Presented by David Miller, MD, Lac

Far from being esoteric and inaccessible, the Eight Extraordinary Vessels encompass the elegance of the human reproductive system.  They describe how this creates the basis for family and culture, and reveal aspects of personality that we encounter every day. Evolutionary Biology presents a phenomenal lens through which to understand the Chinese physiologic systems.  While many concepts in Chinese theory appear to be esoteric and ungrounded in juxtaposition to current understandings of human physiology, shifting our focus to consider the systems in the evolutionary paradigm corrects this. This talk will explore the integrative physiology of East-West views on mating and reproduction, focusing on the Extraordinary vessels.  These vessels play a role not only in fertility, but also form the foundations of who we are as individuals and sexual beings.  Understanding their breadth and scope will enrich practice and increase appreciation of the profundity of their use clinically.  Through clarity as to their domains of action, we can better treat our patients for optimal outcomes.

OBJECTIVES:

•  Understand the Extraordinary Vessels as they pertain to human growth and development as well as to our reproductive roles

• Identify key neurologic concepts that form the basis for somatotopic mapping in relation to the Extraordinary Vessels

• Recognize the evolutionary persistence of systems presented