This is a guest post from Ashley Kuykendall, who interned at Yong Kang during the summer

If you would have told me a year ago that I would be spending the summer before my senior year of high school doing an internship with an acupuncturist, I probably would’ve given you the same look that the curriculum coordinator gave me when I asked her if she would work with me to set up my internship at Yong Kang clinic. Although, I have to say, it’s something I’m very glad I did! I spent about a month shadowing Dr. Max and I learned so much, but so little in comparison to the wealth of knowledge that is circulating the world of Chinese medicine. The majority of my time at YK was spent shadowing Dr. Max as he talked with, examined, and treated patients. I even got to do some pulse and tongue diagnosis of my own. All along the way, I read literature about Chinese medicine and the different techniques that are used, but I found that the most helpful thing I learned was how to do the simple stuff.

The miraculous thing about Chinese medicine is that it incorporates theories that people have put into practice for many, many years. These therapies are gentle and self-stimulating in so far as the change in your health comes from your own body (with the help of some acupuncture needles or herbs, of course). The basic, underlying tenants of Chinese medicine are interesting, and they make me question what I know about how the human body works. As Dr. Max and I discussed, any treatment that makes people say “That’s so weird!” is a good one, because if nothing else, it sparks curiosity for them to want to learn more and ask the bigger questions: “What is this doing?” “How is this working?” “Why do needles in my elbow help my knee pain?” In order to ignite the flame that alternative therapies could be, people need to start asking questions. This is the main reason why I ended up doing my internship at Dr. Max’s clinic. I had a lot of questions about what kinds of therapies he had and why his treatments worked. Even though I had been using acupuncture for a while, but did not know what was really happening in my body.

Beyond the science is the practice, which I learned, can be the tough part of Chinese medicine. I’m certainly not qualified to treat patients or hypothesize beyond a partially educated guess about their conditions, but along the way, I have learned a few things that will help me for the rest of my life. Most of them are to help other people; some will help me to gather information, so I can understand more about them. The best illustration of this came when I was nearing the end of my time at the clinic.

One day, I was sitting at the breakfast table at my office job, talking to one of the girls at work. She commented on the fact that I was drinking ice water, saying that she couldn’t imagine drinking something that cold. It was then that I pointed out that she was drinking hot coffee…and it was 105 degrees outside. I went on to ask her if she had an affinity for other hot things like hot showers, or summer time temperatures. Not surprisingly, she did. She then went on to tell me about digestive issues that she has as well as some problems with headaches. It became clear to me very quickly what was going on with her; however, from her perspective, it was just a bunch of random things happening at the same time. Her obsession with heat, she told me, is “just the way she is.” What I told her was that, from a Chinese perspective, all of her symptoms fit perfectly together in a pattern for internal cold, and suggested that she try drinking some ginger tea to see if that would help with some of her problems. She immediately responded, telling me that she craves ginger occasionally. Her body was already attempting to lead her to a natural remedy. This tea is a really simple solution that I’d heard Dr. Max pass on to several patients–she’s going to give it a try.

Another piece of information that I learned is how to better focus on what my own body is telling me as well as what other people’s bodies are saying. I’ve found that, more often than not, you can gather a wealth of information from what a person is doing or how they are saying something, rather than from the words that they are actually speaking. Personality traits and general body composition play a big role in Chinese medicine, and knowing a bit of background about this area can really help in figuring out whether or not people have a susceptibility to certain health problems, or if they tend toward one particular illness pattern or another. One such thing is spotting a red tip of the tongue with someone who has been suffering from insomnia. While this isn’t a remedy, it is a diagnostic tool. It’s helpful because it serves as a starting point to figuring out what else might be going on with that person. I also learned about acupressure points that can be helpful in ‘curing’ the common cold, neck pain, and headaches. All of these are good remedies to know so that I am more equipped to help the people that I care about, which is really what medicine is all about.

I frequently find myself educating people, ever so slightly, about natural therapies that could be used as alternates to what they’re utilizing. Most of the time, I illicit a response chock full of confusion and doubt, but instead of being discouraged, I view it as an opportunity for growth. Never underestimate the impact that you could have on someone’s life by simply telling them that acupuncture or herbs are options. While at the clinic, I saw patients with chronic symptoms lessen significantly and side effects of chemotherapy diminished. I saw examples of successful fertility treatments, and balanced approaches to curing women’s issues. Acupuncture isn’t for everyone, but it could be. Everyone deserves the chance to have an alternative avenue for healthcare and general well-being. As for us, the people who have already discovered the gift of acupuncture, the best thing we can do is spread the word. Tell someone, or everyone you know about acupuncture and how it can help. Afford someone the opportunity to bring their life and their health into balance the natural way.

We all have them, those voices in the back of our minds. We usually call it “thinking,” but the truth of the matter is we carry around a panel of judges with their “yes,” “no,” “that’s smart,” “I remember when,” and “just who do you think you are anyway,” litany of commentary.

We all have these thoughts, but what we commonly overlook is just whose voice goes along with it. We all carry around a panel of judges. And it is not a bad thing, as we all can benefit from the well-intended guidance of those who have care and concern for our well-being.

The problem is when we stack the deck against ourselves.
When we allow a seat on that august panel to the boss who never appreciated the out-of-the-box ideas we had, or the teacher who was more concerned with grammar than expression, or the ex-[fill in the blank] whose disappointment overshadowed their compassion. Sometimes, without even being aware we have done it, we stack the deck against ourselves. Give voice and authority to those who did not have our best concerns at heart. Indeed, strange as it sounds, we sometimes invite the harpy screech of criticism over the compassionate voice of critique.

What if you re-shuffled the judges on that panel in the back of your mind?
Re-shuffled to include teacher who saw your potential and asked the questions that tumbled you to a radically wider perspective. Fire the never satisfied ex-boss and replace him with your wicked smart uncle; the one with a keen eye toward how to transform chaos into opportunity, the one who funs his own business– and terribly successfully at it too. What if you included Pablo Picasso, or Walt Disney? Give the boot to that college adviser whose job it was to keep you in line, and invited Dr. Seuss or the fellow at the noodle shop who always manages to have you leaving just a bit more optimistic about the world than when you arrived?

We all carry around a panel of judges, a Parthenon of personalities that help us to chart a course and steer by it. Like any well rounded board of directors, we want those that bring the yin/yang of support coupled with a nudge in the direction that makes us tremble. Best to give a seat to those who care about you, and offer up their challenges based on the desire to see you bloom your utmost potential. The others— fire them!