Acupuncture Core Therapy: by Shoji Kobayashi, edited and translated by my good friend Dan Kenner. Shakujyu Chiryo is a popular acupuncture methodology in Japan that is increasingly taught in the academic schools and colleges. "Shaku" is a concept that refers to fullness or repletion, and "jyu" is a concept that refers to emptiness or vacuity. Kobayashi choses the name "Acupuncture Core Therapy" for the English language name of his shakuju chiryo method. "Core" refers to the innermost essence of something. Both the concept and the methodology of the system of Acupuncture Core Therapy combine three fundamental elements of the body's vital energy system: the hara, which is the abdominal center of physiological vital force; the spinal energy system, which is the original source of our being and our link with other realms of consciousness; and qi gong, which is the development of the body's ability to intentionally store, concentrate, and distribute vital force. Kobayashi has refined the essence of this technique from his study of classical teachings on the vital energy system and has developed a unique method of acupuncture root treatment. Using the flexibility of yin-yang, the five phases, the eight principles, and other basic tenets of acupuncture, Kobayashi applies these to clinical situations. He has reassembled the fragments of transmitted teachings and condensed them to their intrinsic core significance. Acupuncture Core Therapy is a reliable and significant methodology for achieving remarkable clinical results using these classical patterns and directing the body's energy with the intention of the needle and the choice of point selection.

A Long Road (Volume I): An Acupuncture Travelogue. by Edward Obaidey. The best way to learn the art of Oriental Medicine is by direct transmission in the clinic - seeing, feeling, sensing, and being part of the treatment process - through a relationship with someone familiar with the road you are on. A Long Road: An Acupuncture Travelogue provides snapshots of steps along the road by the author in his development over many years as a busy practitioner. The real sense of living, dynamic treatment is conveyed through the author’s obvious dedication and delight in pursuing and transmitting understanding of this art.

An Exposition on the Eight Extraordinary Vessels: Acupuncture, Alchemy, and Herbal Medicine. translation and commentary by Charles Chase and Miki Shima. Li Shi-Zhen’s Exposition on the Eight Extraordinary Vessels (Qi jing ba mai kao) is among the most remarkable texts in the Chinese medical literature. Bringing together writings on acupuncture, herbal medicine, and internal cultivation (nei dan), it argues that aspiring adepts and physicians alike must understand the full scope of the extraordinary vessels if they hope to achieve their respective goals. This volume is the first translation of the Exposition published in English, and it is among the most comprehensive discussions of the text available in any language.

Applied Channel Theory in Chinese Medicine: Wang Ju-Yi’s Lectures on Channel Therapeutics: Wang Ju-Yi and Jason D. Robertson: Applied Channel Theory in Chinese Medicine demonstrates how a deeper understanding of the interrelationship between organ and channel theory can lead to more precise diagnoses and better clinical results. This book is a collaboration between Wang Ju-Yi, one of modern China’s most respected scholars, teachers, and practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine, and his American apprentice and practitioner, Jason Robertson. While most textbooks focus either on the functions of the organs in basic physiology or on the uses of the channels in treatment, this book shows the essential relationships between the two. Theory and practice are connected through a detailed discussion of a channel palpation methodology developed by Dr. Wang, which leads to more precise and effective point selection, location, and technique.

Hara Diagnosis: Reflections on the Sea: By (authors) Kiiko Matsumoto and Stephen Birch.This work presents the theory and practice of abdominal diagnosis with the greatest care ever applied to an important diagnostic technique. Beginning with an historical and cultural perspective on the use of palpation in general, and abdominal palpation in particular, the book details the information required to master and extend the techniques presented. The text offers an exceptionally well detailed exploration of interior meridian pathways and the role of classical Chinese energetic anatomy, including concepts such as source and origin. The treatment systems described are coordinated through the abdominal patterns and are staged from the general to the specific. Therapies and techniques include hara shiatsu, sotai and breathing exercises, and five-phase treatments. It is the first text generated in the U.S. that has been favorably received by Japanese practitioners.

Japanese Acupuncture: A Clinical Guide: (Paradigm title) [Paperback] by Stephen Birch (Author), Junko Ida. Required reading for anyone with an interest in non-TCM acupuncture styles. It provides the essential clinical and practical context for any discussion of acupuncture originating in Japan.

Japanese Classical Acupuncture: Introduction to Meridian Therapy: by Shudo Denmei. Introduction to Meridian Therapy is noted for the clarity and simplicity of its style, and is the most highly regarded introduction to this subject in Japan. The theoretical and historical basis, diagnostic framework and treatment strategies of meridian therapy are discussed in detail. The author provides a step-­by-step introduction to pulse and abdominal diagnosis, and explains how to incorporate the concepts and techniques of meridian therapy into other styles of acupuncture.

Japanese Classical Acupuncture: Introduction to Meridian Therapy: Shudo Denmai (Author) Japanese Classical Acupuncture: Introduction to Meridian Therapy is noted for the clarity and simplicity of its style, and is the most highly regarded introduction to this subject in Japan. The theoretical and historical basis, diagnostic framework and treatment strategies of meridian therapy are discussed in detail. The author provides a step-by-step introduction to pulse and abdominal diagnosis, and explains how to incorporate the concepts and techniques of meridian therapy into other styles of acupuncture. The text is interwoven with case histories and anecdotes from the author's lengthy practice. Extensively edited in collaboration with the author to fit the needs of Western acupuncturists, this book opens the door to Japanese classical acupuncture for Western practitioners.

Ling Shu Acupuncture (English) [Hardcover] Zhao Wang (Author), Jun Wang (Author). Ling Shu Acupuncture, is the first translation of its kind to present acupuncture theory from the clinical viewpoint by connecting the contents of both volumes of Huangdi Neijing, reorganizing the acupuncture theories of both volumes under different subject discussions. Ling Shu Acupuncture, deftly explains the importance of the original principles from the Yellow Emperor's Inner Cannon and how to apply them in practice.

Medicine in China: Nan-Ching, Classic of Difficult Issues By (author) Paul U Unschuld: This translation and extensive collation of important commentaries is not only a work of monumental effort and dedication, but a significant contribution to Western understanding of acupuncture and Chinese traditional medicine. While clinicians cannot expect to quickly and easily abstract techniques from this text, they will be able to understand the historical context, the technical problems, and the consequences for clinical practice of the many interpretations that have formed Chinese medical thought through the ages. Familiarity with this work was one of the necessities of classical acupuncture study, and remains so today, for knowledge of the Nan Ching aided the student in gaining insight and the ability to judge circumstance intuitively. Finally, this opportunity is available to English-speaking students and practitioners.

Meridian Therapy: A Hands-on Text on Traditional Japanese Hari Based on Pulse Diagnosis Fukushima Kodo, a skilled master practitioner, offers a detailed treatment of the basic principles, techniques, clinical applications, and achievements of the Japanese meridian therapy system of Keiraku Chiryo. The contents ofMeridian Therapy are exhaustive. They include a discussion of meridian therapy, ki ketsu-ei e yin-yang and five phases, meridians, the doctrine of organ patterns, the doctrine of causes of illness, doctrine of signs of illness (symptoms and akashi), the four-way examination system, pulse diagnosis, final diagnosis (determination of akashi), therapeutic technique, ho and sha of point selection, rules of treatment, correcting mistaken treatment, clinical case studies, and appendices on needling for children, subcutaneous needling and okyo. Part II includes the position and location of points, a listing of points and index of point names, an index of books and a glossary of special terms. (Redwing Reviews)

The Practice of Japanese Acupuncture and Moxibustion: Classic Principles in Action, by Ikeda Masakazu. This text is an in-depth introduction to a form of treatment practiced in Japan that is based on the classics of Oriental medicine. It provides a bridge for traditionally trained students and practitioners who are having difficulty transferring their knowledge of Japanese acupuncture and moxibustion into clinical practice, and will inform the reader’s work with the breadth and depth of the classics. One of my favorites.