Ordinary

Kaptchuk, Placebo, and Acupuncture

Ted Kaptchuk wrote "The Web That Has No Weaver," one of the first books about Chinese medicine in the USA. He's been doing research about the placebo effect, and its relationship with Chinese medicine. Fascinating. Two studies (described here) show that acupuncture is almost twice as effective as optimal mainstream care in treating chronic lower back pain. However, acupuncture and sham acupuncture achieve similar clinical effects... but work in the body in different ways.

"... while both genuine and sham acupuncture equally reduced noxious stimuli, needle stimulation inhibited incoming noxious stimuli with a peripheral-central bottom up somatosensory modulation, while sham acupuncture activated a top-down modulation of pain and worked through the brain's emotional circuitry." (1)

Read the whole article, here:
http://media.virbcdn.com/files/59/FileItem-112513-KaptchukCJIMRESPONSES2010.pdf

See more of Kaptchuk's research, here:
http://tedkaptchuk.com/selected-publications



References
(1) Kaptchuk TJ, Chen Ke-Ji, Song Jun. Recent Clinical Trials of Acupuncture in the West: Responses from the Practitioners. Chin J Integr Med 2010 Jun;16(3):197-203
from
 Kong J, Kaptchuk TJ, Polich G, Kirsch I, Vangel M, Zyloney C, et al. An fMRI study on the interaction and dissociation betwen expectation of pain relief and acupuncture treatment. NeuroImage 2009;47:1066-1076.

Summer Solstice Ceremony

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We harvest and surrender, in Autumn. We rest and dream, in Winter. We plant seeds and create our visions, in Spring. We tend our plants and flower our visions, dancing with fire, in Summer, time of greatest movement and activity. . As we enter this fiery season, let's clarify our intentions and actions. Come welcome summer's brightest blessings with our Summer Solstice Blessingway Ceremony, on the longest day of the year: Saturday, June 22 at @the_mama_cocoon with @intothewild.yoga and I. Jessy's weaving the ceremony container. I'm helping you create something sacred, beautiful, and tangible (it’s a surprise). . Sign up at @venturewellyoga or https://www.venturewellyoga.com/events/summer-solstice-blessingway . Happy Summer Solstice! . Photo story: The dirt road winds on and on, up and over mountain passes. It's getting dark. There are no clear pull-off's, so I pull as far off the road as I can, stuff my pack with my sleeping bag and journal, brush my teeth, then tromp up-hill to sleep. I climb just over the barren hill, out of sight of the road, with no trees overhead, and a clear view of the brightest of stars and Milky Way. The winds start howling around 11 PM, picking up speed until I must anchor myself down with stones, to stop my sleeping bag from noisily flapping in the wind, and prevent my pack's attempts to fly away. The wind renders me practically naked in my old down bag. I shiver in fetal position all night, body curled tight to stay warm, waiting, waiting, watching with bleary eyes as stars march across the sky, Milky Way slowly fades, and Sky finally starts changing color. I weep with gratitude when the Sun finally rises. Every cell of my body sings in celebration as Sun's heat kisses my face, that kiss warming and spreading through my body as its' Fire licks my own internal Fire back to life.

A post shared by Jiling 林基玲 (@linjiling) on Jun 4, 2019 at 5:46am PDT

The Process

The Process

Connective exercises for journaling and walking in nature. Nature connection, plant connection... internal and external connection. 

1. observe
   1. internal (notice thoughts/ feelings arising and passing)
   2. external (fully-embodied sensory observations)
2. engage
   1. gift
   2. inquire
   3. notice
   4. engage/ record (journal/ draw/ move)
3. gratitude
4. share

• oral (word, song)
• written (read)
• visual (share drawing/ movement)

Questions (on emotions)

1. when do you experience this
2. how do you process it
3. 3 actions to transform my current relationship with it