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The Code of Nature in Chinese Medicine

I am honored to share my thoughts on Chinese medicine and life.

Here, I aim to share the subtleties of Chinese medicine as they are revealed in the classical texts—the Nanjing (Classic of Difficulties), Nei Jing Su Wen (Simple Questions), and Shang Han Lun (Treatise on Cold Damage). These Han dynasty writings form the foundation on which all Chinese medical thought rests. They are not just historical documents, but living texts that continue to inform the practice of medicine today.

Chinese medicine is a dynamic and evolving system, rooted in an understanding of the cycles of nature—solar, lunar, and seasonal. It is a medicine of time and space. Its power lies not in static diagnosis or fixed categories, but in its ability to move with the rhythm of life itself. The goal is not simply to treat symptoms, but to restore vitality—to support a strong, flexible state of internal balance, what we call a homeodynamic state.

This practice is about more than physiology. At its heart is an attunement to the world around us—the rise and fall of the sun and moon, the changing seasons, the tides of the ocean, the flowing of rivers and streams, the slow breath of glaciers. Chinese thinkers observed these patterns closely, and from them built the philosophical and practical framework that guides this medicine.

This is the code on which Chinese medicine is built. We experience it through resonance—ying 應—as well as through the principles of yin and yang, the five phases, the twelve primary channels of acupuncture and moxibustion, the five yin organs and six yang bowels, and countless other frameworks. But these are not simply things to memorize. They are alive. And to truly understand them, one must live with them.

It takes time. It takes observation. It takes patience. To embody this virtual world—the living architecture of Chinese medicine—requires more than study. It requires a willingness to align oneself with the rhythms of nature. To live by the code, not just understand it. Only then can the medicine reveal itself in its full depth and clarity.

All input to the human organism is ‘information’

and must be managed economically and effectively in order to create order, not chaos inside what Claude Bernard called the ‘internal milieu’. This can be in the form of acupuncture and moxabustion, herbal medicine, massage, diet, music, mental and emotional impressions, and exercise.

Upcoming Workshop

Circadian Dissonance: The Elephant in the Room

With Z’ev Rosenberg and Stephan Cowan

EVENT DETAILS

Date: July 9, 2026

Time: 9 AM – 2:30 PM

Location:
8980 Villa La Jolla Dr., Room 330
La Jolla, California 92037

Registration: $50

Stephen Cowan and Z'ev Rosenberg

About the Workshop

In the past 20 years, an emerging field of research has demonstrated how dysfunctional circadian rhythms underlie a host of chronic physical and mental disorders, including inflammation and neurodegeneration.

Every cell in our body has its own innate circadian clock, organized by the master circadian pacemaker housed in the suprachiasmatic nuclei in the brain. When synchronized, the organism functions effectively at the cellular, tissue, and systemic levels in its ability to adapt to change. Cellular metabolism, epigenetic modification, gut microbiome function, immune response, and cognition all depend on our connection to the rhythm of day and night.

For over 2,000 years, East Asian Medicine has based its understanding of health on our deep connection to the dynamic processes of circadian and seasonal cycles described as Yin and Yang. Light and dark function as fundamental mediators of organ function that promote immune resilience, mental health,
and longevity.

In this presentation, Z’ev Rosenberg, LAc, and Stephen Cowan, MD, co-authors of A Ring without End, will discuss an ecological medical approach to improving circadian rhythm regulation. Through case discussions and clinical examples, they will explore the implications of circadian health in the treatment of hospitalized patients.

UC Sandiego Centers for Integrative Health

PUBLICATIONS

Announcements

Introducing “Ring Press”

Introducing “Ring Press”, and concurrent formation of “The Ring Collective”, including Stephen Cowan, Z’ev Rosenberg, editor Daniel Schrier, Brian Kirbis of Theosophie, Anne Shelton of Ritual Health, and Christophe Wiesendanger

New Volume!

The long awaited publication of A Ring Without End: Reflections on Classical Chinese Medicine Mind/Body Mapping on our new publication imprint, “Ring Press”.

Available in March 2025 from Redwing Books and Amazon. Authored by Z’ev Rosenberg with Stephen Cowan, M.D. with contributions by Brian Kirbis and Anne Shelton Crute, edited and contributions by Daniel Schrier.

Upcoming Author Appearances

Additional book signing and seminar events are planned tentatively later in the year in San Diego, Berkeley, Los Angeles and Santa Fe/Taos. Stay tuned!

Featured Content

Articles, Videos, Podcasts

Qiological podcast: Perspectives on the Mingmen

With Anne Shelton Crute, Thomas Sørensen and Z'ev Rosenberg, Interview by Michael Max

Three seasoned practitioners of Chinese medicine gather to explore the Ming Men (Gate of Destiny) from textual, palpatory, and alchemical angles, treating it not as a fixed definition but as a living question worth circling. The conversation moves from classical sources like Nanjing 36 to hands-on clinical markers, examining how ministerial fire functions as activation and presence rather than simple heat. Topics range from palpating cold below the navel to the risks of suppressing fire with cold bitter herbs, and zoom out to consider yin-fire civilization as an ecological mirror. Equal parts rigorous and open-ended, the episode guides practitioners toward better questions rather than settled answers.

Elevated Practice podcast: Classical Medicine and Cycles – A Ring Without End

In this thoughtful conversation, Gretchen speaks with Z’ev Rosenberg about a fifty-year journey into the Chinese medical classics—from an early encounter with the I Ching to a lifelong immersion in the Nei Jing. Z’ev explores how ancient metaphysics, natural cycles, and modern clinical practice intersect, offering grounded insight on staying true to classical principles today. The episode also highlights the cyclical vision behind A Ring Without End, and how its structure guides readers through personal and classical discovery.

Bad Medicine podcast: Rethinking Medicine – What Doctors Can Learn from Acupuncture

In this compelling episode of Bad Medicine, Z’ev Rosenberg—acupuncturist, teacher, and among the first licensed practitioners of Chinese medicine in the United States—reflects on what modern healthcare has lost. Through vivid clinical stories, he illustrates how healing unfolds when we engage the body’s innate intelligence rather than impose treatment upon it. Emphasizing collaboration, lifestyle, nutrition, and spirit, Z’ev offers a grounded yet visionary model of medicine that is ecological, humane, and deeply restorative—inviting both practitioners and patients to rethink what it truly means to heal.

Articles

Congee in Chinese Medicine

Z'ev RosenbergNovember 22, 2023 粥 Zhou / Congee and Chinese MedicineA foundational principle of health… to nourish life and seek peace and joy is not a matter lying deeply buried or far away and therefore [...]

Uncoming seminar in Berkeley

Announcing Berkeley workshop in Nan Jing Vessel Diagnosis, based on my latest book, "Ripples in the Flow". CEU's pending, and it will be held in a beautiful yoga studio (location to be announced shortly). Sponsored [...]

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