Tending The Wind

Ch 1. An Introduction to Holistic Veterinary Medicine

Introduces holistic medicine and its basic concepts, defines related terms used in the profession (e.g. alternative, complementary), invites the reader to approach the text in his or her own way.

Ch 2. Quality and Individuality

Covers information needed to select a holistic veterinarian, discusses training programs for holistic veterinarians, discusses individuality in different practitioners' approaches.

Ch 3. Homeopathy Part 1.

History and basic theory of homeopathy, homeopathic terminology (e.g. vital force, simillimum, potentization), discussion of possible mechanisms of action of homeopathic remedies.

Ch 4. Homeopathy Part 2.

Practical application of homeopathy, the homeopathic interview, how remedies are made and given, and dosage considerations.

Ch 5. Homeopathy Part 3.

The debate between homeopathy and allopathy, considerations in using homeopathy and allopathy concurrently, homeopathic nosodes and their use in disease prophylaxis, use of homeopathic remedies during epidemics for prophylaxis and treatment.

Ch 6. Chiropractic Part 1.

History of chiropractic, definition of basic terminology (e.g. subluxation, adjustment, HVLA thrust), conflicts within the profession and with conventional medicine, historical debate over the attributes and effects of subluxations.

Ch 7. Chiropractic Part 2.

Anatomy and physiology of the normal joint, changes in joint function resulting in subluxation and disease, how the HVLA thrust treats subluxation.

Ch 8. Chiropractic Part 3.

Anatomical differences between quadrupeds and bipeds, introduction to instrument-adjusting and its application in animals, neurologic basis of instrument-adjusting in humans and animals, differences between manual and instrument-adjusting and advantages of the latter in pets.

Ch 9. Chinese Medicine Part 1.

Introduction to Chinese medicine in the clinic setting, practical considerations for acupuncture and herbal therapy, the Chinese medicine interview and exam, introduction to theory.

Ch 10. Chinese Medicine Part 2.

Medicine as a product of its culture of origin and its language, the origin and development of Chinese characters, description and discussion of Chinese characters, and understanding them as allusions rather than definitions.

Ch 11. Chinese Medicine Part 3.

Philosophical foundations of Chinese medicine, yin/yang and five-phase theory (the Naturalist School), Daoist philosophy, Confucian philosophy, synthesis of the above as the medicine evolved.

Ch 12. Chinese Medicine Part 4.

The meaning of qi (pronounced chee) and its classical origins and movements in the body, correlations in our modern understanding of embryogenesis, movement of qi along connective tissues and the effects of acupuncture.

Ch 13. Chinese Medicine Part 5.

Introduction to the five phases as natural metaphors for organ function, yin and yang organs, curious organs, physical/emotional/mental correspondences via phase resonance, detailed physiology of each phase (wood, fire, earth, metal, water).

Ch 13. Table.

Five phase table of correspondences.

Ch 14. Chinese Medicine Part 6.

The pericardium and triple heater as organs outside five phase terminology, understanding these organs as wu-xing (no-form), attributes and functions of the pericardium and triple heater, a possible sixth "phase" to describe the pericardium and triple heater.

Ch 15. Chinese Medicine Part 7.

Introduction to the eight extraordinary vessels and their place in Chinese medical history, relationship of these vessels to the eight trigrams of the Book of Changes, the extraordinary vessels as they describe broader functional relationships between things, detailed physiology of each vessel as understood in light of its associated trigram.

Ch 15. Table.

Eight extraordinary vessels table of correspondences.

Ch 16. Reiki Part 1.

Introduction of reiki and its origins, history of reiki from 1900 to present, description of the three levels of reiki practitioner training and practice, use of reiki in hospitals and contraindications for use.

Ch 17. Reiki Part 2.

Introduction to studying the imagery of reiki terminology, discussion of reiki as transcendent qi, reiki as a process of becoming transcendent via transformation and purification, discussion of reiki symbols and how they describe what happens during treatment, the nature and role of intent during reiki treatment.

Ch 18. Intuition.

Definition and comparison to rational thought, intuition as a process of transformation, application in the clinic setting.

Appendices. TCM Extras.

Additional materials related to the study of Chinese medicine and reiki.