Kigo, written by Lorie Eve Dechar, is a book for anyone who has wondered about the hidden meaning of the acupuncture point names, what the names tell us about ourselves and how they express the wisdom at the heart of Chinese medicine. It is a practical handbook as well as a collection of meditations that will support acupuncturists and their patients in deepening their experience in the treatment room as well as in life.
KIGO
Exploring the Spiritual Essence of Acupuncture Points Through the Changing Seasons
"This book is not meant to be a how-to manual but something more like a letter of introduction to some of my most beloved friends, a series of meditations on time and place and the mysterious healing of the soul.”
"Although the points reside at specific locations and are embedded in the fibers of our skin, they have the capacity to affect infinite and transcendent aspects of our being. Even without needles, we can use words, touch, oils and flower essences to open others and ourselves to these transcendent realms. We can use these tools in our everyday life as well as in the treatment room to heal ourselves, each other and the soul of our world.”
Summary
Weaving together decades of clinical experience, etymological research, poetic scholarship, and creative process informed by inner work, Lorie opens the door to a world where healing is a spiritual practice, an art as well as a science. In this world, poetry and beauty are recognized as intrinsic parts of a meaningful and healthy life. The insertion of a needle at the right moment into the right point can open a portal to a person’s soul.
The book includes
- An overview of Five Element Chinese medical theory and an in-depth exploration of the important elemental associations, including vegetative expression, color, sound, odor, emotion, season, spirit, and inner alchemy.
- A new look at significant topics relevant to the modern practice of traditional Chinese medicine, including notes on placebo and the subtle body or soul.
- An introduction to the medicine and magic of the Five Spirit Animals of the Taoist tradition—the Two-Headed Deer, the Green Dragon, the Red Bird, the Phoenix, and the White Tiger.
- Strategies for integrating spirit points into your existing practice.
- Fifteen spirit points for each season with extensive commentary for each point that includes descriptions of the points from contemporary and ancient sources, specific tools and techniques for awakening their spiritual potency (essential oils, flower essences, needle and moxibustion techniques), as well as representative case studies.
- A template and protocol for creating your own spirit point palette.
- Original calligraphy and artwork enhance and deepen the teaching of the text.
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ENDORSEMENTS
RANDINE LEWIS, Ph.D., L.Ac., FABORM
“Mastery can come in many ways. While our left brains are impressed by acupuncture’s ability to quantify specifically defined healing goals and repeat them, its true heart resides in its artistry. Here, the artist, empty even of intention, unleashes a mysterious unseen power, and healing happens. Few are those like Lorie Dechar who can spontaneously harness this therapeutic power.”
Author of The Infertility Cure and The Way of the Fertile Soul
JOHN KIRKWOOD
“In Kigo, Lorie Dechar gifts us her poetic vision of the spirit of Chinese medicine. Nature and spirit are ravelled through this beautiful work and Lorie is our perceptive guide through the seasons. She unfolds the Chinese characters to pluck wisdom from their embedded symbols, inspiring practitioners to draw on their own inner resources to match the majesty of the points.”
Author of The Way of the Five Elements and The Way of the Five Seasons
ROBERT PENG
“Kigo brings to life the wisdom, spirit and poetry embedded in the names of the acupuncture points. This book will be of value for practitioners of Chinese medicine, Qigong and other healing modalities that recognize the movement of Qi through the meridians of the body. Lorelei Cheng’s original calligraphy adds to the beauty and magic of the text.”
Author of The Master Key: Qigong Secrets for Vitality, Love, and Wisdom
PETER MOLE, M.A. Lic.Ac, M.B.AC.C
“Lorie Dechar draws on an impressively wide range of Chinese and other sources to bring the ‘spirit’ of many acupuncture points to life. She also relies on her years of experience as a practitioner to reveal how points can be used to bring about a profound change in a person’s spirit.”
Dean of College if Integrated Chinese Medicine, Reading, UK, co-author of Five Element Constitutional Acupuncture
JOSEPHINE K. SPILKA, M.S. L.Ac.
“Both practical and magical, this book is a beautiful addition to the pantheon of commentaries on acupuncture. With gentle poetry and deep experience, Lorie brings alive the healing that happens in each of us whether we are giving or receiving acupuncture. Just open and read any page as a salve for the spirit or pithy instructions that will be just right.”
JEN WADE
“Rarely, and only if we are lucky, we find ourselves in the presence of a human being who truly changes our life, and maybe even our perception of life. That happened in 2010 when I found myself, accidentally, in a three-day workshop with Lorie Dechar. This book is the culmination of years of inspirational work, setting out new possibilities, so enjoy every word, as her heart just might be speaking directly to yours…”
Joint Principal, The Acupuncture Academy
AVAILABLE WHEREVER BOOKS ARE SOLD
Your purchase through Indiebound and Bookshop support local bookstores.
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