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Hi Ellen,
I think those thoughts are all valid. That’s why I prefaced that conversation with this is what I do, when it comes to kids. I think in general in the US, there is a tendency to try to “fix” kids. Of course, parents & medical professionals don’t really think of it in that way, they likely just want to help. So I try to err on the side of caution, knowing the power of these vessels. Children do not often come for acupuncture voluntarily and when they do they often do not understand the scope of treatment. They cannot legally give consent and they often do not understand what consent means. They can easily tell you if it is ok to needle them but they cannot easily give consent for the mobilization of Jing.
But also, recognizing that when you open these vessels they are continuing to work for days, weeks and months after opening and are often affected by the environment in which they are opening. This means that you can open these vessels in children and then their caregivers will have some influence on how they unfold. I think it is probably rare and unusual to see children living in a state of empowerment that allows them to control their own destiny. If children are living with that state of autonomy and agency then there is still the lack of support of post-natal Qi to negotiate.
I recognize that this is my perspective and I would not want to lay that on you. As is true with everything I have offered, I hope you will ponder it seriously, take what you need and then make it your own. That’s why I am not that fond of protocols. I much prefer that you all dig down deep into your souls and offer the 8EV and any other treatment from the best version of who you are, to whomever you think will benefit from it.
It is important to me as a teacher to always point out the risks so that you can make informed choices and also to tell you about my mistakes so you can learn from them through me instead of experiencing them on your own. But ulitmately, I hope that I can empower you to do what is best for yourself and your patients from and informed and authentic place.
Thanks for thinking about this and opening the discussion.🙏