One of the significant differences between Eastern and Western Medicine concerns the influence an individual has over their own health. Chinese medicine suggests that humans are imbued with a life force that can be nurtured and balanced in a variety of ways that contributes to the maintenance or restoration of health.
The use of acupuncture, acupressure, herbs, meditation, and Qigong are some of the more familiar treatment choices. Western Medicine, on the other hand, is more focused on eliminating symptoms of illness (signs of imbalance) without an appreciation of this invisible and potentially helpful life force. However, things are changing.
New research in the West is creating a common ground between the ancient wisdom of Chinese Medicine and Western scientific medicine. In Chinese Medicine the heart is acknowledged as the home of the mind. For example, anxiety is understood as an imbalance of the heart and is treated accordingly.
Here in the West we often speak about the heart’s relationship to emotions with language like ‘she died of a broken heart’. We might assume that this is just metaphorical language, but most likely it reflects a deeper intuitive understanding of the heart’s role in health and illness. This intuition is now being supported with scientific research.
The Institute of HeartMath in Boulder Creek, California, has been demonstrating that the heart is much more than a highly evolved biological pump. Research shows that the heart is composed of roughly 70% neurological tissue and has its own brain. The ‘heart brain’ is 50 times more powerful electrically and 5,000 times more powerful magnetically than the brain in your head.
It turns out that the heart is an organ of perception that informs and guides the behavior of your brain and your biology. With practice, your heart can be trained to guide your brain and biology towards greater balance and ultimately, greater self-directed healing. This healing could influence your physical health as well as nurturing ‘peace of mind’.
This new science of the heart is just one example of how the wisdom of both the East and the West are merging and validating one another. This validation ideally gives individuals more viable options for healing. Chinese Medicine is a very safe and time tested (at least 3000 years old) strategy for the maintenance or restoration of health. This positions Chinese Medicine and other Eastern practices as a safe and viable complement to other natural healing approaches.
Dr. Templin offers online courses and consultations, and sees patients personally in his office in Lakeland, Florida. You can learn more about his course Bio-Energetic Focusing: A Revolutionary Medical Model for Self-Healing! here.
Steven Templin, D.O.M., Dipl. Ac., is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, specializing in MindBody Medicine. He is a certified META-Medicine Health Coach and nationally certified acupuncturist. He shares the underlying science and more importantly, the practical tools for resolving the unconscious energetic and emotional roots of illness. In his online course Bio-Energetic Focusing: A Revolutionary Medical Model for Self-Healing! he provides training in Self-Regulation skills, that include Bio-Energetic Focusing, HeartMath and Energy Psychology techniques, Energy Medicine modalities, and Gastrointestinal repair for enhanced immunity, mood, and mental clarity. Dr. Templin is in private practice in Lakeland, Florida, at the Natural Medicine Center of Lakeland.
Steve is a retired Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Acupuncture Physician, and HeartMath Trauma-Sensitive Certified Practitioner with over 35 years of clinical experience in Energy Medicine, Energy Psychology, and Biofeedback.