week 8

Can TCM strengthen our immune system?

I think everyone knows the answer to that: yes, in many different ways. Acupuncture reduces stress and regulates qi and blood. Since stress suppresses our immune function, this is one way the system can be brought back up to do its job. Also, we can strengthen the Wei Qi/Protective Qi, with acupuncture and formulas such as Jade Windscreen/Yu Ping Feng San. I have helped several people with hay fever reduce their symptoms by more than half with this formula. Also by focusing on a person's constitutional weakness, or the root of their ailments, we can strengthen the overall system. One general way that is good for most people is direct moxa on either ST36 or LI4.

The Western Approach to HIV/AIDS

My feelings about the Western approach to HIV/AIDS is similar to my feelings about Western Medicine, generally. I think that there are people who are trying to figure this thing out, diagnostically and pharmaceutically, and there are people who want to make money from it. There are always going to be those doctors who don't recommend TCM or other alternative modalities, but more and more, we are seeing patients come to us for help. Sometimes, it's because of a doctor recommendation and sometimes they are seeking help through their own volition. I have a friend, as I said in class, who lived in a village in Botswana for two years doing outreach, prevention, and education about HIV/AIDS at a clinic, with the focus on women's health. She was trying to educate, but it sounds like mostly it was about handing out meds. I also have another friend who is finishing her training to be a (volunteer) test counselor for HIV/AIDS patients at a local clinic. The links she suggested:
http://www.thebody.com/
http://www.berkeleyfreeclinic.org/hivPrevention.html

Saving the Whales

This story reminds me of one I just read about in my Lonely Planet Laos book. In the village of Ban Na (600 people), the farmers switched from rice and vegetables to sugar cane (a more profitable crop). A herd of wild elephants came down from the mountains and started eating their tasty crops, along with the bananas and pineapples they found around Ban Na. The farmers went back to rice and vegetables, but the 30 or so elephants didn't leave. And their presence was negatively affecting the environment and finances of the village. Rather than shoot the elephants, the villagers decided to make them pay their way. Ecotourism. Tourists can take a guided trek to an observation tower near a favorite salt lick of the elephants and stay overnight in hopes of spotting the herd. Making animals pay their way, an interesting concept...