Chinese medicine is well established in the West as an effective cure for acute and chronic pain as well as other diseases. What’s not so well known is it’s also a powerful modality for promoting psychological and emotional wellbeing as well  as facilitating spiritual transformations. There are a few reasons why this isn’t emphasised in modern Chinese medicine institutions in the West.

One main reason that Chinese medicine training in mainland China and the West typically focuses on the practice and principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). This system was developed following the Cultural Revolution in China which outlawed and discarded all spiritual practices and cultivation. Whilst a highly effective form of medicine in its own right, the acupuncture and herbal medicine developed in mainland China during the 1960s was mainly aimed at  delivering healthcare to a large population as cheaply as possible. In TCM there is little emphasis on the emotional and spiritual aspect in healing of disease. 

Chinese Medicine rooted in the Classics has made a resurgence in the West in the past few decades. Largely due to the efforts of scholar-physicians such as Heiner Freuhauf and his lineage teachers, Kiiko Matsumoto and many lineage masters such as Jeffrey Yuen and their students. 

Classical Chinese Medicine (CCM) is deeply rooted with the philosophies of Daoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism. The practice of the medicine has evolved from the teachings of the Classical Daoist medical texts such as the Huangdi Neijing – Su Wen, Tai Su, Ling Shu; the Nan Jing; Mai Jing, Shang Han Lun; Jia Yu Jing. It also  draws upon the teachings of the Imperial Medical Academy of the Song Dynasty and the Four Great Masters – Liu Wansu, Zhang Congzheng, Li Gao and Zhu Danxi.

We believe that the practice of acupuncture is elevated when we embody the principles of the Classics. This can only be learned in the field, working alongside experienced practitioners and is the main emphasis of the apprenticeship program.