Do You Believe in the Yellow Emperor? On the Origins of Acupuncture
by Matthew Bauer

Have you ever wondered how acupuncture first began or why there came to be 365 points and 14 qi pathways? How about the concepts of yin/yang, the Five Elements or the Tao that form the foundation of Chinese medical theory? In this groundbreaking two part series, acupuncturist and Taoist philosopher Matthew D. Bauer delves deep into the past to offer what may be the first comprehensive theories to address these questions.

“On the Origins of Acupuncture” will examine how this practice came to be at an advanced level by the time of the Yellow Emperor’s Classic more than 2,000 years ago. This classic book laid the foundation for the practice of acupuncture that survives to this day but offers no explanations about how it first began or how the point/meridian system was formulated.

This class will consider the 4 main theories regarding acupuncture’s roots, and detail which of these theories is most likely. In addition, the point/meridian (jing-luo) system will be considered in detail culminating with the surprising and thought-provoking theory that it was inspired by discoveries in ancient astronomy. By pondering acupuncture’s roots, participants of this class will gain a deeper understanding of this healing art and how to practice it in our present time.

Topics:

• Origins of Acupuncture