In this podcast I discuss the differences between abdominal acupuncture and other forms of acupuncture.

In this podcast I discuss the challenges I am facing writing my first book about Abdominal Acupuncture. I am up to chapter six. It's getting serious and the clock is ticking. The dreaded deadline.

Subcutaneous Needling

One question asked was: could you do subcutaneous needling if you want to reach several points at the same time? Naturally we are talking about the SCS level. Hmmm, I never thought about that way of working which doesn't mean it can't be done. My answer or a part of my answer was: try it and let me know about your observations and results.
This is one of the interesting parts of teaching. New ideas I have not thought about it. AA offers so many possibilities to treat a person. There are so many ways to reach your goals. Every day when a colleague works with AA, new discoveries will occur.
You have your knowledge about the magic turtle, the location of the points and for sure also your intention about the needle depths and even more.
That could be called you are working with your "frame ".
After that all the fine tuning will be very personal and adapted to each case.

Working on the belly amazes me every day. You think you know "everything" and then -boom- something unexpected happens.
A person who is very needle-sensitive, an other one who is very ticklish....
Getting back to the question asked during the course. Subcutaneous needling

Subcutaneous Needling: my full answer

Here's my complete answer. In my experience it's more effective or even more elegant to work step by step. What does this mean?
If you want to treat a shoulder pain, for example, you use your point-combination based on your diagnosis and also also on your palpation results. You may find some ashi-points which will invite you to use some shallow needling. Each of those needles should be placed accordingly to the knot/grain or thread you felt. Some of those structures can be very superficial, others a bit deeper. With each needle you adapt to the situation. You can even modify the depth during the session if necessary. 

An elegant solution

That's what I call elegant. With a subcutaneous needle I see some difficulties in reaching all of those points. But.... (yes there is always a but) if you find that all those points are rather close to each other and on the same level, why not try and use the idea with subcutaneous needling.
To date I have not done it, but that is not a reason not to try. Hopefully I will soon find my perfect situation where I will be able to make a new trial of this. .
Keep an open mind and let's share our experiences and discoveries.

In this podcast I talk to Dave Shipsey about using Abdominal Acupuncture for treating conditions often presenting during the hot weater season.

In this video I go into detail about abdominal acupuncture point localisation.

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In this demonstration I show you how to measure and mark up a patient for an AA treatment. You can see the full treatment in my Abdominal Acupuncture Online course.

The abstract map of the miraculous turtle

How my online journey started

This is how my online adventure started. One of my Abdominal Acupuncture courses which was to take place in Switzerland was canceled because of Covid. The school was no longer able to provide on-site lessons and switched all teaching to online lessons, as a way of staying in business. The director asked me if I could also give the course online and at first I had to swallow, and then I accepted.

During my training as a professional adult trainer / FPA, giving online courses was also part of the curriculum. We worked with Google Hangouts and I learned a lot from it. However Zoom was a game changer. It's just so much easier. As I prepared for my first course I can honestly say that ever in my life as a trainer have I worked so hard and so thoroughly to create a course.

I made videos with my patients, photos of manipulation of the needles and the ruler etc etc. I sat in front of the screen for days and weeks and more and more ideas were implemented. The result was a course that I was proud to present and the participants and school management were very satisfied.

After that, it made sense that I also offered this course in France and in French, which was another challenge since German is my mother longue. 

Advantages for the online student

I understand the feeling and fear of some students that they are not ready for an online course. Until now, the rule was that you stood right next to the teacher and could ask all questions and also be corrected.

But what will really change? You are in a group and take the course at home. You are already an experienced TCM practitioner. I don't have to teach you acupuncture. Questions can be asked at any time. Of course a discussion is welcome.

Practical work will also be part of the way I like to teach, so you will not sit in front of the screen without doing anything! During the online course we  have breaks, naturally whichare a great moment for conversations between participants so you get to know each other too.

Cost savings when you take an online course

And some cost savings when learning online: you do not need to book a hotel room or travel. No big bill. You can be at home and fit in the training around your home life.

Don't forget the replay

And of course after my online training studentshave access to a replay. Plus I organize a followup meeting where questions and experiences can be exchanged. All this is included in the online learning experience, including written support and the possibility of contacting me each time if you have other questions.

So I hope to see you face to face via Zoom and we can learn more about the Miraculous Turtle.

Abdominal Acupuncture Podcast

In this podcast Pia talks about using Abdominal Acupuncture to treat patients who are suffering the consequences of Festive Season excesses.