The ICTCM is delighted to welcome this year’s new group of TCM Acupuncture students. We wish them every success as they embark on their journey into the world of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The new academic year is already in full swing, with the first teaching weekend successfully completed. It’s great to meet new faces and learn about the unique paths that have led each student to this shared pursuit of healing and knowledge. Fittingly, the opening weekend introduced the foundational theories of TCM and explored the profound and intriguing concept of The Dao — the guiding principle that lies at the heart of Chinese philosophy and medicine.
The Basis of TCM
The first teaching weekend took our TCM Acupuncture students straight into the heart of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Exploring its rich and ancient theoretical foundations. Students were introduced to profound concepts such as The Dao and Yin and Yang. These being fundamental ideas that not only underpin the philosophy of TCM but also permeate Chinese culture and thought.
TCM is a system, not based upon man-made laws but upon laws of nature, the natural laws of the universe, or what the Chinese refer to as the Dao – the Way. 道
Below is an excerpt from Professor Tom Shanahan’s introduction that poetically conveys the notion of the Dao.
The Dao
The Dao predates human civilisation and transcends all boundaries of space and time, race and culture, since it is the universal and enduring Way of nature. It is the primal power that forges all phenomena in the universe, from the infinite to the infinitesimal. Invisible yet ever present, it permeates the world with the very breath of life, and those who learn how to harmonise themselves with the Dào may harness that power to enhance and prolong health and life itself.
This Way is not simply a philosophy of life, but rather an entire way of life based upon the most fundamental of laws. These laws do not change, and will never become out of date. They are permanent and immutable.
The Dao represents an entirely new way of seeing the world. One quite different from the perspective we’re accustomed to in the West. In China, The Dao is more than just a philosophy. It is a way of understanding nature and the workings of the universe itself. It forms the foundation of daily life, shaping how people live, think, and interact with the world around them. From medicine and meditation to martial arts and every aspect of Chinese culture. The Dao flows through all, guiding balance and harmony in every endeavor.
To read more on the Dao you can visit the ICTCM website at this link.