Kelsey Dixon, a NYCTCM graduating acupuncture student, wrote on how she will contribute to the future of Chinese medicine in an American culture which is so different from the Taoist principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
"The TCM that exists in the United States of America
is, in some ways, childlike, having progressed past the novelty of its
infantile stages and the tremendous growth of early childhood, and now entering
its adolescence, and the struggle to blossom to its fullest potential while
maintaining its roots. It is an old and sacred medicine reborn within a young
and eager culture- a culture still, sometimes awkwardly, undecided as to how to
approach and integrate this strange new paradigm. At times, the impending
pressure upon becoming a practitioner of this healing art can seem intense..." "Reviewing the words of wisdom from
the 'sages' of both ancient Chinese culture and contemporary American culture,
the irony of TCM in America
is obvious. In TCM, we have a paradigm of health based on a worldview that
holds passivity and acceptance, and harmony within a greater whole, in highest
esteem. The American Dream, on the other hand, is fundamentally about
individuals distinguishing themselves, about challenging the status quo and
seeing the way things ought to be rather than the way things are. " read the complete article at NYCTCM blog page..