The Pulse of Balance

Seasonal Newsletter

From the Tan Academy of Balance team!

—

IN THIS MONTH’S NEWSLETTER:

• Practitioner Case Study
• Tan Academy of Balance Celebration Day – Apr 26, 2025
• Learning Lab – April 29, 2025

As the season shifts, we move from winter’s stillness into the energy of spring – a time of growth, renewal, and fresh beginnings. Just as plants push through the soil and stretch toward the sun, this is an ideal time to support the body’s natural processes of movement and renewal.

Let’s embrace this season as an opportunity for cleansing, revitalization, and new growth.

We hope to see you soon! 
Martina, Tan Shīfu, Suzanne Lǎoshī and the Tan Academy of Balance Team

See you online, in person, or in the Tan Balance Hub.

Practitioner Case Study

Presented by Julie Gazard, Ac

French-speaking ambassador of Balance System Acupuncture (BSA) based in Montreal, and Certified BSA Practitioner of Dr. Sonia Tan and the Tan Academy of Balance, Julie takes great pleasure in introducing people to acupuncture and its many benefits. It was initially out of curiosity that she began to study acupuncture in her late twenties. Based in Montreal for almost 10 years, she discovered Balance Method Acupuncture in 2017. It was like a revelation. This brought her answers to many unanswered questions. She is now very grateful to be part of the Tan Academy of Balance as a BSA assistant teacher-in-training. One of her dreams is to pass the knowledge on by travelling and spending time with local communities.

CASE STUDY

ID: Male 60yo (29th of November 2024) 

CC: Neck and knee pain. The patient is military and is going to have physical tests to evaluate if he is able to pursue his career or has to retire on the 14th of January 2025. He wants to succeed. He never tried acupuncture. His wife suggested him to come and see if it can help. 

HPI : The neck tension has been there for about one year. It is worth it when he turns his head on the right side. He feels blocked and lost about 30% of his mobility. The pain is between GB20 and 21. Sometimes the blockage comes and goes. He does desk work but also physical work because of a lack of employees. He is going 3x/week to the gym. He is easily hot. The left knee pain is related to arthrose. 

Channel theory dx : GB, ST

First treatment: 

Tx strategy: Jueyin-Shaoyang pattern + LI to balance ST

L: LingGu, Dabai, 3TF       R: Pc3; HT7 to 4Ax1, LI11Ax3 

L: LV4 to 5Ax4                 R: GB40 to 39Ax3 

Tx plan : 1x/week for 4 weeks and reevaluate

Outcome: after needling, feels less blocked and the range of mobility is better. 

Second treatment: The patient comes back a week later and has almost recovered the entire mobility of his neck. He feels the blockage a little more behind on BL channel. This week, he felt a deep discomfort in his knee. 

Channel theory dx : GB, BL, ST

Tx strategy : 1M$LBP modified

L: LingGu, LI3, SJ3, SI3               R: LU7A, HT7 to 4Ax1, PC 3

L: BL59,63 ; GB40A + GB39A      R: LV4 to 5Ax4, KD3 to 8.25Ax2

Outcome: He falls completely asleep and leaves with full mobility of his neck and no pain at all.

Third treatment: He comes back one week later. He recovers full motion of his neck and is even better than before ! He would like to treat his chronic insomnia issue. He always wakes up at 3pm and finds it hard to fall asleep again. He falls asleep everywhere at work but has a hard time sleeping for a long time. He would like to avoid medication. His work is stressful, he is waiting impatiently for the Christmas holidays.

Pulse : tight

Channel theory dx: Jueyin-Shaoyang sleeping disorder and personality + ST

Tx strategy: Jueyin-Shaoyang (III-VI) + LI &ST

Fourth treatment:

L : SJ3,10 + LI11Ax3 R: PC 3,7

L : LV8TAx4, 3 R: GB34,41 + ST36

Outcome: he falls asleep.

Tan Academy of Balance (TAB) Celebration day

April 26, 2025

 This April 26, 2025 from 11:00am – 2:00pm Pacific time join us for an exciting day of celebration and learning featuring Keynote Speaker John Mini!

Attend in-person OR stream live online! 

Full Celebration Day Agenda

10:30 am – 11:00 am Pacific Time – Sign in opens

11:00 am – 12:15 pm Pacific Time – Celebration Welcome Address & Graduation Ceremony with TAB Director Dr. Sonia F. Tan, DAOM

In honour of the Tan birthdays in April we are celebrating this year’s graduates of the Tan Academy of Balance Inc. mentorship programs: 

• Certified Balance System Acupuncture Practitioner Cohort 5

• Eight Extraordinary Vessels and Complementary Channels Cohort 1

12:15 pm – 12:30 pm Pacific Time – Lunch begins (lunch will be provided for in-person attendees)

12:30 pm – 1:15 pm Pacific Time – Keynote Speaker John Mini – fellow Dashi Tan Senior 16 student

Keynote Speaker John Mini: “The Future of Our Medicine in the Holistic Context of Our Future as a Planet: Science Fact or Science Fiction”

1:15 pm – 2:00 pm Pacific Time – Social and networking time!

Celebrate with us in-person or online:

Tickets are $12.99 + tax, including lunch for those attending in-person. Discount coupons are available for Tan Balance Hub members and alumni and Tan Academy of Balance (TAB) mentorship program graduates. Check for the code on the Tan Balance Hub!

Visit our website www.tanbalance.com/program-documents
or email hello@tanbalance.com for more information on all programs.

April Balance System Acupuncture Learning Lab

April 29, 2025

Join Suzanne Lǎoshī and Howard Lǎoshī for the last in our Zang Fu vs. Channel Learning Lab series, this time focusing on Liver and Gallbladder!

Who should join? Students interested in diving deeper into Balance System Acupuncture, channel theory, holography and Classical Chinese medicine.

Strongly Recommended PREREQUISITE: A minimum of BSA Levels 1 and 2 (Balance System Acupuncture (BSA) Foundations – Level 1: Single Systems + Level 2: Multiple System balancing) through Tan Academy of Balance (in person or webinars) or an equivalent course through another provider.

Join online for one hour from wherever you are!

We’ll begin at 12:00pm Pacific time on April 29, 2025!

Fee: free for premium members of the Tan Balance Hub (the private Tan Academy learning community). Coupon code can be found in the Tan Balance Hub Activity Feed. 

Non-premium members $8.99. Register on the TAB Hub through the Events tile.

* Please note: CEUs are only available for those who attend Learning Labs live online and complete the feedback survey.

* Learning Labs are recorded and available on the Tan Balance Hub Members Area. 

Sign up as a premium member for free access! 

Email hello@tanbalance.com for more information.

CEU information: CEUs are automatically eligible in many jurisdictions such as Canada, Australia, the UK and parts of Europe. No California eligibility at this time. NCCAOM may be eligible by submitting “from a non-certified NCCAOM provider”. If there is enough demand, California CEUs may be requested, and if successful, a surcharge will be applied and divided amongst those requesting.

Continued Learning Resources

         Books

Tan Academy of Balance Books

Dr. Sonia Tan authored this book as a reference textbook for BSA Levels 1+2: Single + Multiple Balance. It is an essential clinical reference.

Available in English, Spanish & International French!

Find a Practitioner

Find a Practitioner!
 Find trained or certified practitioners in your area.

~ Inspiring Confidence ~ Creating Balance ~ Motivating Evolution ~