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* 4 week course. 8 hours per day, 5 days per week.

 

* 4 hours of class in the morning. (80 hours total)

 

*4 hours of supervised clinical apprenticeship in the afternoon which may be extended for an additional month (80 - 160 hrs total). 

 

* Class time includes both theory and workshopped skills training.

About Us

About the Program

This course covers several diagnostic methods with much emphasis placed on common observable factors, pulse diagnostics, palpitation and medical astrology. Understanding health and illness and the world through the elements. We will discuss many of the common mental, physical and spiritual difficulties that naturopathy and acupuncture can address: both diagnostics, treatment, symptom management, palliative care, and death and dying.

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With over 80 hours of classroom learning, elemental theory, skills training & workshops, and  another 80 hours of supervised clinical experience, this can be a powerful and empowering experience for many people. By the end of this course you will have a solid foundation of knowledge about the energy body, the meridian system, and key points in the body that are used for acupuncture or acupressure. You will become comfortable dealing with the human body, develop your ”bedside manner,” healing touch, and get to embody the healer at a busy clinic with open supportive clients. You will get to experience the healing power of acupuncture and the predictive capability of Vedic Astrology. Knowledge is power; this course has the power to transform. 

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Since I was young every mystical book on the occult taught me to study the elements: "understand the elements and you'll understand everything." This course is designed to take students on a deep dive into both the Five Elements of Traditional Chinese Medicine and five common elements which we will study through Ayurveda, Vedic Astrology and Classical Tantric Philosophy. 

 

Between clinical practice, case studies and practical application of elemental theory the world will come alive and we will learn to see the deeper meaning in everything: colours, flavours, feelings, the planets, the signs, symbolic language, the mystic reality and esoteric vision of the world.  This program seeks to balance theory with skills training while providing students with supervised clinical experience. We will jump straight into the fire! This is sure to be a transformative experience for many students. 

Acupuncture will be the main focus for treatment. Students will be introduced to the 5-elements model for diagnosis and treatment, tonification and sedation techniques, fu point acupuncture guided by the pulse, dry needling techniques, and a variety of treatment protocols that have been proven effective. We will spend a lot of time mapping out the energy body, meridians, key points though workshops emphasizing healing touch. Students will also be encouraged to begin working with clients, taking pulses, and putting needles in people almost immediately. We will be running a free research and training clinic that will give us a ready supply of case studies which we work in groups.

Course Structure

Course Structure 

Class and clinic will be five days a week with four hours of theory and workshops, broken into two parts, in the morning, and four hours of clinic in the afternoon. You will have free time on evenings and weekends. A white shirt or clinical jacket is most suitable for clinic hours. It’s hoped students will honor these ancient teachings and maintain themselves in a way that unites and elevates the spirit. 

The four week course schedule allows for a balance between theoretical study, practical application and free time to enjoy the abundance of nature and activities available in San Marcos and Laguna Atitlan. After the course ends students will have an option to continue with supervised clinical practice or even supported guerrilla acupuncture for one month. Mike will be offering some advanced astrology workshops in that second month as well. Astrology readings will be extra and will be conducted evenings and weekends; apart from class and clinic.  

Between workshops and clinical case studies we will have ample opportunity to go over all the basic principles of elemental & naturopathic healing of diagnosis and treatment  over and over until the knowledge begins to arise naturally. Students will know how to determine the basic constitution of people using TCM, Ayurveda & Vedic Astrology. By the end of the course you will be able to make a full diagnosis and treatment plan for past, present and future.  

Image by Bekir Dönmez

This course is also very technical and analytical: TCM & the Vedic Sciences each have their own systems, their own rules, their own language; but the basic rules are fairly simple and we will have ample opportunity to put them into practice. So that by the end of the course you have a very solid foundation to pursue self studies and deeper studies. This course opens up a new world.

Learn to diagnose and treat illness with a full spectrum of therapeutic remedies to address the full spectrum of energetic realms, bodies, koshas or kleshas.

 

We will discuss ways to incorporate yoga therapy, meditation, pranayama, mantra, ritual, Ishta devi, touch and non-touch therapies, astrological remedies relating to colour, gemstones, charitable donation and targeted service a la Bhagavad Gita. The best advice for advising remedies and therapies is to find the advice they will actually follow. There will be a couple optional evening fire rituals with Shiva Mantra over the course of the month. 

Acupuncture, Energy Medicine & Elemental Therapy

There are many types and styles of acupuncture. Dry needling relieves muscular ailments and is practiced by many massage and physio-therapists. This typically uses key points, trigger points, ashi (ouch) points as well as some distal and influence points to relieve tension or inflammation and speed recovery of the muscles.

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What we call acupuncture works with TCM 5-Elements Theory (wood, fire, earth, metal & water), with the 8 Qualities and Pathogenic Factors to understand the relationships and function of the internal organs and offer diagnosis and treatment for more complex dis-ease.  We will learn observation, pulse, palpitation and tongue diagnosis. We will learn how to use this diagnosis to make a treatment plan using 5 elements of acupuncture as well as other naturopathic techniques. We will learn common treatment protocols for numerous dis-eases of the body, mind and spirit.

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Ayurveda has its own system of understanding the human body through the common elements (earth, water, fire, air & space) and the doshas (vata, pitta, kapha). Ayurveda can be combined with Vedic Astrology to give a clear picture of a person's natural constitution as well as any diseases, illnesses and ailments he or she may be suffering from, suffered from in the past or face in the future. A practiced astrologer can even see the course of the illness, suggest when and how recovery might come about or when it might get worse. Many spiritual remedies and Ayurvedic remedies can be found through astrology. By focusing on early treatment or lifestyle changes, the severity of illness can be greatly reduced. Spiritual remedies are especially important for chronic or terminal cases, psychological counseling, and basically opening the door for clients to receive higher wisdom and guidance. These remedies work in the most subtle way on the subtle realms, but can have the most powerful influence, especially if we are looking for magic.

Teacher

Meet Mike...

Mike has traveled the world studying natural healing, Yoga, Tantra and astrology. He has been studying and teaching out of Varanasi, India for over 15 years. He has given lectures and workshops in Universities and Ashrams around the world and has stayed at over 300 ashrams around India doing acupuncture and reading astrology charts of the local communities. He has been doing guerrilla acupuncture for almost ten years. His own Acupuncture studies was a similar training and apprenticeship program. He’s earned two certificates in Acupuncture and a certificate in TCM 5 elements, 800 hours of yoga therapy, 400 hours of Thai Massage. He has been living with his astrology guru in Varanasi India for 15 years and has studied under and gotten to know many of the great masters of tantric scripture. He has walked across India as a Shiva Bahkt, and has spent much time in solo travel deep to isolated, secluded forest, mountain or tribal lands. 

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Mike has written extensive research in Vedic Astrology and his work offers much new insight into ancient knowledge as he seeks to bridge the gaps between eastern and western mythology and traditional knowledge. He has been working on a comprehensive Notebook for acupuncturists and natural healers. (An early PDF draft will be available for this course). This is a rare chance to study from a great source of wisdom. Mike has given his life to spiritual path, understanding metaphysical and mystical philosophy, self healing and sharing ancient wisdom. His natural light opens the mysteries of the universe to everyone.

Course Pespective

Course Perspective 

We will be learning about the mystic reality; using our understanding of the elements to understand what is going on beneath the surface. Through our lives we seek to tap into that mysterious energy; the Shakti of Tantra, the Qi of TCM, the dance of the shaman. The relationship between the elements, people, things and with our own self will all be discussed.

Karma, Freedom and the Spiritual Path: all powerful forces on our lives and the lives of our clients will be discussed in detail. The yin & the yang, shiva & shakti, the sun & the moon, left hand & right hand paths. 

We will learn to determine a person's basic constitution using TCM, Ayurveda and Astrology and explore some of the ways that modern researchers have updated these traditional methods for modern consumption.

Free Research & Training Clinic to Serve the Community

This program offers a unique system of clinical management and can introduce clients to many unique and effective ways of finding balance of body, mind and soul. Students will also have the opportunity to receive treatment and share in the wealth of knowledge these clinics attract.
Students will get to experience a holistic and viable method for providing free healing services to the community. The clinic allows us to examine real world case studies as a group in order to offer the best possible service to our clients. 

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The clinic will be open and free of charge to the public five afternoons a week. Clients will only be asked to sign a waiver to be admitted for treatment. We will accept token donations for supplies or as an expression of support & gratitude, but there will be absolutely no pressure to give. Donations will be used to help establish a permanent clinic for research and training. We are here to perform a public service, everyone is welcome. Language translation will be provided in the clinic if necessary (the class itself will be in English). 

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The free Acupuncture and Naturopathic Clinic is an excellent opportunity for those who could use a month or two of acupuncture treatment and naturopathic advice. This could be an excellent and cost effective healing retreat for many. Acupuncture is a powerful treatment method that can, over time, bring significant changes in even the most stubborn health problems like asthma or diabetes. 

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 *Also note that astrology readings in the clinic will focus only on what is clinically important.*

If clients wish to have a more in-depth reading that can be arranged outside of clinical hours. 

Additional Info

What's Included

Each student will receive a starter pack of acupuncture needles, moxa and medical grade rubbing alcohol along with cotton swabs. More needles and supplies will be available for purchase if necessary. An advance (early edition) of the textbook  "An Energy Healers Notebook: Acupuncture, Ayurveda, Yoga, Tantra, Astrology and other Shamanic, Holistic and Natural Approaches to Healing" 

in PDF format will be include. 

Travel: How to Get Here 

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San Marcos is a town on the northern shore of Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. San Marcos has its own public dock that you can arrive at via public boat from any town around the lake. 

 

Each person will have to arrange their own transport. There are many options in regards to getting to the lake. I am happy to provide any assistance or guidance that may be needed. The nearest airport to fly into is Guatemala City (GUA). If you need a contact for private transport, please reach out. Otherwise, daily shuttles (collectivos) are available from Guatemala City or Antigua directly to Lake Atitlan. I recommend arriving a day before the intensive is set to start to ensure you have a smooth landing and start to the gathering.

Location

Our intensive will be held in the beautiful center of El Taller, a community space nestled in the heart of San Marcos La Laguna. 

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This space will hold us so sweetly for both classroom and clinical hours. Lush nature and stunning views will surround us as we dive into our classroom and clinical practice. 

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Accomodation

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Each participant is responsible for arranging their own accommodation.

There are a range of accommodations available in San Marcos La Laguna for every budget. 

 

Here are some options for accommodation in San Marcos:

Please note that this time of year is high season for the area, meaning that accommodations can book out quite fast. It is recommended to try and reserve in advance to ensure your preferred accommodation is available. 

Deposit

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A non-refundable deposit of $500.00 USD holds your space. 

The remaining balance of the exchange will be due by January 21st Payments accepted by cash, Xoom transfer or PayPal transfer sent to:

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=R6L8C35LVS2VQ&fbclid=IwAR3GiNTGuwLtuCwfLs-sB6LhaTR2R8bobvJDHFySg3LQ2rX7z8U8349FPAY

Exchange

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2400$ USD

for 4 weeks of intensive training
*includes the cost of supplies and textbook for the course*

COVID-19

Cancellation Policy 

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Please note, once booked this retreat cannot be refunded. In the case that you cannot come, you are welcome to gift your space to a friend. 

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Currently there are no restrictions regarding entry into Guatemala. Effective August 12, 2022, the Government of Guatemala no longer requires passengers arriving by air to present proof of a negative COVID test or proof of a complete COVID vaccine course to enter Guatemala.

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