Satsang with Julie Willimott
Julie Willimott practices Chinese medicine in Idaho and was at Prana Mandir Yoga for the week to give workshops on Chinese medicine for the Agni teacher training. She also dropped by for Satsang to give a Q&A on Friday night.
Chinese medicine treats the individual rather than the disease/illness. Lea made the point that Western doctors tend to take pulses with a stethoscope these days whereas Ayurvedic doctors listen to pulse and give readings based on the soul body, the pranic body, the emotional body, etc.
Julie has been practicing Chinese medicine in Idaho for seven years. She got her four years masters in Oregon and did a postgraduate in China. These days she tends to treat stiff cowboys. The consultations last 2 – 2 1/2 hours and she gets her readings of the patient based on their tongue, looking at the color coat and texture. She likes to educate her patients as they go along. As people get better they can self-monitor. She likes to give her patients homework and they have to be interactive and adjust their lifestyle.
How did she get cowboys to come to her practice?
She started out by treating her family members (who are still in Idaho) in her grandmother’s vibrantly pink living room. Her first patient was her grandfather who was blind but he understood the idea of chi and living in balance. After that the floodgates opened and Julie pointed out that Chinese medicine was originally designed to treat the rural farmer in China so it’s perfect for her mostly farm hand patients in the Midwest.
To build her practice she had to give away a lot for free at first. She advocates letting seniors and students pay what they can but also a barter system is extremely helpful. She has been paid with organic chickens and firewood. She also pointed out that the hospitals in Idaho are horrific and the community is distrustful of the healthcare system so are grateful to have an alternative.
Someone asked what she recommended to help balance the body in the winter season. She replied that it’s time to heal and replenish the kidneys. At this time of year we need to hibernate more and rest a lot. We also need to eat seasonally—lots of apples and pears, soups and stews. Now is not the time to eat cold and to also add sea salt to the diet because kidneys want salt. She also urged us, even though it’s holiday time, to try and do the best we can and not go overboard with eating and running around during the holiday season. Chinese medicine is about prevention rather than treating an ailment once it’s become something serious. Illness is manageable and it’s often just an imbalance.
Local is better, she said, but don’t freak out if you’re eating a pineapple in February because freaking out and getting uptight about food is an imbalance, too. If you’re going to have a brownie really take the time to enjoy it. Avoid processed foods, colorings and especially, artificial sweeteners. Keep the food as natural and boring as possible.
Dairy food is considered phlegm. Rice is a balanced food and is quinoa and it’s easy to make. She noted that eating locally in Idaho is not an issue. In fact, Costco is a 35-mile drive away so it’s easier to go local. She advised us to eat food that looks like food and to address things seasonally.
Fennel, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg are great teas at this time of year. She also advised cleaning out the fridge so nothing goes to waste and making big stews. If you do eat meat make sure it’s grass fed and organic. Try not to digest food from animals whose energy would have been unhappy. Any kind of food you get, try to get the best there is e.g. organic, fair trade coffee, tea and chocolate.
In terms of reading the tongue, she said looks at the color, the coat, the shape and evenness. The tongue should be clear, round, moist with no puffiness or swelling.
She advised we check out acupuncture student clinics in New York and specifically suggested the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine. http://www.pacificcollege.edu/acupuncture-massage-clinic/new-york.html.
To get in touch with Julie, her email is snakeriveracupuncture@yahoo.com.
—Marie Carter
Julie Willimott practices Chinese medicine in Idaho and was at Prana Mandir Yoga for the week to give workshops on Chinese medicine for the Agni teacher training. She also dropped by for Satsang to give a Q&A on Friday night.
Chinese medicine treats the individual rather than the disease/illness. Lea made the point that Western doctors tend to take pulses with a stethoscope these days whereas Ayurvedic doctors listen to pulse and give readings based on the soul body, the pranic body, the emotional body, etc.
Julie has been practicing Chinese medicine in Idaho for seven years. She got her four years masters in Oregon and did a postgraduate in China. These days she tends to treat stiff cowboys. The consultations last 2 – 2 1/2 hours and she gets her readings of the patient based on their tongue, looking at the color coat and texture. She likes to educate her patients as they go along. As people get better they can self-monitor. She likes to give her patients homework and they have to be interactive and adjust their lifestyle.
How did she get cowboys to come to her practice?
She started out by treating her family members (who are still in Idaho) in her grandmother’s vibrantly pink living room. Her first patient was her grandfather who was blind but he understood the idea of chi and living in balance. After that the floodgates opened and Julie pointed out that Chinese medicine was originally designed to treat the rural farmer in China so it’s perfect for her mostly farm hand patients in the Midwest.
To build her practice she had to give away a lot for free at first. She advocates letting seniors and students pay what they can but also a barter system is extremely helpful. She has been paid with organic chickens and firewood. She also pointed out that the hospitals in Idaho are horrific and the community is distrustful of the healthcare system so are grateful to have an alternative.
Someone asked what she recommended to help balance the body in the winter season. She replied that it’s time to heal and replenish the kidneys. At this time of year we need to hibernate more and rest a lot. We also need to eat seasonally—lots of apples and pears, soups and stews. Now is not the time to eat cold and to also add sea salt to the diet because kidneys want salt. She also urged us, even though it’s holiday time, to try and do the best we can and not go overboard with eating and running around during the holiday season. Chinese medicine is about prevention rather than treating an ailment once it’s become something serious. Illness is manageable and it’s often just an imbalance.
Local is better, she said, but don’t freak out if you’re eating a pineapple in February because freaking out and getting uptight about food is an imbalance, too. If you’re going to have a brownie really take the time to enjoy it. Avoid processed foods, colorings and especially, artificial sweeteners. Keep the food as natural and boring as possible.
Dairy food is considered phlegm. Rice is a balanced food and is quinoa and it’s easy to make. She noted that eating locally in Idaho is not an issue. In fact, Costco is a 35-mile drive away so it’s easier to go local. She advised us to eat food that looks like food and to address things seasonally.
Fennel, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg are great teas at this time of year. She also advised cleaning out the fridge so nothing goes to waste and making big stews. If you do eat meat make sure it’s grass fed and organic. Try not to digest food from animals whose energy would have been unhappy. Any kind of food you get, try to get the best there is e.g. organic, fair trade coffee, tea and chocolate.
In terms of reading the tongue, she said looks at the color, the coat, the shape and evenness. The tongue should be clear, round, moist with no puffiness or swelling.
She advised we check out acupuncture student clinics in New York and specifically suggested the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine. http://www.pacificcollege.edu/acupuncture-massage-clinic/new-york.html.
To get in touch with Julie, her email is snakeriveracupuncture@yahoo.com.
—Marie Carter
1 comment:
thanks for the informative conversation for my health!
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