Ever wonder: how does acupuncture really work? Check out our fun, cartoon video all about acupuncture with Pacific College Chicago Dean of Massage Brendan Mattson, LAc!
“I believe art is a healing force and I’d love to inspire a wave of Asian healing art.” – Laurie Morse, LAc
Art can inspire learning; so what better opportunity to bring an artistic learning environment to PCOM, than moving into a fresh, new building? Just in case you didn’t hear the news yet, PCOM has expanded its doors…to right next door! The new PCOM building has an artsy Asian vibe, created in large part by the artwork of PCOM Alumna Laurie Morse, LAc, which the school hopes will bring out creativity and mindfulness in students.
Located adjacent to the original Main Campus building (Main Building 1), the new building (Main Building 2) is now officially a part of the Pacific College Main Campus and there is no longer an Annex 2. We’re excited about our new space, so let us give you a tour!
To start off, when you enter the new building you will notice right away the unique art pieces hanging on the walls, created by Laurie. The pieces are all for sale, so if you would like to purchase one to add to your acupuncture or massage practice, or would like to commission a special piece, see Laurie’s “Acquisition of Art” instructions hanging in the hallway. (90% of proceeds go directly to Laurie and 10% go to the PCOM scholarship fund.)
Laurie believes that healing can come from all different avenues. “I’d love to infuse our culture with Asian art to inspire healing from yet another angle (other than acupuncture, herbs, nutrition, etc.),” Laurie said.
The inspiration for her work is simple: “First and foremost, Chinese Medicine. Also I love the characters, they evoke something ancient in me. Using an ancient character in a mixed-media style reminds me of an “ancient wisdom in modern times” idea,” Laurie said, and isn’t that idea exactly what Pacific College is all about?
Moving on, the artistic wave continues into the “mindful meditation” room on the right. This room is not open yet, but soon!
Here, students, faculty, and staff will be welcomed to come and enjoy a few moments of respite in the midst of their likely more chaotic day. Peace, rest, and mindfulness are what this room is centered around. This room will also be available as a massage practice room.
If you come out of the mindful meditation room and go to the left, you’ll pass a classroom, and come to our “comfy commons” room. Complete with oversized, cushy chairs, high tables and bar stools, students can relax and read, or plug in their laptops and study in a “comfy commons” environment (not a classroom…).
You’ll see that our new classrooms are not just ordinary classrooms however, two are fully equipped as science labs for our bio-medicine and nutrition hands-on learning classes. There are four classrooms total in our new building: 100, 101, 102, 103.
The hallway furthest to the left leads to some of our staff offices including the Symposium Department, HR, President and Vice President of Operations, Marketing, and IT Departments. And that about sums it up!
PCOM Campus Director Jaime Kornsweig says, “We are really excited about the new building. With its proximity to Main Building 1, it allows us to have more of a traditional campus feeling. Community is really a big underlying theme, with our new study space, break room, and massage room open to the whole community. It’s not just a relocation, it’s an improvement and expansion of our community. The layout of Main Building 1 is more intuitive with all of the departments having a sense of togetherness within the greater PCOM family. We’re also excited about our improvements to the clinic and Campus Information Center coming in August!”
We’d love to hear from you about your favorite aspects of our new space and what your favorite art pieces are too! How does art inspire you and bring healing to the world? Let us know at:
media@pacificcollegeblog.com
and the person with the most creative answer will win their very own print by Laurie Morse! (Hint: using pictures, video, and other creative mediums is encouraged!)
Pacific College Academic Dean Bob Damone shares his experience with us from the desert this past weekend, where he studied nature’s herbal medicines with fellow colleagues and PCOM students!
In the early 1980’s, a few years before it ever occurred to me to pursue a career in Chinese herbal medicine, I became interested in “Western” herbal medicine. I read everything I could get my hands on, including “The Way of Herbs” by Michael Tierra. I immediately devoured it, and immersed myself in its fascinating descriptions of plant-based medicines. My kitchen cupboards quickly began to overflow with tinctures, powders, and poultices of various herbs. The rich earthy fragrances, tastes, and colors of various flowers, barks, leaves, and seeds became a part of my daily life. Valerian, White Willow Bark, Chamomile, Saw Palmetto, etc., became allies in my search for health and wellness. I was hooked.
This past weekend, I had the excellent fortune of sharing with several Pacific College students a medicinal plant study excursion to the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park led by Sylvan Botanical Institute. Sylvan—a company co-founded by PCOM alum, accomplished herbalist, and author Thomas Garran—is devoted to teaching knowledge of herbal medicine in part by empowering practitioners to locate, identify, and harvest local medicinal plants. Among the several knowledgeable and approachable herb teachers on the trip, were Christopher Hobbs and Michael Tierra. I had not met Christopher before, but found him to be a veritable walking encyclopedia of ethnobotany, pharmacognosy, and botanical identification. As I mentioned above, Michael Tierra—whose book I had cut my teeth on in my herbal infancy—was also in attendance. If I have any heroes, he is certainly among them. What a thrill to meet and hang out with the man who had initially inspired my interest in herbal medicine!
My interest in Western herbal medicine eventually expanded to Chinese herbal medicine. Yet, I never lost my fascination with Western herbs. A number of Western herbalists in fact have followed a similar path. Many regard the solid empirical and theoretical foundation of Chinese herbal medicine, with its unbroken historical and textual record, as the most viable model for an integrative and globalized modern form of herbal medicine. This has sparked a very interesting dialogue, which was palpable during the duration of this desert trip: How can the theoretical foundation of Chinese medicine be applied to the study of Western herbs? Is there a benefit to using Western herbs according to the principles of Chinese medicine?
The resounding response to the latter question from the Western herbalists present in the desert this weekend was undoubtedly yes. And I tend to agree. I had the clear sense this past weekend that the zeitgeist now indicates a heightened readiness to engage in this important and necessary dialogue. I look forward to more trips with Sylvan and I hope to inspire the Pacific College community to engage in communion with the beautiful and rich natural world around us, which teems with medicinal plants.
Check out the video slideshow
here
!
Passionate about traditional East Asian medicine (TEAM)? Check out Pacific College Academic Dean Bob Damone’s new blog! Explore the history, philosophical bases, theories, practices, and evolution of TEAM.
Why start this blog?
Bob says:
This past week, I quietly celebrated 19 years as a member of the Pacific College community. My first 15 years were primarily devoted to teaching, clinical practice, and curriculum design and revision. During those years, I enjoyed daily contact with students and faculty colleagues. I personally benefited from and am very grateful for the many years of academic and clinical exchange. During the past 4-5 years, with my expanding
responsibilities
as Academic Dean, I have had much less time to do those things, and although I enjoy my current role immensely, quite frankly some days I miss being “in the trenches.”
Recently
, it occurred to me that blogging might allow me an opportunity to share some of that contact and exchange through the use of e-communication. I look forward to the e-conversations we can have about some of the core issues and values of traditional East Asian medicine. After all, it is these themes that attracted many of us to this field in the first place!
1. Log in to Campus Cruiser (you must have a Campus Cruiser account to access the blog)
2. Click the
Campus
tab:
3. Click the
Blogs
link in the
Around Campus
channel:
4. You will see a list of recent blog entries:
Let us know what you think!
Cupping can treat a wide array of conditions, have you tried it? Check out this informative demo with Pacific College Alumnus Brett Rabin, LAc.
The Summer 2012 issue of the OM (Oriental Medicine) is here and we’ve gone digital! Read in-depth articles written by Pacific College faculty, as well as other noted authorities in the Oriental medicine field right here!
The organs of your body have their sensory touches at the bottom of your foot; if you massage these points you will find relief from aches and pains. This sort of guideline is used in acupuncture and other holistic therapies.
OM in the news this week! Check it out!
