#478
September 15, 2026

Often Confused and Having Fun
Linda Kim

Our Sponsors

Qiological logo with text and tagline.
Blue Poppy logo with a blue poppy flower and text.
Mazin Bar 300x90
acufast banner transparent
Qiological logo and branding elements for Chinese medicine.

Confusion is often treated as a problem to solve on the way to a real answer. But in the clinic, it may be closer to the beginning of the process than an obstacle to it.

In this conversation with Linda Kim, we explore what it means to practice acupuncture with curiosity rather than certainty. We discuss why diagnosis may be something revealed through treatment—through palpation, real-time feedback, and the willingness to be wrong and adjust—rather than something that must be figured out in advance.

We also discuss constitutional nature versus compensated presentation, how playfulness loosens the rigid thinking that blocks perception, and why the most obvious thing in the room is often the most important.

In this episode, we discuss:

  • Confused and having fun – A phrase from Dan Bensky reframing confusion as part of the path to clarity, not a failure of it.
  • Diagnosis as revelation – Sharon Weisenbaum’s idea that diagnosis emerges through presence, not deduction in advance.
  • Rigor and play – Holding clinical seriousness alongside the looseness needed to actually perceive what’s there.
  • Getting “hijacked” by confusion – Noticing when thinking replaces sensing, and using breath to return to the body and patient.
  • The grossest thing in the room – Toby Daly’s principle that the most obvious sign is usually the most important one.
  • Widening perception to the room – Bob Quinn’s spatial awareness practice, reading a room’s energy before treating.
  • Zooming in and zooming out – Moving between detail and overall pattern without losing either.
  • Palpation as a language – Building a kinesthetic vocabulary through touch, from belly diagnosis to the limbs.
  • Three styles, one kind of play – Comparing Sotai, Kiko Matsumoto, and Engaging Vitality, and how each gives real-time feedback.
  • When treatment becomes diagnosis – A teacher’s claim that acupuncture needs no fixed diagnosis, only responsiveness.
  • Constitution versus compensation – Sorting a patient’s natural pattern from a lifelong adaptation layered over it.
  • Learning from what doesn’t work – Reframing a worsened-pain case as information rather than personal error.
  • Patients as spontaneous guides – How an offhand comment mid-treatment can resolve indecision between two paths.
  • What’s next – Studying Wang Ju-Yi’s channel palpation and TA-ing a classical herbal mentorship starting 2027.

Take in the obvious, don’t look for minutiae. See the forest and the trees. When you slow down, there’s plenty of time.

Dr. Linda Kim

I practice acupuncture, herbal medicine, and medical Qigong at my clinic in Oakland, CA. My study of East Asian Medicine began in 2009, and my private practice in 2013. I feel so fortunate to be immersed in this beautiful ancient medicine that never ceases to amaze me with its efficacy.

From a young age, I felt myself to be a part of the comprehensive web of nature, with an innate trust in its wisdom and a desire to learn its ways. I was elated to find that there is a whole system of medicine rooted in observation of the cosmos, that sees each person as a dynamic ecosystem moving within greater ecosystems. And I’ve been hooked ever since. With so many rabbit holes to explore, trees to climb, vistas to behold, and details to cherish, I’ll likely remain hooked for lifetimes to come. In the clinic, palpation and observation greatly guide my treatments in both acupuncture and herbal formulas.

My Tai Chi, Qigong, and meditation practices help me to feel the flow of qi within and without. Being a curious person, I look forward to continued explorations of this infinitely interesting medicine.

Links and Resources

Learn more about Linda Kim and her work at her website.

Member Only Content

This additional content is available to members of our podcast.
Become a Member

Explore Similar Podcasts

Subscribe to the Qiological Podcast in Your Favorite Player

Apple Podcasts
Spotify
YouTube

You don't have access to purchase this item.