Earth Medicine for Acupuncturists

As the original “Earth Medicine”, classical Chinese medicine has a rich terrain of earth-centered concepts and a remarkable intellectual tradition. But modern Chinese medicine has lost its’ environmental sensitivity.

Merging Chinese medicine with an earth-centered bio-regional foraging and medicine gathering approach deeply enhances both practices. Paying attention to local environmental patterns and gathering local wild foods and plant medicines brings classical Chinese medicine back to its’ roots, both literally and figuratively.

With a combination of taste and touch along with a basic understanding of the energetic language of health and illness, recognizing the natures of local plants and foods is reasonably straight-forward. In addition, a large number of the “weeds” of the Pacific Rim and North & South America have been described in Chinese texts. For example, here in Hawai’i, we have over one hundred local plants that are not included in the typical TCM Ben Caos but they are well delineated in other Chinese texts. Add to that an understanding of plant families and their constituents and you have a universal doorway into the use of local plants in a healthcare practice. The gathering and use of bio-regional medicines is particularly accessible for anyone willing to apply themselves, become a keen observer, and spend time in nature.

Native traditions and languages are also a worthwhile course of study as indigenous peoples were naturally profoundly aware of regional cycles as both a deep spirituality and a survival necessity. Indigenous language often reflects the nuances of a given bio-region and enriches our understanding of the exterior forces and patterns that penetrate our lives.

We offer private classes, tutorials, and coaching for licensed acupuncturists and students of TCM wishing to reestablish a personal relationship with LIVING plants as well as their clinical Materia Medica.

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