsley added things from other systems as he travelled learning from different teachers. 5 Elements aim is to treat the person not the symptom, to help the person grow and change, to let them evolve and be more of who they can be. This is not to say that TCM or Meridian Therapy does not have this as part of its aims or 5 Element people do not use TCM bits. But.. I would hate to think of someone trying a Possession Rx. with out the whole concept of 5 element behind them. As others have said is a vast and more often than not oral tradition. It has many roots and routes of learning, not always Chinese. With out letting ourselves be naive, over intellectualising may rob us of its magic and its truly deep spirit. Mao had a good go at that in the early 60s. The accurate translation is usually the one the person s to from their own well earned scholarship. Look at how many different Yellow Emperors you can buy today at any CM bookshop. For those of you who may be interested in learning more about this particular style. I will upload to the groups file section a beautiful article by Peter Mole written for the European Journal of Oriental Medicine after Jack Worsley's death last year that talks about J.R. and the ideas and protocols behind 5 Element. I have really appreciated the openness and questioning of this group. I look forward to many other discussions about this great form of medicine that we all practice, Gye Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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