Acupuncture points: helping our skeleton dance

Acupuncture points are sited at intervals along the meridian pathways, each forming a point of access to what lies below the surface, eventually reaching down to the organs deep below.  When, then, we choose a specific acupuncture point along a meridian pathway, we should be aware of the network of relationships which the needle inserted into the surface of the skin is stirring into life. 

 

It is always good to remind ourselves of why meridians pass over our anatomy in the way that they do, and what information their physical position in the landscape of the body can give us about their possible function and importance.  In other words, why is an acupuncture point where it is?   One of the reasons I started thinking about this is when I became aware that very important points lay at anatomically highly significant places in our body's framework.  The first example which led me to this discovery was when I looked at the anatomical description of one of the most important points of all, Heart 1, Utmost Source. This started me looking carefully at the structure of the body as a way of helping me in my choice of acupuncture points.  

 

I realised that Heart 1, which lies at the intersection between the abdomen and the arm, is at the precise anatomical position which enables us to lift our arms up above our heads, appropriately, for such a point, to the heavens above.  It can therefore be seen as forming a link between these two separate anatomical structures, thereby helping maintain an uninterrupted flow of energy up and down the body.  There are equally significant places where a link between different parts of the body is required to enable good energy to find its way past potential anatomical gaps between different parts of our skeleton, such as between the wrists and elbows on the hands or the ankles and knees on the feet.  These are places where meridians have to pass their energy from one structure to another, and the smooth flow of energy might be impeded by conflicting movements between the two, such as the hand and the wrist not moving in tandem.  It is therefore no coincidence that important points lie at places where there is a potential gap between one part of the body's bony structure and another, and a meridian's energy requires some particular boost to bridge this gap, for example through a source point at the wrist.  

 

If we are unsure about our point selection for a specific treatment, therefore, we can help ourselves by bearing all this in mind, and reminding ourselves that point locations are not arbitrary, but have a specific purpose.  Points are placed at significant locations along meridians to help the officials pass their energy as smoothly as possible up and down over anatomical areas which could potentially block this energy's progress. 

 

I'm reminded here of the song:

… Dem bones, dem bones, dem dancing bones.
Dem bones, dem bones, dem dancing bones.
Dem bones, dem bones, dem dancing bones.
Doin' the skeleton dance.
The foot bone's connected to the leg bone.
The leg bone's connected to the knee bone.
The knee bone's connected to the thigh bone.
Doin' the skeleton dance.

 

I like to think that it is the siting of acupuncture points at key places where one bone is joined to the next that helps "our skeleton dance" so energetically, not only physically but also mentally and spiritually.

 

  

The concept of a guardian official

I have been convinced from the first day that I encountered five element acupuncture that we each have what I call a guardian element, one element under whose protection we live our lives.  It is the element which gives us our individuality, and helps distinguish you from me.    I have now decided to extend the term guardian element, which I coined to describe this particular element, to include the yin and yang officials which together form each element, calling them our guardian officials.

 In my last blog (17th March) I discussed the Small Intestine's relationship to the Large Intestine official.  This set me thinking about the relationships of yin and yang officials in general, not only within the circle of the elements but also with respect to how they relate to each other within their own element.  This raises the question of whether part of our diagnosis should be be looking at which official of this pairing is our patient's dominant official; for one of them certainly is.  When we compare one Wood person with another Wood person, or one Metal person with another, we can detect differences which relate to the characteristics of either their yin or their yang official.

 

There are various features specific to all yin and yang officials.  All the yang, for example, have longer meridians than the yin, with more acupuncture points along them.  They are also said to have direct access to the outside world, whilst their companion yin officials are shorter, have fewer points and are hidden deep within us.  This distinction also provides an explanation for the procedure for tapping Aggressive Energy, where we only insert needles into the yin AEPs.  This is because the yang AEPs are able to release to the outside air any negative energy they have accumulated, whereas the yin have no such points of release, retaining any AE deep within the body and requiring the insertion of needles to draw this AE to the surface.  

 

I remember when I began to understand why this might be so.  Many years ago as a student, I was in a classroom watching JR Worsley draw 3 parallel horizontal lines one above the other on the blackboard.  He told us that the bottom line represented the level of the spirit, the middle line the level of the mind and the top line the level of the body.  When we tap for AE, we must therefore only insert needles superficially into the yin AEPs which enables them to make a slight opening at the physical level.  This creates an escape route to the outside enabling any AE trapped at the lower two levels, the mental and the spiritual, to be drawn up and expelled from the body.  This has always seemed to me to be such a simple explanation for why we tap for AE in the way we do.  

 

It also provides an excellent description of the different functions of the yin and yang officials within each element.  The yin can be understood to carry out an element's fundamental functions deep within us, whilst their yang companions open pathways to the outside world.  I use this understanding to help me differentiate between the different characteristics which yin and yang officials within an element imprint upon us, enabling us to see how a person's element may be manifesting in a more yang or a more yin way.  On this basis, all yang officials can be thought of as playing a more active role, reflecting their connection to the outside world, whilst the yin officials play a more passive, static role, reflecting their position deep inside us.    

 

The problem with trying to include a micro-diagnosis of this kind to the diagnosis of a patient's element as a whole is that, whilst our diagnosis of an element can eventually be confirmed by the effects of treatment, we have no way of corroborating our diagnosis of guardian official.  Nor can this be said to be clinically important, since we always treat both officials equally (for instance needling both source points or both AEPs).  It is however interesting to try to pinpoint whether somebody's element has a more yin or yang emphasis, because it helps us to a deeper understanding of the qualities of all 12 officials.  This may also help us gain greater insight into our patients' needs at a deeper level, something that should always be our aim.

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

          

The close association of the Small Intestine and the Large Intestine officials

I have realised over the years that it is the study of my own element and its many manifestations within me making me who I am which has formed the bedrock of my understanding of the work of the elements as a whole.  Perhaps that is true of us all.  Maybe we can only start to gain glimpses of other elements through the lens of our own, and then gradually widen this to include greater understanding of the other elements.  But we must never underestimate how much of what we learn will inevitably at first be coloured by our own unique view of the world shaped by our particular element.

Today I became aware at a deeper level than before of how interlinked my Small Intestine is with what can be regarded as its closest companion, the Large Intestine, with which has an indissoluble connection, the Small leading to the Large.  I like to think of the Small Intestine as doing the preliminary sifting of whatever material, physical or emotional, comes to it from the Stomach, and the Large Intestine continuing this by working on the residue of waste material from the Small Intestine's work.  This final processing sends on what is no longer needed as nourishment to be eliminated from body and soul.  I regard the Small Intestine as in some sense being the ultimate ditherer as it passes its decisions to and fro, often changing its mind, as it tries to sort things out, until forced, sometimes almost reluctantly, to make a final judgement by deciding upon what it regards as pure enough to release to nourish the Heart. The residue it passes on to the Large Intestine to extract any remaining benefit from before it expels the dregs as waste material.

 

I became aware of this close interaction between the functions of Small and Large Intestines today because a close colleague of mine, who has Metal  as his guardian element, acted this role out for me, as we discussed our plans for the future.  I can now trace exactly the point at which my Small Intestine passed on responsibility to my colleague's Large Intestine.  I could feel myself, with some relief, stepping back and handing my colleague the final decision about what we were planning to do, each step along the way a clear indication of where my role started and ended, and where his role ultimately started and ended.  It is rare for me to see such clear evidence of how my Small Intestine depended so much upon accepting the Large Intestine's help in this way.

 

Similarly, it would be possible for each of us, when we become aware not only of our guardian element but of which of the two officials within that element play a dominant role in our life, to work out how far the officials of other elements within us are helping us to greater balance, or conversely may be holding us back for whatever reason.  Here, in the case of my colleague's Large Intestine, there might well be occasions when I feel his Metal element's pressures upon me are a hindrance rather than a help to me.  This might depend on how balanced my Small Intestine is or how balanced his Large Intestine is at any point of our interactions with each other.  Any imbalances in either of us will create pressures which affect the nature of our  officials' responses to each other.  

 

When we bear in mind the subtle interactions each of our officials have with those of the people we meet, it is surprising how well we usually handle our complex relationships with other people.

Never underestimate the effect our personal experiences have on how we perceive the elements in other people

I am drawing together my thoughts on the Water element for a seminar we are dedicating to this element on Monday 27 February 2023 (see our website www.sofea.co.uk for details).  

 

I am always surprised by how different our individual take on the elements is, particularly those of other experienced five element practitioners.  Very often I notice that they are observing the elements from quite a different perspective from my own.  As practitioners, we must never forget that our own element will colour how we perceive our patients;  we must therefore do all we can to take this into account in our diagnoses.  This is something that can easily be overlooked.

As students we were given some key descriptions to help us define an element.  In the case of Water, these were words like "fear" or "ambition", as well, of course, as the well-known sensory signals of colour, sound and smell.  But each of us will react to the emotion "fear" in our own unique way, prompted by the particular life experiences which have formed us from an early age.  These lead us to create a unique vision of the world shaped by what we have each been exposed to.

 

At our Water seminar I will therefore be very interested to hear how other practitioners experience this element, particularly practitioners whose own element happens to be Water.  I know that I will learn much that will be new to me, as I always do, which is why I enjoy these seminars so much.

  

"We must not simply visit this world"

I have just come across a lovely poem by the American poet, Mary Oliver, called "When Death Comes", and this is its last stanza:

..."When it's over I don't want to wonder

If I have made of my life something particular and real.

I don't want to find myself sighing and frightened,

or full of argument.

 

I don't want to end up simply having visited this world."

 

I love the thought that none of us should "end up simply having visited this world".  Sadly, perhaps, too many of us do, and so few, the rare ones, can say at the moment of death that their life has been more than just a mere "visit", but added something, gave something back.

 

I have been thinking deeply about this, and realise that I see one of the aims of my work as a five element acupuncturist has been to help patients transform a life which may be being lived at a quite superficial level, that of the "visit" described by Mary Oliver, into one which adds significance and depth to that visit, in other words gives us the ability to recognize that each life has a purpose to fulfil.  I always remember the thrill I felt when I first heard JR Worsley say that we should always try to visualize for ourselves a fulfilled life for each patient, and that we should hope that this can be achieved through the treatment we offer.

 

The implication here is that a patient's guardian element should become the focal point for this fulfilment, enabling a patient to find the means within themselves not just to "visit" the world, but to add something significant to the world.  I have always found that a lovely thought, which has inspired me in my practice and my teaching.

Developing a support network for aspiring five element practitioners

I am sometimes ashamed to think how many years it has taken me to understand the inevitable difficulties faced by five element students now compared with what I realise was my own highly privileged training.  In my last blog I listed how I was given the priceless benefit of a full seven years' support under the supervision of experienced five element practitioners, peaking with many years' interaction with the master himself, JR Worsley.  In the very different circumstances faced by those training today, particularly for all my many enthusiastic Chinese students, I am trying to do all I can to help students gain as much knowledge and experience as they can with what is now on offer for them.  

Luckily there are many new methods of online transmission which to some extent replace former teaching models by transferring what would originally have been conventional classroom study to the internet.  These online seminars now help our Chinese students fill the vacuum left by our absence from China during these past years of Covid.  Of course they do not offer the personal communications so important for the development of good five element practice, but they do make it possible to encourage students to continue their exploration of five element acupuncture.  

 

The current lack of classroom teaching has made me all the more aware of the need for each practitioner to develop their own personal support network, so that they have people they can turn to to discuss problems encountered in their practice.  It is especially important that they regularly invite fellow practitioners into their practice as often as is practicable so that they can benefit from others' insights into their patients.  Having another practitioner in the practice room often reveals quite different aspects of our patients as they respond to the presence of another person.  

 

We sometimes forget that it is all too easy to develop such close relationships with our patients over time that they can have the effect of lulling us into situations which don't demand much of either patient or practitioner.  There is then a risk that the practice room becomes too comfortable a place, and our work fails to challenge us as it should continue to do.   We need to regard each treatment as a challenge, a way of exploring our patient's needs at an ever-deeper level.  Instead, we may be tempted to take the easy way out, simply sit back and greet our patient as we would a friend, with no attempt to move treatment on in a further direction.  Whilst our personal friendships tend to stay very much at one level, treating our patients, on the other hand, should always develop, since every treatment we give changes something in our patient and moves them, we hope, to greater balance.  The person coming into our practice room today will therefore be a little different from the person who left us last time.  And our relationship to our patients must allow for this, something which we may tend to forget.

 

Gaining a different insight into our patient as a result of the presence of another practitioner is therefore often helpful in jolting us out of the complacency which familiarity with our patients can induce in us.  Forming part of a group of five element practitioners which meets regularly, online if face-to-face is geographically impossible, provides essential support which can help mitigate the inevitable stresses which our work with patients places upon us.

The need to find our own support network

It has been increasingly clear to me how fortunate I was to receive my training as a five element acupuncturist when I did.  I was unaware of this at the time, and actually for a fairly long time afterwards, because I assumed for a long time that all acupuncture students benefited from the same training structure as I did.  I regarded this as the norm, eventually transposing this almost lock, stock and barrel to form the foundation of my own acupuncture college, the School of Five Element Acupuncture, SOFEA.  Having recognized the deep benefits of my own training at JR Worsley's Leamington College, I saw no reason whatsoever in exploring new approaches to teaching which differed from the way I had so expertly been taught.  I therefore passed through my own college's first few years without recognizing the need for deeper enquiry into the nature of the training I was offering my own students.

 

But gradually the increasing demands upon acupuncture education which the development of more stringent accreditation requirements made upon all acupuncture colleges also penetrated what I now consider my almost naive approach to setting up my own acupuncture college.  The acupuncture world as a whole was moving from being an outlier in the world of medical education to forming part of the mainstream, with all the requirements for more standardized education methods this entailed.  Whereas my own training at JR's Leamington college had a very practical emphasis, concentrating almost entirely on observing and treating as many patients as possible, often up to 20 on a clinical day, I was now expected to adapt the curriculum to conform with a less practical, more theoretical approach, more akin to a conventional university course, and therefore much less patient-orientated.

 

In the many years since then I have become aware of exactly what I and my fellow students gained and what many students of five element acupuncture throughout the world now search vainly for.  I had available to me teachers who were above all experienced practising acupuncturists, and a course which offered me the chance to steep myself in treating one patient after another under their expert supervision, over a period of something like seven years.  This covered the initial three years of my undergraduate training, plus four more years of postgraduate training, very fortunately mainly under the personal supervision of JR Worsley.  Since this included many visits not only to my own practice to be observed treating my own patients, but also many days of benefiting from observing the practice of those more experienced than me, all this combined to give me what I now realise was my own personal support network as I felt my way into being a competent five element acupuncturist.

 

When I compare this now to what a similarly enthusiastic novice five element acupuncturist is offered today in whatever country they live, I realise sadly what this novice acupuncturist has perhaps lost and which I am now trying in my small way to make up for in the way in which I teach.  This blog forms part of this, because I feel that in articulating what I see as the inevitable deficiencies of current five element training I may be able make good something of what we appear to have lost.  

 

I have often expressed my sadness at the increasing lack of experienced five element teachers.  I know that many of the older band of five element acupuncturists feel either that they no longer fit into the structure of the few acupuncture training colleges in this country, since these now feel obliged only to offer five element instruction when it is combined with modern Chinese TCM acupuncture.  Others appear to feel that there is no longer a place for them where their belief in a pure approach to five element practice is required.  Where this does not appear to be the case, luckily, is increasingly amongst the many hundreds of Chinese acupuncturists I have taught over the past ten years of my visits to China.  As of now, though, there are too few experienced Chinese five element practitioners to cover the needs of this vast territory, with just a few who have graduated to teaching concentrated in the larger cities, such as Beijing and Chengdu, whilst one or two are scattered in lonely exile in more far-flung places.  But it is precisely the needs of these hundreds of devoted five element practitioners that I am trying to address.

 

My next blog will discuss how I have had to develop my teaching methods to help support this large Chinese contingent of devoted five element practitioners.