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Master Acupuncturist Mitsunori Seino from Tokyo, Japan
will be in Toronto for two days of seminars
November 17 & 18, 2018

Day 1 (Nov. 17, 2018): Foundation Course in the Seino System

This will be a day of lectures and discussion on the following topics:

• History of acupuncture in Japan
• Relationship between Japanese acupuncture and TCM
• Japanese Moxibustion
• Integration of Japanese acupuncture and moxibustion with Western medicine

Day 2 (Nov. 18, 2018): Topics from the Basic Course in the Seino System

This will be a day of demonstration and practical study of the following topics:

• Japanese needling techniques
• Japanese moxibustion techniques
• Case Studies

Dates:     November 17 & 18, 2018
Location: The Centre for Japanese Acupuncture (3189 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario)
Cost:      $200.00 each day or $350.00 for both days
Contact: (416) 551-2352
email:     cfjacupuncture@gmail.com
website:  centreforjapaneseacupuncture.ca

At this year’s workshop, Sensei Mitsunori Seino will be introducing his amazing Seino System to students and licensed professionals who have a basic knowledge of TCM, as well as to members of the public who would like to learn about Japanese acupuncture. Seino Sensei’s acupuncture protocol is based on 40 years of practice and study. With training in the Seino System, an acupuncturist can treat any patient and any illness. This is your opportunity to go deeper into your study and training to see first hand the true potential of acupuncture.

Acupuncture is a true complementary therapy, working well alongside many conventional medical treatments and serving as a support for patients receiving many types of medical care.

There are many ways that acupuncture can complement conventional medical treatments:

• Acupuncture is a drug free therapy that will not conflict with prescription medication or create unforeseen drug interactions
• Acupuncture can enhance the effectiveness of prescription medication by helping with absorption and elimination of medications, helping medications reach their target areas and reducing side effects of medications

Acupuncture can improve outcomes from surgical procedures by

• preparing patients for surgery, strengthening immune and digestive functioning and calming a patient’s mental state
• supporting patients post-surgery, reducing the risk of complications and infections, helping the body eliminate drugs used for anaesthesia, reducing pain and speeding up tissue repair

In addition:

• Acupuncture can be done distally, so the placement of needles can be away from problem areas in the body, avoiding conflicts with local treatments, surgical scars, open wounds, inflamed tissues, broken bones and bandages
• Acupuncture can be done when one is awaiting diagnostic testing or waiting to receive a medical diagnosis
• Acupuncture can be of therapeutic benefit when a condition is deemed not serious enough to warrant a strong medical intervention
• Acupuncture can treat symptoms even when the cause is unknown, or when there is no medical agreement on the diagnosis
• Acupuncture can help reduce stress, which has been shown to improve medical outcomes

Many family doctors and medical specialists are open to patients receiving acupuncture alongside their medically prescribed treatments. Acupuncturists in Ontario are regulated health professionals who can communicate with a patient’s medical team, advising them on the nature of the acupuncture treatments being given and providing them with updates on their patients’ progress.

Sleep is the body’s opportunity for healing and recovery. Many physiological processes take place during nighttime sleep that cannot take place at any other time of day. Without restorative sleep each night, daytime stresses easily build up and throw the body out of balance.

Insomnia and interrupted sleep are issue for many people all year around, but can worsen in springtime due to the shift to towards the Liver as a focus of the body’s energies. If poor sleep is an issue, there are various lifestyle and behavioural changes that one can make to improve one’s situation:

(1) Right preparation: The evening is a time that should be set aside for winding down and relaxation. Restorative sleep should be understood in the context of a 24 hour cycle of activity. Stimulating activities such as exercise, screen time and even showering should be carried out earlier in the day and avoided in the late hours of evening.

(2) Right position: The ideal position for sleeping for the human body is lying on the back (face up) on a firm mattress with a low pillow. In this position gravity can passively straighten the spine and relieve pressure on the hip, shoulder and vertebral joints.

(3) Right breathing: The general rule is that one should breathe through the nose whenever possible (unless one is eating or speaking). This is especially important at night time when the body’s defences are down and the respiratory tract more susceptible to the effects of cold and dry air as well as airborne pathogens. A trick one can use to guard against open mouth breathing while asleep is to place tape over one’s lips before one goes to sleep.

When behaviour and lifestyle changes are not enough to break the cycle of poor night time sleep, acupuncture can help. With acupuncture it is possible to relax tensions that accumulate as a result of stress. It can also help calm the heart (the Shen) and settle the hyperactive energy of the Liver. Any organ that is weak or exhausted can also disrupt the smooth rhythm of the body’s 24 hour diurnal cycle, causing imbalance and disease. Acupuncture is able to strengthen weak and exhausted organs and help return the body to a state of balance.

The three months of Spring are referred to in Japanese as 発陳(hacchin), a word meaning ‘to sprout and flourish’. During these months the days are getting longer, the temperature is warming up and things that were dormant and hidden during the winter months resurface and become active.

This is how it is in Nature, and also how it is in the human body. At this time of year our body temperature increases slightly and our Yang Qi is activated and comes to the surface. Yang Qi naturally wants to circulate, and we must be sure to not constrain this energy if we want to stay healthy through the spring and summer months. Waking up with the sunrise, moderate exercise, eating lightly (including some sour and fermented foods in our diet), avoiding stress and going to bed early are the basic principles for staying healthy at this time of year.

The dominant organ of the body during the spring season is the Liver. The Liver is easily disturbed by stress as well as excessive eating and drinking. The Qi of the Liver wants to be active and to circulate smoothly and freely. When its movement is constrained, feelings of irritability and depression can appear, and one might also experience various physical symptoms such as hot flashes, insomnia, skin problems, neuralgia and lethargy.

Some health conditions such as allergies and various chronic illnesses which may have been dormant during the winter months can resurface in springtime. It is therefore an excellent time of year to address these health concerns. Strengthening immune, respiratory and digestive functioning during springtime can lead to an improvement in overall health that can last well into the summer and autumn months.