Dayan Qigong Program Now Offered at ACTCM
Starting this summer, the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ACTCM) in San Francisco will offer an 18-week dayan qigong program. This program will be available to current students, as well as to the public.
Dayan qigong ("wild goose qigong") is a Chinese martial art consisting of a complete set of exercises including warm-up exercises, meditation, self massage and the movements. The schedule is as follows:
Level One (first nine weeks): Includes warm-up and stretching exercises, Self-Massage Part 1 (body and face) and movements 1 through 32.
Dates: June 30 - Aug. 25
Day: Mondays
Time: 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Location: Classroom F (Pioneer Square)
Level Two (second nine weeks): Includes Self-Massage Part 2 (legs and arms), meditation and movements 33 through 64.
Dates: Winter 2008/2009
Day, Time & Location: TBD
The instructor, Robert Rosenbaum, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and neuropsychologist in the Bay area. He is a senior teacher of dayan qigong at the Berkeley Zen Center, where he also has been an instructor, director of meditation retreats and chair of the ethics committee. In addition, he is the head of assessment services at the Kaiser Permanente Department of Behavioral Medicine in Oakland, Calif., and has developed the psychological portion of its chronic pain management program.
ACTCM has provided health care to the public and trained professionals in acupuncture and Chinese medicine since 1980. ACTCM recently was voted a winner by the San Francisco Weekly newspaper in its annual "Best of the Bay" readers poll. Each year, the Weekly asks its approximately 700,000 readers to vote for their favorite local businesses and attractions. ACTCM won the title, "Best Place to Get Pins Stuck in You," under the Shopping and Services category.
For more information on ACTCM's classes for the public or to register, please call (415) 355-1601 x14.
Congress on Qigong and TCM to Benefit Chinese Quake Victims
The 11th World Congress on Qigong/TCM will be held in San Francisco, Sept. 19-23, 2008, at the Golden Gateway Holiday Inn. Proceeds from the event will benefit earthquake victims in the province of Sichuan in China.
Congress chair is Effie Chow, PhD, RN, with co-chairs Rustum Roy, MSc, PhD; Shin Lin, PhD; Gigi Oh, publisher of Kung Fu Qigong Magazine; and Stanley Ngui, Dr. TCM, Dr. Ac, DNM. There will be special pre- and postconference events, including master workshops, consultations and special sessions, as well as an exhibit hall.
Hosting the congress is the East West Academy of Healing Arts; the media sponsor is TC Media. For more information about the conference, please visit www.eastwestqi.com/wcq/wcq.html.
Qigong has been featured prominently in the popular media in recent months:
- Dr. Mehmet Oz, medical expert on The Oprah Winfrey Show, promoted qigong on both Oprah and Good Morning America with Diane Sawyer. He has stated, "If you want be healthy and live to 100, do qigong."
- Another advocate, Dr. Christine Northrup, practiced qigong with Oprah's studio audience to increase the flow of energy in the body.
- The May 7, 2008 NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams featured Dr. Shin Lin discussing his research on the health benefits of combining simple movements with "deep breathing and mental concentration as a type of moving meditation."
AAAOM Announces Adverse-Events Reporting Database Project for Herbs
American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (AAAOM) President Martin Herbkersman has announced the development of a voluntary information database to collect information regarding adverse events and outcomes associated with the clinical use of Chinese herbs. The database eventually will expand to include adverse events and clinical outcomes in acupuncture and other areas within the scope and standards of the AOM professional. "This is an important move for the profession in taking responsibility for, and control of, this area of public concern," Herbkersman stated.
This project involves members of AAAOM's Herbal Medicine Committee. The Herbal Medicine Committee includes representatives of the Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (CCAOM), the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM, and the vendor community. The database development project also will involve stakeholders from throughout the acupuncture profession including the Society for Acupuncture Research (SAR), the Federation of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Regulatory Agencies (FAOMRA) and the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM), as well as AAAOM members and practitioners.
The project will significantly benefit the profession by gathering centralized information on the safety and efficacy of traditional herbal medicine by licensed practitioners. It will respond to issues relating to the ongoing vulnerability of herbal medicine usage, such as countering inaccurate and misleading reports about herbs in the media. Such evidence is essential to support ongoing legislative efforts establishing safety standards in this area. The AAAOM Herbal Medicine Committee will keep the profession informed about the progress of this database, as well as other activities that protect the ability to use traditional Chinese herbal medicines in the professional practice of AOM.
Dr. James Yansick Honored by Cambridge Who's Who
James Yansick, Dipl. Ac., CA, DOM (FL), RRT, RN, was recognized on May 1 by Cambridge Who's Who for showing dedication and excellence in all aspects of the health care he delivers to his patients. Yansick also is at the forefront of promoting acupuncture and Oriental medicine at the Robert Wood Johnson Wellness Center in Hamilton, N.J. Yansick is part of the integrative team at Robert Wood Johnson, providing education on the various benefits of AOM. He will be giving lectures this year on topics such as pain management and adjunct therapy for the oncology patient as set forth by the National Institute of Health.
Yansick's expertises includes herbology, specialized oils, massage, electromagnetic heat, electronic stimulation, laser, ultrasound, moxibustion, cupping, steam, chelation and diet. Additionally, he is at work on a book concerning the beneficial effects of Taoism on health and longevity.
Dr. Yansick holds three degrees, certifications and several health care licenses. He is conferred as a doctor of Oriental Medicine in the state of Florida. He holds a master's degree in Oriental medicine and is a Diplomate of Acupuncture as set forth by the NCCAOM. He also is board-qualified in Chinese herbology.
"Getting the Point" of Acupuncture
The Pan Pacific Medical Acupuncture Forum will be hosting "PPMAF 2008: Four Countries Get to the Point," in conjunction with the Acupuncture Foundation of Canada Institute. The conference will take place Oct 20-24, 2008, at the Novotel Toronto North York in North York, Ontario, Canada.
The conference will be "comprised of medical acupuncturists in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand." It will feature four days of presentations and a workshop that will be held after the conference on Oct. 25. Evening entertainment will include a gala dinner, with entertainment provided by attendees from each of the four countries.
Early-bird registration (until Aug. 15) costs $550 CAN (essentially equal to U.S. dollars right now). Registration fees go up to $600 after Aug. 15. A brochure with additional information is available for downloading at www.medicalacupuncture.org/PPMAF-2008.pdf.
