Being in synch with the Dao…

Day Pillar: Ren Chen (Water; Dragon/Spring Earth)

Started back at school today, organising our clinical practice for the semester. Southern School has an excellent student clinic, which is generally very busy. It seems there is most definitely a market out there for affordable CM treatment - even if it is getting treated by students!

I am aware that there are practitioners out there who charge extraordinary amounts of money for sessions (and then there's the added cost of herbs!); there are also practitioners who charge very reasonably. I don't want to cast aspersions, but what kind of practitioner is someone who is "in it for the money"?

These same people would argue it has to cover expenses - but then these clinics are not exactly keeping things simple. I've always argued that a good product will sell itself; and a good CM doctor can build up a successful and busy clinic without marketing and advertising - if they are good, honest and humble healers, then word of mouth will be the cheapest and most effective form of advertising.

This may sound like a rant, but I bring this up because I wonder how many people practice Chinese Medicine in accordance with the Dao - which according to the old texts is how one should live.

Is it hypocritical for a CM doctor to tell their patients to follow certain health regimes or lifestyles if they are not doing so themselves? I don't think I am wise enough to answer this, but I think it is valid for me to pose the question.

So would it not also be in synch with the Dao for a clinic to operate in a sustainable fashion? Respect of Nature and the environment in general is a considerably fundamental aspect of Daoism: going with the flow of Nature and the seasons, for example. So 'sustainability' as a lifestyle surely would be somewhat of a pre-requisite.

Incorporating these ideas into our practice would be beneficial for us, but also for our clients. We could be leading by example then - and we may find that our clients' health conditions may improve, as well as helping the planet. Diet is one thing that immediately comes to mind: if our diets improve, and we eat well-grown, fresh nutritious foods (instead of the highly processed, highly refined foods that are so commonplace nowadays), then we also relieve some of the burden of agriculture, the need for farming practices that degradate the soils, which in turn means you can grow more and better food over less acreage, thus minimising land-clearing.... actually the mind boggles at the differences all round that would happen by just the most minor of decisions (like adjusting our diet!)

Yes, I think Chinese Medicine is more than just acupuncture and herbs - which is why I am so interested in learning about Astrology, Feng Shui and Geomancy, as well as Dietetics, Qi-Gong meditation and martial arts. We need to present the whole picture to our clients, and teach them how to live in accordance with the Dao, so that we can all benefit from this....!

And this is most definitely something that all people need access to - not just the wealthy Middle Class with the disposable income and time to fork out unclaimable monies on "alternative" therapies. I think seeing the numbers of people who come to the student clinic - but who wouldn't see a CM doctor elsewhere - is proof that everyone should have the access to this kind of treatment, and not be denied good health and happiness due to their economic status.