Deqi
From the general theory of meridians and points, through needle holding and qi regulation, tonification and reduction, and the management of mishaps, to clinical prescriptions by specialty.
Deqi and the Arrival of Qi
What the patient feels, what the practitioner feels, and why the treatment depends on it.
Ode on Pointing to the Profound
Dou Mo’s celebrated rhapsody on awaiting qi, directional needling and the distribution of qi and blood.
Nan Jing, Chapter 78: Techniques of Tonification and Reduction
The pressing hand matters as much as the needling hand; the mechanics of tonification and reduction.
Nan Jing, Chapter 80: Awaiting Qi Before Needling
Insert when qi arrives, withdraw when it has gone: the discipline of waiting.
Separation and Union, True and Pathogenic Qi
How pathogenic qi enters the channels, and the detailed operation of tonification and reduction by breathing.
On Practising Needling
Why patients respond to needling differently, and what slow responders require.
The Nine Needles and the Twelve Yuan-Source Points
The opening chapter of the Ling Shu: the essentials of needling, tonification and reduction, the forms of the nine needles, and the arrival of qi.