Although a Chinese Medicine practitioner has proposed a full body transplant, Jason Robertson’s immersion into this discipline has not embraced such a concept. His is a traditional form which he practices and teaches. He traces his pathway to dedication in both the language and the concepts to years spent in both of the Chinas and in San Francisco. His mentor, Wang Ju-Yi, has been both teacher and inspiration.

Although there is an herbal branch of Chinese Medicine, the preponderant technique is that of acupuncture. There are some 30,000 acupuncturists in the US, 1300 in the Seattle area, and three accredited local schools. The local society is named East Asian Medical Practitioners. The scope of the process includes: clinical history, acupuncture, advice, supplemental advice, and herbal therapies. Within this mix is the connection of signs and symptoms, clues, and patterns of disease.

The evolution of the art (actually a very old one) was expedited during the Cultural Revolution of the ’60s. Mao Tse-Tung approved of sending “barefoot doctors” into the hinterlands to administer to the masses. Subsequently, the techniques came to the larger cities, particularly Beijing. Wang was one of these.

The sequence of events, as practiced by Wang, is first to check the pulse, then to ask questions, laying on of hands to palpate acupuncture channels while running the thumb along limbs and torso, determining the effect on organs, and at times slapping the contralateral limb to direct attention away from the site of the acupuncture. The effect, it is postulated, is mediated by channels toward the target organ. It has been found that acupuncture increases the oxygen levels at the sites. A very narrow-gauge needle is used. 10-15 needle pricks are generally given per hour.

Observation: A student must keenly prick up his/her ears as the instructor makes his points, lest said student be needled by classmates at not having been too sharp, the motto being, “Get on the stick.”

Our April 24th speaker was entomologist Virginia Emery an advocate for insects. Her farm contains them in abundance.

She avers:

• Insects comprise half the animal species on earth, with beetles predominating in many forms.
• They perform important services which concern food, a proper ecosystem, water, and air.
• They kill other insects.
• Termites break down dead material and recycle nutrients,
• Mealworms biodegrade styrofoam, which can be converted to animal feed.
• Leaf cutter ants turn leaves into fungus, which they then eat.
• They are social just like us.
• Army ants eat everything, while cooperating with each other in intricate ways.
• Ants and other insects communicate with each other by means of pheromones,
• The dance language of honeybees direct others to the best flowers for pollination.
• We depend on bees, which are endangered. To replace what they do in the US would cost $29 billion; worldwide $173 billion. Without them, we would lack the food we enjoy.
• Flies are important in their effect on composting, their recycling causing a buildup of nutrients.
• Insects are food, and are eaten in many places.
• They are the next super food, being a source of protein.
• Food waste is a large problem. 1/3 of all food is wasted.

Her company, Beta Hatch, converts organic waste into animal feed fertilizer.

Comment:  A compelling discourse. But somehow we cannot help but wish that Noah had not admitted those two flies and two mosquitoes onto the Ark.  

Our speaker on April 21st, Max Collinge, in a succinct presentation, maintained that Emotional Intelligence and body language are better predictors of one’s success than an IQ, Citing his own rise from the depths of poor self-image and directionless existence, he came to develop social skills by employing a few vital principles.

Much is based on the Vagus nerve, a structure responsible for the difference between comfort and panic. How we think of ourselves determines how we comport ourselves and, in turn, how others regard us. The development of five character traits often makes all the difference:

1. Love for oneself and the other person leads to favorable body language (i.e. a deep breath that stimulates the Vagus) and a feeling of sociability.
2. Intellectual Honesty. Speaking one’s mind and not withholding opinions helps to burn off resentment, leads to clearer speech, truth, honesty, and transparency. One is thus able to speak reasonably and vent what is on one’s mind, obviating negative thoughts.
3. Emotional vulnerability.  Allowing this to show on one’s face is preferable to a masking smile. It communicates how we really feel.
4. A genuine interest in other people, especially in cases of strained relationships, is a good trait. Be tuned in, pick up emotional cues. Ask people about themselves. All of this can be soothing.
5. Self-direction. Have pride, hold the head up high, and believe you have the capacity. This results in self-assurance.
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He asserts that if we think of which of the five keys with which we may have trouble, and work on them, good results may well ensue.

Comment:  Some have the innate capacity. Others have to work at it.