Chinese Medicine Is Having a Moment… But That’s Not the Whole Story
Acupuncture might be trending right now, but the viral version only scratches the surface. Here’s what’s actually happening beneath the “chinamaxxing” noise.
Did You Have Culture Shock in China?: The Most Surprising Cultural Difference for Me
I was ready for the squatty toilets, the crowds, the noise, all the things people warn you about. What I wasn’t prepared for was catching myself smiling at strangers and realizing that habit doesn’t exist everywhere the same way.
The Eight Principles of TCM And Why They Matter More Than a Diagnosis
The Eight Principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine offer a powerful framework for understanding illness beyond disease labels. Explore how TCM’s Interior/Exterior, Cold/Heat, Deficiency/Excess, and Yin/Yang compare to Western diagnostic models — and why both systems matter.
Why Timing and Differentiation Matter in Treating Common Cold & Influenza in TCM
Why timing and pattern differentiation matter in TCM treatment of common cold and influenza. This reflection explores Wei vs Qi level progression, wind-cold vs wind-heat patterns, and why early, accurate diagnosis prevents deeper internal heat complications.
Shao Yang — The Pivot, The Hinge, The In Between
Shao Yang is the pivot layer — not fully exterior, not fully interior. If you’ve ever struggled to keep Gallbladder, San Jiao, six stages, and channel theory straight in your head, this is a grounded, body-based way to understand Shao Yang through lateral patterns, alternating symptoms, and clinical recognition.
Tai Yang — The Wind, The Wall, The Warrior at the Gate
Tai Yang is the body’s outer gate, the first layer to meet Wind, Cold, and whatever the world throws at us. If you’ve ever struggled to keep six stages, channels, and organs straight in your head, this is a grounded, real-life way to understand Tai Yang through the back body, vigilance, and clinical pattern recognition.