Pacific Rim College Radio

Judy Becker Worsley and David Berkshire return for another episode and a deeper dive into the Worsley Five Element lineage.

Judy continues to share with us the impact on her life of the philosophies of the Five Elements system and how it has always served as a compass for her. The teachings of JR Worsley, that she and David continue to passionately share, help to liberate practitioners from the brainwashing of society, including the fallacy that by labelling people, we better understand them.

Foundational to JR’s teaching are the practices of humility, curiosity, and presence. These not only are hallmarks of impactful practitioners of medicine but also of practitioners of life as they help the individual transform into state of freedom and peace.

We also explore more technical details of Five Element medicine, especially through an examination of the differences between constitutional factors and causative factors. And we conclude with the power of Five Elements in helping us to better understand the natural order of all.

Judy Becker Worsley has been a devoted student of Professor JR Worsley since 1973, and was designated by JR to succeed him as Master of the lineage upon his death. Prior to his death, they founded the Worsley Institute, which is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the Worsley Five Element Acupuncture tradition that is rooted in natural law.

Joining Judy in this episode is David Berkshire, President of the Worsley Institute, located in Portland, Oregon, where David also has a busy clinical practice.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Judy Becker Worsley and David Berkshire.

Episode Links:

Worsley Institute

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at PRC

Online Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

I waited a very long time to have this discussion with Bill Porter, and it was well worth the wait. Bill is a prolific writer and adventurer, and also, under the pen name of Red Pine, a renowned translator of ancient Chinese works from Cold Mountain to Lao Tze.

Bill has written and translated dozens of books over many decades, and his radio shows in China were tuned into by millions a day. Those shows featured the accounts of his ambitious adventures, including travelling the length of the Yellow River from its mouth to its source. Bill also sought out and found hermits living in the mountains of China, and his book, Road to Heaven, has sold over 2 million copies in China and is credited with helping to revive the Taoist hermit tradition there. We spend some time talking about not only Bill’s adventure in finding hermits, but also hermit life, then and now.

Bill continues to translate today, still as Red Pine and is nearing completion of a new book of poetry. We talk about how he acquired his name Red Pine and his inspiration for translating in the first place.

Bill is a fascinating interviewee, having interviewed hundreds of guests himself on a radio show in China, and has lived a life of incredible cultural explorations and the subsequent sharing of their details. His storytelling is superb, and his material endless.

I have no doubt that you will enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Bill Porter.

Episode Links:

Red Pine Facebook page

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at PRC

Online Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

In this episode Elham Ansari takes us on a millennia-long journey inside of Ayurvedic medicine. In expert fashion, she distills down what can be a dauting philosophy to make pragmatic into a practice that anyone can adopt into their daily routine.

We spend a lot of time covering Ayurvedic nutrition, from the exotic to the local, including animal-based food medicine. We also discuss other aspects of Ayurveda including marma points, which are similar to acupuncture points, and other therapeutic tools, and the philosophical foundations of Ayurveda, including the doshas and elements. From within this philosophy, we find the spiritual roots of Ayurveda and how it applies to our personal journeys in this life, the scientific roots that allude to genetics and DNA long before those terms existed, and the similarities to other traditional medicines.

Elham has been an instructor of Ayurveda at Pacific Rim College for nearly a decade and has been in practice far longer. She studied under the renowned Ayurvedic practitioner Vasant Lad, and we talk about how that experience impacted her. Her Ayurvedic nutrition courses and clinics at PRC are all live online and thus her teachings and therapies can be accessed from around the globe.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Elham Ansari.

Episode Links:

elhamansari.com

10 Opposite Pairs of Attributes

Learning Links:

School of Holistic Nutrition at PRC

Holistic Nutrition courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

Judy Becker Worsley has been a devoted student of Professor JR Worsley since 1973, and was designated by JR to succeed him as Master of the lineage upon his death. Prior to his death, they founded the Worsley Institute, which is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the Worsley Five Element Acupuncture tradition that is rooted in natural law.

Joining Judy in this episode is David Berkshire, President of the Worsley Institute, located in Portland, Oregon, where David also has a busy clinical practice.

Judy shares with us her quest to find something more meaningful in life than her law studies, which led her to England in 1973 to find her mentor in JR and eventually her life partner. We talk about the five element system of acupuncture that he created, his unparalleled clinical acumen, and his genius for understanding and integrating many forms of medicine.

Fundamental to the Worsley system is the mastery of the sense organs, and David and Judy discuss the reawakening of the senses, especially smell, but also sight and hearing. We also explore the spirit of acupuncture points, which JR devoted much of his life to understanding and mastering, and now Judy and David also work extensively to preserve and expand upon this ancient knowledge.

There is so much to explore of the history and impact of JR Worsley and the Worsley system that we only scratch the surface in this episode. We expect more episodes to follow.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Judy Becker Worsley and David Berkshire.

Episode Links:

Worsley Institute

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at PRC

Online Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

Julian Scott is a legend in the field of acupuncture and holds special distinction in pediatrics. He has more than 40 years of practical experience and has authored numerous books including Acupuncture in the Treatment of Children and Acupuncture for the Eyes.

We enjoy a very easy-going conversation exploring Julian’s path to becoming an influential figure in the spread of acupuncture to the West, along with some of his well-known colleagues. He shares stories of and lessons from multiple mentors from whom he gleaned much of his knowledge and clinical acumen.

Julian explains how he was sought out as an expert in both pediatrics and ophthalmology before he considered himself to be worthy of such distinction. We also talk about many other timely topics such as the impact of vaccinations, childhood anxiety, degenerative conditions, and the stages of aging. Julian shares incredible insights in all these areas.

Although now nearing 80, Julian still aspires to help others heal and to educate. His bank of online courses can be found at treatingchildren.com, which include many of the topics above as well as a course on pain free needling. His teachings have inspired countless, and his heart-centred, humorous personality warms the spirit.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Julian Scott.

Episode Links:

Treatingchildren.com

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at PRC

Online Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

Sajah Popham is a renowned herbalist, educator, and author committed to the balance of the science and spirituality of plant medicine. As the founder of the School of Evolutionary Herbalism, he trains herbalists in a holistic system of plant medicine that encompasses clinical Western herbalism, medical astrology, Ayurveda, and spagyric alchemy.

Spagyric alchemy might not be something you are familiar with, and so we go to some depth exploring what this field of herbalism is and how it is applicable in modern practice. From his laboratory on a homestead in the foothills of Mt. Baker, Washington, Sajah and his wife Whitney combine philosophies of astrology, alchemy, spirituality, and modern science to create unique and powerful spagyric plant medicines.

Sajah and I geek out on many things herbal and healing including the value of symptoms, the power of the patient in the healing process, astrology, archetypes, and vitalism. Sajah focuses on using plants to heal and rejuvenate the body, clarify the mind, open the heart, and support the development of the soul. His teachings embody a heartfelt respect, honor, and reverence for the vast intelligence of plants in a way that empowers us to look deeper into the nature of our medicines and ourselves.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Sajah Popham.

Episode Links:

School of Evolutionary Herbalism

Learning Links:

School of Western Herbal Medicine at PRC

Online Herbal Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

7Song is a renowned herbalist who has been studying and practicing herbal medicine for nearly 40 years. Having studied under legends such as Rosemary Gladstar and Michael Moore, he opened the Northeast School of Herbal Medicine in Ithaca, New York, and is the Director of Holistic Medicine at the Ithaca Free Clinic.

7Song shares much of his wisdom in this episode. We talk about herbal first aid and many of his favourite herbs for conditions such as fever, pain, and anxiety. We explore the genesis of the Northeast School of Herbal Medicine and the physical herbal medicine that he focusses on in his teaching. And we talk about his many years of experience and enjoyment in providing herbal care for patients of the Ithaca Free Clinic.

The science of herbal medicine is something 7Song is quite passionate about, and he explains his approach to herbal practice versus an energetic approach. He also talks about the great importance of counselling skills to the practitioner and shares his passion of photography of plants.

This is a candid interview with a great herbalist who is dedicated to the ongoing study and research of herbal medicine and to the dissemination of herbal knowledge.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with 7Song.

Episode Links:

7Song.com

Learning Links:

School of Western Herbal Medicine at PRC

Online Herbal Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

Angela Hicks is joint principal and co-founder of the College of Integrated Chinese Medicine in Reading, England, and author or co-author of six books including the textbook Five Element Constitutional Acupuncturethat she co-wrote with her husband John Hicks and previous podcast guest Peter Mole.

Angela has been a profound inspiration in the field of acupuncture for nearly fifty years. We explore her experience starting a prominent college and her leadership role there for more than three decades. We also discuss her current PhD work and the research that she is compiling to help show the long-term benefits of acupuncture. And we talk about her writing career and influential books.

Angela reveals intimate details of her personal journey into acupuncture. We discuss the impacts of mental health problems on many of her family who had bipolar. This resulted in her interest in treating the mind and spirit and influenced her personal acupuncture practice. In her early years she trained under J.R. Worsley, and she also shares some of her pivotal experiences studying under him as well as his help with her treatment.

If you are interested in learning about options for treating mental health or tracking the nearly five-decade-long career of a leading acupuncturist, this is an episode for you.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Angela Hicks.

Episode Links:

College of Integrated Chinese Medicine

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at PRC

Online Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

Lorie Eve Dechar is a legendary alchemical acupuncturist, a pioneer who has inspired countless through her teaching, writing, and clinical practice. She is perhaps best known for her book Five Spirits: Alchemical Acupuncture for Psychological and Spiritual Healing, which for 15 years has helped guide a generation of acupuncturists into deeper levels of healing, personally and for their patients.

Within this episode is profound treasure. Lorie guides us along a rich exploration of alchemical acupuncture, and alchemy in general, which has at its roots the concept of transformation and not restoration. Through its framework, we can extract from our deepest, darkest wounds – known as our prima materia – our most luminous treasures to ourselves and the world. In this fascinating discussion, we excavate concepts such as hun tun, chaos, and its transformative energy; entropy and negentropy; wu wei, action through non-action; and the general merit of practices that have helped Lorie and her clients to do their inner work.

We also highlight some of the profound topics of all 3 of her books, including The Alchemy of Inner Work, and her newest, Kigo, which explores the essence of acupuncture points. In my opinion, these are all must-reads for practitioners who intend to lead their patients into psychological healing.

Along with her husband Benjamin, who co-authored The Alchemy of Inner Work, Lorie is co-founder of A New Possibility, a learning and healing community designed to help people develop a conscious relationship to their inner life. Her insights are priceless instruments in the quest for inner transformation. I know firsthand as she has had a massive impact on my own transformative journey.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Lorie Eve Dechar.

Episode Links:

A New Possibility

Instagram: @anewpossibility

Facebook: @anewpossibility 

Books by Lorie Eve Dechar

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at PRC

Online Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

Rebecca Avern is the author of two pediatric acupuncture books including the newest, Chinese Medicine for Childhood Anxiety and Depression. Anxiety and depression are conditions we talk about extensively in this episode.

Through her Oxford-based pediatric clinical practice, Rebecca has amassed a wealth of knowledge and experience, much of which she shares in this episode. We cover a wide range of topics including the surge in teenage anxiety and possible contributory factors such as screen time, boarding schools, family trauma, vaccines and medications, and the excessive use of labels. And we discuss the role of five elements in treatment. We also explore some exciting advances in collaborative research opportunities for practitioners and her newly launched "Hub of Paediatric Acupuncture". Stay tuned to the end for her discount offer to the Hub for listeners of the podcast.

Rebecca is a long-standing senior faculty member of the College if Integrative Chinese Medicine in Reading. She mentored under the late Giovanni Maciocia and assisted him in the writing of Diagnosis in Chinese Medicine. She has also completed post-graduate training with renowned author and pediatric expert Julian Scott.

Rebecca is passionate about the health of children and a pure joy to listen to in this podcast. If you have any interest in acupuncture, anxiety, or the treatment of children, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Rebecca Avern.

Episode Links:

RebeccaAvern.com

Hub of Paediatric Acupuncture

ACU-Track

College of Integrated Chinese Medicine

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at PRC

Online Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

Kampo is Japanese herbal medicine influenced by the classical Chinese tradition. In this episode, renowned Kampo and Shiatsu practitioner Nigel Dawes and I discuss all things related to its practice and so much more.

Nigel began studying Kampo in Japan forty years ago and has been practicing and teaching ever since. He is the founder of the London College of Shiatsu and NY Kampo Institute, the latter of which he still runs today. His most recent book published in 2020 by Singing Dragon is entitled Fukushin and Kampo and discusses the topics of abdominal diagnosis and herbal medicine.

Here we talk at length about the culture of traditional Japanese medicine and the influences of Han Dynasty Chinese classical texts such as the Shang Han Lun. We also explore both the energetic and physical aspects of harashin and fukushin abdominal diagnosis, compare the Japanese styles of herbal medicine and acupuncture practice to those of China, and touch upon the topic of Shiatsu. Nigel also narrates some of his personal journey living and studying in Japan and learning in hospitals in Beijing.

For the enthusiast of Asian medicine, this is a fascinating interview of unique styles, including their modern-day practice and their roots.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Nigel Dawes.

Episode Links:

KampoHerbology.com

Fukushin and Kampoby Nigel Dawes

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at PRC

Online Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

Although not by design, this conversation with renowned acupuncturist Peter Mole continues in a similar vein of five element acupuncture that was introduced in my last podcast with Dr. Peter Eckman. Peter Mole began his acupuncture training under the legendary J.R. Worsley at Leamington Spa in England in the late seventies and has been in clinical practice ever since.

In the early nineties, Peter helped set up one of the world’s most influential colleges of acupuncture, the College of Integrated Chinese Medicine in Reading, England. Nearly thirty years later, he is still the Dean of the college while also maintaining an impactful clinical practice. He is also author of Acupuncture for Body, Mind and Spirit and co-author of the major textbook Five Element Constitutional Acupuncture.

Peter emphasizes human connection, potentially above all else, and we spend a great deal of time exploring what that looks and feels like to him and the role it plays in his clinic. We also talk about the value of intention in any treatment and how that can often be more influential than point selection or location. Peter is drawn to psychosomatic approaches to health, and we peel back the lid on the inner world of humans that manifests in outer illness. As practitioners, we might find we have to initially treat symptoms to get the results that gain patients’ trust, and once trust is established, much deeper healing can be fostered through examining the inner milieu.

This is a timely episode about human connection, non-judgmental empathy, and, above all else, love. Peter is an inspirational mentor and a kind-hearted individual who, through his craft of acupuncture, is awakening beauty in the world.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Peter Mole.

Episode Links:

Wolvercote Acupuncture Clinic

College of Integrated Chinese Medicine

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at PRC

Online Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

This is a fascinating conversation with a truly unique doctor. Dr. Peter Eckman earned both his MD and PhD in Physiology in the early 1970s. Having never heard of acupuncture, an early job offer as a staff physician in a Los Angeles acupuncture clinic changed his life, as well as the trajectory of acupuncture in the West. There he received on-the-job training from a group of Korean acupuncturists and became quickly enamoured with this healing art.

Peter has trained under many legends over the years, including a decade of periodic study with J.R. Worsley. His book In the Footsteps of the Yellow Emperor is an intriguing account of the history of Chinese Medicine as well as the genesis of the lineage taught by J.R. Worsley. We open this episode talking about both that book and Peter’s experience studying under Worsley, which includes a detailed analysis of building patient rapport.

Peter then takes us through his Korean acupuncture roots and the mentorship he had in Seoul that revealed for him literal secrets of cancer treatment strategies that he is adeptly using and refining in his clinical practice today. Our discussion includes his passion for his oncology practice and the nuances of a pulse signal that he believes is common to all cancer patients.

Never feeling satisfied with one style of medicine or acupuncture, Peter shares with us his studies of other approaches such as those from Japan, China and Viet Nam, and even his studies of Ayurvedic pulse diagnosis.

This was a most enjoyable conversation for me with a man who is wholly dedicated to his craft and the service of others. With nearly 50 continuous years of acupuncture practice and having authored 3 books, influenced licensing standards, and taught at numerous institutions, Peter has demonstrated a level of commitment that few others have. His stories are engrossing and his wisdom rich.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Dr. Peter Eckman.

Episode Links:

Peter Eckman Acupuncture

Books by Peter Eckman

Article on Cancer in Journal of Chinese Medicine by Peter Eckman

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at PRC

Online Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

It is an honour to have Kenneth Cohen back on the podcast after our last engrossing conversation about Qigong and Taoism. As passionate as he is about those topics, Native American medicine is his way of life, and that is what we explore in this episode.

Ken is a traditional healer who has lived, practiced, and studied indigenous ways for most of his life. He has mentored under many noted medicine men and women and maintains close ties to his adoptive Cree family. With inspiration from all of them, Ken wrote the profound book Honoring the Medicine: The Essential Guide to Native American Healing that was published by Random House in 2003.

Ken opens this discussion with a beautiful and heart-warming acknowledgement, and from there we cover many topics such as indigenous values, animals and nature as teachers, respect for culture, wisdom of elders, and interconnectedness to all beings and things. He also shares with us a deeply moving protocol that is part of erecting a teepee, with each pole representing a crucial life value.

His stories are captivating, his knowledge deep and diverse, and his energy grounding. Ken is like no other human being, and I am grateful to have been able to spend more time in his company, and to share his teachings with you.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Kenneth Cohen.

Episode Links:

Honoringthemedicine.com

Honoring the Medicineby Kenneth Cohen

Learning Links:

School of Western Herbal Medicine at PRC

Online Herbal Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

Ecuador is a wonderland of botanical diversity and tradition, and Rocio Alarcon takes us on a plant-based journey through its jungles, people, and ceremonies. Rocio is an incredibly grounded and gifted protector of land and ancestral knowledge.

With a doctorate in Ethnopharmacology, she is the founder of the IAMOE Center, a 100-hectare region of biodiversity with a dedicated team that leads research projects, educational expeditions, and experimental workshops aimed at healing and land and knowledge preservation.

Rocio specializes in work with master plants, and we examine what it means to be a master plant. We explore examples such as cacao, tobacco, and ayahuasca and how each is used in special healing ceremonies, especially by curanderos, traditional healers who journey with master plants. Rocio provides fascinating detail of ceremonies with these plants and how they are woven into the fabric of indigenous people.

We also discuss the environmental challenges that are facing her people and the work she is doing to protect the jungles. Some of her conservation work is centred around hummingbirds, and we talk at length about the magical healing powers of hummingbirds, their endangered habitat, and the work IAMOE is doing to bring awareness to them and preserve their territories.

Rocio is a powerful storyteller and brings the listener into a world of healing that is hanging on by tendrils to survive in this modern period of scientific and economic ‘progress’ that uproots all in its path. She is a beacon of hope and a staunch protector of traditional values and knowledge. If you are looking for a planetary champion to support, Rocio might soon climb to the top of your list.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Dr. Rocio Alarcon.

Episode Links:

IAMOE Center

Hummingbird Oracle Cards

Rosemary Gladstar

Learning Links:

School of Western Herbal Medicine at PRC

Online Herbal Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

I waited many months for this interview with Chanchal Cabrera as she kept at bay all distraction while on a self-prescribed writing retreat to work on her book about herbal oncology. And the wait sure was worth it. Despite Chanchal’s long history lecturing on herbal medicine at Pacific Rim College, this was our first opportunity to meet. I doubt it will be the last as there is still so much richness for us to unearth.

Even though the focus for this interview is relatively limited to cancer and herbal medicine, through tangents, we diverge into a significantly broader view that captures topics such as preservation of plants and old growth forests, the concept of collaborative medicine, journeying with ayahuasca, personal development, and dying with dignity and celebration.

Chanchal established a connection with herbs as a young girl with flower presses and her personal spice collection. A family cancer scare led her into the clinic of renowned herbalist David Hoffman, and David welcomed her into his dispensary, giving her a glimpse of herbal medicine in action. She has been enamoured with herbs ever since and a professional herbalist for more than 30 years.

Among an impressive list of credentials and accolades, Chanchal is the author of the book Fibromyalgia – A Journey Toward Healing and a certified Master Gardener. She and her husband farm 7 acres on Vancouver Island at Innisfree Farm and Botanical Garden.

Whether your interest lies in natural cancer care, herbal medicine, or Chanchal directly, you will not be disappointed with this episode. She shares with us some incredible stories of both life and death and plants seeds for many future herbalists to sew.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Chanchal Cabrera.

Episode Links:

Chanchalcabrera.com

Innisfree Farm and Botanical Garden

Learning Links:

School of Western Herbal Medicine at PRC

Online Herbal Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

Cordelia McFadyen’s lifelong battle with chronic health issues changed swiftly in outlook when a doctor suggested she eliminate a few potentially problematic foods from her diet. The previous 20 years, marred by dozens of courses of antibiotics, copious medical testing, and even surgery, had offered little to be optimistic about, but with the elimination of gluten and dairy, hope finally started to appear.

Cordelia is the Dean of the School of Holistic Nutrition at Pacific Rim College, where she overseas Canada’s, and possibly North America’s, most comprehensive program of holistic nutrition. Two decades after her trial elimination of gluten and dairy, she has settled into a comfortable rhythm of attuning to her body’s nutritional needs and teaching others to do the same. Now in her forties, she feels better than ever and is a sought-after educator and practitioner of nutrition.

Cordelia holds nothing back in sharing her health journey during this episode. As debilitating as her physical issues were, arguably the psychological challenges were as equally damaging. After years of the allopathic medical institution not validating her health concerns, she eventually stopped talking about it, leading to deep emotional scars, a lack of self confidence, and an unhealthy body image. Simply picking an outfit became a daunting chore that required foresight into what foods she might eat that day.

Through Pacific Rim College and her company, Inspired Living Nutrition, Cordelia is helping others navigate their nutritional needs and empowering people to discover health and vitality. Her journey has not been easy, but she would not have it any other way. She is one gutsy goddess on her path to serve up a hearty dose of wellness.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Cordelia McFadyen.

Episode Links:

Inspired Living Nutrition

@inspired_living_nutrition

Cordelia’s Holistic Nutrition 101course at PRCOnline

Learning Links:

School of Holistic Nutrition at PRC

Holistic Nutrition courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

Yarrow Willard has become a highly respected herbalist and educator, not because of the legendary status his father Terry has garnered, but because Yarrow set out to blaze his own path. In 2008 he and his wife began Harmonic Arts, a rapidly growing plant medicine company that first sprouted on Vancouver Island and now has spread its influence far and wide.

Yarrow is also Director of Wild Rose College of Natural Healing, which his father Terry founded in 1975, and a Director of Levitee Labs, an emerging multidisciplinary integrative wellness company with an emphasis on psychedelic therapies. He is a gifted plant educator, which is evident from his wildly popular Herbal Jedi YouTube channel.

With his trademark enthusiasm, Yarrow shares a bounty of wisdom on topics such as the emergence of the highly successful Harmonic Arts brand, lessons of early entrepreneurialism, and his formative years with both parents ensconced in the natural health industry. Yarrow takes us on his own journey with plants as medicine, including his love for fungi and the powerful healing potential of entheogens. He concludes the conversation with timely and sage advice on reconnecting with nature and finding the medicine within us.

In only four decades, Yarrow has had an immeasurable impression on the culture of plant medicines in Canada. He has some rousing goals for the immediate future, and I can only wait expectantly for the impact he will generate over the remaining four to six decades.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with the incomparable Yarrow Willard.

Episode Links:

Harmonic Arts

Wild Rose College

Herbal Jedi

Levitee Labs

Learning Links:

School of Western Herbal Medicine at PRC

Online Herbal Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

In this episode with Ethan Murchie, we talk about all things martial arts and the classic texts of Chinese medicine. Ethan is the founder of the Montreal Gongfu Research Center (Gongfu, more commonly known as Kungfu). He is a veteran practitioner of many Chinese martial arts including Taichi, Xingyi, and Bagua and has practiced Chinese medicine or 20 years.

His path into Gongfu and Chinese medicine began as a teen when a rapid growth spurt gave way to lung complications. Where surgery saved his life but left him debilitated, ancient practices steered him onto a path of healing.

Now Ethan is a student of classical Chinese language. We talk about his recent teachings of the Shang Han Lun, his research and ongoing passion for the Huang Di Nei Jing, and his captivation with the Yi Jing. And we explore how for the last 5 years he has expanded his vocabulary, use, and understanding of Chinese.

This is a captivating episode for the Chinese medicine enthusiast who wants to bring the medicine inward for personal growth and healing.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Ethan Murchie.

Episode Links:

Montreal Gongfu Research Center

North American Tang Shou Tao

Xinglin Institute

Sabine Wilms at Imperial Tutor

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at PRC

Online Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

Sandra Robertson, like another recent guest of the show (Deirdre Courtney, episode 49), was told by her mentor Lillian Bridges (episode 31) that she had the facial characteristics of a writer and thus should write. And so she did, submitting her first book proposal for her first book to Singing Dragon Press. They liked what they saw and today, Treating Children with Chinese Dietary Therapy is the product of Sandra’s determination to follow her ming, her destiny.

As Sandra and I take a stroll down memory lane (we were once classmates), we also discuss the tenets of nutrition. We raise issues such as the alarming normalization and rampant increase of food sensitivities and allergies, the nutritional intuition of children and why it should be trusted, and far too commonly encountered metabolic disorders such as diabetes.

Sandra advocates eating locally and seasonally, and organically when possible, and demonstrates how doing otherwise can lead to nutritional imbalances. She is replete with practical advice on how to make good health more accessible through simple food choices according to principles of Chinese medicine, the bedrock of her new book, and we talk about how that book came to fruition. We also discuss her mentorship in face reading with Lillian Bridges and how that has impacted her practice and life. Stay tuned to the end of this episode for a special discount offer on our newest online course in Applied Facial Diagnosis with Lillian’s colleague and guest of this podcast, CT Holman (episode 25).

With Sandra's background as a TCM practitioner with certification in face reading, and her love for children and food, her nutritional recipe for a more vibrant life is something we can all benefit from.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Sandra Robertson.

Episode Links:

NourishLifeMedicine.com 

Instagram: @nourish_life_medicine

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at PRC

Online Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Applied Facial Diagnosis with CT Holman

Student Clinic at PRC

Johan Hausen has lived a life that, if I had access to multiple lifetimes, would be one of the iterations I would want to play out. Replete with martial arts, Shaolin temple life, inner alchemy, classical Chinese culture and language, book translating and publishing, and travel, his life path weaves threads of modernity with ancient history.

A crucial point in the journey for Johan came at the age of 13 with the emergence of his interest in martial arts, specifically Tae Kwon Do. After competing intensely for 8 years, during the course of which he reached a plateau, he decided to elevate his interest by exploring the “cradle of martial arts”, Shaolin Kungfu. From his home country of Germany and with no grasp of Chinese language, Johan travelled to the Shaolin Temple and eventually to the Wudang Mountains where he adopted temple life and immersed himself in culture, philosophy, and techniques including Tai Ji, Dao Yin, alchemy, swordsmanship, Feng Shui, study of the Yi Jing, and Daoist healing.

Now an acupuncturist in New Zealand, Johan annually returns to his Wudong Mountain hermitage, and he translates classical Chinese texts and publishes them under his own publishing house, Purple Cloud Press. Through the Purple Cloud Institute, he hopes to create a longevity centre in Australia that makes widely accessible time-honoured healing practices.

Johan’s journey thus far has been incredible, and so much more is yet to come.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Johan Hausen.

Episode Links:

Purple Cloud Press

Five Immortals Temple

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at PRC

Online Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

My guest in this episode truly needs no introduction. Rosemary Gladstar’s impact in the world of herbal medicine cannot be overstated, and it would be potentially easier to create a list of who she has not inspired and what she has not catalyzed than to do the opposite. For the last half century, plant medicine has been the centre of her life, and she has been at or near the epicentre of the zeitgeist of the modern herbal movement.

This interview was a pure joy for me to partake in as Rosemary’s passion, compassion, and general zeal for life soar to emboldened heights. Now, as she settles into a new chapter of her life, she is drawing inward to find peace and healing and has empowered others to carry on her extraordinary herbal legacy.

We talk about her full-time herbal practice for a patient of one – her elderly mother – and the relationships Rosemary has forged with her ancestors and elders. She takes us to the genesis of so many remarkable events and projects that still thrive today, many decades later, and have likely influenced you or plant lovers you know. And we talk about her many herbal books and the creative writing project that may still be to come.

A gypsy by nature, Rosemary has travelled the globe in search of herbal connections and has taken hundreds of people with her to experience firsthand the wisdom of elders and nature. Many of these trips were in the belly of Gitano Brujo, the gipsy healer, a converted yellow school bus that for decades sallied from Western Canada to Mexico and all parts in between.

While listening to this episode, you will certainly laugh, likely reflect on your path, and possibly even shed a tear or two. And we will probably all feel deep gratitude to this remarkable woman and what she has done for us and the plants we love.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with the incomparable Rosemary Gladstar.

Episode Links:

The Science & Art of Herbalism

United Plant Savers

Learning Links:

School of Western Herbal Medicine at PRC

Online Herbal Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

My guest in this episode is a Chinese Medicine therapist and leading Israeli specialist who uses acupuncture for neurological rehabilitation. David Bomzon studied under Dr. Toshikatsu Yamamoto, the discoverer of Yamamoto New Scalp Acupuncture. David is the founder of the Pnima Center, which is the largest community clinic in Israel for integrative Chinese Medicine, combining classical Chinese Medicine and Yamamoto New Scalp Acupuncture with Western Medicine.

In this episode, we look at the three lineages of scalp acupuncture and the history of the Yamamoto lineage that he teaches and practices. We discuss the physiological mechanism of scalp acupuncture and how David uses it to treat an array of neurological conditions, often in conjunction with body acupuncture and exercise.

David is the author of Clinical Handbook of Yamamoto New Scalp Acupuncture, and we explore the writing of this book and the unique gift he had of working alongside his father to bring the book, published by Singing Dragon, to fruition. It was a challenging and immensely rewarding experience that brings to practitioners new depth of understanding of the clinical application of scalp acupuncture.

As an authority on Yamamoto New Scalp Acupuncture, David lectures around the world and has presented at Pacific Rim College and hopefully will do so again soon. This interview can be enjoyed as an introduction to scalp acupuncture and a deeper dive for those already experienced.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with David Bomzon.

Episode Links:

Pnima Center

Clinical Handbook of Yamamoto New Scalp Acupuncture by David Bomzon

David Bomzon at YouTube

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at PRC

Online Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

Dr. Kevin Hu has been a faculty member at Pacific Rim College since 2007. After earning his PhD in medicine from a highly respected TCM university in China, Kevin moved to Canada to continue pursuing his passion of Chinese Medicine.

He draws deep inspiration from the classics of Chinese Medicine, especially from the Shang Han Lun, Jing Gui Yao Lue, and the Huang Di Nei Jing, the latter which he likens to the literary works of Shakespeare. We discuss how these texts have influenced not only him but also the modern practice of Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture.

We also discuss the origins of Chinese Medicine, from ancient stone needles to a robust pharmacopoeia of herbs, and the culture of Chinese Medicine in China. Lastly, we explore Dr. Hu’s passion to better understand cardiovascular disease and what the ancient practices have to offer in the treatment of people suffering from it.

The thousands of students and patients of Dr. Hu will likely enjoy this intimate discussion of this humble man’s passion and career.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Dr. Kevin Hu.

Episode Links:

BayVan Clinic

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at PRC

Online Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

My guest in this episode taught himself how to read Classical Chinese via textbooks and online tools and forums so he could read ancient philosophical texts in their original language. Daniel G. Reid’s translations include The Heshang Gong Commentary on Lao Zi’s Dao De Jing and The Thread of Dao: Unraveling Early Daoist Oral Traditions.

In this episode we look at his methodology and motivations for translating texts and the life wisdom he is extracting from them. This includes early Daoist (Taoists) roots, the concept of the true or authentic person, and the power of virtue. We also take a peek at Dan’s meditation practice and the symmetry that he has found between music and Daoism.

Dan is a Registered Massage Therapist and a practitioner of Chinese Medicine, Cranial Sacral Therapy, and other Chinese modalities. His training in massage therapy and Chinese Medicine comes from the Jin Shou (Golden Hand) lineage of Tui Na. He also studies and practices Qigong, internal martial arts, and is a multi-instrumentalist and poet.

If you are interested in early Daoist traditions, follow along in this conversation as Dan helps us pick up the thread of Dao.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Daniel G. Reid.

Episode Links:

https://www.facebook.com/HoShangKung/

The Thread of Dao by Daniel G. Reid

The Heshang Gong Commentary by Daniel G. Reid

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at PRC

Online Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

The world of Sabine Wilms is filled with benevolent sages, ancient scripts, magical herbs, and goats, and it is my absolute pleasure to bring you into this world during this episode. Like the sages that she translates, Sabine is a rare being that radiates light, love, and generosity. Try not to be enchanted by her enthusiasm for life and her mission and you will likely fall short.

For the Chinese Medicine enthusiast, for the first 24 or so minutes of this conversation, we geek out on some esoteric Classic texts that Sabine has translated, including a little-known medieval text. For those without a Chinese Medicine background, you might want to gloss over this intro section, but the remainder of the episode is a must listen for anyone.

Sabine and I plunge deep into Taoist practices and philosophies around concepts such as virtue and family reverence. We also look at a branch of Chinese healing that does not involve needles or herbs or nutrition but instead only verbal, heart-centred communication. This part of Chinese Medicine is largely inspired by the teachings and work of Wang Fengyi, and a few years ago, an immersive retreat into the teachings of Wang Fengyi forever changed Sabine’s life. We also pick up some threads of conversation that I had with Heiner Fruehauf on the value of blaming no one and instead always taking personal accountability.

Before wrapping up we circle back around to Sabine’s translations and the publishing company that she founded, Happy Goat Productions. Through these publications she has helped preserve and give new life to many texts and teachings that perhaps would have never made it to the English-speaking reader.

This conversation with Sabine Wilms was so much fun to record, and I have no doubt that you will find ample appreciation for her work and her way of being.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Sabine Wilms.

Episode Links:

Imperial Tutor

Books by Sabine Wilms at Happy Goat Productions

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at PRC

Online Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

It is the rare individual whose spirit shines with luminous brilliance. My guest is one of these unique, connected beings and her energy lights up this podcast. Deirdre Courtney’s relationship to spirit is integral to her existence and the healing process that she crafts for her patients.

Deirdre’s journey as a practitioner began with a passion for food and cooking. She soon learned that she could help people recover from many conditions, including addictions, through nutrition alone, and that led her to study traditional Chinese food therapy. Eventually she earned a Master’s degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and today has a thriving practice in south Dublin specializing in face reading and cosmetic acupuncture.

Deirdre has always sensed subtle energies that others seem oblivious to, and through cultivation of her awareness, she is able to read the health of spirit within her patients using their eyes as portals. This enables her to impact them well beyond the physical into the psychospiritual realms.

Spirit is not all we talk about in this episode. We discuss her cosmetic acupuncture strategies, including addressing emotional trauma that is carved into the face like a map. She takes us through the process of writing her book, Nourishing Life the Yang Sheng Way. And we look at the culture of Chinese medicine and the conflict of “sacred” in Ireland.

Deirdre has been working with renowned face reader Lillian Bridges (episode 31) for more than 20 years and is the Educational Director of the Lotus Institute in Seattle.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Deirdre Courtney.

Episode Links:

Deirdrecourtney.com

Nourishing Life the Yang Sheng Way by Deirdre Courtney

Lotus Institute

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at PRC

Online Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

Stuart Alve Olson found an interest in Chinese philosophy as a teenager. In his late 20s, he began his formal training in ancient Eastern practices that continues today, more than 40 years later. His deep education in Taoism and Buddhism have helped give him fodder to author nearly 40 books and to teach students around the world.

As you will soon hear, Stuart is a gifted storyteller, and this episode is full of ancient parables, teachings from his mentor, lessons from people he has encountered, and humorous anecdotes. We begin with an account of his multi-year bowing pilgrimage that crossed many US states, was replete with personal insights, and provided sagely advice from the most unexpected people and places.

We explore the concept of inner alchemy through the lens of Taoist and Buddhist parables, discuss Stuart’s books, and delve into his lessons from life. We also chat about his relationship and mentorship with Master T.T. Liang, with whom he studied with for much of his adult life until his master’s death. This discussion includes a look at the concepts of longevity and immortality from an ancient Chinese lens.

Stuart is the founder and director of the Sanctuary of Tao, where he offers his virtual mentor program on inner alchemy. He is also co-founder of Valley Spirit Arts, a publishing company where you can find Stuart’s books, including the gem Actions and Retributions.

To me Stuart brings to mind an image of a happy sage or monk. His sense of humour, candor, and wisdom all helped to make a very enjoyable and special conversation from which I hope you benefit as much as I have. Humbleness is something he experienced on his bowing pilgrimage, and all these years later, he continues to exhibit it in his actions and way of being.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Stuart Alve Olson.

Episode Links:

Sanctuary of Tao

Valley Spirit Arts : Books by Stuart Alve Olson

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at PRC

Online Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

If you are not yet familiar with the work of Guido Masé, hopefully this interview will serve as a worthy introduction to this man’s genius and contribution to the world of herbalism. For two hours non-stop, Guido eloquently delivers plant lore and science, useful insights into myriad systems and processes, and priceless life wisdom.

The world of herbal medicine was inculcated in Guido by plant and mushroom foraging treks with his father and family during his formative years in the Italian Alps. Eventually settling in Vermont, he was inspired by renowned herbalists such as Rosemary Gladstar and 7Song. Today Guido is the chief herbalist at Urban Moonshine, which specializes in liquid herbal extracts with a focus on digestive bitters, herbal tonics, and everyday health remedies. Through the Urban Moonshine Herb School, he provides online herbal education. Guido is also author of The Wild Medicine Solution, an incredible book filled with folklore, science, recipes, and practical uses of bitter, aromatic, and tonic herbs.

Just like the swift runner that Guido is, he covers so much ground in this episode, including his observations with running and homeodynamics; folklore, mythology, and fairy tales related to herbal medicine; integrative health in Africa and Maasai medicine; cultural influences; writing; bitters, tonics, and aromatics; and consciousness.

Guido is a deeply engaging speaker with a profound passion for plants and biology in general, and he effortlessly weaves tales of science and myth into a profoundly nourishing and educational conversation. It was my absolute honour to sit in his presence for this worthy discussion, and it brings me great pleasure to be able to offer it to you.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Guido Masé.

Episode Links:

Guido’s Blog

The Wild Medicine Solution by Guido Masé

Traditional Medicinals

Twitter

Learning Links:

School of Western Herbal Medicine at PRC

Online Herbal Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

Livia Kohn is a fascinating human being with a remarkable zest for life. This interview proved to be most enjoyable and educational and humbling in terms of what a person on her path can manifest.

When not partaking in Scottish Country Dancing, of which she does with fervent regularity, Livia can be found travelling the world lecturing on Daoism (Taoism), coordinating Daoist conferences, editing a premier Daoist journal, writing books and translating classics of Daoism, and managing a publishing company that focusses on Daoist and classical Chinese philosophy. Additionally, yearly she leads a multi-week group hiking expedition in Japan to explore the culture and visit sacred temples.

Livia earned a Ph.D. in 1980, lived in Japan for a decade, and served for nearly two decades as a professor of Religion and East Asian studies at Boston University. She has authored more than 30 books and countless articles and has helped spread Daoist philosophy around the world.

We talk about all these things in this episode and spend a fair bit of time exploring specific aspects of the Daodejing and Zhuangzi, classic Daoist texts. Livia is a wellspring of knowledge and wisdom and such a lovely individual that this conversation has left me wanting to spend more time in her presence. Her energy alone is uplifting and soothing, and that is just a thread of what she has to offer to humanity. Settle into this timely interview and see what inspiration she weaves for you.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Livia Kohn.

Episode Links:

Livia Tours Japan

Three Pines Press

International Conference on Daoist Studies

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at PRC

Online Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

Surviving at the edge is something that herbalist Jim McDonald is no stranger to. From finding a passion for herbs in the Michigan woods and letting plants be his original teachers to waking from a months-long coma that left him with amnesia, he has not walked the middle road very often.

In this episode Jim shares the harrowing illness and experience in a foreign country that by most accounts should have killed him. His survival is a tribute to the strength of his will and the power of integrative medicine, as Western Medicine alongside herbal and spiritual therapies proved indispensable in his recovery.

A passionate teacher and practitioner of herbalism, Jim guides us through his fondness for the Greek humours, the crafting of his career as a herbalist, how plants have been some of his most powerful teachers, and his style of clinical practice. His unique approach to herbalism blends traditional European folk perspectives with the eclectic/physiomedical approaches of 19th century American herbalism.

Jim is an incredible, visual teacher, and even though you cannot see him during this interview, you will not soon forget his clever use of balloon props. With his intuitive knowledge of plants and zeal for life and humour, he is a rare human carving his own path and honing his craft.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Jim McDonald.

Episode Links:

Herbcraft.org

Herbcraft.podia.com

YouTube

Learning Links:

School of Western Herbal Medicine at PRC

Online Herbal Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

Kenneth Cohen is a legendary Qigong Grandmaster, Chinese scholar, and world-renowned health educator. In this interview he delivers powerful, insightful, and inspirational narrative that spans cultures and millennia and regularly reminds listeners of our interconnectivity, not just to each other, but to all that is.

Ken is the author of the internationally acclaimed book The Way of Qigong and has been a disciplined practitioner of Taiji Quan and Qigong for more than 50 years, since being introduced to the former at a talk given by Alan Watts. We talk at length about Ken’s journey with these spiritual practices and with other Chinese martial arts, and the development of his interest in Chinese language and philosophy.

Ken’s recall is incredible, and he spontaneously shares with us in Mandarin passages from the Tao Te Ching and Taoist poetry, complete with his thought-provoking translations. Taoism has had a profound impact on Ken’s life, and we explore many of the philosophies that have been so meaningful to him and continue to be wholly relevant in  the modern world in which we live.

To conclude this episode, Ken takes us on a surreal sensorial journey to the high mountains of Taiwan via a cup of oolong tea. I assure you that if you are a tea drinker, this is one verbal excursion you will not want to miss.

When I think of Ken, many virtues come to mind, including wisdom and generosity. I could listen to his wisdom for hours on end, and I am so grateful for the nearly 2 hours that he generously gave for this interview. My life has certainly been enriched by the experience, and yours is about to be also.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Kenneth Cohen.

Episode Links:

KennethCohen.com

Facebook

The Way of Qigong by Kenneth Cohen

Alan Watts

Sound and Symbol in Chinese by Bernhard Karlgren

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at PRC

Online Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

Michelle Gellis is a renowned practitioner and teacher of facial rejuvenation acupuncture. In this episode she shares her cosmetic philosophies and techniques, including the use of facial gua sha and cupping. Her treatments are not just to enhance physical appearance, although they do this very well, but also to treat disorders affecting the face and nervous system such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, TMJ, Bell’s palsy, trigeminal neuralgia and more.

As a practitioner, Michelle provides to her patients so much more than facial rejuvenation therapy. We discuss her use of acupuncture to treat emotional concerns such as anxiety and depression, the value of humour in healing, and she offers many great tips for building patient rapport.

Michelle’s writing has been featured in numerous publications, including The Journal of Chinese Medicine. She is currently working on a book about cosmetic acupuncture in which she plans to provide some information and perspectives that have never been in print before.

Whether you are a student or practitioner of acupuncture, or considering the potential benefits to you of cosmetic acupuncture, this interview is flush with great insights. I hope you enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Michelle Gellis.

Episode Links:

FacialAcupunctureClasses.com

The Journal of Chinese Medicine: The Unique Aspects of Diagnosing and Treating the Face in Chinese Medicine

The Journal of Chinese Medicine: The Importance of Clearing Blocks Prior to Acupuncture Treatment

Lonny Jarrett

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at PRC

Online Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

If you have every wondered where your herbal products come from and the authenticity of manufacturer claims, this episode is for you. Ann Armbrecht is author of The Business of Botanicals, in which she explores how our store-bought herbal medicines come to being. Through rigorous research and travel, Ann traces the often lengthy and meandering supply chain of herbal products that links earth to store shelf.

During this discussion, we explore her findings, including the ethics of business practice, the stories manufacturers often weave through their high-profile marketing teams, and the power that consumers wield via buying choices. We also discuss lessons Ann learned from writing her two previous books, and the journeys the newest one took her on.

Ann, who earned a PhD in anthropology from Harvard, is passionate about exploring the relationships between humans and the earth. In addition to writing, she presents her ideas as a documentary film producer and as the director of the Sustainable Herbs Program offered under the American Botanical Council.

Her fastidious work ultimately benefits everyone who is touched by herbal medicine: growers, producers, practitioners, patients, and the planet. The more broadly her work is known, the more each of us along the supply chain will be held accountable, including those at the endpoint, consumers. We can collectively demand better and raise industry standards with our choices.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Ann Armbrecht.

Episode Links:

AnnArmbrecht.com

Sustainable Herbs Program

The Business of Botanicals by Ann Armbrecht

Settlements of Hope by Ann Armbrecht

Thin Places: A Pilgrimage Home by Ann Armbrecht

Learning Links:

School of Western Herbal Medicine at PRC

Online Herbal Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

This fascinating conversation with Mike Malterre, the Executive Vice President of Stream2Sea, the manufacturer of the safest mineral sunscreen and body care products on the planet, is a deep dive into the skincare product market. It is no coincidence that Stream2Sea was born from a passion for diving and protecting the oceans by the CEO Autumn Blum.

Mike has a knack for effectively presenting complex information that is often otherwise intentionally mindboggling. The less we know about our skincare products, the easier it is for manufacturers to use dangerous carcinogens and highly toxic components. The cosmetic industry is a behemoth with a great deal to lose from too many educated consumers.

Mike takes us through a laundry list of nasty ingredients that are ubiquitous in skincare products. These toxins not only damage us though our highly absorbent skin, but also wreak havoc on the land, waterways, and oceans. Coral reefs and their inhabitants are literally dying from the toxic runoff that washes from the skin of sunbathers and swimmers. Add to that the millions of pounds of harmful soaps and shampoos that eventually reach the ocean each year, and it is little wonder that our blue planet is suffering.

Today’s skincare products include highly toxic hand sanitizers that are literally being forced on the global population, most especially on our children. We talk at length about the human effects of our skincare products, including widespread fertility issues, surging rates of cancer, and rising levels virtually all autoimmune diseases. We also discuss the unscrupulous censorship that prevents this type of essential information from reaching the masses, and the pervasive use of marketing gimmicks – even by the companies you might think you can trust – that are designed to intentionally deceive.

Mike, Autumn, and the team at Stream2Sea are tireless warriors for a healthy planet and healthy people. Their company is one that is truly making the world a better place, and it is through our voice and choice as consumers that we can show our support.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Mike Malterre.

Episode Links:

Stream2Sea

Episode 38– Tom Malterre

Learning Links:

School of Western Herbal Medicine at PRC

Online Herbal Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

Amos Ziv is an Israeli-based acupuncturist, herbalist, and integrative medicine researcher. Along with his classmates Jason Robertson and CT Holman, Amos studied channel palpation with Dr. Wang Ju-Yi and applies it to his cardiovascular health-based clinical practice and research.

Amos is the CEO of CardiaCare, which aims to provide the world’s first home-care therapy delivery and real-time monitoring system for people with atrial fibrillation. We talk extensively in this episode about many aspects of cardiovascular health and how therapies such as acupuncture and herbal medicine can be highly effective in restoring patient health and independence.

Amos also delivers an acupuncturists’ tutorial on treating chronic pain through specific point prescriptions and techniques and shares some of his remarkable therapeutic outcomes. We delve into the paradox of integrative medicine in Israel, and conclude with Amos’s passion for Taoism and the lessons it has provided him for life.

This episode definitely pulsates heavily in the realm of clinical practice and outcomes, making it a powerful listen for anyone in the field of Chinese Medicine or interested in cardiac care.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Amos Ziv.

Episode Links:

My-cardiaccare.com

Meridian Wave Acupuncture

CALM-BP study

Applied Channel Theory in Chinese Medicine by Jason Robertson

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at PRC

Online Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

Shauna Doll grew up in the relatively treeless city of Grand Prairie, Alberta, and fell in love with nature through a forested ravine that runs through the city and served as her childhood playground. Today, Shauna has found a professional connection to that love of nature through her work with Raincoast Conservation Foundation as the coordinator for the Gulf Islands Forest Project that focusses on addressing impacts to Coastal Douglas-fir habitats.

Shauna’s work is largely devoted to forest conservation, which includes policy work and review, big tree inventory, public education, and land acquisition projects. If you love trees as much as I do, you will probably agree that there is something wonderful about being paid to seek out, inventory, and protect large trees. All Shauna’s professional roles and more are on the table for discussion during this episode including the ever-changing climate, the importance of forest biodiversity, and Shauna’s favourite forest-related books.

Shauna is a passionate advocate for the environment and an enthusiastic speaker. She effortlessly shares her experience and research for the benefit of all who listen. I thank her for her generosity, and also thank Raincoast Conservation Foundation for their tireless research and work to protect the lands, waters, and wildlife of coastal British Columbia.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Shauna Doll.

Episode Links:

Shauna Doll

Pender Islands Big Tree Registry

Gulf Islands Forest Project

S,DAYES Flycatcher Forest

Big Lonely Dougby Harley Rustad

Two Trees Make a Forest by Jessica Lee

The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben

Contact Shauna Doll @ shauna@raincoast.org

Learning Links:

School of Permaculture Design at PRC

Online Herbal Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

Tom Malterre has made a career of examining subtilties of good health and true wellness that most don’t even give fleeting consideration. As he advocates, “we are supposed to be engaged entirely with our environment.” But when our environment is filled with visible and invisible toxins, those toxins become part of is. To minimize their damage, we can fortify our systems through optimal nutrition and beneficial lifestyle practices.

Tom is not only an amazing educator, he is also a practitioner of what he teaches. He is co-author of 3 books – a pair of incredible cookbooks and The Elimination Diet, which examines what foods might be making us sick – and he is a teacher and practitioner of functional medicine. Growing up in Pacific surf and skate culture, he reaped the benefits of regular physical activity that connected him to his body, nature, and a thriving community. Now he creates similar opportunities for his children and strengthens his relationship with them in the process.

Tom is gifted in his ability to articulate, and thus we investigate many topics including his 10 fingers of health, how the environment is likely causing myriad chronic and debilitating conditions, the irreplaceable role of microbes in maintaining good health, relatively small food and lifestyle choices that can derail homeostasis, the value of limiting stress, and what he learned from his physician growing up in Hawaii.

Tom’s enthusiasm for life projects from him like a great wave of healing energy. Healing stems from engagement, from something Tom says can be as simple as receiving a smile from someone. I felt healing just from having this conversation with him, and I have no doubt that you will also.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Tom Malterre.

Episode Links:

Whole Life Nutrition

Nourishing Meals by Tom Malterre and Alissa Segersten

The Elimination Diet by Tom Malterre and Alissa Segersten

The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook by Tom Malterre and Alissa Segersten

Seeking Health

plantsarewise@gmail.com

Learning Links:

School of Holistic Nutrition at PRC

Holistic Nutrition courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

Michael Isted is dedicated to integrating the power, beauty, and joy of plants into everyday life. As the founder of The Herball, a herb-inspired company that crafts and sells beauty products and curates beverage, cosmetic, and scent-based creations for the hospitality industry and innovators, Michael’s genius-like craftmanship is sought after around the world. To date he has created thousands of herbal beverage recipes and draws inspiration from nature itself, historical texts, and ancestral knowledge. Many of these are captured in his beautiful book The Herball’s Guide to Botanical Drinks.

As a fully qualified phytotherapist, Michael also maintains a practice seeing patients and helping them experience health and vitality. Additionally, he is passionate about scent and determined to capture time and place through aroma. His current project is recreating the experience of a storied Jamaican music studio through a natural fragrance.

This diverse episode peeks inside the mind and inspiration of a true master of his art. For me it was a wonderful plant-based journey around the world and through the ages. We ground many of Michael’s lofty creations and aspirations with the reality of the practicalities of bringing products and projects to life.

If you are interested in letting your passion lead, then exploring the filaments, petals, and beakers in Michael’s life can help guide you along the way. The pleasure he draws from his work is infectious, and his spontaneity admirable.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Michael Isted.

Episode Links:

The Herball

The Herball’s Guide to Botanical Drinks by Michael Isted

Learning Links:

School of Western Herbal Medicine at PRC

Online Herbal Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

Z’ev Rosenberg has been a leader in the field of Chinese Medicine for nearly 40 years. He is the former president of the Acupuncture Association of Colorado where he helped to spearhead the drive to the licensure of acupuncture in the state. And for more than 2 decades he served as the Chair of the Department of Herbal Medicine at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in San Diego.

In his clinical practice, Z’ev combines many aspects of Chinese Medicine including dietetics, moxibustion, herbal medicine, Qi Gong, and acupuncture. For nearly 5 decades, with surprisingly little downtime, including early years spent as a macrobiotic counsellor and Shiatsu practitioner, he has been dedicated to his patients. Z’ev is also author of 2 books on Chinese Medicine and is currently writing his third.

In this episode we explore the roots of his journey into Chinese Medicine, including an early Pink Floyd song that begins by quoting the ancient Chinese text the I Ching, and other influences that turned Z’ev into an astute student of Chinese Classics, and then an invaluable teacher. We peek inside his thriving clinical practice and discuss his books in terms of the writing process and their impact.

Z’ev has brought so much to the culture of Chinese Medicine in the West and has inspired countless to continue to pursue the magic of what it has to offer to the world. This episode is a great journey through the ages of an ancient medical system that continues to prove its genius, depth, and contemporary applications.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Z’ev Rosenberg.

Episode Links:

Zevrosenberg.com

Returning to the Source by Z’ev Rosenberg

Ripples in the Flow by Z’ev Rosenberg

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at PRC

Online Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

Much like the timeless classics that Dr. Heiner Fruehauf has devoted his life to study, this episode too will be a timeless classic of this podcast. Heiner’s sage-like wisdom and advice effortlessly flows forth in the recounting of his life’s journey and work. His breadth and depth of experience, and consciousness to value all degrees of experience, from presumably positive to negative, is undeniably admirable.

Heiner studied sinology, philosophy, and comparative literature in Shanghai, Hamburg, Tokyo, and Chicago where he earned a doctoral degree from the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations. After encountering a major health crisis, his interest in healing led him into Chinese medicine and particularly the study of its classical applications and eventually herbal formulas. Presently he serves as Founding Professor of the College of Classical Chinese Medicine at National University of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon, and he is the founder of Classical Pearls, a Chinese herbal company specializing in quality and purity of ingredients.

We cover a lot of territory in this episode, beginning with Heiner’s early-life battle with cancer, the universe aligning him with his destiny, the genesis of his professional projects and companies, and a powerful overview of 5 element philosophy and Daoist teachings.

His legacy has already bridged past through present into future, but he is nowhere near the terminus of his life’s work. His destiny is fulfilled, step by step, by his reverence for the universe and the opportunities that it presents him, opportunities that will never cease.

Although this is a comparatively long episode, we only moved the needle ever so subtly across the spectrum of his knowledge. Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Heiner Fruehauf.

Episode Links:

College of Classical Chinese Medicine

ClassicalChineseMedicine.org

Classical Pearls

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at PRC

Online Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

Merlin Young is determined to provide safer and more effective treatment for the world’s most deadly pandemic that today is killing more than 3,000 people per day: tuberculosis. In particular, Merlin has spent the past 14 years working with moxibustion in the treatment of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, work that has taken him to many places including Uganda, South Africa, and North Korea.

Along with Jenny Craig, Merlin is co-founder of Moxafrica, a British-based charity investigating direct moxibustion immunomodulation as an adjunctive treatment for TB. He is a practitioner of Japanese Acupuncture and is author of The Moon Over Matsushima: Insights into mugwort and moxibustion.

In this episode, Merlin and I explore the history of moxibustion, discuss the challenges and victories of conducting moxibustion research and running a charity, probe through the global plight of tuberculosis and especially multi-drug resistant TB, and finish with a call-to-help for a Uganda family who has been pivotal in the work of Moxafrica in Uganda.

Merlin has a deep reservoir of knowledge of the ancient and often misunderstood practice of moxibustion, and his insights are helpful to both the acupuncture practitioner and layperson. It helps that he is an exceptional storyteller and has immense passion for his work of service to others. He is also incredibly generous with his time and knowledge and specifically has offered to engage with anyone to discuss the challenges our world faces and what our medicine might offer those who are most vulnerable. Light some artemisia, or perhaps incense, and settle in as Merlin blazes a global path of moxibustion. Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Merlin Young.

Episode Links:

Moxafrica

2 peer-reviewed paperson Moxafrica’s research

Donate to Esther’s Surgery Fund

The Moon Over Matsushima by Merlin Young

Blowing in the Wind: Drug-Resistant TB and the Poor by Merlin Young

Hard Rain: Forecasting the Future for Tuberculosis by Merlin Young

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at PRC

Online Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

Even if she stopped today, Dr. Debra Betts would be leaving behind a tremendous legacy that has greatly impacted the global treatment of pregnancy and childbirth with acupuncture. But, as this conversation indicates, Debra is neither stopping nor slowing down her research, teaching, and pioneering work in this specialty. As Debra indicates in the episode, just because women have been told that painful births, irregular periods, and menopausal symptoms are just a normal part of life, does not mean that they need surrender to this alleged inevitability and not make efforts to enhance their health and well-being.

Augmenting her nursing background, Debra graduated acupuncture college in 1989. Inspired by her pregnancy during her studies, Debra developed a strong interest in pregnancy and childbirth and over the subsequent 3 decades has emerged as a leading authority in the area. In 2006 Debra published The Essential Guide to Acupuncture in Pregnancy and Childbirth, a textbook that has become an invaluable resource around the world and has been translated into both French and German.

In this episode Debra walks us through her doctoral research in the use of acupuncture for threatened miscarriages and the general symptomatic relief that participants experienced. She shares with us her work in teaching acupuncture to midwives over the past 20+ years and her current and exciting project in Mentoring Acupuncture Maternity Peer Support (MAMPS) through which she and 4 other leading acupuncturists provide support for acupuncturists working with all levels of pregnancy. We also discuss her multi-year writing project that culminated in the publication of her textbook.

Debra seems to reside at the forefront of her industry and is currently working to revolutionize the training protocols to generate more accessible and positive treatment outcomes. All of us in the field of Chinese Medicine have likely benefited from Debra’s work. Perhaps this conversation will birth within you an interest in using holistic therapies during pregnancy and childbirth. Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Dr. Debra Betts.

Episode Links:

https://acupuncture.rhizome.net.nz/

https://www.mamps.org/

The Essential Guide to Acupuncture in Pregnancy and Childbirth by Debra Betts

Journal Articles by Debra Betts

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at PRC

Online Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

Margi Flint has practiced herbal medicine for more than 40 years in the coastal town of Marblehead, Massachusetts. As the “village herbalist” she has become a figurehead in the town and has helped countless restore their health with herbal medicine.

As an educator, Margi keeps a very busy pace. She has been an Adjunct Professor at North Shore Community College, The Tufts University School of Medicine, and currently at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy. She has been a faculty member at Pacific Rim College for nearly a decade, and regularly lectures in Canada, Europe, and throughout the United States.

We cover a lot of territory in this episode, beginning with Margi’s early-life battle with cancer and the path to healing that it precipitated. We get a taste of what it is like to be a small seaside town herbalist, travel vicariously with some of Margi’s mentors and colleagues, journey into ayahuasca, and peek between the covers of the making of Margi’s book The Practicing Herbalist.

When it comes to herbal medicine, Margi has a surfeit of knowledge, and she generously shares some of it with us through her incredible stories of connection to plants and people. I hope you enjoy this plant-centred episode with Margi Flint.

Episode Links:

Earthsong Herbals

The Practicing Herbalist by Margi Flint

Margi’s YouTube

Jim McDonald Herbalist

Learning Links:

School of Western Herbal Medicine at PRC

Online Herbal Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

Lillian Pearl Bridges is the world’s preeminent authority on face reading and diagnosis, and, in my opinion, a beautiful individual with a magical spirit. I could not possibly overstate how much I enjoyed this conversation and how pleased I am to share some of her knowledge with you.

As the author of Face Reading in Chinese Medicine, Lillian has been studying and practicing the Chinese Medicine art of facial diagnosis since the age of 5 when her apprenticeship began with her grandmother. She is credited with reviving this nearly lost component of Chinese Medicine and bringing it to the West. As the founder of the Lotus Institute, Lillian trains students in her comprehensive face reading and Daoist design programs. She has been featured in numerous publications and shows and lectures around the world.

In this episode, we discuss many fascinating topics, but perhaps none that will be more well-received than our ability to erase or lessen wrinkles through personal emotional work. Lillian says that we are never too old to change the landscape of our face through following our purpose, healing emotional wounds, and finding our bliss. We also delve into the pragmatic power of Feng Shui in harmonizing your life and talk about one of her favourite topics: food.

You don’t need to know a thing about qi, jing, or ling to glean invaluable pearls of wisdom from this conversation. This episode is where the rubber hits the road on enhancing your life, or more aptly, a facial treasure map to finding your inner harmony. I hope you enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Lillian Pearl Bridges.

Episode Links:

Lotus Institute

Face Reading in Chinese Medicine by Lillian Pearl Bridges

Divine Chinese Cuisine by Lillian Pearl Bridges

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at PRC

Online Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

Dr. Tom O’Bryan is a recognized world expert on health and wellness, and as he demonstrates in this episode, a powerhouse of knowledge in topics such as autoimmunity, the toll of environmental toxins on humans, gluten and its impact on health, and optimal brain function.

Dr. Tom is the creator of the groundbreaking documentary series “Betrayal: The Autoimmune Disease Solution They’re Not Telling You” that has been viewed by more than half a million people. In 2016, Dr. Tom published his award-winning book The Autoimmune Fix, and then followed that with another incredible book, You Can Fix Your Brain.

Interviewing Dr. Tom is a bit like letting a genie out of a bottle, in the most positive way. He speaks concisely and thoroughly about many incomparable topics in healthcare, and with the information he readily provides, listeners get much more than the equivalent of 3 granted wishes. Listening to or reading Dr. Tom’s words can literally change your life, if not save it.

In this episode we talk at length about plastics and their impact on health, what you can do to help your brain to function more optimally, and things about autoimmunity that you probably have never before heard. Stay tuned to the end of this interview for a special gift from Dr. Tom to listeners.

Get ready for this fast-paced, nutrient-dense episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Dr. Tom O’Bryan.

Episode Links:

thedr.com

Gift to listeners: https://thedr.com/demystifyingdetox/

The Autoimmune Fix by Dr. Tom O’Bryan

You Can Fix Your Brain by Dr. Tom O’Bryan

The Stress of Life by Hans Selye

Learning Links:

School of Holistic Nutrition at PRC

Holistic Nutrition courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC

In this episode, drug policy researcher Alan Cassels and I take a deep look into some less than desirable tactics of the pharmaceutical and health care industries. Alan has been investigating and reporting on nefarious industry strategies for more than 2 decades, and his books Selling Sickness and Seeking Sickness expose the dirty underbelly that some corporations and leaders would rather you did not know about.

If you have been satisfied with the mainstream Covid-19 narrative, this episode might be a bit disruptive. If you have been questioning it, then you might find some answers here, as well as more questions. We discuss the limitations of PCR testing, the predominant testing model for determining Covid cases; the new Pfizer vaccine and the misleading propaganda related to it; Covid case numbers; and so-called protective measures. 

Going beyond Covid-19, Alan and I also explore questionable pharmaceutical selling strategies; conditions such as high cholesterol, osteoporosis, and hypertension; the industry of influenza; and drug safety advisories.

If episode 28 with holistic pharmacist RoseMarie Pierce opened up a few uncertainties for you about the motivations of the pharmaceutical industry, this episode is going to rip the lid right off.

I hope you are stirred by this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Alan Cassels.

Episode Links:

Selling Sickness by Alan Cassels

Seeking Sickness by Alan Cassels

Twitter @akecassels

Pfizer CEO sells stock

Article on PCR Test

British Columbia Covid-19 Dashboard

Hospitals in BC

Journal of Clinical Virology article on PCR test amplification in Canada

Eurosurveillance journal article on PCR test amplification

Article on infectiousness and Ct values in European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases

Learning Links:

School of Holistic Nutrition at PRC

School of Western Herbal Medicine at PRC

PRC Radio Episode 28 with RoseMarie Pierce

Holistic Nutrition courses at PRCOnline. Sign up for the PRCO newsletter and get 40% off during the on November 24th launch our new Food-Drug-Herb-Nutrients Interactions and Depletions course

RoseMarie Pierce is recognized as Canada’s first holistic pharmacist with more than 4 decades of experience in both conventional and natural medicine. She also facilitates heart-centred workshops for those interested in taking personal responsibility in their own healing and growth.

RoseMarie is a Visiting Professor at Pacific Rim College and a featured presenter at Pacific Rim College Online. Check the show notes and stay tuned to the end of this podcast for a special discount offer on her new PRCOnline course and to learn about her 2 upcoming daylong workshops at Pacific Rim College.

We cover a lot of territory in this episode: the roots of her pharmacy career and her family’s influence, plant-based derivatives of modern drugs, the importance of acid-base balance within the body and its affects on bone health, Covid-19, the loss of a child, and the gifts that the universe provides.

In an industry that is often dominated by the propaganda of a ‘drug for every bug’, RoseMarie’s holistic approach to pharmacy is a wonderful glimpse inside a possible paradigm where scientists and practitioners work together with nature to promote the safest and least toxic modes of healing. Of course, we have a long way to go, but with the progress of the likes of RoseMarie, and you, part of the Pacific Rim College community, I am optimistic for that future.

You may not agree with everything RoseMarie says, but to those who are receptive, she has a lot to offer. Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with holistic pharmacist RoseMarie Pierce.

Episode Links:

holistic-pharmacist.com

@holistic.pharmacist

Learning Links:

Holistic Nutrition courses at PRCOnline. Sign up for the PRCO newsletter and get 40% off during the launch of RoseMarie’s course on November 24.

RoseMarie Pierce workshop on February 27: Acidity, Modern Diets & Degenerative Diseases: A Natural Prescription for Balancing pH

RoseMarie Pierce workshop on March 6: A Natural Prescription for Supporting Digestion & the Body’s Alkaline-Acid Balance

School of Holistic Nutrition at PRC

School of Western Herbal Medicine at PRC

This is a provocative episode that will challenge some of your core beliefs when it comes to health and illness. What if the Spanish Flu of 1918 was not actually contagious? What if the measles virus has never been isolated? Furthermore, what if the coronavirus known as Covid-19 has also never been isolated? These are just some of the fascinating topics that my guest Sally Fallon Morell and I debate in this episode.

Sally is perhaps best known as the author of Nourishing Traditions, an iconic cookbook that challenges mainstream narrative. She is also the founding president of the Weston A. Price Foundation with nearly 600 chapters globally, and she is the president of New Trends Publishing.

Recently Sally and co-author Dr. Thomas Cowan published The Contagion Myth: Why Viruses (including “Coronavirus”) Are Not the Cause of Disease. This book was banned by Amazon just days before its release. It is causing waves, and Sally and I deeply explore its content and potential impact on the mainstream narrative of Covid-19.

You might find it hard to believe everything that Sally says. I do, and I challenge her on many points. Yet, what I find even harder to believe is that none of what she says is true. Discoveries are not made by accepting the norm. Paradigms are not shifted by treading along the same path as everyone who came before. Sally is an explorer who has encountered much opposition while also garnering significant support. I strongly encourage you to at least stay open-minded to what she has to say. Our future could depend it.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Sally Fallon Morell.

Episode Links:

The Contagion Mythby Sally Fallon Morell and Thomas S. Cowan

Nourishing Traditions

Weston A. Price Foundation

Skyhorse Publishing

The Invisible Rainbowby Arthur Firstenberg

Dr. Stefan Lanka

Learning Links:

Sally’s Online Course: Achieving Optimal Health Through Nourishing Traditional Diets

School of Holistic Nutrition at PRC

Brandt Stickley is a renowned practitioner and educator of Chinese Medicine and, in particular, Shen-Hammer Pulse Diagnosis. In this episode, we drop deep into the heart of pulse diagnosis as Brandt shares subtleties of the pulse and insight into the incredible information that can be gleaned from this ancient art. He has worked closely with Dr. Leon Hammer for 20 years and is considered an authority on the model of Chinese medical psychology developed by Dr. Hammer.

Brandt has relentlessly pursued a synthesis of Classical Han and Tang Dynasty herbal medicine and acupuncture, Chinese magical medicine, philosophy and religion, with concepts of psychosomatic medicine, body-oriented psychology, neuro-phenomenology, process-oriented philosophy, imaginal, integral, and consciousness studies.  He strives to bring all these disciplines together as a clinician, teacher, writer, and speaker.

Brandt is an Assistant Professor in the College of Classical Chinese Medicine at the National University of Natural Medicine. He has been a visiting professor at Pacific Rim College for more than a decade and is a senior instructor and board member of Dragon Rises Seminars, where he teaches Shen-Hammer Pulse Diagnosis.

If you are a practitioner of Chinese diagnostic techniques, you will not want to miss a beat of this conversation. Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Brandt Stickley.

Episode Links:

Brandtstickley.com

https://twitter.com/stylostixis

Dr. Leon Hammer

The Art of Acupuncture Techniques with Dr. Robert Johns

Early Chinese Medical Literature by Donald Harper

The Embodied Mind by Varela, Rosch and Thompson

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine at PRC

Chinese Medicine courses at PRCOnline

This episode with CT Holman delivered so much more than I ever expected. Yes, we talk about his newest book, Shamanism in Chinese Medicine. Yes, we talk about his older book, Treating Emotional Trauma with Chinese Medicine. And yes, we talk about the inspirations for these two books. These discussions alone would have made for a great episode, but here are a few things I did not know about CT: this guy can really teach, which he does throughout this episode; he has played in punk rock bands most of his life; and he is instantly likable, to a nearly ridiculous level.

CT’s expertise and range in Chinese Medicine is phenomenal, and I took great pleasure in the opportunity to ask him dozens of questions and to even get a mini facial diagnosis. We explore sacred drumming from Africa, many forms of Shamanism, trauma-based approaches to healing, and Qi Gong.

CT runs a successful private practice called Redwood Spring in Salem, Oregon. He also teaches seminars internationally, mentors students in his clinic and virtually, and has a host of e-courses on his website. He studied in China 3 times and integrates the specialties of facial diagnosis, channel palpation, five element diagnosis, and diagnosing and treating trauma. He has been a drummer for over 35 years and teaches shamanic drumming.

This episode with CT Holman was incredibly fun to record, and I think you will quickly fall in sync with the rhythm of his humour and teachings. Please enjoy.

Episode Links:

CT Holman and Redwood Spring

Treating Emotional Trauma with Chinese Medicine by CT Holman

Shamanism in Chinese Medicine by CT Holman

Stems and Branches course with CT Holman on October 24

Singing Dragon Books

Master Zhongxian Wu: Chinese Wisdom Traditions

Lillian Bridges

Episode 22 with Jason Robertson on PRC Radio

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine at PRC

Chinese Medicine and Qi Gong courses at PRCOnline

Paul Bergner has studied and practiced natural medicine, medical herbalism, and nutrition since 1973. He is the Director of the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism in Portland, Oregon, and for years has served as a visiting faculty member at Pacific Rim College. His online course “Systemic Inflammation, Food Intolerance, and Autoimmunity” is the most popular stand-alone course at Pacific Rim College Online and receives rave reviews from nearly all who take it.

This episode with Paul has many unexpected turns and twists, including a look at naturalism, a harrowing battle with addictions, and many gifts that have emerged from his hero’s journey of relentless surrendering. We also talk in detail about the more expected, such as Paul’s courage to start a school of herbalism, founding the Medical Herbalism journal, and the seven books that Paul has authored.

Paul is legend in the field of herbal medicine and vitalism who has inspired countless to explore their calling into natural medicines. It was an honour to sit down and connect with him, and I was humbled by his courage to share so much of his personal narrative in such intimate detail. Perhaps you have come to this episode to learn more about herbal medicine. Paul delivers on this and also offers a dose of raw vulnerability that you were likely not anticipating. I hope you enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Paul Bergner.

Episode Links:

North American Institute of Medical Herbalism

Books by Paul Bergner

Wade Boyle

Learning Links:

Paul’s PRCOnline course: Systemic Inflammation, Food Intolerance, and Autoimmunity

Community Herbalist Online Program at PRCOnline

Home Herbalist Online Program at PRCOnline

School of Western Herbal Medicine at PRC

Seraphina Capranos's European grandparents first introduced her to the healing power of natural medicine. After suffering an injury to her spine as a teenager, Seraphina was given a prognosis of lifelong pain by the conventional medical system. Determined to heal herself, she returned to her roots, and since then has gone on to be a highly respected herbalist and homeopath with a practice based on Salt Spring Island off Canada’s west coast. And she does not suffer chronic pain.

Seraphina joined as a visiting faculty member at Pacific Rim College many years ago, and now she is one of 9 distinguished instructors on Pacific Rim College Online’s highly acclaimed Community Herbalist Online certificate program and Home Herbalist Online program, the latter of which she now combines in an incredible learning opportunity with her renowned “The Alchemy of Herbal Medicine” program.

Seraphina takes us on a journey of her herbal roots, shares the tapestry of herbalism on her tiny Gulf Island, explores some of her significant client healing results, and talks about her own healing journey. This is a diverse conversation of herbal medicine, covering many countries, highlighting numerous mentors, and offering lessons from plants.

Please enjoy this podcast-sized dose of herbal medicine with Seraphina Capranos.

Episode Links:

https://www.seraphinacapranos.com/

http://www.susunweed.com/

Toltec shamanism

Learning Links:

Community Herbalist Online Program at PRCOnline

Home Herbalist Online Program at PRCOnline

School of Western Herbal Medicine at PRC

School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine at PRC

Jason Robertson is a gift to the field of Chinese Medicine. After living in Taiwan for 6 years, studying the language and working as a translator, Jason found passion for the field that would profoundly shape his life to present day. After pursuing his formal schooling in Chinese Medicine in California, he returned to China to study what he thought would be herbal therapeutics for gynecology. Instead, a meeting with a deeply respected professor, clinician and scholar of acupuncture, Dr. Wang Ju-Yi, would propel Jason down a much different path – specifically the pathways of energy as denoted in Chinese Medicine. Jason became Dr. Wang’s student in the somewhat unique subfield of channel palpation, and he has spent nearly the last 2 decades honing his skill as a clinician and teacher. Along the way, Jason brought Dr. Wang’s teaching into the English-speaking classrooms through their collaborative textbook, Applied Channel Theory in Chinese Medicine published by Eastland Press. Jason takes us on a journey of how this book came to be, his work as a practitioner for over 20 years, and his approach of letting life and opportunities symbiotically merge. He also shares the impact Dr. Wang had on his life and the loss that he feels now that his mentor has passed.

As a visiting professor at Pacific Rim College for the last decade, Jason has brought to our community his profound depth of knowledge in channel palpation. And now, through this episode, he reveals some of the channels of his personal journey that started in the rolling hills of Kentucky and have led to him being a highly respected scholar and clinician of Chinese Medicine. I hope you are touched by this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Jason Robertson.

Episode Links:

Kentucky Ginseng

https://www.channelpalpation.org/

Applied Channel Theory in Chinese Medicine by Dr. Wang Ju-Yi and Jason Robertson

Thomas Merton

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine at PRC

School of Continuing Education at PRC

Faculties and Programs at PRC

Pacific Rim College Online

Sarah Pritchard is one of the most well known and respected teachers of Tui Na in the West. She has written two books on the subject, created multiple collegiate Tui Na programs, and is the creator and principle teacher of arguably the world’s foremost online Tui Na course for practitioners known as “Advanced Tui Na” offered exclusively through Pacific Rim College Online.

Yet Sarah is so much more than what these accolades might suggest and fortunately makes rich, enjoyable conversation. We cover many topics here including the impact that acting has had on her career, life-guiding philosophies of Taoism, the art of Qi Gong, and the complementary health centre that she founded two decades ago. We also have a fascinating discussion on how Sarah uses voice and energy vibration to help clients heal.

After years of giving back through helping others in her clinic and through her teaching, Sarah is now most excited, through her online courses, to empower others to use Tui Na to activate their own inner healers and to help children. She is currently planning self-help programs and courses to be released through PRCOnline. Stay tuned to the end of this podcast for a special promo code to watch for free her Qi Gong course on time-tested techniques to fortify and calm the body, very practical teaching for the world at this time.

Sarah has been a lecturer at Pacific Rim College for many years and is the senior lecturer and Tui Na course coordinator at the City College of Acupuncture in London. She is a gifted practitioner and teacher and hopefully in this episode pushes on many points of inspiration for you. Please enjoy this very stimulating conversation with Sarah Pritchard.

Episode Links:

sparktheshen.com

Sarah’s courses and program at PRCOnline

Free Qi Gong Five Element Protection Exercise with promo code at end of podcast

Tui na: A Manual of Chinese Massage Therapy by Sarah Pritchard

Chinese Massage Manual by Sarah Pritchard

Eckhart Tolle

Dr. Joe Dispenza

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine at PRC

Faculties and Programs page at PRC

To put it bluntly, Peter Deadman is a legend in the field of Chinese Medicine. Virtually anyone who has studied acupuncture for any length of time has pored through the beautifully formatted pages of the Manual of Acupuncture, one of his gifts to the profession, published more than 30 years ago. Had this epic text been all that he accomplished, he would still have international renown, but Peter has done so much more.

Ninety minutes is not enough to cover all the ground of Peter’s achievements, but we are able to scratch deeper than just the surface in a number of topics, including exploring his earliest entrepreneurial activities 50 years ago of starting the world’s first macrobiotic student restaurant on the campus of the same university he had recently been thrown out of and founding a food cooperative that arose on the restaurant’s successes, a cooperative that is still thriving today.

When his passion for health led him to study Chinese Medicine, Peter dove into what was the forefront of Chinese Medicine migration into the west, mentoring under who would become his lifelong teacher and friend, the late Giovanni Maciocia. And after graduating, when Peter could not find any good literature in the field written in English, he naturally decided to launch the “Journal of Chinese Medicine”, 41 years ago.

Blending his passion for Chinese Medicine and Nutrition, Peter wrote Live Well, Live Long (2016), another beautiful text exploring the wonderful Chinese tradition of nourishing life, known as yangsheng.

There is not much that Peter has not done or spearheaded, including his latest feats of starting the Chinese Medicine Forestry Trust to promote planetary health, co-creating a wellness app, and launching his own Qi Gong teaching series.

And of course, because his talent seems to have no limits, Peter is a seasoned musician who played fiddle and toured in a band for many years.

I hope you enjoy this episode, the unfolding of Peter Deadman’s unwritten narrative: the fulfilling of one’s life purpose.

Episode Links:

https://peterdeadman.co.uk/

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine at PRC

School of Holistic Nutrition at PRC

Chinese Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Qi Gong courses at PRCOnline

Nutrition courses at PRCOnline

In this episode I greatly enjoyed the opportunity to interview someone who was one of my most profound teachers and later joined the faculty at Pacific Rim College to teach a unique approach called Dynamic Interactive Acupuncture. I am pleased that Dr. Michael Greenwood and I talk at length about one of my most memorable lessons of his teachings and one that I passed on to my students: the power of intention.

Dr. Michael Greenwood has practiced Family Medicine for decades and has had a deep interest in healing chronic pain. From his own debilitating motorcycle accident while in medical school that left him with pain that was unresponsive to all conventional medicine had to offer arose a personal journey to a new understanding of health and illness, stress and deep inner tension, and how they affect our lives. At a time when so-called alternative therapies were relatively unknown in the West, Michael began studying Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, and meditation and integrating them into his practice. He also delved into personal growth and transformation work to lead him from a place of anger of his accident to a place of peace and even appreciation for the work that it led him into.

Michael recorded many of his insights helping people to transition from their chronic pain into peace and healing in his first book, Paradox & Healing, Mythology and Transformation, that he co-authored with Dr. Peter Nunn.

Michael’s research into the use of acupuncture for post-motor-vehicle-accident chronic pain gradually evolved into the highly successful residential program at the Victoria Pain Clinic where Michael integrated many healing modalities in the care of people in pain. His second book, Braving the Void: Journeys into Healing, arose out of his experiences at the Pain Clinic, where he developed many of the interactive techniques discussed more fully in The Unbroken Field: The Power of Intention in Healing.

Michael has so much wisdom and experience to offer. Whether or not you suffer from chronic pain, whether or not acupuncture or medicine is your career, this episode is deeply provocative in the most powerful and positive ways. Buckle up for this ride as Dr. Michael Greenwood helps us all brave the void.

Episode Links:

Paradox Publishing

Bennet Wong and Jock McKeen

Dr. Stanislov Grof

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine at PRC

Pacific Rim College Online

I recently sat down with Dr. Erynne Gilpin for a fascinating and winding conversation about the shaping of her life’s work, which is hard to sum up with one or a few words. Erynne, who is of mixed Cree-Métis and Filipina/Celtic ancestry, is a community wellness researcher, activist, artist, birth doula, educator, filmmaker, founder of Indigenous Womxn Climb, and post-doctoral researcher. Her current work focuses on Indigenous wellness pedagogy, climate action, land-based leadership, embodied governance, insurgent healing, and land/water-based wellness.

We cover a lot of ground in this episode, from her passion of rock climbing and traditional beadwork to doula birthwork and her desire to use filmmaking to bring about indigenous transformation.

Erynne is the newest instructor to join Pacific Rim College Online, where she teaches a course entitled “Indigenous Land Protocol in Medicinal Harvesting”. We explore the significance of this course to her and the importance of sharing this information to the world at this critical time. Listen all the way through to the end of this podcast, or check the show notes, for links to this course.

There is so much more that we discuss as there seems to be no end to what Erynne has to offer. Tune in and learn how her knowledge of place, past, and emergence can inspire you.

Episode Links:

Indigenous Land Protocol in Medicinal Harvesting course with Erynne Gilpin at PRCOnline

Sweetgrass and Mangoes

https://www.instagram.com/indigenouswomxnclimb/

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer (available at PRC Bookstore)

The Broken Earth Series by NK Jemisin

Learning Links:

Indigenous Land Protocol in Medicinal Harvesting course with Erynne Gilpin at PRCOnline

Online Community Herbalist Program at Pacific Rim College Online

Online Home Herbalist Program at Pacific Rim College Online

School of Western Herbal Medicine at Pacific Rim College

School of Holistic Nutrition at Pacific Rim College

School of Permaculture Design at Pacific Rim College

My guest in this episode, Lonny Jarrett, is one of the world’s most recognized practitioners, authors, and teachers in the field of Chinese Medicine. Although we cover a lot of ground in this conversation, you do not need to be an expert in Chinese Medicine, or even have any knowledge of the field, to follow along and glean wisdom from Lonny’s experiences. And it is worth mentioning that we also discuss many things other than Chinese Medicine, including martial arts, transpersonal psychology, Taoism, and the art of writing.

Lonny holds master’s degrees in both acupuncture and neurobiology. His work in the field of neurobiology has been published in leading scientific journals. A founding board member of the Acupuncture Society of Massachusetts, in 1993 Lonny was elected as a Fellow of the National Academy of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. He is an expert in pulse diagnosis, having studied intensively with Dr. Leon Hammer. Additionally, Lonny has achieved the rank of fourth degree black belt in the Korean martial art Tae Kwon Do.

Lonny is the author of two distinguished texts in Chinese Medicine – Nourishing Destiny: The Inner Tradition of Chinese Medicine,andThe Clinical Practice of Chinese Medicine.

Lonny maintains his full-time practice of acupuncture and herbal medicine in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. He moderates nourishingdestiny.com, an online community of 3000 practitioners dedicated to evolutionary, ecological, and integral perspectives on Chinese Medicine.

This episode was pure joy for me to record. I hope you find bliss in Lonny Jarrett’s perspectives on Chinese Medicine and life.

Episode Links:

Lonny@nourishindestiny.com

chinesemedicine.courses

nourishingdestiny.com

Spirit Path Press

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine at Pacific Rim College

Online Acupuncture and TCM Courses at PRCOnline

Nancy Turner is a rare, venerated human being who, in service of people and the planet, has boldly followed her life’s purpose for more than half a century. For nearly 20 years, I have repeatedly come across her work as a world-renowned ethnobotanist and ethnoecologist and have conducted countless Pacific Rim College faculty interviews of those who have studied under her and have been influenced by her. An Emeritus Professor at the University of Victoria, Nancy’s research integrates the fields of botany and ecology with anthropology, geography, and linguistics. She is passionate about the traditional knowledge systems and traditional land and resource management systems of Indigenous Peoples, particularly in Western Canada.

As we discuss in this episode, Nancy has worked intimately and extensively with First Nations elders and cultural specialists in northwestern North America, and especially along the coast of British Columbia. She shares many stories of how elders have deeply influenced her and her work, and we explore the complexity and symmetry of indigenous languages as they relate to plants. Nancy also shares her deep passion about Indigenous Peoples’ land rights and title, and we discuss possible steps toward reconciliation.

Nancy Turner has authored and co-authored numerous books including Ancient Pathways, Ancestral Knowledge and her forthcoming book Plants, People, and Places. She has also authored over 150 book chapters and peer-reviewed papers, and numerous other publications.

As I tell Nancy in this episode, she is a priceless asset to our planet and all who care about the preservation of indigenous knowledge, language, and culture and the plants that we all share. Worth mentioning, she is also a beautiful and deeply respectful individual, and it is my sincere honour to share this conversation with her.

So make yourself a steaming cup of Douglas fir tip tea and snuggle up to this ethnobotanical exploration.

Episode Links:

Nancy’s University of Victoria Bio Page

Books by Nancy Turner:

Plants, People, and Places

Ancient Pathways, Ancestral Knowledge

The Earth’s Blanket

Food Plants of Coastal First Peoples

Common Poisonous Plants and Mushrooms of North America

Food Plants of Interior First Peoples

Plant Technology of First Peoples in British Columbia

Plants of Haida Gwaii

Saanich Ethnobotanywith Richard Hebda

Keep It Livingwith Douglas Deur

Learning Links:

"Indigenous Land Protocol in Medicinal Harvesting" course with Erynne Gilpin at PRCOnline (coming June 2020)

Online Community Herbalist Program

Online Home Herbalist Program

My guest in this episode, PRC faculty member and herbalist Peter Conway, has lived in a van and a teepee, has fought for the preservation and dissemination of herbal medicine knowledge, and generally follows in life a punk rocker ethos. I assure you that Peter is a freak, and that is one of his many endearing qualities. Listening to him talk about plant-spirit medicine is like listening to a living mystic. And yet much of his mystery is wrapped up in what he calls the mundane: the common and ordinary world of herbal medicine that we are all rooted in, even though most have perhaps never been conscious of those roots. From the distillation of alcohols and the production of colas to candies and perfumes, all were once forms of herbal medicine.

Peter graduated from the College of Phytotherapy in the UK in 1995. Prior to joining Pacific Rim College in 2015, Peter taught for many institutions. He co-wrote the BSc Degree course in Herbal Medicine at Napier University in Edinburgh and co-wrote the “National Professional Standards in Herbal Medicine” for the UK Government. He served as president of the College of Practitioners of Phytotherapy for 12 years and is a former director of the European Herbal and Traditional Medicine Practitioners Association. Peter is the author of “The Consultation in Phytotherapy” textbook that he is now revising for its second edition. Peter currently lives in Victoria, is one of 9 distinguished faculty members of Pacific Rim College Online’s renowned Home Herbalist and Community Herbalist programs, and is working on an online project that will address “deep herbalism".

Episode Links:

https://twitter.com/conwayherbalist

School of Western Herbal Medicine at Pacific Rim College

Online Community Herbalist Program at Pacific Rim College Online

Online Home Herbalist Program at Pacific Rim College Online

Touch the Earth by TC McLuhan

The Complete Herbal Handbook for Farm and Stable by Juliette de Bairacli Levy

Green Pharmacy by Barbara Griggs

Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy by Simon Mills and Kerry Bone

Medical Nemesis by Ivan Illich

Spell of the Sensuous by David Abram

Thus Spoke the Plantby Monica Gagliano

Plants as Persons by Matthew Hall

Plant-Thinkingby Michael Marder

The Enchantment of Western Herbal Medicineby Guy Waddell

Pacific Rim College Radio: Peter Conway’s colleagues in online herbalism programs: Episode 14 David Caudwell and Episode 4 Robert Rogers

For this episode I sat down with David Caudwell, a highly respected herbalist. From his upbringing in the centre of England with academically-accomplished parents, David was poised for a great career in herbal medicine. But David took a circuitous path to herbal medicine, and the study of plants did not enter his life until well into adulthood. Now he is a standout in the field and has been a faculty member of the School of Western Herbal Medicine at Pacific Rim College for nearly a decade. Additionally, he is one of nine distinguished instructors in the renowned online herbalist programs at Pacific Rim College Online.

David completed his studies in Herbal Medicine at the College of Phytotherapy in South East England and was awarded a BSc (Honours) from the University of Wales. After graduating, David settled in Sussex, dividing his time between practice, clinic management, and teaching responsibilities at the college where he trained. He has taught for the Universities of Wales and East London. David is a member of The College of Practitioners of Phytotherapy, a professional body of herbalists established to champion the role and development of traditional herbal medicine in the modern world.

David has a lifelong passion for wildlife, the outdoors, and the world’s indigenous medicine systems, which has led to travel on five continents. In his practice, David takes special interest in Women’s Health, Fertility Issues, and Cancer Care.

If you have any interest in plants and plant-based medicine, you are sure to enjoy learning about how herbal medicine blossomed within this well-respected herbalist.

Episode Links:

Email: dcaudwell63@gmail.com

School of Western Herbal Medicine at Pacific Rim College

Online Community Herbalist Program at Pacific Rim College Online

Online Home Herbalist Program at Pacific Rim College Online

Holistic Herbal by David Hoffman

The Complete Illustrated Holistic Herbal by David Hoffman

Herbs for Common Ailments by Anne McIntyre

The Herbal for Mother and Child by Anne McIntyre

Allan Isbell is a certified mindfulness instructor, a men’s coach, and a rising leader in the men’s movement who has trained hundreds of individuals around the United States. I have mentored under Allan and wanted to have him on the show to share his expertise.

Whether he is coaching men, leading retreats, or introducing mindfulness in schools, Allan embodies what he teaches. He has engaged in hundreds of hours of meditation practice and continues to work with his mentors and teachers. With a grounded presence and unique humor, Allan draws upon diverse influences in ancient wisdom and modern science, as well as his own depth of experience while sharing with others the life-long art of living wisely, with a clear mind and an open heart.

Allan is the founder of Livewise Mindfulness, co-founder of Mens Wisdom Work that provides men’s coach training and personal development programs and retreats, and a coach on the Zenboks wellness app.

Tune in for this enlightening episode with Allan Isbell, and tune out the distractions that keep you from being in the here and now.

Episode Links:

Livewisemindfulness.com

Menswisdomwork.com

Zenboks.com

Openness Mind by Tarthang Tulku

Dancing With Life by Phillip Moffitt

Ram Dass podcast and other resources

Learning Links:

Listen to Episode 11 of Pacific Rim College Radio with Steve James on Meditation

For online wellness courses, check out Pacific Rim College Online

If you care about the planet, this episode with conservation scientist and university professor Dr. Chris Darimont is one that you do not want to miss. From his research chair base at the University of Victoria, Chris oversees a team of researchers throughout BC. After earning a PhD in Evolution and Ecology from the University of Victoria, his postdoctoral work took him to the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a large group of research partners. He has also worked closely with conservation leaders from First Nations communities of coastal British Columbia. The wildlife and people of BC’s central coast – an area popularly known as the Great Bear Rainforest – comprise a study system of particular interest for Chris and his team.

In this episode, Chris and I discuss the Raincoast Conservation Foundation and his work as their Science Director. Chris helps to shed some light on British Columbia’s dwindling forests, the logging industry, and the limitations of commercial-scale tree planting. We talk about the importance of our first growth forests and the role of grandmother trees to the health of forest ecology and the wildlife that lives there.

As for the wildlife, Chris raises awareness on concerning issues related to salmon, and the importance of many of BC’s token animals such as caribou, wolves, mountain lions, and bears. We also spend some time discussing what he and I both agree is the atrocious concept of trophy hunting, which BC still permits in the case of many animals despite overwhelming public outcry to the contrary. Can we put an end to trophy hunting? Chris and I certainly hope that we can, and the recent and senseless slaughter of Victoria’s beloved island wolf Takaya, is bringing the issue once again to the forefront.

If you care about the environment and its precious creatures, pull up a chair while Professor Chris Darimont leads a little lesson in Conservation 101.

Episode Links:

Dr. Chris Darimont, University of Victoria

Applied Conservation Science Lab

Raincoast Conservation Foundation

Protect wolves in BC

Why Men Trophy Hunt article

Learning Links:

School of Permaculture Design at Pacific Rim College

Community Herbalist Certificate Online at Pacific Rim College Online

Podcast on Salish Wolf with Chris’s friend and fellow conservationist Norm Hann

Steve James is recognized as a preeminent teacher of meditation and somatic practices with a global following. In this episode, I sit down with Steve to discuss the intricacies of his meditation practice, his teaching alongside colleague Michaela Boehm, and the journey that led him into this noble calling.

Known as the Guru Viking, Steve grew up on the Shetland Islands north of Scotland and is no stranger to harsh environmental conditions. In fact, he seeks them out by exploring the limits of physical and psychological performance in extreme outdoor survival trainings and expeditions. Most recently he completed an 11-day arctic survival expedition in the boreal forests of Sweden at daytime temperatures of -24 °C. Steve says fondly of the extreme conditions, “The cold is very dependable. It is always the same. It doesn’t change.”

In his formative years, Steve was influenced by the structure and ritual of martial arts. He also competed in fencing at the elite level, including on the Scottish Fencing team in his teens. Also in his teens, Steve met and was later apprenticed to a Christian mystic from theCeltic tradition of Christianity, resulting in multiple years of close personal instruction in various forms of prayer, contemplation, writing, textual study, and service.

Steve leads ground-breaking teacher training programs with Michaela Boehm. This includes comprehensive training in the area of intimacy and relationships, coaching skills, and the original Non-Linear Movement Method®.

If you are interested in contemplative practices, you won’t want to miss a breath of this episode.

Episode Links:

www.guruviking.com

www.facebook.com/guruviking

www.instagram.com/guruviking

https://www.michaelaboehm.com/product/movement-koan-method-video-by-steve-james/

https://www.michaelaboehm.com/product/movement-koan-method-2-video-by-steve-james/

Learning Links:

Pacific Rim College

PRC’s Workshops

Pacific Rim College Online

This interview with Dr. Michael Lewis has the power to literally change and save lives. Maybe you have never had a concussion, but chances are you know someone who has. By using Dr. Lewis’s simple yet profound Omega-3 fatty acid protocol, countless people have recovered from some of the most debilitating traumatic brain injuries. In this episode, Dr. Lewis clearly defines what can be somewhat confusing terminology around head injuries: concussions, traumatic brain injuries (TBI), shearing, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). We discuss signs and symptoms of concussions, many of which often are not associated to head injuries, diagnostic tools and their limitations, the role of contact sports in brain injuries, pre- and postnatal nutrition concerns, and of course, the roles of essential fatty acids and CBD oil in fortifying our brains and recovering from traumas. I urge you not to miss a moment of this episode as every topic we discuss could dramatically impact the lives of those around you.

Dr. Lewis is the author of the revolutionary book When Brains Collide, in my opinion a must-read for anyone who cares about brain health. He is the President of the Brain Health Education and Research Institute, which he founded in late 2011 upon retiring as a Colonel after a distinguished 31-year career in the U.S. Army. His pioneering work in the military and since has helped thousands of people around the world. He’s regularly featured in the media, including CNN’s Sanjay Gupta, MD show and numerous radio shows and podcasts. He is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and Tulane University School of Medicine. Dr. Lewis is board-certified and a Fellow of the American College of Preventive Medicine and the American College of Nutrition. He completed post-graduate training at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Johns Hopkins University, and Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. He is currently in private practice in Potomac, Maryland, and is a consultant to the U.S. Army and Navy in addition to several organizations, institutes, and nutrition companies around the world. He is a founding member of the Pop Warner Youth Football Medical Advisory Board.

In this episode, we deeply discuss brain health and its many layers and intricacies, but you do not have to be a rocket scientist, or brain surgeon in this case, to learn what Dr. Lewis has to offer about protecting your brain.

Episode Links:

http://www.brainhealtheducation.org/

https://www.pluscbdoil.com/

www.facebook.com/brainhealtheducation

http://braincare.center/

When Brains Collide book

Learning Links:

PRC’s School of Holistic Nutrition

PRC’s Workshops

PRCOnline – Online Nutrition Workshops

Celebrity chef Dan Hayes is co-owner of Victoria’s premier cooking school, The London Chef. In this gastronomic episode, we explore the beginning of Dan’s love for food: his childhood in England and Spain, hunting wild game, and a boarding school chef. He went on to work in the kitchens of some of Europe’s most revered seafood chefs including Rick Stein, Mitch Tonks and Peter Rossiglioni.

A woman eventually entered the picture, now Dan’s wife Micayla, and a new life in Canada unfolded, eventually leading to two beautiful daughters. We discuss the early days of reengage catering, the creation of The London Chef, and nearly a decade with the hit TV show "Moosemeat and Marmalade", which led Dan to less-visited parts of Canada and hunting bigger wild game than in his youth. We also talk about Dan’s current passion project of teaching cooking in local prisons, which is impacting his life, and the prisoners’, in incredible ways. No chef interview would be complete with a close look at food, and we discuss many of Dan’s favourites…and borderline food addictions.

If you love food, make a snack – perhaps Dan’s favourite Medjool dates stuffed with peanut butter and salt, pull up a chair, and enjoy the flavours of this delicious episode.

Episode Links:

http://thelondonchef.com/

http://moosemeatandmarmalade.com/

Learning Links:

PRC’s School of Holistic Nutrition

PRC’s Workshops

PRCOnline – Online Nutrition Workshops

For this episode I had a fascinating conversation with Mark Lakeman about the power of public spaces in transforming neighbourhoods, small communities, and even cities. We journey together as he takes us around the globe for 7 years while he visited and studied indigenous cultures and their perspectives on public spaces, a voyage that was inspired by his disillusionment with the corporate architectural industry and in particular by a toxic cover-up underneath new Bank of America building, a building that his team was involved in designing.

Mark is literally carrying on his parent’s legacy as his father helped create Portland’s Pioneer Square and his mother studied public spaces in Medieval and Neolithic villages. Now fueled by his own vision and applying principles of permaculture design, he is transforming cityscapes into public gathering grounds.

Mark is an international leader in the development of regenerative public places, villages, and farms. As a revolutionary designer and urban permaculture activist, in 1996 Mark cofounded the City Repair Project in Portland, Oregon, where he has directed, facilitated, or inspired designs for more than 700 new regenerative projects. Through his leadership in City Repair and its annual Village Building Convergence, and his architecture and planning firm Communitecture, Inc., Mark has also been instrumental in the development of dozens of participatory organizations and urban permaculture design projects across the United States and Canada. Mark is a cofounder and lead instructor of Planet Repair Institute's Urban Permaculture Design Course (UPDC), and he is also a faculty member of Pacific Rim College’s School of Permaculture Design. He is the recipient of numerous awards and distinctions including the National Lewis Mumford Award for Social Justice Design. Mark works with governmental leaders, community organizations, and educational institutions in many diverse communities.

If you value community vibrancy and connection and are interested in indigenous values of coexistence, this episode will hopefully give you a strong foundation for action in your own neighbourhood.

Episode Links:

www.communitecture.net

www.cityrepair.org

www.villagebuildingconvergence.com

Mark’s Workshop at PRC: Permaculture, Place-Making and Planet Repair

Learning Links:

Pacific Rim College’s School of Permaculture Design

Online Natural Building Workshops at PRCOnline

During this episode, I journey with Joshua Hathaway through a paradigm-shifting, vision quest that led him to question so much about personal accountability and emotional states. We talk about the power of “nonviolent communication” and how Joshua has used it on city streets to likely save lives. We explore the concept of distinguishing fact from narrative and are reminded of the power of listening. We also discuss the “choice” of living in a victimized state, and Joshua gives what is now some of my favourite advice for healing emotional wounds.

Joshua Hathaway helps relationships thrive through the art of interpersonal communication. He is devoted to building a more beautiful, equitable, and consensual world, one conversation at a time. Through training and coaching individuals, couples, and organizations in exquisite communication and collaboration at MasterYourBullshit.com, he has been championing authentic connection in the bedroom and the boardroom. For over 12 years, Joshua has been walking men back to their full humanity, connecting them to their deep sensitivity and primal potency, and growing their capacity for intimate relationships through his Men’s Leadership work, most recently at the BrotherhoodCommunity.com. And, in collaboration with his partner, Lillie Claire Love, he is offering live and virtual training in Reclaiming Our Sexual Sovereignty as a path to healing trauma and embracing deeply satisfying intimacy in relationship.

Joshua will be presenting a 2-day workshop at Pacific Rim College on April 4 & 5 called “The Marriage of Compassion and Power” where he intends to fundamentally shift and evolve the way we communicate.

If you are interested in enhancing your connection with others through the power of mindful and masterful communication, you won’t want to miss a word of this episode.

Episode Links:

MasterYourBullshit.com

BrotherhoodCommunity.com

90-minute communication webinar: bit.ly/ShiFTHappens

PRC Workshop with Joshua Hathaway on April 4-5: "The Marriage of Compassion and Power"

For this episode I sat down with Stacey Toews, husband, father, humanitarian, ecological steward, and my friend. Stacey is undoubtedly one of the greatest humans I know. He is kind, generous, passionate, intelligent, talented, and a person who makes me better just by being in his company.

Stacey is co-founder of Level Ground Trading, a Victoria-based company engaged directly with small-scale farmer groups. Annually they purchase the harvests of more than 5,000 organic, family farms. Level Ground sources everything from coffee and tea to dried fruit, cane sugar, and spices. The 23-year-old company emphasizes bright futures for farmers, sustainability in business, and being ‘the coffee that connects you’.

We explore his company ethos and Stacey’s decades’-long journey in educating about beyond fair-trade practices. We discuss entrepreneurial disappointments and successes.

We also look beyond Level Ground into Stacey’s personal life and pervasive passion for sustainability. Through his small-scale family farm in and his YouTube channel, Sustainable Stace, he is educating people about growing their own organic food.

Stacey and his wife Laurie have 4 children, 3 of whom were adopted from Haiti. We talk about how adoption and fatherhood have impacted Stacey and helped him to learn to calibrate his intensity.

And we also briefly talk about Stacey’s love for cycling and running, and now his new passion of longbow archery. Last year Stacey joined me on a retreat where we made our own longbows out of Pacific Yew, and we regularly shoot together.

If Stacey does not inspire you to cultivate the best version of you, then I missed my interviewing target.

Episode Links:

Level Ground Trading: https://levelground.com/

Sustainable Stace: sustainablestace.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/youcangrowityourself

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sustainablestace/#

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDsYtrjT8beVeQ6twgvFYMw

Canadian Foundation for the Children of Haiti: https://www.cfchcanada.ca

Factfulness by Hans Rosling: gapminder.org

One-Straw Revolutionby Masanobu Fukuoka: https://onestrawrevolution.net/

Pacific Rim College School of Permaculture Design: https://www.pacificrimcollege.com/faculties-programs/program/permaculture-design-and-resilient-ecosystems-diploma/

Bow Building Leadership Retreat: https://www.anchorpointexpeditions.com/bow-building-retreat

Learning Links:

Continuing Education Permaculture Courses: https://www.pacificrimcollege.com/faculties-programs/school-of-continuing-education/continuing-education/

Online Permaculture Courses: https://pacificrimcollege.online/course-category/natural-building/

Permaculture, Place-Making, and Planet Repair with Mark Lakeman: https://www.pacificrimcollege.com/workshops/event/permaculture-place-making-and-planet-repair-3/

I had a blast sitting down with Ellie Shortt to record this episode on nutrition. Ellie is great company and incredibly knowledgeable about many topics related to food, including using holistic nutrition to help people discover their optimal health.

After years of her own health struggles, Ellie found a way to take back her health simply by observing and modifying her diet. She had great mentors as her family is well-stocked with healthcare professionals who greatly value food and its medicinal potential. Nutrition is not always a panacea, and Ellie still occasionally has flare-ups of symptoms, but by being conscientious of the foods that she consumes, she is able to heed the messages that those symptoms are delivering and literally eat her way back to health.

We talked about more than just her personal health struggles, as Ellie is a sought-after holistic nutritionist with a thriving practice under her company known as Whole Happy. She takes us into the scenario of what it is like to be a client of Whole Happy: from the thorough consultation and subsequent advice to potential chaperoned grocery shopping trips and even pantry raiding. She delivers a one-stop experience to her clients who are serious about creating abundant health, and, by using her journalistic background, she is passionate about disseminating nutrition knowledge far and wide.

We also talk about the regular cooking classes that she offers at Victoria’s prestigious cooking school, The London Chef. It was there where I met Ellie many years ago as she was teaching cooking to Pacific Rim College students in the Diploma of Holistic Nutrition, as she still does today.

And as if Ellie is not immersed enough in the world of nutrition, last year she co-founded the local bistro Marta Café + Pantry. We talk about some of her struggles in getting a restaurant off the ground and the lessons she continues to learn from it.

With her food knowledge and lifestyle philosophies, Ellie has a bounty to offer. I am confident this episode will give you a great deal of valuable information to chew on.

Episode Links:

Instagram: @ellieshortt

WholeHappy Website + Blog: wholehappy.com

Cooking Classes at The London Chef: http://thelondonchef.com/classes/?taxonomy=pa_instructors&term=ellie-shortt

Marta Cafe + Pantry: https://www.martacafeandpantry.com/

Learning Links: 

Pacific Rim College: https://www.pacificrimcollege.com/

Pacific Rim College Workshops: https://www.pacificrimcollege.com/workshops/

Pacific Rim College Student Clinic: https://www.pacificrimcollege.com/clinical-services/

PRCOnline Nutrition Courses: https://pacificrimcollege.online/course-category/holistic-nutrition/

In this fascinating episode with Robert Dale Rogers, we only scratched the surface of the lessons with plants and mushrooms that he has to offer. Truth be told, I got so excited about our mushroom discussion that we did not have a chance to talk plant medicine at all. That will have to be addressed in another episode.

Robert Rogers has been an herbalist for over 45 years, and is a professional member of the American Herbalist Guild. He earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Alberta, where he is presently an assistant clinical professor in Family Medicine. He is also an adjunct professor in Graduate Studies at York University in Toronto.

He presently teaches plant and mushroom medicine, aromatherapy and flower essences in the Earth Spirit Medicine faculty at the Northern Star College in Edmonton, Alberta.

Robert is also a faculty member of the School of Western Herbal Medicine at Pacific Rim College.

Robert is the author of 52 books on medicinal plants and fungi of the boreal forest, including The Fungal Pharmacy, A Cree Healer and His Medicine Bundle, Mushroom Essences,andHerbal Alliesthat documents Robert's journey with plant medicine.

Robert is one of 9 renowned instructors in Pacific Rim College’s online herbal medicine programs, the Home Herbalist Program and the Community Herbalist Certificate. Launching to the public in February and March 2020 respectively, they might just be the best online herbal medicine programs available anywhere. Studio filmed, professionally edited, and expert curated, the programs lead students into the incredible and seemingly magical world of herbal medicine, just as Robert does in this podcast.

I hope this fascinating episode with Robert Rogers spores your interest in the world of mushroom medicine.

Episode Links:

www.selfhealdistributing.com  

www.northernstarcollege.com

Learning Links:

https://pacificrimcollege.online/herbalistprograms/ - Robert's online herbal medicine program at Pacific Rim College

https://www.pacificrimcollege.com/faculties-programs/school-of-western-herbal-medicine-phytotherapy/ - School of Western Herbal Medicine at Pacific Rim College

For this episode I sat down with permaculturlist Oliver Kellhammer in June 2018. We discussed many topics related to mindful living, such as the practice of permaculture and what it is, the role of art in permaculture and how Oliver uses this to combat climate change, the spread of wildfires and other natural disasters and their implications, and also his marriage to Zen Buddhist priest and novelist Ruth Ozeki.

Oliver Kellhammer is an independent artist, writer and researcher, who seeks, through his botanical interventions and social art practice, to demonstrate nature’s surprising ability to recover from damage. His recent work has focused on the psychosocial effects of climate change, cleaning up contaminated soils, reintroducing prehistoric trees to landscape damaged by industrial logging and cataloging the ecology of brownfield ecologies. He currently works as a lecturer in sustainable systems at Parsons in New York City.

If you are interested in doing your part to make our planet healthier for current generations and those to come, this podcast will help root your determination.

Episode Links:

Oliver Kellhammer: http://oliverk.org/

Ruth Ozeki: http://www.ruthozeki.com/

Learning Links:

Permaculture Design and Resilient Ecosystems Diploma at Pacific Rim College

Pacific Rim College Online permaculture classes: Natural Building Basics, Part 1 and Part 2 

For this episode I sat down with Dr. Martha Lucas, a renowned practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine who also holds a Ph.D. in Research Psychology. We explore many areas of Chinese Medicine including education, her deep expertise in pulse diagnosis, the ancient martial arts known as Qi Gong, natural anti-aging treatments as an alternative to botox, and her research into relinquishment wounds, which are psychological wounds to any child who is taken from its mother at birth. 

Dr. Lucas has more than 20 years of teaching experience, and regularly teaches workshops at Pacific Rim College. Two of her courses are available right now through Pacific Rim College Online: “Qi Gong for Pain and Anti-Aging” and the acupuncture course “Unique Point Functions and Combinations”. Dr. Lucas offers mentorships in Pulse Diagnosis and Biofeedback Systems and teaches the Mei Zen Cosmetic Acupuncture System.

Episode Links:

Martha Lucas Mentorships in Pulse Diagnosis and Biofeedback Systems: https://lucasteachings.com/pulse-diagnosis-seminars/

Mei Zen Cosmetic Acupuncture System: https://lucasteachings.com/cosmetic-acupuncture-seminars/

Learning Links:

School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine at PRC: https://www.pacificrimcollege.com/faculties-programs/school-of-acupuncture-oriental-medicine/

Online Course with Martha Lucas - "Qi Gong for Pain and Anti-Aging": https://pacificrimcollege.online/course/qi-gong-for-pain-anti-aging/

Online Course with Martha Lucas - "Unique Point Functions and Combinations": https://pacificrimcollege.online/course/unique-point-functions/

In July 2019, I sat down with Jill van Gyn, CEO of Fatso, a high-performance, fat-based peanut butter product that is based in Victoria, BC. Jill is a high-powered entrepreneur who is cutting her teeth in the food production industry with this innovative product that is flying off shelves. She shares with us so much of her journey, including how her humanitarian work in Uganda helped to fuel her passion for this product, and what one of her companies core values – and inch wide, mile deep – means to her. We also dive into the environmental consequences of the nut industry, including the almond glut, the extreme humanitarian toll of cashews, and organic versus non-organic peanuts. Jill is passionate about making healthy food available to the masses, and thus she cares deeply about the accessibility and sustainability of the ingredients in Fatso, which we geek out on extensively. Jill also shares with us many of her company milestones, such as successfully auditioning “American Idol” style for Whole Foods shelf space, winning over the Dragons on Dragons Den, and launching into the United States. If you are interested in whole foods nutrition, where your food comes from, the food production industry, and start-ups in general, this is a fast-paced episode that is filled with tasty morsels. 

Episode Links:

Fatso: https://eatfatso.com/

Robin van Gyn: https://robinvangyn.com/ 

Learning Links:

School of Holistic Nutrition at PRC: https://www.pacificrimcollege.com/faculties-programs/school-of-holistic-nutrition/

PRCOnline Holistic Nutrition courses: https://pacificrimcollege.online/course-category/holistic-nutrition/