Process

Saddened though I was by the change in date from September to June meaning that I would miss this wonderful summer meet-up with BAcC and RCHM colleagues and friends, the opportunity to travel to China – even if only for one week – was too good to turn down.

My journey to the East has given me space and time to gather – and Process – my thoughts on our theme for this summer Acu. release. In fact, the whole journey – from initial preparations, applying for and collection of visa, ticket booking, arranging home-from-home doggy care for my Springer Spaniel (almost constant) companion Lilly, deciding what to take, packing, train travel, flights, airport security, passport controls, fingerprint taking, and most particularly all the dehumanising herding and standing in line waiting that’s involved in air travel – has left me feeling totally and thoroughly processed!

My time of travelling and waiting along the way have also given me the gift of a privileged preview of the beautifully crafted written works that are presented for your enjoyment this season. And I think you will agree that there are some real gems here.

Having enjoyed Beverley de Valois’s Dawn Of A New Dao article about her book-writing experiences in our spring Acu., it is particularly lovely to read her touching tribute to Teresa Young – her long-term colleague and hidden hero of acupuncture. Teresa has supported and encouraged Beverley, not only through the process of writing a book but through 25 years of her work and research. A great reminder in the fire season of connection that we all rely on the support of many – and also that the process of our greatest growth and transformation is sometimes sparked by scary encounters.

Josh Barrow’s reflections on his first year of practice strike many chords with me, having not long reached the end of the academic year in my role as a clinical supervisor on the BSc acupuncture course at Lincoln College. I have been observing my third-year students – now fully fledged practitioners – venturing out to create their own ways of working. Specifically, Josh’s anxiety over whether he was marking or learning echoes my own experience that teaching is also learning. This process is a two-way street, and Josh’s encouragement to celebrate all the wins – large and small – offers another seasonally apt reminder to seek what brings us joy.

For creative inspiration, we have a wonderful story from Hugo Brasher and Emma Mackintosh of the birthing from flames of some very special Chinese medicine glassware – ‘vessels for drink that are also vessels for ideas’. I’m certain I won’t be the only one to be totally fascinated by Emma’s process and who would love to have a set of such beautiful artworks for my table.

And finally, the two Peters – Deadman and Firebrace – both caused me to laugh. Peter D at the synchronicity of the liver cough, heard many times in the line during the two hours it took to come through Chinese passport control on arrival. And Peter F at how very much on point the use of P 5 would have been there, with its strong indications of ‘agitation, heat, fear, depression and fury, with the possibility behavioural changes’ – although thankfully, we didn’t quite get or witness ‘extremes of madness and violence’.

These and many more are the joys that await you in Acu. this summer. And by the time you read or listen to them I will be back in the UK – allowing everything I have experienced on this trip to land and settle with me, digesting and processing it all.

I hope that you experience many connections with what you find in our latest seasonal content and I wish you happy processing!