DR. WANG JU-YI (1937-2017)
Dr. Wang was a graduate of the very first class from the Beijing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 1962 and was trained by some of the early luminaries of the modern era. He was fortunate to experience Chinese medicine in the era just before the development of what we now call “TCM”. In other words, he was a product of that short time in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s when acupuncture was taught by practitioners with roots in family lineages that included a firm foundation on classical texts.
A true scholar and devotee of classical Chinese medical theory, Dr. Wang continued to research and explore the classics while applying that wisdom to the modern practice of acupuncture. His book, Applied Channel Theory in Chinese Medicine has become one of the most popular texts on acupuncture studies worldwide.
Dr. Wang’s humility and curiosity was boundless and he generously shared his knowledge with the thousands of students he encountered around the world.
“Put your mind in your thumb”
When Dr. Wang Ju-Yi was palpating his patients’ acupuncture channels, he would often have his eyes closed so his mind could focus on what was beneath his fingers. His lifetime of curiosity as a clinician and historian culminated in Applied Channel Theory which revived ancient palpation and diagnosis techniques from the classical texts.
In one of Dr. Wang’s favorite quotes from the Nei Jing, disease is described as a thorn or knot that can be removed or untied by a thoughtful practitioner. Applied Channel Theory provides practitioners with hands-on knowledge that is gathered from the patients’ acupuncture channels. It is a dynamic approach to the medicine that engages both the practitioner and the patient.
Nyssa Tang had the great fortune to apprentice with Dr. Wang Ju- Yi and has been using this technique in her private practice since 2005. She is available for teaching and for practitioner consultations.