Posts Tagged ‘acupuncture’
TCMCH Dean Receives Award from NADA
Saturday, April 24th, 2010
TCMCH Academic Dean Megan Yarberry was honored at this year’s national NADA (National Acupuncture Detoxification Association) conference for her “Visionary Leadership and Creativity”, and was presented the award by NADA founder Dr. Michael Smith.
The conference celebrated NADA’s 25th year with the theme “Recovery, Rebirth and Reunion,” and was held in New Orleans, where NADA played an important part in the area’s post-Katrina healing.
Conference participants came from all over the world to discuss their use of the technique for treatment of addictions, as the protocol was originally designed for, as well as disaster relief, sickle cell anemia, mental health, and post traumatic stress disorder. A group of medical doctors from NADA Germany discussed their findings in obstetrics, first responders from Katrina described their first experiences with acupuncture and subsequent conviction in its usefulness for post-disaster settings, and Susana Mendez described a fascinating collaboration between her agency which supplies NADA, and the Texas police force, the FBI, and homeland security as they search for serial killers who prey on prostitutes plying the trucking routes in that part of the country.
Janet, from the Philippines, described their post-flooding response, and Quang introduced his father who is holding down the NADA fort in Vietnam, where volunteers are encouraged to come and participate in various clinics. Tomas – who provided a training to staff at The Omari Project last August (Omari is another TCMCH project) and his colleagues from Ireland talked about their experiences at public health clinics in Belfast.
At the conference, Megan met up with her colleague Beth Cole, and they began planning a trip to Haiti where they will be providing acupuncture. They also met Julia Raneri who is the Ground Operations Manager for Acupuncturists Without Borders, Emmanuelle Mouy of NADA France, and other key persons who have been contributing toward the success of the upcoming trip.
TCMCH in Lamu, Africa
Tuesday, March 16th, 2010Friday March 12, 2010
Last Sunday, after a long, bumpy and over-booked bus ride, we arrived in one of the most beautiful and serene places I’ve ever known. Lamu, a small island off the northern coast of Kenya, could quite possibly be the most tranquil and serene place left on planet earth, with its unbelievably friendly residents, the cool breeze of the Indian Ocean always in your hair, and the complete absence of motor vehicles. It is a world heritage site, and the spectacular culture that has survived for centuries emanates through every nook and cranny.
But all its tranquility disappears for one week each spring when approximately 20,000 Muslims migrate to this tiny island for the annual celebration of the Prophet Mohammad’s birth. This year’s festivities began on Tuesday with donkey races and tug-of-war contests, continuing on Wednesday and Thursday with dhow boat races and other events, and the culmination is on Friday night around 11 pm when everyone gathers at the mosque for dancing, drumming, and rejoicing. Celebration is in the air, and the town is pulsating with excitement.
We too have been able to take part in this amazing festival by offering acupuncture to the thousands of gatherers. For the last three days we, along with around 15 men and women that Megan and her apprentice Athman trained this week, were able to set up shop along the sea front of downtown Lamu. The trainees were extremely excited about their new tool and were able to rile up several hundred participants over the course of a few days. There was hesitation initially, but after the first brave few received treatments the word spread like wild fire, and we quickly found ourselves without enough chairs to accommodate all that were interested. For an overwhelming majority of the people treated the results were felt almost immediately, and everyone walked away feeling much more relaxed and at peace. The trainees did an amazing job, and Megan will reward them for their hard work tomorrow morning with a certification ceremony. They all seemed to take much pride in their accomplishments, and I am without doubt that they will all use their new found knowledge to serve thousands of people in the near future.
I am sad to say that I (Stacey) will be returning home in a few short days, but I am so incredibly grateful for the time I was able to spend here in Kenya. I’ve witnessed some of the most beautiful displays of love and compassion, and the Kenyan people will forever be in my heart.