AIM OF THE COURSE:

The College of Integrative Acupuncture, Galway aims to teach Practitioners to become conscious of the needs of the person coming to be healed and learn the Practical and Analytical Skills necessary for this profession. This cannot be done unless the Practitioner is conscious themselves, so this course will develop the person to achieve this awareness. Consciousness means using all the senses, e.g. in Acupuncture the function of hearing is governed by the heart and small intestine. Anger is the emotion connected to the liver and resentment to the gall bladder. If any of these emotions block the liver and gall bladder energies then the sense of seeing not just on the physical level, is impaired. 'We have eyes to see, but see not'. If any hatred or rage (burning anger) blocks the heart energy then the function of hearing on the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels is impaired 'We have ears to hear but hear not' -

• Kidney / Bladder - to feel;
• Liver / Gall Bladder – to see;
• lungs / colon - to smell, an important diagnostic technique;
• Stomach / Spleen - to taste;
• Heart / Small Intestine – to hear;

Therefore, to become fully conscious the person has to deal with their own emotions e.g. anger, resentment, fear, grief, hate, guilt, worry, negativity etc. I relate this explanation of consciousness so that the practitioner to be, will understand that there will be a need for self development and introspection in this course, otherwise we have a tendency to project our own emotions onto the person who is coming for healing and may not be able to have a clarity of vision. Over the 3 years, this will be integrated in the course, at the end of which time the student will have all the necessary skills to start practising.

COURSE OUTLINE:

The course is run over 3 years. Each year comprises of 17 weekends Saturday / Sunday 9.30 am – 5.30 pm. It is located in Galway. There are continuous assessments throughout the year, these include a 20 minute exam at the beginning of each weekend and exams at the end of the year. Homework assignments have to be completed and handed into the College between Lectures. There is a comprehensive clinical period for the complete 3rd year, with a cross section of practising acupuncturists and chinese doctors displaying different clinical approaches. This period will involve an increase in tutorial and clinical hours. The course will be divided into sections as follows:

1. Locating acupuncture points anatomically;
2. Anatomy and physiology and biology of disease;
3. The theory of Traditional Chinese medicine, incorporating five element and eight principle acupuncture and all its energy systems;
4. Self-development, consciousness awareness;
5. Practical skills and taking a case-history at an early stage of studies;
6. Pulse Diagnosis: We have 12 internal organs, and 12 corresponding pulses. There are six on the left hand and six on the right, and these correspond to the energies of the twelve main internal organs. Pulse taking will begin on the first session and there will be a requirement to take pulses every day between sessions. In the course of the three year programme, you will cover Pulse Diagnosis in detail and learn to differentiate 27 pulse qualities and their significance in diagnosis
7. Tongue diagnosis: In Depth: To include the Shape, Colour, and Coating of the Tongue as a diagnostic aid. Tongue Diagnosis forms a very crucial part of Chinese Medicine and is a key indicator of the state of health of the patient. It is the main indicator of a hot or cold condition and without Tongue Diagnosis we cannot understand the patients’ condition.
8. Ear Acupuncture in detail
9. Development of the senses:
   a) to see colour hues in the face e.g. yellow hue, green hue, blue hue;
   b) to smell - is an importance diagnostic technique, if the liver and gall-bladder energy is not functioning well, the body odour is Rancid; this is an organ odour.
• Liver / Gall bladder - Rancid
• Heart / small intestine – Scorched
• Diaphragm / Uterus – Testes – Scorched / Putrid
• Kidney / Bladder - Putrid
• Lung / Colon - Rotten
• Stomach / Spleen / Pancreas - Fragrant

c) To see;
d) To feel;
e) To hear;


10. Organ flow system, of Jin Shin Jyutsu. This is a Japanese Energy Flow system in which the student is taught how to draw energy through the 12 organs and meridians without using needles.
11. Chakra Balancing and its relationship to the endocrine glands. The Gonads, Cells of leydig, adrenals, thymus, thyroid and parathyroid, pituitary and pineal gland.
12. Meditation and its relationship to the endocrine glands.
13. A comprehensive clinical period, for the complete third year, with a cross section of acupuncturists with different clinical approaches. This will involve students learning and completing how to take full case histories and treat patients under clinical supervision. In the course of this clinical year students will learn to treat a cross section of conditions.
14. Detailed Case History Taking.
15. Ethics of practice and when to refer a patient for medical attention or other forms of treatment.

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