Unblocking the Pivot from the Classics to the Modern Clinic

I have had the pleasure of reviewing Sharon Weizenbaums " Unblocking the Pivot" course offered by ProD seminars. . Sharon's strength as a practitioner and as a teacher lies in her ability to to deconstruct complex issues, and then explain them step-by-step in a way that simplifies complex topics and allows everyone to understand. Her willingness to ask simple questions, and avoid making assumptions sets a standard for scholarship. Her pursuit of answers coupled with a scholars ability to let complex concepts percolate until she understands them is one of the hallmark of her fine teaching. Using Craig Mitchell's seminal paper on harmonizing the qi dynamic from about 7 years ago, Sharon deconstructs the complex topic of Qi mechanisms in the body. Her deep grasp on the relationship of yin and yang, of shao yang ( and all six stages) and her ability to communicate these concepts clearly are hugely refreshing. There are some points that i found myself in disagreement with: she creates an idea about dampness and obesity and it's relationship to the stomach that felt incomplete and thin to me. But this is not a big deal, nor does it detract from the overall value of her work. I highly recommend this seminar to both beginners and also to experienced practitioners alike, as it is sure to deepen their diagostic skills.

This course provides a helpful investigation of a certain type of blockage involving the Shao Yang that is often missed and mis-treated. Sharon Weitzenbaum, as usual, uses wonderful metaphors to clearly explain sometimes vague tenets of Chinese medicine in a professorial yet humble and down-to-earth way. Some great clarifications: how to practically identify “bitter taste in the mouth” and “costal fullness”, what is the real meaning of “alternating fever and chills” and “half exterior/half interior” (not what most people think), and how to “harmonize”. She also pulls from Dr. Huang Huang and explains the ban xia type versus the chai hu type. Interesting! The analysis of key formulas explains when and how to apply and modify them. She even mentions a few tips on how to understand the Shang Han Lun. This course is really diagnosis and herbs, no acupuncture, and many of the formulas can be applied to menopause, though there are certainly wider applications. Sharon’s anecdotes enrich the material, and the course isn’t that long comparatively, but I do think it could have been presented in less time. There were a couple key diagnostic features that didn’t come across without visuals, though the rest of the key info came across well. In Brandon Horn and Wendy Yu’s work, blockage treatments (if needed) are a first step in their infertility algorithm. By contrast, this course deals exclusively with Pivot blockage, or Shao Yang, as the title implies. This was still much more interesting and useful than I was expecting. Bottom line: I have some new strategies for old tools that I think will really benefit a number of patients. A similar in-depth exploration of other types of blockages would be welcome.