There is something very fulfilling about going into the forest

It has been one week since the Daoist medicine course started. During this time we have studied several topics which, even with a foundation in Chinese medicine, has been very intense. There has been a lot of information to take in. With the course only being one month long we are given lots of theoretical content and guidance for which topics to study further when we leave. As Shifu says we are not practicing. We are being given a set of tools to study and then practice when we get home, but then if you are not disciplined enough to be responsible to study the content yourself in order to develop your skill then you are certainly not responsible enough to treat others. Therefore, this time is very precious and I am grateful that Shifu has opened the door for us to get a glimpse of the depth of this tradition that is so unavailable anywhere else.

So far on this course I have had the chance to experience many new treatments and receive a lot of content from both Shifu and other students, we are fortunate to have many experienced practitioners on this course. I was quite ill when I came up the mountain with severe insomnia (resulting in extreme fatigue, headaches and enormous tension in my head) and general sickness in my stomach. I have received acupuncture, including a treatment by Shifu himself that removed the headache and pressure in my head that I had had for several days within about 5-10 mins and was also given a herbal medicine to make (which is also the first medicine I have ever made).

There is something very fulfilling about going into the forest and finding the correct plants to make your own medicine from. You feel very connected to everything around you as everything feels as though it contains more depth than it did previously. You truly appreciate nature more. Everyone has commented on how much brighter and healthier I look. I am grateful to Shifu and my fellow students for these experiences.