RUNNING HEAD: UNIT 5 ASSIGNMENT LECTURE NOTES 1
Unit 5 Assignment Lecture Notes
HW 499 Capstone in Health and Wellness
TJ Helms
4-27-2021
Professor Eaves
Unit 5 Assignment Lecture Notes 2
Week 1 Class Lecture Notes – Traditional Chinese Medicine
Many different kinds of TCM
Acupuncture – Therapy of using needles at different points of the body to release the trapped Qi
energy in the body that flows along the meridian points of the body.
Meridian Lines – Lines that go through the entire body that Qi flows through the entire body.
Moxibustion – Therapy of using hot materials on or near the body. This is done to revitalize the
Qi of the human body.
Cupping – Therapy that is used by either lighting the inside of the cup with fire to suck up the
oxygen or the air is taken out by manual pump on the cup. Then the cups are left for a few
minutes on the body.
History of TCM
TCM started in Shang dynasty dated back to 1100 BCE. Ancient writing found on turtle
shells. TCM has been around for 3,000 years
The writing described different therapies that focused on “Qi” or life force of the body. If
Qi in the body is disrupted in any way it was believed to disrupt the balance of yin and
yang or “harmony” in the human body and will cause illnesses (actcm.edu, 2021).
Book that is the foundation of TCM “The Yellow Emperor’s Internal Classic” Oldest
dated book based on TCM back to 200 BCE. The book contained the meridian points of
the body and it included all 365 of the insertion points in it for acupuncture for every
illness. This book is the first written down in book form of TCM and is considered the
base of TCM (shen-nong.com, n.d.).
TCM was used for several centuries until the 1800’s, acupuncture and all other forms of
TCM were seen as being non effective and ridiculous.
TCM became banned in 1929 as not having enough evidence for its modalities to be
considered effective.
In 1979, someone from US Press Corp had an emergency appendectomy. Their course of
treatment for recovery after the surgery was acupuncture. After their recovery and a few
years later of studies and research being done on acupuncture showed its effectiveness on
the human body and benefits (White and Ernst, 2004).
Moxibustion and cupping haven’t been researched as much as acupuncture, but they are
accepted as well due to people believing in their healing ability and effectiveness of
healing the human body.
Unit 5 Assignment Lecture Notes 3
How these therapies heal the body.
Acupuncture – thin needles are placed at certain points of the body based on the 365 points from
the older text. Now believed these points are at certain trigger points along the central nervous
system. It is believed inserting the needles at these points trigger the body’s natural repairing
sources to go to action to help the body recover.
Moxibustion – therapy that involves using dried plant material being burned on or near the body
to re-energize the Qi of the human body. Held near the body at points very similar to the points
of acupuncture (University of Minnesota, n.d.). It is now believed that moxibustion heat near the
body aids in blood flow circulation at certain points in the body to initiate healing in certain
areas.
Cupping – has the lowest amount of research of the three therapies being discussed. Cupping was
believed to remove impurities and toxins from the body near the point where cupping was done.
Cupping now is believed to improve the blood circulation at the points of the body where it is
used.
Video about TCM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXkWwmu8M8A (15 min)
by Lloyd G.Wright
Video covers more about TCM and acupuncture
Risks associated with TCM modalities
Acupuncture – possibility of non-sterile needles could carry disease. Always visit board certified
acupuncturist that is properly trained.
Other issues with acupuncture: bleeding, soreness, swelling at insertion points, dizziness, and
fainting.
Moxibustion – don’t use if allergic to moxa or the material the person is using for the treatment,
nausea, vomiting, sore throat, and possible dark patches of skin (Raypole, 2021).
Cupping – possible burns if fire cupping is used, skin discoloration, possible bleeding, and skin
infections especially if the cups aren’t sterile, always visit someone that has training and a
background for cupping.
List of TCM practitioners in the local area
Unit 5 Assignment Lecture Notes 4
Where to learn more about TCM and other modalities
University of Minnesota
Has an excellent website that talks about all modalities of acupuncture.
https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/
Unit 5 Assignment Lecture Notes 5
Week 2 Class Lecture Notes – Yoga
History of Yoga
Yoga is traceable back to 5,000 years ago. People believe that yoga is actually close to if
not over 10,000 years old.
Yoga originates back to India and the oldest written text for yoga is the Rig Veda which
contains songs, and rituals used by Vedic priests (yogabasics.com, 2020)
Upanishads took the scriptures and changed it to teaching through self-knowledge,
karma, and wisdom.
The beliefs for yoga at this point had contradictory statements and ideas that didn’t mix
well together.
In 100 ACE, Patanjali, wrote a text that described yoga as an “eight limbed path” that
contained the steps to reach “enlightenment” or peace with oneself (yogabasics.com,
2020).
Patanjali is known as the father of yoga with this work and the re-writing of older texts
and has influenced yoga to what it is today.
Video about yoga here:
History of yoga with Rachel Scott
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaRoNwH0rrs
Ways Yoga can help the body
Yoga has a lot of benefits for the body (HopkinsMedicine.org, n.d.)
o Increased flexibility
o Manage stress
o Improve mood
o Benefits the heart
o Provides more energy
o Relief for back pain
o Yoga usually has a lot of local supportive communities
o Helps reduce weight
Yoga can be done for just a few minutes a day and people can still get the benefits
There is a such thing as too much yoga, so it shouldn’t be done every single day,
typically 3-5 days a week is enough.
If people have had a procedure done or have a chronic condition, yoga can improve and
lessen the effect of the chronic condition and can hasten healing from surgery or illness
Yoga instruction here for 25 min for brief yoga tutorial for class
Unit 5 Assignment Lecture Notes 6
Quick Q&A about yoga after tutorial
Ask around about how people feel after yoga session
How to find good local yoga teachers and what to look for (Pizer, 2021)
When talking to one ask for their qualifications
Ask local friends that do yoga regularly for recommendations
When first starting make sure to find an instructor that offers beginner only classes to get
started
Look around
Good yoga resources
Very Well Fit
https://www.verywellfit.com/
Do Yoga with Me
https://www.doyogawithme.com/
Unit 5 Assignment Lecture Notes 7
Week 3 Class Lecture Notes – Reiki
What is Reiki – Reiki is the understanding of the body’s energy system. Reiki practitioners use
their hands to manipulate the energy flow of the human body and re-organize it to bring peace to
the human body and relieve ailments of the body.
History of Reiki
Reiki was founded by Dr. Mikao Usui, born in 1865, went to school at a Buddhist
Monastery and had learned martial arts and sword fighting (iarp.org, 2020).
Traveled to learn more about different fields and professions, ended up being a monk and
lived at a Buddhist monastery.
Wanted to come up with a therapy that would be able to heal everyone and was
accessible regardless where they were.
Grew up wanting to learn more about medicine, came up with a way of healing himself
while on a 21-day course that involved fasting for 21 days. On the 21st day, he found
Sanskrit symbols that helped him invent reiki (iarp.org, 2020).
Went back to Kyoto, Japan to open a clinic involving using reiki to heal others and word
of mouth had moved and he started getting more clients and became popular for his
practice. He also opened a school for reiki as well.
Had an apprentice by the name of Chujiro Hayashi that developed the reiki system by
adding more hand positions to cover the entire body and teached other reiki masters
including a woman named Hawayo Takata that was half Japanese/American that came to
him for healing and she learned reiki under him and brought it back to the US in 1935
(iarp.org, 2020).
She trained 22 reiki masters in the US before she died and the teachings of Usui have
been passed on thru these people to others since.
Video on history of Reiki here by Enchanted Reiki
10 min
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03_FwQihq_Y
Uses for reiki as treatment
Reiki is used to treat various ailments (University of Minnesota, n.d.)
o Anxiety
o Pain management
o Fatigue and tiredness
o Assist recovery after surgery
o Support wellbeing
o Has been rumored to help clear the mind and focus thoughts
o Help people make better decisions
Unit 5 Assignment Lecture Notes 8
Reiki is a practice that can be learned by everyone that is willing to learn, can be used by
everyone including people that want to be able to perform it on themselves.
Reiki masters can teach people and they can learn enough to become reiki masters
themselves and teach other people the ways of using reiki.
Reiki is very accessible and there is no special equipment required.
Risks of using Reiki for treatment
Considered to not be effective for therapy to most of population due to lack of research
Insurance companies typically won’t cover it so its mostly out of pocket.
Inconsistent results from therapy
Reiki healers near me
https://www.thumbtack.com/k/reiki/near-me/
provides access to reiki masters near people by zip code
Websites for good info about reiki
Reiki demonstration here for 20 minutes with guest
Closing remarks for class
Citations for YouTube videos used in references page
Unit 5 Assignment Lecture Notes 9
References for class lecture notes
Chinese Medicine. American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine. (2021, April 16).
https://www.actcm.edu/chinese-medicine.
Chinese Medicine Chronology. (n.d.). http://www.shen-nong.com/eng/history/chronology.html.
White, A., & Ernst, E. (2004, May 01). Brief history of acupuncture.
https://academic.oup.com/rheumatology/article/43/5/662/1788282
University of Minnesota. (n.d.). Moxibustion. Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing.
https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/explore-healing-practices/moxibustion.
YouTube. (2014). How Acupuncture Works - by Lloyd G. Wright, LAc, Dnbao. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXkWwmu8M8A.
Raypole, C. (2021, April 16). What Is Moxibustion? Moxibustion: How to.
https://www.healthline.com/health/moxibustion.
History of Yoga. Yoga Basics. (2020, June 11). https://www.yogabasics.com/learn/history-of-
yoga/.
YouTube. (2019). What Is The History Of Yoga? [Your Questions Answered.]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaRoNwH0rrs.
9 Benefits of Yoga. Johns Hopkins Medicine. (n.d.).
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/9-benefits-of-yoga.
Pizer, A. (2021, January 5). Finding a Good Teacher for Your Yoga Journey. Verywell Fit.
https://www.verywellfit.com/how-to-find-a-good-yoga-teacher-3566767.
Iarp. (2020, February 27). History of Reiki. IARP. https://iarp.org/history-of-reiki/.
YouTube. (2020). Mikao Usui & The History of Reiki. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03_FwQihq_Y.
University of Minnesota. (n.d.). How Can Reiki Help Me? Taking Charge of Your Health &
Wellbeing. https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/how-can-reiki-help-me#:~:text=People
%20use%20Reiki%20to%20relax,recovery%20after%20injuries%20or%20surgery.
