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published articles 1 FindingTheHealerWithinUnderstandintg;

QigongTheChineseWayOfHealthAndLongevity

2 InTheLandOfTheBlindAnAcupunctureTradition;FromTheBlindToyoHariMastersOfJapan.

IN THE LAND OF THE BLIND AN ACUPUNCTURE TRADITIONFROM THE BLIND TOYO HARI MASTERS OF JAPAN.ByRobertA.WeinsteinL.Ac. MostpeopleknowthatAcupunctureisanancienttraditionofholisticmedicine,whichhasbeenpracticedcontinuouslyinChinaforatleastthelasttwothousandyears.WhatmostpeopledontknowisthatmanyotherAsiancountrieshavealonghistoryofacupunctureandhavealsodevelopedveryvibrantandinnovativeapproachestothisancienthealingtradition.JapanisoneofthosecountrieswithaverydynamictraditionofacupuncturewhichhastakenamarkedlydifferentapproachtothatoftheChinese.WhileitisChineseacupuncturethathastakentheleadinthepracticeofOrientalmedicineinthewest,interestisincreasinginsomeoftheothertraditionsandagrowingmovementinJapaneseacupunctureisbeginningtoemerge.A brief history of Acupuncture in Japan ThepracticeofacupunctureseemstohaveoriginatedinChinaroughlyaround200-100BCE.KnowledgeofAcupunctureappearstohavebeenbroughttoJapanfromChinabyaphysician-monknamedZhicong(ChisoinJapanese)intheyear562C.E.1Heissaidtohavebroughtwithhimover160volumesofChinesemedicaltexts,whichrepresentedthestateoftheartofthemedicineatthattime.Bythe8thcentury,governmentsponsoredacupuncturemedicalschoolshadbeenestablishedinJapanandmedicalknowledgefromChinacontinuedtobeassimilatedbytheJapanese.However,bythemiddleofthe10thcentury,politicaltensionsbegantoarisebetweenChinaandJapanandcontactwithChinabecameincreasinglycutoff.ItwasduringthisperiodthatJapanesephysiciansbeganmakingrefinementstotheChinesesystemandstartedtomaketheirownuniqueinnovationstothemedicine.Aroundtheendofthe17thcenturysomeveryinterestingthingsstartedhappeninginJapaneseacupuncture.ItwasduringthistimethatablindacupuncturistnamedWaichiSugiyamabecamefamousbyinventingaspecialinsertiontube(whichisstillinusetoday)thatallowedforlesspainfulinsertionoftheneedle.SugiyamawentontoestablishthefirstacupunctureschoolfortheblindinJapanandthiswasthebeginningofwhathasbecomeoneofthemostinterestinganduniquecharacteristicsofJapaneseacupuncture:astronginfluencebyalargecontingentofblindpractitioners.Theideaofblindpractitionersusingneedlesmayinitiallyseemsomewhatstrangetousinthewest.However,itiscommonlyknownthatwiththelossofsightcomesanenhancementoftheothersenses.Infact,accordingtorecentstudiesofthebrain,cognitiveneuroscientistshaveshownthatinthosepeoplewhoarebornblind,thevisualcortexdoesnotatrophy,butratherisfunctionallyrelocatedtoprocesssoundandtouch.Thisextracapacitydevotedtotheothersensesproducesasuper-acuitythatfewsightedpeoplecouldconceiveof.Thustheabilityofblindpractitionerstosensethemovementofsubtleenergieswithinandaroundthebodyissaidtobequiteextraordinary.Thisabilityallowsforhighlyrefinedpulsediagnosisandtreatmenttechniquesandthisgiftisusedtohelprestorehealthtothoseseekingtreatment.FromtheJapanesepointofview,thepracticeofacupunctureutilizestheenhancedtactileskilloftheblindandprovidesaprofessionwheretheymaynaturallyexcel.TothisdayalargegroupofblindpractitionerscontinuestoinfluenceboththepracticeandtheoryofacupunctureandshiatsumassageinJapan.ThestyleofacupuncturethatismoststronglyassociatedwiththeblindisknownastheToyoHari(EasternNeedle)style.Some Differences between Toyo Hari and Chinese acupuncture. BecauseJapaneseacupunctureisbasedontheChineseclassics,bothJapaneseandChineseacupuncturesharethesamemeridiansandpointsandmanyofthesameunderlyingphilosophicalprinciples.However,fromaclinicalperspectivetheToyoHaristylediffersfromthemorecommonChinesestylesinmanyinterestingandimportantways.GenerallyspeakingToyoHaripractitionersusefarthinnerneedlesthantheirChinesecounterparts.Forinstance,mostcommonlyusedChineseneedlesareabout0.30mmindiameter,whileatypicalJapaneseneedleusedinToyoHariwillbebetween0.12mm-16mm.TheneedlesareusuallynotinsertedasdeeplyastheyareinChineseacupunctureandveryoftentheyarenotinsertedthroughtheskinatall.Whentheyareinsertedtheyareusuallyretainedforonlyafewsecondsorminutes.InToyoHarineedlesareusedtoeithernourishdeficientqi(vitallifeenergy)ortomoveobstructedqiinaverygentlebutpowerfultechniqueknowninJapaneseasHoorShatechniqueorinEnglishasnon-insertiveneedling.Becauseofthedifferenceinapproach

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toneedlingtechnique,ToyoHariacupunctureisoftenexperiencedasmuchmoregentleandalotlesspainfulthanmostoftheChinesestyles.Manywesternersnaturallyfindthisapproachmoreappealing.IrecentlyhadthepleasuretospeakwithBrendaLoewL.Ac.,presidentoftheToyoHariAssociationofNorthAmerica,andoneoftheseniorToyoHaripractitionersintheUnitedStates.IaskedherwhatsetsToyoHariapartformothertraditionsofacupunctureandsheanswered,IwoulddefinitelysaythatthefinesseoftheapproachandtheverydelicatetechniquesarewhatsetToyoHariapartfromothertraditions.WhenIasked

Brendaiftherewereothermorephilosophicaldifferencesshesaid,thefundamentalpurposeofToyoHariacupunctureistobringtheunderlyingenergyofthepatientintobalance.Ofcourseyouhavetotreatthesymptomaswellbecausethatswhythepatientcomestoseeyou,buttheemphasisinToyoHariisnotontreatingthesymptombutonbalancingtheunderlyingenergyandcreatingadeepsenseofwellness.Thisiswhatwecalltheroottreatment.Therearealotofacupuncturestylesthatfocusonhelpingthepatientfeelbetterbutnotnecessarilyonnourishingtheenergyatthedeeperlevel.TherearesomeotherinterestingdifferencesbetweenToyoHariandChineseacupuncture.ForexampleitisquitecommonforaChinesestyleacupuncturisttoinserttheneedlesintothepatientandleavetheroomwhilethepatientislefttocook.IntheToyoHarisystemthepractitionerusuallyremainsintheroomthroughoutthetreatmenttinkeringwiththeflowofqiinonewayoranotheruntilthepulsesbecomebalanced.Thisleadstoanotherimportantdifference:becausetheblindToyoHarimastershavesuchahighlydevelopedtactilesense,theirschoolofacupunctureutilizesthisskillandincorporatesmorepalpation,touchandpulselisteningforboththediagnosisandtreatmentofdisease.Theradialpulseandtheabdomenareheavilyrelieduponfordiagnosisandtheyareusedasaninstantfeedbackmechanismtomonitoranddirectthecourseoftreatment.Treatmentis

brokenupintoseveralstages,beginningwithwhatBrendaLoewreferredtoearlierastheroottreatmentandendingwithsymptomaticcontrol.Themainfocusoftreatmentiscenteredontherootcausesofthediseaseandtheunderlyingimbalanceisalwaysdirectlyaddressed.Theroottreatmentbeginsfirstbybalancingtheyinmeridiansandthenbalancingtheyangmeridians.Anydeficienciesofqiarenourishedanddeficientmeridiansarestrengthened,anyobstructionsintheflowofqiarebrokenupmuchlikelogjamsonariver.Inthiswaytheflowofqiinthebodybecomessmoother,boththeyinandtheyangaspectarebroughtintobalanceandhealthandwellbeingcanthenbeachieved.Patientsoftenreportbeingsurprisedatfeelingsubtlesensationsofqiflowingintheirbodiesasthetreatmentunfolds.ToyoHariAcupuncturealsohassomephilosophicalandspiritualdifferenceswiththeChinesestylesthataremorecommonlypracticedtoday.WhileChineseacupunctureissteepedinthetraditionoftwothousandyearsofTaoistandConfucianthought,itisMaoistandChinesecommunistideologythathasexertedamorerecentinfluenceonChineseacupuncturebothinChinaandhereinthewest.Manyofthespiritualaspectsofthemedicinewerediscardedbycommunistideologuesinfavorofamorescientificapproach.ToyoHarihasbeenlargelyfreeofthiskindofpoliticalandideologicalinfluenceandinsteadhasremainedtruetoitstraditionalTaoist

andZenBuddhistroots.ManyoftheToyoHariteachingsemphasizetheimportanceofclearingthemind,focusingintentionanddevelopingstillnesswhileworkingwiththepatientsqi.AnotheruniqueaspectoftheToyoHarimastersandtheToyoHaritraditionthattheyhavecreatedisthatitisaliving,evolvingsystem.Theyhaveacommitmenttoongoingstudyandtheevolutionofthetechniquesastheycontinuetolearnandimprove.BrendaLoewtoldmethatoneofthethingsthatImostadmireaboutToyoHari,thatIhaventencounteredinanyothersystem,istheemphasisonongoingtrainingandstudy.ThemastersinTokyopracticekazatomethod(grouppracticemethod)andlearnfromeachotherandtheyneverstoplearning.EvenYanagishitasensei(asenseiisateacheroramaster),whois72y.o.continuestostudyinthegroupsettingandimprovehisskill.OfcourseChinaisthebirthplaceofAcupunctureandshouldbehonoredforitsgreatgifttotheworld.Therearemanygiftedandcompassionatepractitionerswhoworkinmanydifferenttraditionsofacupunctureandthisarticleisnottryingtosuggestthatanyonestyleisbetterthananyother.Rather,myintentionistoeducatethepublicaboutthewonderfuldiversityofstylesavailabletoushereinthewest.Isuggestthatthosewhoareinterestedinseekingoutthemanytherapeuticbenefitsofacupuncturetryavarietyofstylesandpractitionerstofindoutfirsthandwhichworksbestforthem.

RobertA.WeinsteinL.Ac.isanacupuncturistandwriterlivinginSeattle.Hecanbereachedat2069540609orrobert@thesourcepoint.net