Life has a way of nudging us in different directions. Some find inspiration in life-changing events; others in the smallest of things. But whichever path we take, we all have stories of how we got to do what we do.
In this discussion with Rodrigo Aranda, we not only discuss his backstory and the stepping stones that led him to practice Chinese Medicine—but also how Chinese Medicine got to South America. And for a practice that dates backs thousands of years, it’s interesting that Chinese Medicine has only started garnering interest from an international audience in the last few decades.
Listen in on this conversation as Rodrigo Aranda takes us down a relatable journey into Chinese Medicine experiences and how the practice is slowly taking root in different parts of the world.
In This Conversation We Discuss:
- How Chinese Medicine got to South America—including what/who inspired Rodrigo and the impact of Chinese immigrants in Chile.
- Rodrigo’s background as a licensed Medical Doctor, his interesting career path, and what drew him to Chinese Medicine.
- How Chinese Medicine is deeply embedded in China’s culture.
- Passing medicine from one generation to another through women (mothers and grandmothers).
- Practitioners and teachers who inspired Rodrigo Aranda, including the renowned Giovanni Maciocia and John O’Connor.
- Applying lessons learnt from mentors/teachers, new ideas, and new perspectives in practice.
- Rodrigo’s career-defining experience working as Dr. Wang Ju-Yi’s Second-Generation Apprentice—and how his thinking about acupuncture shifted following the experience.
- Understanding physiology and function through the 6 channels.
- How is Chinese Medicine useful for COVID-19-related complications and issues? How can it help relieve suffering?
Before needling, examine every channel and pay special attention to the pulse in order to determine excess or deficiency.
Medical Doctor graduated from the University of Chile in 2001. Rodrigo discovered Traditional Chinese Medicine for the first time in a course at that school.
He has been practicing Acupuncture and Western Medicine since 2002. In 2003 he carried out postgraduate studies in China.During almost three years he perfected his studies at Tianjin and Nanjing Universities of Chinese Medicine.
In 2010 he was introduced to Dr. Wang Ju-Yi and began his studies at the Applied Channel Theory Research Center in Beijing. In August 2013 he was appointed Second Generation Apprentice of Dr. Wang Ju-Yi. He made yearly study trips to learn from Dr. Wang Ju-Yi until his unfortunate passing in 2017. Since 2010 he has been invited to the TCM Congress in Rothenberg in order to participate in the ETCMA School Leader's Day. He has lectured in different countries including China, Greece, Holland, Spain, Venezuela and Israel.
Rodrigo is the co-founder of San Bao School of Classical Chinese Medicine in Santiago, Chile. He is also part of the Chilean National Acupuncture Commission and his active involvement in Chinese medicine legislation in his country.
Links and Resources
Visit Rodrigo's website at www.escuelasanbao.cl
And check in on this Instagram feed @escuelasanbao.cl