Translation and thanks to Felt and intresting the thread on physiology

March 2, 2003

dear List,

As some may remember I am in Guatemala and I work in the city.

In part in a youth project on Sundays where I teach some very basic ear acupuncture and we are looking into the possibility of massage and qi kung and various meditations and plants medicine.

The youth project is in a very dangerous zoon so I am only there from about 10.00 am to 1.00 or 2.00pm. on Sundays. The idea is that people will have other options but gangs and the people that have initiated the project like to talk about "social health".

Hence we are not considering a clinic besides there is no funding so I work in other places too (more about that later). Thus the basic set up is to teach some people there that are responsible and have the interest, then they will be able to transform one of the rooms out of three as a "relaxing" place, music meditation possibly teas... Or I might continue there on Sundays and maybe get a small clinic going where they can also participate (the once learning basic acupuncture) and or that they do some ear acupuncture on a other day.

We are very much looking into diet how certain foods combination from Chinese medicine view point can improve aid in health, we are considering to see if we can get seeds of medicinal plants (once that already exist in Guatemala). The reasons are two folds teach the youngsters about caring and responsibility (growing a healthy plant), also to have some plants medicine available (at least that is the idea)

I also am about to work in a hospital for old people but really it is an asylum for old disable people, feel very curious and apprehensive about what one can accomplish in such an situation?

Yet again not paid work so how long it is possible remains to be seen unless we find funding.

Well the western doctor that has more or less "coheres" me into this is very open and I have made aware of the difficulties and challenges that we really can only know once we start.

One idea is to do massage and qi kung and acumoxa and maybe even plant medicines. More in-depth (or at least I hope so) when I am there and the western doctor she is keen on learning to (starting with ear acupuncture?). It is a very good person a true healer, but she really has a problem with sympathy and empathy and since everything is political in Guatemala with the election coming up maybe we can not do same things but that remains to be seen.

I am trying to enhance my acumoxa knowing and message (ideally Tui nai) Qi Kung since these are comparatively cost effective and as long as I can move my hands massage and qi kung is available.

I am of the idea to also try to get the old people to grow plants and even for the hospital to do so that way we could learn more about caring and also maybe in the future have once in a while plants medicines.

I also work in privet practice to earn a living and at the moment like it, although my dream is that I could be dedicated the public sector more.

Like I mention before this is one of the reasons why I am becoming more interested in pulse diagnoses (what are the differences one needs to consider with old and disable people in pulse?), since if done artfully it can tell many things.

I also once in a while teach health promoters for other organisations... when situation permitting...

So what is the question you may ask?

Well the youth organisation has branches all over the world one is in Macua and the youth organisation has asked if I can inquiry if any one is willing to translate a letter inquiring if they can send needles and moxa from Macua maybe even a small donation to obtain local medicinal plants.

We know they (the group) do not speak any Spanish, do people speak English in Macua?)

The idea that a letter would be sent in the Chinese language is really curtsey if they speak English?

Or is it enough to send a letter in the English language?

And finally I really have to thank Bob Felt I tried to send letters to your address but reaseantly has been return hence this is just to say I am really grateful for your help with regard to books (may we use them appropriately)

Marco

Ps. Emanual your letters have been really interesting and ideally one should study more physiology but it depends on the persons personal approach because you sound frankly more enlighten then my teachers in the so call "physiology" course I had. Also with regard to med line in what sense do you feel it will help?

I see the language is very western and also the subjects are really humans and it always makes me think of a Swedish article where they talked about toxicity and plants (but not as medicines).

Anyway the broccoli or cauliflower has been shown to be highly dangerous and toxic to rats but ass the article also stated it is one of the favour vegetables of humans (at least in Sweden - cauliflower/broccoli with cheese sauce hmmm) Hence how does one translated the physiological information as deduce from western view and inter-relate it to Chinese medicine?

could you not write a book:-)

Apart from that somehow with your letters and related thread it makes more sense not to translate qi as energy, as the little I gather from the threads is how physiology really is multi-directional and multifunctional and also inter-related (a bit like Qi:-)

March 2, 2003

Hi Marco,

Your world in Guatemala sounds fascinating. I also feel a deep philosophical kinship with you based on your written attunement.

I will dispense with the Medline and physiology question immediately. For you it would merely be a practice like a form of Buddhist meditation. Your mind is not so British-American Empiricist. Perhaps no one knows what I'm talking about ... I started out life as a philosophy major and scholar.

Marco, you are blessedly lacking an "American mind" and are more attuned to the metaphysics of European continental philosophies. There are a few in this discussion who (to me) seem a bit dependent on the "certainty" of chemical analysis. It is to them that I recommend a more thorough understanding of physiology.

To those who can't read the Chinese websites regarding research on herbs and herbal formulas (or who lack a friend who can help) and want to know how a Western medical condition is treated by Chinese formulas, our own Medline in the West is showing more and more clinical research utilizing Chinese formulas. Marco, this may be of little interest to you.

I love your question regarding diet. I've taken my friend Nam Singh's "Cooking with Herbs" courses through his South Star Academy for years. I've attended his first and second year courses twice each. It's because he's a Taoist priest and so thoroughly attuned to the seasons and even the Qi of individual days. It's also because I worked for seven years as a commercial cook around America in my 20s to support my poetry writing habit. Nam is the real thing as a chef. I also push Nam to present Taoist philosophy at each gathering as I love his approach.

I'm going to start his first year class all over again starting on Wednesday, March 12th in order to refresh myself with how to eat in the spring. He has a second section starting on Thursday, March 12th. I'm pitching his classes here because you asked about cooking, and also because both Nam and people like Michael Broffman are so attuned to the seasons in a day by day meditative manner. Nam is attuned to the vegetables of each season and has much to teach about their functions and how to prepare them.

I put a notice on this site's calendar regarding this class for San Francisco Bay area people. Anyone can check with me off list to know more. I've known two people to take Nam's course from a distance, so I believe that's possible. But they'd miss out on cooking in Nam's kitchen and feasting on the results. Note also that Nam is an African-Thai gentleman who grew up in a Taiwanese Taoist temple near Taipei. After completing Chinese medical school in Taipei he attended and completed training at a Taipei cooking academy for Chinese herbal cooking. I believe that Nam has a lot to offer through his courses and has a wonderful style as a teacher.

Emmanuel Segmen