What the heck is Chinese Medicine? (TCM)

I often get asked by massage clients or otherwise, so i will address it a little here!

(Was also prompted by my dear fiance when i told her i made another ai post)

Basically..

#1 - TCM is a method of treating disease, imbalance, or illness in the body.

#2 - TCM is a compilation of mainly three methods of treatment

#3 - TCM is an ART.. Thats not A.R.T.. i mean its an art form, and a practice..

Ill expand on each of these points shortly

But to start, TCM, or traditional Chinese Medicine, has been the chief method of medical treatment and intervention in China for literally thousands of years!

Exactly how it is practiced now? No. Definitely not.

But/and, we have some classical texts that can be dated, and we still study these books in school as they are foundational to our methodology.

One in particular is called the "Huang Di Nei Jing", or translated into something like "The Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor".

We had a whole class dedicated to this book, and i am near certain this will be a required class in TCM training for maybe ever more.

This book was written around 2,200 years ago.. Which is crazy!

And much of what we still practice, and how we practice, was layed out for the first time in this book.

I'll not get into the content of the book now, i just wanted to share this as a fact of the matter.

In the western and modern world, we value the scientific process over basically anything when it comes to health or understanding the universe...

How is 2200+ years of observation and trial and error for scientific process? Compared to western healthcare, its not even a comparison in my opinion..

As a note, i don't say that because i think TCM > Western med always. I say that because TCM deserves to be respected in the way that western medicine does, so it can serve our overall wellness and we can thrive more than we currently are.

So TCM has been around a long time, and was the main method of treating any illness, disease, or imbalance in the body. So we can truly say that TCM is a good helper in any situation. I say helper, because i believe that people heal themselves, with help from outside.. more on that another time.

So #1 - TCM is a method of treating disease, imbalance, or illness in the body.

i think this is self evident, but ill explain how TCM views these concepts as it can be helpful.

Everybody, and each of our selves and bodies, are in a certain state of balance or imbalance. If we stay up for 30 hours, we are usually quite tired. This is an imbalance, and sleep is the answer. Sleeping will bring the body back to a state of balance. This is basically how we can understand TCM.

Each thing we do, stay up late, drink coffee, eat 30 hot wings, eat a bucket of ice cream, call a friend, attend a funeral, exercise, over exercise.. affects our overall balance.

"Every action, has an equal or opposite reaction" (or an action in general).

Our body is a system of systems that all affect each other. In western terms the brain sends and receives signals, but without the heart pumping blood, the brain cannot function, and vice-versa.

TCM has a system of metaphors and energy systems that all balance, and depend upon another. When one is out, it can cause changes in the others, and then changes in our wellness.

A system that is balanced, is energized, digests well, eliminates with comfort and ease, is not swept away by their emotions, has good brain and body function, is not in pain.... etc..

TCM is a system of simple concepts, that all stack upon each other and create the diverse and complicated differences in us all! Ill not get too deep into these concepts now.

-To sum this up, TCM uses its three main tools to bring the body back into balance.

#2 - TCM is a compilation of mainly three methods of treatment;

method number A - Acupuncture

method number B - Herbal/Natural Medicinals

method number C - Tui Na/ Acupressure Massage

-Each of these methods are tools that we use to affect the bodies systems, and encourage the body back into a more harmonious balance! Simple enough!

Maybe to note.. The needles are generally as thin as a hair! And most of the time there is very little sensation when inserted.. It can be a hurdle to get over, i took quite a while to get comfortable with others needling me (control), so i get the hesitation.

Luckily, acupressure/Tui na/TCM massage, can be just as effective as using needles! So don't let fear dissuade you!

The last and most important thing a TCM practitioner should do, is to educate the patient. We mostly know the things that we are doing that are leading to our imbalances, but some things can be subtle, or are not yet widely known!

The best thing anyone can do for their health, is to look critically at their habits, and decide if they are serving them fully!

#3 - TCM is an ART.. Thats not A.R.T.. i mean its an art form, and a practice..

This i think, is the most important part of TCM for students and practitioners to understand. More on this later..

This is not that necessary for patients to understand, but it can be helpful when seeing different practitioners, or needing to find another after the retirement of a favorite.

What i want to say here, is that the practice of TCM can look very different depending on who is doing the practice!

No two people paint the same way, draw the same way, dance the same way.. hopefully you get it.. im sure you do..

Being synthesized from the cultural phenomena of China, TCM has changed it function and form over the thousands of years, and such a wide and vast country has proven to have wide and vast systems of belief and practice.

This has led to a great many types of procedures, and ways of using tools.

For example, when we insert a needle, we are to do so with a certain intention. This intention can be enhanced with a different physical manipulation technique.

Maybe the needle is inserted very quickly, or very slowly.. Or maybe the needle is inserted to intended depth, and then withdrawn to half depth, and then inserted back into the full depth.

Each technique is valid, as long as it resonates with the practitioner and patient.

This hints at part of the mysticism involved in this medicine, and something i will get into a different time :)

This is all to say, that each practitioner will have their own techniques and preferences for practice, so when someone says "what is TCM?", i must answer;

It depends who you ask!

<3

Not another Ai post.. part 1?

Yep, another Ai post...

I've been allowing my attention to fall into videos and podcasts that are presenting experts, (either mental health, or people that have been researching and working with LLMs/ais for years) and their opinions on what is going on and how we are being affected.

There has been no time for the scientific method, and double blind etc studies to be able to prove things.. Though i dont actually believe this is necessary for proof of concept etc.

Rational conjecture and/or first or secondhand experience is proof enough for me.

-proof enough to encourage or invite/recommend caution..

I think the best way i can get across these ideas is to just share a couple videos.

This first video, is a cool young (millennial) dude, who is a licensed psychiatrist (not my favorite profession), father, and hip to the internet kind of person.

He goes by Dr. K, and got a lot of traction on youtube talking about current events related to gaming (which i love), as well as interviewing famous streamers and giving them a bit of a session publicly. As a note, it was a really neat look into these people, and allowed them some moments of authentic vulnerability, and Dr. K didn't seem to cross any lines imo.

He can be a little trendy at times, but i appreciate his input and grounded simple explanations.

In this talk he is identifying the dangers of LLMs ability to cause harm, or at least to assist the user in thinking self harm is a good idea.

It has been found that these programs are inherently dangerous, as the features that make them useful, are also the features that make them dangerous.

The two main features i heard in this category are the LLM's ability to recall information/use the things we tell it about ourselves, and it's ability to gain our trust.

The gain our trust part is a simple way to say a few different things, like the way it encourages us, doesn't challenge us like another human could etc..

In the Ai space, this is referred to as sycophancy - some define it as the ability for a chatbot to respond positively to a users input, regardless of the validity of the statement or idea.

Dr. K goes on to describe how these features that are helpful to us, are the most dangerous parts of it. As when we put our trust in something, it becomes increasingly difficult to question the information it provides. He also goes into sharing some research that has been done on the general safety of each of the popular models, pretty interesting! Spoiler, google deepseek is usually the most unsafe!

The reality of whether is it safe or not has already been shown, LLM's have been causing mentally stable (people without history of mental health diagnosis etc) to become psychotic, and believe things that are fundamentally impossible or just not true.

When a technology (can be anything, not just electronic) proves to be problematic, or dangerous even to a small population or demographic, that technology should be further developed and tested to find more reliable safety..

Not with AI!!

Sheeesh man, this stuff is wild..

This second video i would like to share, features a very technically experienced dude named Geoffrey Hinton, a computer technologist with the nickname of "The godfather of Ai" (pretty gangster despite humans negligence). He was doing really fundamental work and research, especially in the MID 80's, to progress the early abilities of systems to learn and grow.

He has stated that until 2023 he was working for google, and resigned so that he would be able to more openly talk about Ai and the considerations we should be aware of!!

This excerpt is part of a bigger talk, which i would recommend getting into, as well as looking for more of his talks!

As i've said before, i don't love this podcast in full, but i do appreciate it for being able to bring on presenters that have a lot of experience in whatever field they are presenting.

-What a piece of clickbait though, "THEY ARE HIDING THIS"....

Grounded and mature content doesn't rely on clickbait.. imo..

The main thing i heard recently that has been ringing in my head is this idea..

It is reasonable for us, as people, to see another person having an experience, and be able to put ourselves in their shoes, to somewhat understand what they may be feeling..

Ai/LLM's do not have feet, do not have shoes, do not have feelings..

They are incapable of "thinking" in the same way we do. If we get tricked into thinking they are thinking and feeling in ways similar to us, it will be an easy slope into allowing them to replace other people in our lives..

I am not against Ai, or LLM's, but i am for responsible development of technology.

The companies in charge have severely fucked up each of our generations with the use of social medias.. Or truly, we have allowed them.

Are you willing to allow these next technologies to mess you up?

Teachers Strike! and are sent back...

Teachers very likely would rather be teaching than striking.. Not working, and not being paid, is only going to stress them out more.

If you don't know, or are in the future and reading this.. Here, its the end of October 2025, and the teachers have been on strike for a week or two or three (im really out of the loops.).

Today, they have been ordered back by the government.. or a few days ago they were ordered back, and today is their first day back in class....

HOW DOES THAT MAKE SENSE...

So theyre choosing to go on strike.. without pay...

-Without pay...

Is it not kind of weird that striking, a tactic that civilians can use to stand up to government, can just be swept aside by the government???

Is thats not 1984 i dont know what is..

Using the Brave browsers ai i am learning about this strike..

Brave ai found, cited through major news outlets;

"On October 27, 2025, Premier Danielle Smith’s government introduced Bill 2, also known as the Back to School Act, which was passed in the early hours of October 28. The legislation mandates that approximately 51,000 striking teachers return to classrooms, effectively ending a three-week strike that began on October 6—the largest teacher strike in Alberta’s history.

The bill was fast-tracked through the legislature and includes the use of the Charter’s notwithstanding clause (Section 33), which shields the law from legal challenges based on violations of constitutional rights, including the right to strike, freedom of association, and collective bargaining."

Soooo... not only did they tell them to go back, but they wrote and passed a new bill of legislation to make it so?

But they already arent paying the teachers.. What are they going to do? Fire them all?

------ As you learn more about me, youll eventually understand i am far from surprised-------

Asking the robit about the nonwithstanding clause.. Just as 1984 as id imagine..

"Section 33 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, commonly known as the notwithstanding clause, allows Parliament or a provincial legislature to pass laws that temporarily override specific Charter rights for up to five years. This override can be renewed indefinitely.

It applies only to:

-Fundamental freedoms (Section 2): including freedom of expression, religion, and freedom of association.

-Legal rights (Sections 7–14): such as the right to life, liberty, and security of the person, and protection against unreasonable search and seizure. Equality rights (Section 15).

-It cannot override democratic rights (e.g., voting), mobility rights, or language rights."

Seems fair! As least they cant force you to speak a certain language!

Dont worry! It ONLY applies to fundamental, and legal rights....... Holy shit man.

No mature, well grown and adapted human would this this is okay. The amount of mental gymnastics (love this saying) that people do to keep their programming functioning is just nuts....

Here is what i asked the good robit next - "Can you tell me all the details in the back to school act that danielle smith et all just put into effect? What is is forcing teachers to do, and what would be consequences of not following it?"

"Key Details of Alberta’s Back to School Act (Bill 2)

What the Law Forces Teachers to Do: Return to classrooms immediately: The law ends the three-week strike and mandates all 51,000 teachers back to work as of October 29, 2025.

-Accept an imposed contract: A four-year collective agreement is enforced retroactively from September 1, 2024, to August 31, 2028.

-Work under suspended local bargaining: Local negotiations are frozen until 2028, preventing future local strikes.

-Comply with unchanged classroom conditions: No immediate changes to class sizes or composition, though a Class Size and Complexity Task Force will be formed to study and address these issues.

The imposed contract includes:

-A 12% wage increase over four years. Up to 17% market adjustments for most teachers.

- A commitment to hire 3,000 new teachers and 1,500 education assistants over three years.

-Restoration of annual reporting on class sizes and composition, starting in November 2025."

OMG doesnt that sound nice! an imposed contract. Shit sign me up!!

And finally, the creme brule of this nightmare...

"---Consequences for Non-Compliance

-Individual teachers: Fines of up to $500 per day for refusing to return to work.

-Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA): Fines of up to $500,000 per day if the union engages in or supports job action.

-Work-to-rule or extracurricular withdrawal: The ATA has warned members that even limited job actions could be considered non-compliance under the law."

HAAAAA... thats beyond fucked up.

How can anyone justify this?????? They cant.. thats how.

I may have sounded pretty charged through the use of bolding and !! and ??.. But truthfully im not.

Im not surprised at all. This is nothing new. Ive been watching governments fail to live up to promise, fail to support the 99%, and continue to let the rich grow richer, monopolies maximally monopolize, let the poor, underprivileged and disabled stay so...

-No king or queen or ruler or master will set you free. You MUST set yourself free.