Sand To Sky

Conversations with Teachers of Asian Medicine
by Pamela Ellen Ferguson and Debra Duncan Persinger, PhD © 2008
Published in hardback, paperback, and e-version, by www.iUniverse.com

Austin Texas - Friday June 13 from 6-9pm at the Academy of Oriental Medicine (2700 West Anderson Lane, Austin TX 78757) together with an open-house East West panel discussion on the topic EXPLORING PAIN - Medication or Meditation ? and including contributors Lorena Monda and Yuxia Qiu. (see the listing under informal classes on www.AOMA.edu)

Sand To Sky is the first ever anthology to document the innovative methods and experiences of a broad range of teachers of Acupuncture, Shiatsu, Chinese Herbs, Biomedicine, Therapist-Patient Interactive Skills, Ethics, Psychosocial Aspects of Clinical Training, and Exam Development skills.

Sand To Sky uses a lively, readable, Q&A style to enhance the personalities and insights of 26 teachers from across the USA, Canada, Europe, New Zealand, China and Japan, who have adapted Asian Medicine, new schools, programs and vocabularies for diverse 21st century western students, patients, and clinical practice.

Sand To Sky is by teachers for teachers, practitioners and patients, who relish sharing stories and anecdotes about their classroom and clinical experiences, and their assorted practical thoughts on topics like "What Makes a Good Diagnostician?" and "How to avoid Burnout".

Sand To Sky contains a chapter on pulse diagnosis by Will Morris, world renowned expert on pulse diagnosis.

Sand To Sky will be useful for teacher training in theoretical, practical and clinical aspects of Complementary Medicine, and will also be a unique reference for anyone contemplating a career in any branch of the Health Profession.

Sand To Sky showcases teachers who use theatrical props like masks and wigs, lyrics, and tongue dyes to teach the Theory of Chinese Medicine, and use art to teach classes for Trauma, and who take students on vigorous Five Element courses through the Alaskan wilderness, or who teach Pulse diagnosis using drums and the flow of water in pipes.

Sand To Sky documents the work of those who honor the medical discoveries of Chinese Physicians from 5000 BC to 1911 AD, and those Acupuncturists who created 24/7 therapy centers for New York’s post 9/11 police, fire and rescue workers.

Sand To Sky‘s co-writers/co-editors Pamela Ellen Ferguson Dipl ABT, AOBTA®-CI, LMT (TX) and Debra Duncan Persinger PhD, DipTchg bring totally different teaching skills to the anthology. Dr Persinger is Executive Director of the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) and best known in Asian medicine for her development of six national exams in three languages for four different professional board certifications, as former interim CEO and Executive Director of Testing and Certification Services, of the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). Pam Ferguson teaches advanced shiatsu in Germany, Holland, Austria and Switzerland, is former Dean of Asian Bodywork of the Academy of Oriental Medicine, Austin Texas, and former Board Member/ Director of Council of Schools and Programs of the American Organization for Bodywork Therapies of Asia (AOBTA ®). Her several books include - The Self Shiatsu Handbook (1998) and Take Five – the five elements guide to health and harmony (2000).

For further information contact: Debra Duncan Persinger PhD at 913-626-2726 or Pam Ferguson 512-467-1859 or Email sand2sky@gmail.com