Seminar Manifesto
1 What is expected
i) Commitment
We would like to teach something of value. Certain things that have been passed down to us are difficult to teach unless there is an element of commitment and continuous study. Therefore if the student is unable to commit to the process of study, it is impossible for any meaningful learning to occur.
ii) Sincerity
When the student commits to learning, the learning must be carried out with sincerity. If someone attends a seminar with the main intention of getting drunk every night, this demonstrates insincerity. Sincerity is reflected in the way that the student prepares herself or himself for the learning. A sincere student puts themselves in the best condition physically, mentally and spiritually, to learn.
iii) Simplicity
To learn something of value, we must give up something to attain it. Sometimes it means giving up time, money or energy which some people may have difficulty with to begin with. More important though is to give up all past notions and ideas and simply apply oneself to the matter at hand. The mark of a good teacher and indeed that of a good student is that the teacher can motivate the student into studying and practicing simple things until they become perfect. This is not our idea, it is a long standing tradition for those that wish to study the Tao. That is why we have the classic known as Simple Questions, the Su Wen (素問) which is the result of an earnest enquiring attitude based on simplicity.
iv) Open Mind
It should not be necessary to write about this subject. We are engaged in a healing art where we use a bit of steel wire, a piece of moxa fluff and a few herbs and expect people to get better. One of our main methods of diagnosis is to look at the radial arteries to determine the state of the internal organs . . . how preposterous!
And yet we are constantly amazed that after someone has been indoctrinated sufficiently, they will believe, for example, that only shallow needling is the real thing. Or that deep needling is the only real way. Or that we should forget the Zang Fu as meridians are the only way to go. Or that it is not meridians, instead the points are the main thing. Another real problem is trying to read everything into the pulse when there is no background in pathology or any technique to speak of.
Whatever the variety, the result is the same. The “study” that the student has engaged in has led them to develop a closed mind. This is the exact opposite of what true study should produce. When a person has learned correctly, he or she becomes “learned” and that means that they are necessarily of an open mind. An open mind allows us to progress and develop. A closed mind will lead to stagnation and deterioration.
2 What To Expect
You will receive hands on teaching from people that have lived and learned in the Orient.
Edward himself has been learning for over 30 years in Japan, China, Taiwan and Korea. He graduated in Japan and has been practising in Japan for all that time. He has not occasionally “studied” with teachers on a seminar a few times and then began calling the the lecturers his “teachers”. Rather, he has learned for extended periods in clinical apprenticeship at the source from some wonderful teachers. We only present authentic material based on the instruction of Edward’s teachers, the classics and Edward’s own clinical experience. Edward regards himself primarily as a student of Oriental medicine and therefore is able to help you unlock the learning process that is necessary to understand and practice this art to a higher level.
The Seminar
We would like to teach people that wish to develop their understanding and skills to another level. This requires the input of information and skills in a certain order. There has to be a consecutive order. If there is sporadic attendance, no real learning can occur.
We will be presenting seminars that are linked together. There may be cases where attendees will be unable to attend a seminar because they lack the prerequisite knowledge from a previous seminar. If in doubt please check before registering.
We wish all of you the best in your studies of Oriental medicine.
Meet the team