Students start this series of classes by learning the acupuncture points and point combining principles. As they advance, students learn the art of individualized point prescribing using appropriate classical and modern treatment principles.
The Acu-Moxa Techniques I-VI series focuses on developing diagnostic and treatment skills in preparation for the clinical practice of acupuncture. The format is typically a combination of lecture and demonstration, followed by a practice session in which students work on each other under the observation and guidance of experienced supervisors. Students learn appropriate positioning of the patient and proper alignment of their own body. In addition, they learn to attend to patient concerns and reactions while soliciting feedback. In the third-year series of classes, students learn advanced classical needling techniques and additional adjunctive therapies, including guasha, cupping, bleeding and teishin. A particular focus is placed on learning to assess which techniques and modalities to select for optimal clinical benefit in different clinical scenarios. Techniques classes include a qigong component in the belief that good acupuncture is dependent on the practitioner’s awareness of, and sensitivity to, qi.
