MORNING SELF-HEALING PRACTICES

It's all about you! Each day you'll have an opportunity to practice with a Qigong or Taiji expert. Practice one of these self-healing forms over three days with Irma Jenne or Joseph Acquah. Or, try something different each day. Either way, you can help build your energy foundation!

7:15-8:15 a.m.
Taiji – Joseph Acquah

The ancient martial art of Taiji has been refined over time into a series of slow rhythmic exercises used for millennia for self-healing. Join longtime practitioner Joseph Acquah as he reviews and practices the basic movements of the Yang-style long form.

Wu Ming Qigong – Irma Jenne

Qigong is an ancient self-healing art used for millennia to promote and maintain wellness. Start your day by experiencing the benefits of Wu Ming Qigong with Irma Jenne and students of the American Taoist Healing Center. Feel the powerful freedom of letting yourself go with the flow!

8:00-9:00 a.m. Complimentary Breakfast

8:45-10:30 a.m. Opening Keynote
Ellen Schaplowsky, Welcome

Steven K.H. Aung, MD, FAAFP, OMD, PhD
Integrative Compassionate Medicine for the 21st Century and Beyond

There are many complementary medical modalities. Though there is tremendous variety in the approaches, most of these treatment protocols are associated with energy. Many complementary approaches are oriented toward natural, holistic prevention and self-care. Western medicine is a scientific approach that uses high technology to diagnose accurately. It is oriented toward pharmaceutical and surgical treatment; it is excellent in emergency and intensive care situations. As practitioners, our advantage and challenge is to think continually about how to select the best of these various Eastern and Western approaches for our patients in a competent, conservative, communicative and compassionate manner. Integrative, compassionate medicine plays a vital role in true healing for the current century and beyond.

10:30-11:00 a.m. Coffee Break

11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Panel – Women, Health and Culture
Facilitator: Nan Lu, OMD

Hong Jin, MD (PRC)
TCM, Women and Emotions: Foundations for Individual and Societal Health

Chinese medicine has always recognized the unity of the human being. While Western medicine increasingly acknowledges the impact of the emotions on health, TCM has always propounded emotional balance as the foundation of well-being, and incorporated methods to achieve peace of mind as part of its treatment protocols. This presentation focuses on the importance of a healthy balance between the yin and yang aspects of our nature, and how imbalances affect health in general, and women's health, in particular. How can women today integrate the yang energy required for functioning in business and professional careers, and not compromise the yin quality of their essential nature so necessary for nurturing relationships? The ramifications for women's health will be viewed from the micro-perspective of the family to the macro-perspective of society.

Thea Elijah, MAc
Finding a Sense of Belonging: Practicing Chinese Medicine in America Today

When different cultures meet, revolutionary results can occur. Contrast provides perspective and growth, but also potential misunderstanding, conflict and alienation. How do we work with magnitudes of differences? The answers are similar—whether considering Chinese medicine in America, or any situation where disparate worlds coincide. This is true of a marriage, where not only two individuals, but also two heritages and histories, merge. In a sense, every meeting is a meeting of worlds, a chance to extend family; however, a sense of belonging does not occur automatically. America's heritage teaches us about individual rights and freedom; Chinese Five-Element tradition illuminates interconnectedness and the concept of a planetary family. By examining insights of both traditions, this conference offers a model for building a sense of belonging while nurturing individual gifts.