Food is something we continuously use to sustain our lives. Learning what foods are healing (and what disruptive) for our condition has the potential to convert every single meal into a form of therapy. As we eat couple of times a day the "food as medicine" concept turns daily food consumption into multiple daily treatments that continuously work for transforming painful chronic conditions and restoring the physical and mental balance. This concept is rooted in traditional Chinese medicine unique perspective that food and herbs come from the same source thus all foods have medicinal properties equally as herbs do.
In "Little School of TCM" we study the human body and its physical and
emotional disharmonies from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine. In TCM, the main treatment methods are acupuncture (acupressure), herbal therapy and medicinal nutrition. In Little School, we study medicinal nutrition/food therapy as the main treatment method, and acupressure and herbology as complimentary (all treatment methods are based on the diagnostic theories of TCM). In other words, the main emphasis of the school is the "food is medicine" concept. However, here we need to point out something essential - food therapy is not a "diet", "program" or "regimen", but a way of life! It's meaningful, colorful, healthful and... brings joy.
Welcome!
In this course, we will learn how the human body works from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, what are the causes for the various physical and emotional disharmonies, and how to approach these disharmonies with one of the purest biochemical healing methods known– food therapy. The course will begin with a general introduction to traditional Chinese medicine theories used in diagnosis. We will look in greater detail at three of these theories, which will serve as a foundation that will help us understand how the human body works from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine and how the various ailments and disharmonies develop. With this new understanding, we will look at the healing properties of foods based on their unique temperature, taste and color, and we will get to understand the "food is medicine" concept in TCM. We will talk in detail about how to balance the disharmonies in the human body with different types of foods. We will finish the course with "kitchen medicine," or how to put together some interesting healing dishes.
In this course we will understand how traditional Chinese medicine views the abstract part of our being. We will get to know the "ethereal" and "corporeal" souls and understand the concept of the "mind" in TCM. We will then look at the 7 emotions that are the internal cause of every disease and find out which organs they are associated with. We will learn how to recognize the organ behind the painful emotion, judging by the physical symptoms accompanying the painful emotion. We will understand how with some of the purest healing methods known – food therapy and acupressure - we can balance the organ associated with the painful emotion and through this - how to assist in transforming and harmonizing the emotion itself. In other words, we will understand how negative, painful emotions can be influenced not only through our mental awareness, but also through our physiology and biochemistry.
In this course we will learn how to take care of the health of the child using the methods of traditional Chinese medicine and how to address various disharmonies affecting children’s health with food and acupressure. The body of a child, unlike that of an adult, is less often affected by chronic internal disharmonies, because the child does not yet have accumulated toxins, stress and negative emotions. Children mostly suffer from acute illnesses. These acute illnesses are caused by six climatic factors, which in traditional Chinese medicine are called "the 6 evils". In this course we will understand what "the 6 evils" are, how they manifest and in which seasons they prevail. We will find out how to protect the child from the "6 evils", but also know how to help when they “attack” the child’s health, using food therapy and acupressure. Additionally, we will look at some chronic childhood diseases and their root causes. We will conclude the course with a system for strengthening the immune system of the child through nutritional formulas, Chinese massage, gentle cooling and rest.
In this course, the woman will gain a different understanding аbout her body and learn how to approach it differently. This course examines the female physiology through the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine. We will look at a range of symptoms related to the female menstrual cycle (as well as other features related to the female physiological maturity) and understand how different foods and acupressure points can be beneficial in harmonizing these painful monthly physical and emotional states.
This module is an introduction to Chinese herbalism. Here we will look at the different classes of herbs in traditional Chinese medicine, which are systematized based on the disharmonies of the human body. We will look at representatives of the 10 main classes and find their Western equivalents. During the course, we will derive the temperature and medicinal indications of over 40 Western herbs, using the principles and strategies of traditional Chinese medicine. We will learn how to make herbal potions, how to make herbal formulas, and how to change the healing structure of herbs by adding substances, dry frying, calcining, and roasting in ashes. We will examine the healing properties of the five tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent), and how to use them to benefit health. We will finish the course with "kitchen medicine" and some recipes for herbal soups, herbal appetizers and herbal desserts.
Inflammatory conditions and pain are best counteracted in the long run by changing the diet and lifestyle. From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine the Liver and Kidney functions need to be improved, toxic fluids from the Spleen need to be drained, and the digestion needs to be harmonized. In this course we will look at the root causes for acute and chronic inflammation, fixed and 'moving' pain, spasms, cramps, numbness and stiffness, and discover which foods and acupressure points restore the balance in these painful conditions. Additionally, we will get to know the Bi syndrome, which will help us grasp the TCM etiology of arthritic diseases, and the Wei syndrome - the TCM etiology for motor impairment.
For medical professionals who wish to train in TCM diagnosis and/or incorporate TCM treatment methods to their practice: modules 1, 2 and 3 cover 6 of the 8 main theories used in TCM diagnosis. Additionally, each module covers the multiple syndromes in TCM, single and combined. The healing techniques we use mirror the healing techniques in TCM - acupuncture, herbal medicine and medicinal nutrition, with our emphasis being on medicinal nutrition (due to its powerful effectiveness and purely practical accessibility), herbal medicine with herbs from our part of the world (so that they are consistent with our "climatic physiology") and acupressure points prescribed according to the indications of Chinese medicine diagnosis. In each subsequent module, we review and reinforce what we have learned in the previous one, build on more theories and syndromes, and specialize in a certain topic. After completing all modules in the "Little School of TCM", you will have a foundation in Chinese medicine diagnosis and the main healing techniques. If you need to go even deeper into the theory, I am available for additional one-on-one training.
The school is designed to be of benefit to both medical professionals and health-conscious people without medical background or experience with Far East cultures. The information thought in the modules is for educational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor (or a qualified medical professional who is familiar with your condition) before taking herbs, starting a new therapy, or making changes to your diet and lifestyle.
Module 1, 2 and 5 are two-day courses, module 3, 4 and 6 are one-day courses.
Module 1 is introductory, foundational, and mandatory to start with. After the successful completion of Module 1 you can enroll in any other module of your choice. As the English-speaking world spreads through different time zones it is challenging to create a steady timetable so please get in touch with me to figure out a schedule (the email is at the bottom of the page).
The cost of the modules varies depending on whether the training is individual or in a group. Please get in touch with me to get the details for this as well.
The courses are held via zoom.
Since people have different ways of perceiving, arranging and remembering new information notes are taken throughout the courses, which then need to be structured and analyzed. Ready-made materials for the courses are not provided. The helping materials that will be sent out for each module are for clarification purposes only.
After each module, I offer an individual two-hour workshop where we can practice what we have learned. I strongly recommend this workshop to be done immediately after completing Module 1. The information in the courses is substantial and confusion can easily arise. The workshop allows us to organize and practice what we have learned, which in turn will allow us to quickly and efficiently integrate the knowledge into our daily lives.
I hold a Master of Science in Traditional Chinese Medicine. In 2006, I completed a master's degree program at the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, San Francisco, USA, where I received academic qualifications in all areas of traditional Chinese medicine - diagnosis, therapeutic acupuncture and herbal medicine. I am additionally trained in auriculotherapy, electroacupuncture, cupping, moxa therapy and Shiatsu massage, but my professional passion became food therapy and therapeutic nutrition. The last year of the training program, I interned at the oncology clinic of UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco, where in a team of conventional doctors and traditional Chinese medicine practitioners I treated cancer patients.
In 2008, I created the Internet portal "The Holosapiens Project" (www.holosapiens.org), which aims to acquaint the general audience with the principles of traditional Chinese medicine and introduce the Eastern healing concept "food is medicine".
In 2012, I went with my family to China, where I taught at the Medical School of Shenzhen University (Shenzhen, China) for nearly 4 years. There I created curricula in Medical English, Medical Terminology and Traditional Chinese Medicine based on which I compiled a textbook that Shenzhen University published in two editions. During the period of my teaching, I was rated in the top 5% of university lecturers by the medical students for quality in teaching, and in 2017 I received the Teaching Excellence Award from the Dean of the Medical School. In the same year, I also became a "visiting professor of health and family planning" at the Shenzhen State Continuing Education Center, where I trained Chinese doctors and nurses to specialize in the West.
In 2018, I returned to Europe. Here I started the development of specialized educational programs in traditional Chinese medicine and created my "Little School of TCM" - currently offered in two languages.
In 2021, I wrote the philosophical book "Waking Up to Being", which was published in two languages. If you want to read excerpts from the book you can visit www.greenyakini.com
In 2023, I became a member of the Bulgarian Association of Healthcare Professionals and currently hold a European Professional Card.
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