Scarring Moxibustion Result

Pointing to scar on back

Raised white area near finger-marked by red outline.

Caught up with a friend, who studies TCM at another university, to go swimming at a pool in Bondi and we went over some Chinese Medicine too. Found out in his first year he had a class on burning moxibustion. The result is a raised white skin burn on his right side (on Bladder 23-the Kidney Shu point). It's a shame he goes to another uni as he would be a good subject for my continuing point location exams- as the points are marked out on him permanently. The scar is 3 years old and at the time another student placed the moxa on him and walked away out of ear shot. Because my friend had other needles in place he couldn't move to take the moxa off himself. He's also done hot needle technique. Both of these subjects are not covered practically at UTS because of possible burns I guess.

Here's some info about UTS TCM

Hi Blogs,
Sorry about the delay between updates! When you're on holiday the last thing you want to think about is work! So have I been on Chinese Medicine holiday. However we should get our results from last semester soon. The thing I always found funny about UTS is that you have to re-enrole for next year before you get your results. Counter intuitive in my opinion, but supremely positive! Good luck everyone :)

Chinese Traditional Medicine Collaboration Forum, Sydney

This event came to Sydney over the weekend. I think it was a trade based Chinese Government effort. There was a day of lectures in the forum and some trade stalls of Chinese medicine: lozenges mostly! It was interesting to take in some of the info and it was good to see some familiar faces. Apparently this is the first one of its kind and shows a more deepening interest in Chinese medicine in Australia. It was a good effort I thought with maybe 50 people turning up. Some social phenomena that happened: 6 or 10 people taking in your face pics of lecturers then of the audience, people snoring loudly, triple headed sparkly purple flowers on lecturers lapels, running translation of Chinese after English and no one manning trade stalls. Also a Tibetan monk turned up, see pics, which I thought was very nice.

Health Science Exam looming

This is an inch of paper I have to know for an upcoming exam in a few days. Its a real pain in the ass to have a two week break then your final exam! The motivation has stopped. The good thing is without a million other subjects to go over you can actually focus and the huge pressure of other deadlines aren't there! Either way you got to do it. O crap looks like beach weather too!

Around the corner from UTS in China Town

Found out the other day that one of my fellow colleagues has deep associations with China town. Another colleague and myself decided to head to China town for lunch when we bumped into Fiona. I knew her parents had a restaurant on Dixon Street (the guts of China town in Sydney) and she invited us into the Tea House they also owned next door. Thanks for the Chrysanthemum tea. Here I learnt that the tea house was one of the oldest buildings in China town, over 150 years, and that her family had been working at the same place for generations. It was a nice experience to sip Chrysanthemum tea in such a authentic place and hear of this history. Cheers Fiona!

PS. Exams almost done for this semester. We just had one on Saturday! and now we have a two week space until the next...

Health Science Lectures (Western Medicine) coming to an end

Overview pic of the lecture theatre

Knitting

Purple striped socks
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Knitting, for 3 hours...


Exclusive pics from inside the lecture theatre

This is the second to last lecture for Health Sciences I will ever have to sit through. Woot, woot! Only two people from my course turned up this week. Me and Jez! The others here are the nurses who we share this subject with.
Health sciences can be interesting and engaging. At this level though the information is thrown at you. For example this lecture is 3 HOURS long! That is a big ask and is an intimidating prospect-especially in first year. Anyway managed to crawl though it all. AMAZING!!
In these pics you get a feel for the place, the classic feet up on the back of the chair in front is highlighted (especially brazen effort as close to front row and purple striped socks) and also managed to capture someone knitting. The book in front is her patterns book, nothing to do with the lecture, haha.
The notorious thing about this lecture theatre was the sub zero air con. Why? Who knows? Did we complain-hell yes. Did the temperature change,no. People would turn up in blankets. The conclusion-hoodies are the most essential item of clothing at uni.
BTW no permission was sought for these photos so if you are looking at this and that is you, I've stalked you. Haha

Assignment Deadlines

The TCM Assignment Drop Box



This object is the destination for hard work, anxiety, dreams, sweat and a few late nights! Its an incredibly dull looking thing though. The amount of combined stored energy that has passed through the entrance of this posting hole would probably add up to some good Qi. I think we need to add an object of good luck and prosperity to it, super glued to the top. A laughing Buddha, or Guan Yin (goddess of mercy), or burn some incense at least.

Sydney Night Noodle Markets

Here are some pics of the last night of the Noodle Markets here in Sydney. Was a great night, heaps of food and a great atmosphere in Hyde Park. Enjoy!

TCM Study

Study, food, Lecture, Manual Therapies class.
Thanks Jes, Sarah, Lydia, Mark, Madelaine, Zoe, Jeff

Acupuncture Practice

Gall Bladder 14 & 1 both needled

Next week is the last week of acupuncture practice and then after that it’s the end of semester. I managed to get pics of GB 1 and GB 14. Enjoy! Thanks Jeff for the pics and BTW, looking very calm and collected.

Food for thought

Yeah, trying to juggle a lot of stuff at the moment. However eating is fairly necessary, so I can share that. Here we are in Chinatown, eating dumplings. This proves we are best Chinese Medicine practitioners as we think Chinese Medicine, we read Chinese Medicine, we write Chinese Medicine, I blog Chinese Medicine and we eat Chinese dumplings.
Thanks Soph, Nic and James for pics!

History of Chinese Medicine at UTS

Hi Ppl,

I was going through the Acupuncture Network Forums and I came across this post by Carole Rogers. It gives you all the history for TCM at UTS. I think it's just helpful to have a clear view of how it all developed. I've linked to the post in the title.


"In going through the list of people cited on this discussion the majority of them were trained by Russell Jewell either directly, or indirectly through one of the colleges he founded where they were taught by one of the teachers he trained. The list of notable practitioners in whose training he played a major role includes: Chris Zaslawski, Mary Garvey, Peter Meier, Sean Walsh, Kerry Watson, Alan Bensoussen, Kerry Watson, Mark Aird, Damien Ryan, and every past and present student of UTS and VU.

Besides founding the first acupuncture school in Australia: Acupuncture Colleges (Australia) in Sydney in 1969, he also founded colleges in Melbourne. Adelaide. Canberra and Brisbane that subsequently, and with Russell's blessing, became independent colleges in their own right. Some of these closed, others continued and now offer recognised degree programs. In 1982 Russell turned over his private college to the acupuncture profession so that the college could apply and ultimately gain recognition as a government accredited higher educational body that had the right to offer an accredited Diploma, and subsequently a Bachelor of Acupuncture. In 1992, as one of the three Chairmen of the Board of Governors that ran the College, he approved granting the right to Victoria University to offer a degree program based on the ACA degree program when Dr Kerry Watson organised the first undergraduate program in acupuncture to be offered at a university in Australia. In 1994 he approved the dissolution of the Board of the Sydney ACA and the transfer of the degree program to the University of Technology Sydney. "

There you go! 1994 was when the UTS TCM course evolved and it all started in 1969 from the first acupuncture college in Australia.

Aboriginal Art and Chinese Medicine

Painting by Urrunga

Hi Blogs,
This is one of my favourite things. It's a painting by an Aboriginal artist who calls himself Urrunga. He paints and sells from a rug on the floor in the Devonshire Street tunnel, under Central station, Sydney.

When I first started my course in TCM I walked past this guy and was knocked over by this really strong piece of art work that called out to me! How rare is that? But it happened. I was just intrigued by it and somehow it had caught my attention past the walking legs and bustling people. As he explained the picture to me I was even more amazed.
What you are witnessing here is an amazing explosion of the imagination, reflecting the world, from a totally different perspective. If you look at the picture the two circles begin in the two knots in the wood. The Moon, large on the right is next to the Sun on the left. Below (or behind) are the star filled rivers of where Urrunga had stayed on a night out in the bush. The planet Earth surrounded by stars and on top are the trees Urrunga could see as the dawn began to strike their barks as the Sun began to rise. Just to see the Moon powering over the Sun and yet to see the awesome latent power of the Sun about to be witnessed on the days dawn. The view of Earth, covered in stars and in vast space, but also anchored to everyday life by the trees and rivers. I was just hit by the absolute latent power there. As each moment is noticed it becomes even more powerful and yet it is all at this tipping point. Vastness , nothingness, beauty , power, everything and nothing. The dawn, the night. Everything is suggested in an opposite way around! In five minutes I saw a breathing, three dimensional vision of latent ability and power. I was amazed at such a vibrant reflection of a beautiful moment. Yin and Yang. Macrocosm and Microcosm.
I look at this picture constantly to help me in my studies. May it help you too.

Peter Deadman-Still alive

Hi Blogs,

Here's a quick look at the net:

Just read a lovely interview from Chinese Medicine Notes of Peter Deadman. Check it out as it's down to earth, to the point and nice to read. http://www.chinesemedicinenotes.com/2008/09/24/peter-deadman/#comment-631

Herbis Orbis is a nice, rich earthy blog about herbs, studying and a bit of magic
http://herbisorbis.typepad.com/herbis_orbis/

This is a lovely blog about a just graduated practitioner. Looking forward to hearing how it all goes. Good luck
http://www.portlandacupunctureblog.com/tcm-school

Keep on blogging and keep on learning :)

Photo Essay on writing an Essay

Firstly thanks Jeremy for letting me take some pics.
We have a 2,500 word essay to write on Trigger Points and Channel Theory. It's the biggest assignment we've done so far and it's a dog! What? Am I not loving the in depth analysis etc? This essay is really the most tedious thing I've done so far! Anyway I am learning a bit more about channel theory and writing and referencing ( Blurgh!). Half way through it and at least we have got some new Macs to play with at the Uni. Facebook is pretty quick on them.

Ross Penman Acupuncture Talk at UTS

Here's Ross Penman and myself after the talk

Hi Blogs,

We had another talk for the Tai Yi Society just recently at UTS. Managed to get Ross Penman to come in. Now internationally you may not of heard of him, but here in Sydney he's well known. Very interesting man and a very successful practitioner. He works from the ground floor of a mansion in the exclusive suburb of Neutral Bay in Thrupp Street. I had to work hard to get him to come in and I had to book him 3 months ahead before the talk! Anyway it all came together and it was the first public talk he had done in at least 25 years! It was quite an achievement. Even more so as he wouldn't tell me what he was actually going to talk about.

***Latest update ***

Ross asked me to remove the synopsis and biography

No problem. Stay posted!

Quick UTS TCM Lecturer Profile: Congxing Yang

Smiles turn to horror as an assignment is revisited...

Here’s a privileged glimpse into a tutorial and a snapshot look at one of the lecturers at UTS in action. Thanks Congxing.
Firstly the reason I took these pics is that I have always loved the documentary feel of a sequence of pictures of a person interacting, talking and expressing different parts of their personality. These pics are an attempt to capture that. But mostly they are smiling ones… Even more satisfying is that I was allowed to capture them in tutorial in the office of the individual. So there’s a bit of flavour there.
Congxing Yang, everybody calls him Cong which is pronounced “Chong”, is our main lecturer for Chinese Herbal Formulas 1. Herbal formulas are a nightmarish dip into the Chinese language, in depth reasoning of TCM diagnostic theories (mind bending) and massive amounts of recall of individual Chinese herbs and also of herbs mixed up in different groupings-even more confusing!
Anyway Cong put on a wild fire tutorial at 12 today. That’s lunch time isn’t?? Anyway the exam is tomorrow and he provided a window of opportunity to stretch out some last minute ideas and fill in a few more gaps. You know that’s pretty cool, shows a lot of passion for the subject and demonstrates heaps of patience too. I think the main thing you can see from these pics is Cong’s sense of humour. So dedication and a sense of humour. Rare, rare, rare! Thanks Cong!

Clinic Skate

J skating ...

You know when things get pretty busy it always good to let off some steam. At Uni this can develop out in pretty fun ways. Observe the ancient art of Chinese Medicine Skating. For those not initiated in this art all I can say is that it helps the Qi.

The Good, The Bad and THE Trashy

This is one of the best line ups of all timeMore of an idea of how we roll TCM Sydney! Even better line up!We had a Fourth year send off celebration. Now technically no one has graduated, but they have to go to China for 3 months to intern in a Hospital . So this is the last chance for everyone to get together after the majority of studying is done, and why not?

The Tai Yi Society organised it, I'm and executive member. I'm second from right in the top picture with the others from the society. I'll spare you from any of the other pics during the night. The theme was the good, the bad and the trashy. So a few people turned up as good super heroes and trashy nurses. I wasn't brave enough this year and I don't have a nurses outfit either. Was a great night and we had people from all years and we also combined with Western Sydney University and another college. I definitely met some great people and had a great time!

Kidney 1, on the sole of the foot

We went over the points today on the Whiteboard. Top left Kidney 1 (KD 1): Dangers-it SMARTS. Problems-it hurts. Both are correct Michael needling me up on the point
I turned the camera on me just at the right moment-no joke, no exaggeration. That is excactly what it felt like!!!
Michael demonstrating the point. If you notice I have hit dead centre on my cross mark!
As you may know by now we have been practicing the more difficult acupuncture points in the Clinic 4 practical classes. Today the practical vaguely flashed into my mind in the morning on the way in to Uni and then I tried to flush it out of my mind straight away. The Kidney Channel starts on the base of the foot. It’s a strong point and it hurts. It hurts going in and then it hurts going out! However I am glad I have done it now as I can needle this point with confidence as I have been needled here and I’ve needled it on someone else (thanks Michael). BTW this point isn’t needled much in the real world, and never have any fear if you go to get acupuncture as any good acupuncturist will explain what they’re doing. You don’t have to agree to any of it.
Also these pics come courtesy of my new phone which I am very happy with, thanks to a very kind and generous benefactor :)

Western Health Science Tutorial

We outlined the process of cell division in play dough... But we also made Gumby
This really cool Korean piggy
And this really tasty looking hot dog (in the back ground is the cell division process)
Western science can be a pretty dry subject, so we had a practical class for our tutorial, and it became kind of fun. Play dough is for ages 4 to 8, I think, but we did fine.