The Art of Acupuncture Techniques [Paperback]

This book addresses an issue that, at some point or another, pops up in the mind of all modern western students of acupuncture: what was left out during the standardization of TCM in China? Robert Johns, a practitioner who undertook a long apprenticeship with an older TCM doctor from China, highlights the importance of the subtler aspects of acupuncture practice for treatment success, and points the way for practitioners and students who want to experiment on their own with these aspects.

"Acupuncture.... is a nonlinear process influenced by all mutually existing factors", says Johns in his Preface. "Seeing Chinese Medicine in this way, as a medical art, helps the reader gain a sense of its multidimensionality.... A practitioner... has a number of choices...[to] meet the patient's specific therapeutic needs." This book brings such aspects as obtaining qi and needle manipulation to the fore, giving clear explanations of their meaning and importance. The book also explains succinctly the uses and applications of different methods of point selection and classical needling techinques, including such obscure methods as Flame Needle and Through and through puncturing. The only thing that's missing is Ziwuliuzhu and Lingguibafa, but even these are mentioned and briefly explained.

Two other things make this book special. The first one is an in-depth analysis of a single acupuncture point: Pericardium 6 Neiguan. This section describes many uses for this point, an analysis of the theoretical basis for its widespread application, and a large sampling of prescriptions which include this point. The second one is the introduction of an ancient needle manipulation techinque, Dao Qi. This was the first thing from this book I experimented with, and the results are amazing.

The whole book is clear, informative, and very insightful. It provides an integrative, wholistic approach to acupuncture for practitioners, and its writing style is so good, there is something here for everyone (students and laypersons). It is a book to be lived with, rather than just read. For people with a background in acupuncture, it requires an open mind and a desire to learn (then again, acupuncture in general requires this). In all, a great book that can really be used both as an introduction to this subject for prospective students and laypersons and a reference for practitioners looking to broaden the scope of their practice. It recalls a more "Chinese" way of thinking and approaching acupuncture, one which recognizes that chinese medicine is as much an art as a science. Highly Recommended!!!

I have to throw in a comment from one of my teachers... Robert Johns calls P6 (Neiguan) the 'wildcard' and says that it can be added to any treatment for increased effectiveness. My teacher, Robert Chu, laughed at that and said, "Wildcard... that means you don't really understand what it does!"