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What a profound conversation this wasโa real unpacking of principles, where the philosophical meets the deeply practical.
The core of this whole thing, as we dug into with Ann Cecil-Sterman, revolves around the true action of herbs, whichโfrom the Taoist lineage we followโcomes down to pure taste, not just some chemical breakdown. Itโs that deeper "flavor sensing in the stomach." My journey with Superfeast has been about living the great Yin-Yang puzzle: holding the intense contrast between deep Taoist tradition and the necessary reductionist language for Western practitioners. That dance is what yields the "pearls of reciprocity"โthe philosophical gifts you get from the endeavor itself.
On a much deeper, personal layer, we dove into the conversation of living one's true blueprintโthat invisible path that keeps calling youโand the absolute non-negotiable commitment to staying engaged with your purpose, no matter what external role the world tries to pin on you (like "CEO").
Finally, we hit the essential travel principles. Ann gave a brilliant reminder about how much flying is a test of our fluids. To counter the hyper-dry, sterile air of planes, the trick isn't just plain water (which is a clearer that goes straight through), but what we call slow fluids or wet food (think congees, soups, stews) to ensure that constant, deep hydration. It also requires the mental discipline of non-busyness: cultivating stillness and focusing on your main job rather than jumping into "tourist mode." Itโs about being a "Fremen flyer" and absorbing the wisdom of a place by simply being still. If youโre ready for a reminder to stay engaged with your deepest purpose and learn essential travel health principles, this episode is for you.
Takeaways:
- [00:00:28] Herbal Action is Taste-Governed: In Classical Chinese Medicine, herbs act mainly through taste and the stomachโs โflavor sensing,โ not chemical constituents alone.
- [00:03:46] The Yin-Yang Puzzle in Business: Balancing Taoist tradition with Western chemical language creates โpearls of reciprocityโโunexpected philosophical rewards.
- [00:04:21] Living Your True Blueprint: Stay aligned with your personal purpose and express it in any role, even as a CEO.
- [00:10:30] Travel's Primary Rule: Hydration: Air travel severely depletes fluids due to dry cabin air, making deep, constant hydration essential.
- [00:11:02] Mindful Travel: Cultivate Stillness: Avoid over-scheduling; cultivate stillness, meditate, and stay focused on your core purpose while traveling.
- [00:12:04] Classical Medicine's 30-Year Plan: Three stagesโ10 years of practice, 10 years of writing, and 10 years of mentoring new teachers.
- [00:17:11] Water is a โClearer,โ Not a โHydratorโ: Plain water flushes waste quickly but does not provide deep, lasting hydration.
- [00:17:55] The Power of Wet Food (Slow Fluids): Soups, congees, and stews support deep hydration through slow digestive absorption.
Practical Engagement:
- Prioritize Slow Fluids: Especially before and during travel, replace plain water with "slow fluids" or wet foods like congees, porridges, soups, or stews to ensure deep, sustained hydration.
- Practice Mindful Travel: When you travel, limit your scheduled activities (e.g., "one museum" rule) to cultivate stillness, meditate, and focus on your core purpose rather than jumping into "tourist mode."
- Sip, Don't Gulp: If drinking plain water on a plane, keep it coming in small sips continuously throughout the flight, not in large, isolated glasses.
- Cover Your Skin: Treat flying like being a "Fremen flyer." Wear covering clothes to protect your skin and minimize moisture loss in the dry cabin air.
Resource guide
Classical Medicine Academy: anncecilsterman.com
Instagram: Follow @anncecilsterman on instagram for updates.
Connect With Us
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Check Out The Transcript Below:
Mason:
Hello, everyone, I've just quickly started, so we started having too good of a conversation about the flavor of herbs, so I thought I'd quickly hit record. And, what were you saying about the flavor of herbs?
Ann:
Well, first of all, I was congratulating you on your company, which is just incredibly inspiring, but we wereโฆ youโฆ and you were telling me that you had a sommelier taste theโฆ your herbs. And write comments, and And I was talking about how herbs work from a Chinese medical perspective, which really has very little to do with the chemical constituents And everything to do with the taste. So the tongue has taste receptors, but the stomach also has taste receptors. Soโฆ theโฆ there areโฆ you know, the various tastes that a food can have, and I guess, you know, in classical Chinese medicine, they narrow those down to 5 tastes. So each of those tastes triggers the body to act differently. For example, something that's sour. The instruction to the body is, when it tastes something sour, is to astringent. So it's like, if you pucker your lips up, anything that makes your lips pucker.
that's going to a string, so you want to give that kind ofโฆ I'm not an herbโฆ I'm a trainedโฆ I have trained in herbs, but I don't practice them at all. Butโฆ theโฆ butโฆ I use this theory with food, with advising people about food, which is essentially what you're producing. The sour taste causes, for example, the liver to hang on to blood. Toโฆ to learn to store it. And not to waste it or leak it. And the sweet taste, the body is triggered to send more qi to the spleen, to strengthen the spleen, to improve digestion, which is why There's so much craving for sugar in our culture, because people have, They have really damaged their digestive tract, and so they're craving sweet to mend the digestive tract, but they're using concentrated sweetness, which ruins the digestive tract, because it overtaxes the pancreas. Soโฆ
Mason:
the flavor thing, because I'veโฆ I had to be talked off a ledge a few years ago about my purism about flavor, and I was likeโฆ I was just joking with our, distributor in, distributor in NZ, And shout out to Taylor, we were laughing, like, and Monique, but me and Taylor were talking about, how he was, like, listening to the podcast, and I was like, I refuse to do capsulation, because I need that flavor, interaction. And I went really deep into that, and then at some point, it was like I had, clinicians especially, and oncologists, andโฆ and soโฆ and, and Gโฆ and justโฆ customers who were giving, herbs to their grandparents, and they were like, please, like, itโฆ you mustโฆ must be able to put them into capsules. And the flavorโฆ the flavor sensing in the stomach is probably what got me to be like, okay, as long as there is flavor in the herb itself. I'mโฆ andโฆ
I almost, you know, acknowledging, trying to beโฆ go back to those shamanic roots of Chinese medicine, and be like, right, I need to be able to walk in an interdimensional manner, but the whole point of it is the contrast of yin-yang. If I can maintain the extremes of those, say, oncologists that want to acknowledge chemical constituency, and be able to let that be, and build, and acknowledge, and give it its respect, and then hold that complete contrast, which isโฆ it's been a nice puzzle for me in understanding Yin Yang in SuperFeast, which SuperFeast always gives me, I call them pearls of reciprocity. as I do things that Iโฆ For my organization, thatโฆ Aren't myโฆ path. Which is actually something I wanted to bring up, with you, is, Chiang Mai and your two articles, because I think about them a lot at the moment, in terms of what is my path, what is my true blueprint, andโฆ
so on and so forth. Is it literal actions that I do, or is it a more an invisible path? And SuperFeast is my lesson to be like, I'm not aโฆ I'm not a business person, I'm not a CEO, butโฆ thenโฆ shifting that and going, no, but there's somethingโฆ it doesn't matter what's going on externally. There is a blueprint, and I can find an expression of my blueprint no matter what's going on, externally. But as Iโฆ do the puzzle of holding Yin Yang. which I kind of feel like is somewhat of the point of life, to an extent of the universe, is just working with that puzzle and having some fun with it. And, and then hold the contrasts for my organization and create systems and assets that allow the two opposing ideas to be and exist and dance together. That's when I get a pearl of reciprocity from my business, like a little gift of, like, a philosophicalโฆ
and that's kind of what we've done with, like, deepโฆ Taoist lineage, and we'll work with practitioners in their reductionism and where they're at. And it's been very interesting watching that contrast dance within my organization. Like, mouth taste buds versus stomachโฆ soul stomach taste buds. It's been very funny.
Ann:
Oh, what an adventure.
Mason:
Yeah, but flavor's an interesting one, as you bring up.
Ann:
Yes. Well, you know, people do want encapsulation, that's true. But, you knowโฆ There's nothing like if you're taking herbs, there's nothing likeโฆ unwrapping the paper, so Andrew doesโฆ Andrew's a nobalist. To my right, there are hundreds of herbs inโฆ containโฆ oh, let me peek, I haveโฆ Like, Pluto, I knew that.
Mason:
Yeah, moving on.
Ann:
Right, dear.
Mason:
Looking over you.
Ann:
Soโฆ There's nothing likeโฆ Unwrapping the paper. And seeing the raw, dried herbs just there, sitting there on the paper, and then they go into the pot. Andโฆ It's like a ritual, and then the smell permeates the whole house, or the whole apartment, and then you're smelling the smell, you're almost tasting it without tasting it. And it's very, very powerful. And when you do the encapsulation, you miss all that. You miss all that ritual, you miss thatโฆ direct connection to taste, so the taste receptors in the stomach are going to do that for you, so you're not really missing out, but there's There's a deeper level of registration in the body when you're tasting it on the tongue, and that's why you don't like it so much. the encapsulation.
Mason:
Yeah. Well, and also, I mean, I did acknowledge that, you know, there is a pillโฆ a big pill culture in traditional Chinese medicine and honey pills to hide the flavor of everything that's going in, if it's like, let's at least not be purists and just get herbs into people appropriately at the same time. Just on that oneโฆ because I'mโฆ I getโฆ I've got, like, practitioners, Western practitioners internally who are, you know, they're the ones that are like, well, at the same time as there is everything that's going on with the DAO, we have practitioners and regulatory bodies who need to actually know about constituency, which has been very funny for me. I always talk to people about the flavor and the action being the continuum of space between the stars, or between the things, and the constituent's just been the things.
That if you isolate a thing, you've just got one star, and you don't have space. And you actually don't have depth. And it's been interesting for me then to go, like, I've felt like I've had a permission to be like, right, I'm actually going to look at polysaccharides in mushrooms now, knowing that I've got it embedded in my team, that we don't move away from what I call, like, a galaxy of constituency, and undefinable constituents and undefinable relationships between constituents, butโฆ We've just kind of looked atโฆ there's a lot of studies coming out around You know, the sweet, looking at the polysaccharides and glycosides of the sweet, and looking at the bitter alkaloids and flavonoids, and the sour being the organic acids, and salty, they're looking right in the mineral-rich compounds, andโฆ At the end of the day, they're likeโฆ
and the oils is a big one, because that was the pungent, volatile oils that are present. they're looking and they go, oh, which extraction method is perfect? And it's all corroborating now on just very simple, traditional extraction, being like. Oh, it actually captures everything andโฆ
Ann:
It's gotta make you laugh, doesn't it?
Mason:
It's so funny.
Ann:
It always comes back to principle.
Mason:
So, with principles, as I said, I mean, I'm curious, you've just done another big round of teaching practitioners overseas. You were in Australia for a while, you've been, been all over Europe as well, I believe.
Ann:
I was in 16 cities. Actually, I was across the Pacific 4 times. I was in Australia twice, 8 weeks apart, and then in Europe 3 times. And yes, it's been quite incredible.
Mason:
we might need to actually just put, like, a little stake in the ground to ask about some travel tips, because that's alwaysโฆ I sometimes just go over the practical things, and someone that's got your depth of insight, and in relationship with your own body, and theโฆ you know, flying so much, it can hit us so hard. I feel like I even need a little bit of a reminder and some tips to stay healthy while I'm traveling. Maybe we'll just jump in there, if that's relevant.
Ann:
Oh, I'm so happy to talk about that. I think the main thing with travel when I wasโฆ I'm 61 now. When I was young, I could go to a city and do whatever I liked, and I could seeโฆ I could go to 5 museums and 2 concerts, and whatever, andโฆ and it would be fine. And, that's not the case anymore. Not really because of my age, but just because of theโฆ the sheer intensity of what I'm actually doing. And so the rule now is. for me, okay, so you're going to be in London for 2 weeks, let's say, which I was last month. You, you can see, you can go to one museum. That's it. The rest of the time, you're going to be meditating and focusing, and what happens when I do that is I always learn new things right out of the air. Just having the space and the time and being in different places. That every place that you go is full of wisdom. And you can beโฆ
You can be completely unaware of it if you don't have stillness, if you don't have some still time in the day. And that's been a really transformational thing. So that's the first thing, not to try to do too much, and to stay focused on the job. And the jobโฆ At the moment, I don't know, last time, did I tell you about my 30-year plan? Did I tell you about that? I can't remember. I don't expect you to remember.
Mason:
I do remember, in terms of having a network of clinics that are informed with what you're doing, does that fit into it?
Ann:
Yeah, so yeah, so the first 10 years was get as much experience as you possibly can, andโฆ and I've been in practice 20โฆ 25 years, really, soโฆ That was the first thing was, like, get it all together, and then the second phaseโฆ Was to write the books, because Material has to be written down for people to begin to want to know. Otherwise, it's just all in the air. And so that'sโฆ was the second 10 years, and now I'm in the thirdโฆ decade of the 30-year plan. Which is to, watch the teachers emerge. Andโฆ really doing these intensive trainings and the six-month mentorship, and just watching. And in every city, there's a couple. They might not even notice that I notice, but you can pick the teachers. And what I want to happen is forโฆ
Oh, someone said it was, like, like, poppies coming up from the ground, you know, I'd like to see that within 10 years from now, and then I could go off and paint, and I don't have to travel anymore, even though I love it. But getting back to the travel thing. The most important thing, by far, is hydration. on airplanes, and I flewโฆ this year, I flew the equivalent of 2.7 millionโฆ oh, sorry, no, 2.7 times around the globe, the equivalent of 67. 1,000 miles, a hundred andโฆ 101โฆ Something, 110-something thousand kilometers in four and a half months. So, because I don't travel while I'm doing the mentorship in the first 6 months. Andโฆ When you spend a lot of time onโฆ on airplanes. Youโฆ you expose your body to very, very dry and sterile air. Andโฆ this was brought home to me in no uncertain terms once, when I was on a plane from New York to Rome. And I was sitting in the middle of three seats.
That was the best seat I could get at that time. And theโฆ the woman in the middleโฆ Her husband got up on the aisle, and then she got up, and she upset a water glass. And the water glass fell directly back onto her seat and saturated the seat. And she was all upset about it. And thisโฆ the, the flight attendant came over and said, don't worry, don't worry now, you know, if you walk around the plane for 10 or 15 minutes and come back, it'll be all dry. And it was. So, thatโฆ degree ofโฆ You know, dehydration, because they thinkโฆ what they're thinking is, if we make the plane dry, if we lower the humidity, we're going to have less transmission of disease. And so, it'sโฆ it's actually done on purpose. And so the most important thing is to keep drinking, sipping the whole time, sipping, sipping, sipping, not drinking whole glasses at once, but just keeping that hydration coming in the whole time.
And also, covering your skin. Not having, you know, not goingโฆ On a claim with a wife beater on?
Mason:
I bring a college shirt with me sometimes. It's kind of like, do you ever read June? The Fremen? Keeping the suit on? Oh, they're in the desert, so they've got to keep suits on the whole time, and any bit of moisture that comes out gets recycled back into their body.
Ann:
Oh, God. Well, that's part of the idea.
Mason:
Yay. So when we fly, we're Fremen. We're Fremen flyers. Got it. Oh, that's true.
Ann:
I saw the movieโฆ I saw the movie in the cinema, which would have been in the 70s or something.
Mason:
That's them.
Ann:
Go ahead. So, the other thing is before you leave, for several days beforehand, to make sure you're fully hydrated. And hydration is one of the least well-understood aspects of health, I think. Because people think, you know, whenever I mention hydration in the clinic, people say, Oh, but Iโฆ I drink a lot of water, and their pulses say they are really dehydrated. So, there's a belief that water hydrates, and to a certain degree, it does. But mainly, plain flat water is a clearer. It clears the body, so it helps the body be able to gather all that cellular waste. Metabolic waste, and move it out through urine and feces and sweat. And when there's some kind of infection or invasion of a pathogenic factor, thenโฆ Plain flat water can help. In the short term, produce mucus, so that you can cough things up, or vomit them, orโฆ or cry them out, right?
But as far as The profound level of hydration that you need to sustain travel, which is a conversation. there has to be, thick fluids. They have to be what I call slow fluids. Slow fluids, meaning wet food, which is what Andrew talks about all the time, wet food. Which means things likeโฆ Porridges and conjis. Congees incredibly useful. And soups and stews. Because when you drinkโฆ when you eat wet food, Thatโฆ fluid. is held up in the digestive tract. It cannot go straight through. So, I remember when I was in high school. And they showed us a video of someone, some poor person, so you've got to remember this isโฆ Theโฆ this is the mid-70s. And in those days, the dangers of x-rays were not fully known, so there were all sorts of x-rays being done, and the shot that they showed us was of a man drinking water. in front of an X-ray machine, and you could see the water going down.
So he drank it, glug, glug, glug, and you saw it going down the esophagus and through his digestive tract.
Mason:
Wow.
Ann:
it was really amazing. I mean, I hope that he didn't die an early death from cancer, butโฆ But it reallyโฆ I remember this so vividly, this video. But if you take the water as congee, or porridge, or soups, or stews, Thatโฆ that cannot happen. the foodโฆ because it's food, so that food has to stop, has to stop in the stomach, then it has to go slowly through the small intestine, and beโฆ all those nutrients have to be absorbed. The fluid is not let go. And so, you have this constant, slow hydration through wet food.
Mason:
Oh, I love it. It's such a great reminder. Iโฆ Every few years, I think we've talked last time, I'm, like, I'mโฆ where I'm a naughty Chinese medicine boy is quite often forgetting to wear shoes when it's a little chilly. I don't do as manyโฆ I don't doโฆ I'm notโฆ I'mโฆ cold plunging's never been my problem, or anything along those lines. I'm good with a scarf. I like going walking after meals, but sometimes I forget to prioritize if I'm dry. It's like, duh, it's justโฆ about having some soups and some congees, and then Iโฆ and then whenever I do it, like, if I've got cracked heels, they just magically disappear.
Ann:
Yes, they do.
Mason:
I love it. Iโฆ can't stop thinking aboutโฆ what you talkedโฆ what you talked about in terms of not busying yourself and fully going into, I guess I would say, like, tourist mode. When youโฆ when you're traveling, but stayingโฆ I don't know what your wedding is, but, like, staying on, you know, staying on purpose, meditating, and staying, like, I guess, engaged. My, I know there's Taoist terms which completely elude me, and they've got nice flowery names for them, but, my teacher talks about it a lot, around intentional travel. And rather than going on holidays. staying engaged. And I justโฆ I think that does tie into somewhat what I'm thinking about for the people listening. You know, we have some practitioners who listen, or maybe more than some, butโฆ
a lot of the time, the practitioners listening are, you know, listening from the layperson point of view, and likewise, majority of people listening are just maybe people who are patients or fans of Chinese medicine. And I often think about, when I talk to, like, when Iโฆ when Iโฆ we've talked once, but when I talk to you, I always think, right, we want to get the latest Insight about how, as patients, we make life easier for the practitioner by what we can engage with. And make treatment more effective, or not burden the clinic, ifโฆ well, that's not the right word, but, you know, not come to the clinic if we can sort things out for ourself ahead of time.
And I just can't stop thinking about, like, 6 months ago, I think I read that Chiang Mai, article of yours about that channel where there's Blueprint and Path, and I feel like it ties into sometimes people wouldn't even know how to not travel As an escape from, you know, life and, you know, just to be a tourist for a while, which is nice sometimes, as you said. book a museum, every now and then, just have a trip for that. But then what it even means to feel, what it is to stay tuned in, and on your path, and meditate, and then get access to see what that place can give you that's relevant to your path. I feel like thatโฆ
I don't know, and especially with what's going on in the world at the moment, there's a lot of people getting lost in the world, rather than being able to engage with the world, but also really have their blueprint and their path emerging, and, you know, I've had a student of yours work with my mum, and, you know, and he was like, it's lovely, we'll treat, treat, treat, up to the point where it was like, right, now this is purpose time, so I'm gonna leave you now, and you can see that now it's time for you to work on that purposefulness with your mum, and here's the diet, here's the things toโฆ can maintain, and I love that, because it's not just continuing to treat, treat, treat, treat, and something that's just notโฆ yeah, it's a lot of things that I've thrown out there, but I'd love to just explore that.
Ann:
Yes, wow. Where should we start? There's so much there.
Mason:
Well, I feel like maybe starting with in patients, what it's like as a practitioner to see that there's not an engagement with that ability to extract or bring that blueprint into awareness, and what's practically in the way of that, because I feel like that opens up such a dam of we don't have to worry about not getting engaged with the world, being in the world but not of it. It just happens because we start marching ahead and canโฆ Yeah, get onโฆ get on with our beat.
Ann:
So, in terms of classicalโฆ Taoism. Well, Taoism is, by definition, classical, butโฆ
Mason:
Classical medicine.
Ann:
theory. Should we start from the beginning, perhaps, with the blueprint, in case there are listeners whoโฆ who are unfamiliar with the term? Soโฆ Is that going back too far?
Mason:
No, I think it's perfect.
Ann:
Nuts and bolts, soโฆ So, the way the theory goes, which is a beautiful theory, and it makes 100% Absolute sense to me. is thatโฆ We come in as portions of the God Force. You could think of a human being as being a sliver of the God Force, without a body, without a mind. And without a human spirit. Just a sliver of thisโฆ Beautiful spirit. And thenโฆ That spirit rhymes around. Looking for a place. In other words, two parents. that will provide them with an environment in which they can carry out their blueprint. And the blueprintโฆ Is the sense of purpose. Each of us has a sense of purpose, and we loseโฆ many people lose their sense of purpose. Theyโฆ they tune out, in fact, just yesterday. I was listening to an interview A very famous podcast. podcaster who, conducted an interview with a person who was, talking about how to start a business. You couldโฆ
he said you could start a business in 90 minutes, and you could make Xโฆ thousands of dollars a week, and it's very, very easy. And he came out, had all of these ideas. He said, you know, you could Rent or buy vending machines and find places to put them, and then all you have to do is find a person to stock them, and then you could, you know, you can make thousands of dollars a week doing that. You can ask AI to scour the internet and go to all the wedding sites and what they call sweep. theโฆ personalโฆ information, the email addresses from the brides and the grooms, and then sell them, you know, wedding arches toโฆ I mean, it went outโฆ it was really extraordinary, and it was being celebrated in this conversation. Andโฆ Sometimes I listen toโฆ current, you know, very, very popular podcast, because I want to make sure that my mind is not in this bubble.
which I can easily go into, into this really amazing bubble where people come in, and you're talking about this very esoteric stuff. You know, what's going on in people's minds that are not thinking about how to heal, and what healing is? What's going on in their minds? Wellโฆ It turns out that in the culture at the moment, the way I'm reading it is that there's aโฆ epiโฆ an epidemic. ofโฆ People losing their sense of purpose. Andโฆ This would beโฆ The prime cause of chronic degenerative diseases. So, going back to the theory, the spirit, findsโฆ Oh, the blueprint. So, each of these Spirits, before they come in, before they incarnate. theyโฆ They acquire, or they agree to, having a mission. Or a blueprint. Or a plan. A plan for that lifetime. Then they look around and they find the appropriate parents.
the parents that are going to provide them with the environment in which that blueprint can be lived out. And the blueprints areโฆ the variety in blueprints is as great as the imagination and greater. So, some people will need parents who Are very loving and nurturing, and another person to carry out their blueprint. requires, an absent father and an alcoholic mother, something like that, right? So, itโฆ All of these thingsโฆ when you put them through the Taoist point of view, the various circumstances that a spirit finds themselves in Are perfect for the blueprint. And cannot be any other way. In fact, my sonโฆ Oh. one of the first things he said, the first word he said was organic, but then the first sentence he said was. I saw you in Paris. Well, Paris was where Andrew and I met. Weโฆ we met there atโฆ Oh, so many people know the story, and I hope it's not boring, butโฆ
We met at 9.15, and we got engaged at 3.45 on the same day in Paris. Blind date. set up, you know, the whole thing. Soโฆ so Ravi told us, when he was two and a half, when he first started speaking. Andโฆ At the same time, I had already graduated from acupuncture school at the time, and I remembered these teachings of the spirit finding the right location, and there it was, right in my own home. This documentation of this theory. And thenโฆ Then the person is born, and they forget. They forget why they're there, because the mind is way too busy growing and learning how to pick up things and howโฆ Learning how to be in the world. And thenโฆ When the child becomesโฆ begins to be self-aware, and they've acquiredโฆ The physical skills and the mental skills that they need in order to be able to begin to register what they're here to do, then they start becoming interested in things.
They're interested in drawing, they're interested in martial arts, they're interested inโฆ In running, whatever it is. And it's the job of the parents to notice these things. Oh, my child is interested in this. how can I nurture this? Whatโฆ what materials do I need to get from the art store to, you know, without too much encouragement to just leave these lying around, right? Andโฆ So the, the purpose You know, when my son wasโฆ 16, he said, Mom. You didn't allow us to have any social time after school. You didn't. From the age of 5 until this year, when you allowed me to stop going to Kung Fu. You've had every single, opportunity for social engagement wrapped up in art on Mondays, and kung fu on Tuesdays, and piano on Wednesdays, and violin, and of course, being an acupuncturist, I was able to trade all these things. able to trade treatments forโฆ
with very happy people, for them to actually come into the home andโฆ and teach my kids all these things. Andโฆ That's one of the things, is toโฆ to get as much exposure to different kinds of things, to take them out, and, you know, and to haveโฆ expose them to different physical challenges, too. I mean, now, in Manhattan. the playgrounds are empty, even in the summer. The childrenโฆ you used to have toโฆ 10 years ago, you used to have to line up to get on the swings. And now you don't, because children are in front of iPads and computers and phones. They have phones to, you know, really. We could talk about that for ages, because it's tragic. Butโฆ There's a point where a person realizes, oh my goodness, I'm just so interested in marine biology. It's incredible, like, someoneโฆ someone mentioned it to me, andโฆ Then a teacher talked about it at school, andโฆ It's fascinating. Andโฆ So that'sโฆ Theโฆ
what we should be doing, really, is raising people to notice what they find interesting, because the way in which the blueprint is made known to a being isโฆ If we're talking mechanicallyโฆ We say the essence of the blueprint, in other words, the detailed plan for that life. Is stored in theโฆ Theโฆ we say the kidneys, but really the kidneys means the lower jowl. the region between the navel and the pubic bone, including all the reproductive tract. So the blueprint is stored there. So the creative energy that we use to create a human being is the same creative energy that we use to create our lives, to be interested in, to produce things. Even if they're not material things. And soโฆ So thatโฆ theโฆ Blueprint. uses the channel Chiang Mai, which is a live for people who don't know aboutโฆ The lines of energy that are in the body.
Chiang Mai is the name given to a line that's also translated as the penetrating vessel, but its main function It's second main function. Is to convey the blueprint The essence of the blueprint, up to the heart. Soโฆ thisโฆ Storehouse of the way that this lifetime is going to play out. is filtered up moment by moment up to the heart, and it's the heart that translates that frequency stored in Chong, that line of energy, into the feeling of interest. So then the heart says, you know, I'm so interested in cooking. I'll justโฆ all I want to do is cook all day. Andโฆ when peopleโฆ Accept that what they are interested in is important. Even when it is not apparently important to society, or they don't place very much value on it. When a person is able to hold to that, to be in integrity with their interest. In other words, to carry out, physically. Thatโฆ the pursuit of that interest.
They cannot become ill.
Mason:
that interest. piece. And I think even, like, that subtle excitement, I think you wrote in your articles, that if you bring that vision to life as a child. It's the same as a child, which isโฆ it'sโฆ this has been great for me to reflect on. We're very fortunate to have a beautiful Steiner School that we're at, where that's the core philosophy, but that'sโฆ if I'm not planning on driving it, then it's not being driven. I don't rely on the school to do it fully, and it's a nice reminder. It's like, oh yeah, that's no more to do other than that, which is really, really a beautiful framework for me at this moment. How thenโฆ I remember I've been very fortunate that I have been able to engage with that excitement, but I rememberโฆ Iโฆ whenever I talk to people now, actually at the moment, there's a lot ofโฆ there's a lot ofโฆ there's, I guess, 3โฆ ways that the AI thing is interacting with people.
one complete hopelessness that humans are going to get replaced by AI. Then there's the kind of entrepreneurial motivation scene who's like, it's notโฆ you're not going to get replaced by AI, you're going to be replaced by someone who uses AI. And then there's, I think, where you would be as well, and where Iโฆ where I talk to people is, like. You're gonna getโฆ there's no comparison between AI and a human, and so if you can engage in your humanness. You will skyrocket, and you will never be touched by this, and this isโฆ you can always use these as events for emancipation, or further freedom to go on your path. and they also respect the anxieties. Then it's the practicality of it. And I'm interested for you, like, a 30-year vision How have you gone about Feeling, excitement, engagement, and thenโฆ
filling that gap, because there are so many practical skills, there's ways, you know, there's so many things. For me, I'veโฆ I stumble because Iโฆ numbersโฆ I can'tโฆ you know, running a company, I'm like, oh, I can't hold numbers. I literally forget major numbers. Someone asks me, is the gross profit, and I'm like, hang on, gross profit, gross margin, and then it just scatters and I forget. That's a big reason for me not to have a company. Likewise, Iโฆ when I should be in a managerial leadership zone, I sometimes get thrown out, and my frustration gets the better of me. Oh, I shouldn't be doing this as well, but Iโฆ tweak, tweak, tweak, tweak, I don't know how I do it, but I want to hear from you in termsโฆ because so many people would be like, well, that vision's too big, and I obviously can't do that.
Then, what's that process that would enable people to find the clear path and actually go on a nice, patient, virtuous engagement with their path?
Ann:
You know, last night, I was at Philip Glass's house for a holiday party. Andโฆ he's beenโฆ He's one of theseโฆ Marvelous people whoโฆ is constantly saying that the best work comes with collaboration, and collaboration and BluePathโฆ sorry, sorry, collaboration and Blueprintโฆ Blue Path, I think I just did mention anotherโฆ
Mason:
Was gonna say, that's a lightning bolt moment right there.
Ann:
It's impossible. The reason that we come to Earth to carry out these blueprints is that there are other humans here. There'sโฆ you cannot perform anything of great value without the assistance of another person, I remember I was having a cup of tea with him. In Melbourne 20 years ago, and I was in the in the process of writing the red book, Andโฆ He said, how's it going, Annie? And I said, well, you know, at the moment, I'm studying, fonts. And it's really interesting thatโฆ how the history of fonts and and how they look on the page, and there's a thing called curling, and there's the distance between letters, and then there's the distance between words, and then there's the distance between the lines of print. It's so amazing. And he said, Annie, Annie, Annie. Get back on track. You, you don't want toโฆ Youโฆ There are people that know this stuff. And it was thenโฆ
and it was a real wake-up call. You don't doโฆ What is not innatelyโฆ enjoyable. Except for maybe your housework. You know, you don'tโฆ
Mason:
I would carry water reminder.
Ann:
Well, chop would carry water, but as far as Blueprint is concerned, as far as emission. What you're actually here to do on this planet. it'sโฆ sometimes you are required to whittle it down, but you just did this, Mason. You just stepped down from your position in your own company, you went sideways, and then you went up again in a completelyโฆ like, you sprouted up. In a role that you really wanted to do, and then youโฆ you delegated what you were doing to another person, and you're much happier. This is a constant feat with the blueprint. I need to achieve this proโฆ you know, classic example. I, always wanted to figure out a way that I could train more people in oneโฆ at one time. Andโฆ And then, you know, Geordie, whom you know, He said to me, He said to me, you know, you've got this great plan, butโฆ you know. This plan to create teachers all over the world.
And, I want you to know that the way you're going about it, it's just not possible.
Mason:
Oh, what a gift, when you have someone actually tell you it, it's such a gift, isn't it?
Ann:
such a gift. It was just extraordinary. And soโฆ he said, let me do it. Let me help you. Hand it over. And in myโฆ oh, and here's the test. Here is the litmus test for whether you're on point or not. I just realized the sun went down, and I'mโฆ I'm no longer in light. Should I get up and turn on light? Turn a light on?
Mason:
Oh, the light's still nice, yeah.
Ann:
the sun just set here in New York. Soโฆ As he was speaking to me. And we were having a cup of tea in Q in Melbourne. And as he was speaking to me, my mind, which is the enemy of the blueprint very often, was saying, are you serious? Do youโฆ really want to hand this over, this baby over, you're halfway through this, you're 15 years in, you want to hand this over to a kid who's 27, with no experience, who has not even graduated from acupuncture school. And, that's what was my mind speaking. And my body was relaxing. It was justโฆ progressively just loosening. All my muscles were justโฆ oh, my abdominal muscles were letting go, and that isโฆ The litmus test. And so, Iโฆ I said to my own mind, yeah, he chatted with me, which I often say to my own mind. Chatter away over the shoulder, but, you know, you're not actually part of this decision-making process.
And then I immediately said to him, yeah, okay, you got it, thank you. And we came to a deal, and The rest is history. He designed the mentorship program, and You know, we'veโฆ We're just about to put Start the fourth annual one, and by the end of that, there will be about 330 people having graduated from that program.
Mason:
So incredible. I meant to bring your red book, but Tani references it a lot, and so I just don'tโฆ there's some books I just don't take out of her office anymore. Thank you. They're too valuable.
Ann:
Thank you, your own copy.
Mason:
I don't touch that, because I'mโฆ I justโฆ then they just end up in the back of my car, and I forget to take them back. But congratulations on that. Just, likeโฆ theโฆ theโฆ I mean, trust in a processโฆ the practicalโฆ Feeling and sensing, and then being able to articulate that it's that relaxing of the body. And then I imagineโฆ a gentle and patient, nonโฆ I'm not gonnaโฆ because I've got a tendency to be like, hot potato, you take it, I'm running away. And then I go, oh, crap, my baby's not doing well. That'sโฆ I don't do that anymore, but that's what I learned about, like, 10 years ago. But then that patient handoverโฆ Because there'sโฆ I mean, it feels like there's infinite choice in what to do, but they're reallyโฆ In terms of what's really, really exciting, and what's really engaging, there'sโฆ in terms ofโฆ the blueprint, there's really not that much. It stays the same. When you knowโฆ
have friends who are trying to engage, or searching, or who are really deep on the path, you see that in all of your friends. It's like, 10 years later, 20 years later, you're like, oh yeah, no, it's the same flavor of what lights you up and what you're here to do.
Ann:
Yes. Exactly. And for me, it's what I'm thinking about. you know, every morning, I wake up, and I'mโฆ I think about my family a lot, my two children a lot. They're grown now, of course. But the very next thing I'm thinking about is the project. It's thrilling. It's just thrilling. Andโฆ and when youโฆ When people feel lost when they come into the office and they say, you know. I'm wondering, can you help me with my rheumatoid arthritis? Andโฆ You say, when did it begin? Well, probablyโฆ Oh, what, 18 years ago, andโฆ Andโฆ Okay, and what was happening 19 years ago? They say, oh, voila. I was in the middle of a really horrible divorce, or a company takeover, or I lost a dear friend, or a parent died, you know, 30 years earlier, or whatever it was. And then you ask them. And how have you felt since, or what are you thinking about? What interests you?
Say, I really haven't been able to think about what's interesting, I've just been trying to get over these. You know, getting up in the morning with this dreadful pain, and on they go, and they are notโฆ doing anything. That they really want to do. they'veโฆ they've talked themselves into not being able to because of this. I don't have enough flexibility. I don't have enough time. I don't have the money, I don't have theโฆ the, the wherewithal, I can't get organized, I can't discipline myself to put the first step inโฆ into gear. Andโฆ All of those things can be treated with the channels, Butโฆ If youโฆ ifโฆ what I like to ask people is. Okay, so let's imagine that youโฆ Somehow, someone gave you a lottery ticket, and you won. You won the lottery, so now you've got no financial constraints. You can do anything that you want to do. What would it be?
People never say to me, I would buy a gigantic yacht, and I would buy a house in the Caribbean, andโฆ excuse me, and I would buy, you know, a penthouse apartment in London, or whatever, but people don't tell me that at all. They say things like. Oh, I would get some land, and grow my own vegetables, and grow my own wool, or they say things like, well, I would paint, actually. Boys wanted to paint. Not sure if I know anything about painting, but I would justโฆ paint, or I would justโฆ I would, design a new surfboard. I would invest money in technology to figure out how to get an even better surfboard, because I love surfing a lot. So, they comeโฆ people come out with the most extraordinary things that they are not doing, that happen to be the things that they are most interested in. And the job of the body.
the physical body, one of its jobs, and I would say its main job, is to demonstrate to the person How they are thinking in a way that is limiting. So, a person with rheumatoid arthritis is, and I haven't come across a single case of rheumatoid arthritis, or osteoarthritis, for that matter, or lupus, orโฆ or multiple sclerosis, or Parkinson's. Where a person isโฆ a person's movement is curtailed because they're curtailing their own movement with their mind. I can't do that. I'm not ready toโฆ I'll never be ready to do that. I'm not good enough to do that. I wouldn't know where to start. I need more information. I need more money. I need moreโฆ more time before I get going. I even spoke to somebody today in the office, whoโฆ We both agree well, it's not my business, but I silently agreed. She should have left the job 15 years ago. And she didn't.
And she said, oh, if only I had the courage to leave this job, and I wouldโฆ I would travel, and I would collect fabrics, and I would do things with these fabrics, andโฆ Soโฆ Then she'sโฆ now she's fired. She got fired from this job that she couldn't quit.
Mason:
Good manifesting.
Ann:
Yes, it was the best thing possible, butโฆ Is the traveling happening? Is the collecting of the fabrics happening? No. No, there are too many things to wrap up. There'sโฆ I've got too manyโฆ I've got to get my house in order, blah, blah, blah. One thing I've learned about passion. And following the blueprint isโฆ has come with blogs, actually, that the action of a blog. So. So, Geordie, who runs the website, and Mark runsโฆ Mark actually runs the website, gotta give him credit where it's due. Geordie's the one that That digs the elbow in. You haven't written a blog for a month, what's up? Come on, I want one by tomorrow. I say, Johnny, the blocks don't come. They don't come with a static finger. whatโฆ but what does happen is that they come sometimes in a dream, sometimes I will wake up and the whole blog is there, which happened last Saturday. Andโฆ Soโฆ if I come out andโฆ
So, I got up late that day, and Andrew had cooked a whole congee, and the whole kitchen was full of activity, andโฆ and mess, andโฆ Deliciousness. And, so I came out into the kitchen. And I said to Andrew, hi, love, money, don't, don't, don't say anything, don't say a word. I have to get this down. and boom, out it comes. But in the old days. I would come out and say, oh, okay, I'm your sous chef. And then I would start washingโฆ washing, you know, pots and things, and putting things away. I don't do that anymore. I think if it'sโฆ if the mission calls in the moment, then I'm on the mission. And it doesn't take long. It's just soโฆ it's there, it has to be put down, and thenโฆ Andโฆ and everyone has these experiences. Oh, I've got a fantastic idea, and all I need to do is write it down, and then you ask them about it the next day they come, oh, thatโฆ what? Oh, that!
Oh, I hadn't thought of that, yeah. But they can't remember 70% of it.
Mason:
Yeah, it's such a beautiful, respectful thing to have in a relationship. isโฆ andโฆ and be excited. It's because it's soโฆ individually. You know, it's so nice, you know, we do so much together, and it's so lovely watching, you know, that individual muse, andโฆ download or excavation happen. Yeah, I reallyโฆ I love that. It made meโฆ makes me realize, you know, that, like, oh yeah, we're reallyโฆ we've really been working on that as well over the last year, and not just clicking into, like, better do my duty. It's like, the duty will be there, and you do it, so just relax.
Ann:
Yes.
Mason:
You justโฆ the other thing you just said then, I mean, the excitement part, I'm good at getting excited, and when I nowโฆ I think I know when there's a genuine depth of excitement versus just, like, oh, that would be cool. But theโฆ the inverse of that, which then bringsโฆ you said the word, like, when you feelโฆ I think you said engagement, but there was a word, you know, when there's, like, an interest, that's theโฆ genuine interest, I've found excitement I can, distract myself withโฆ Kind of, like, false. It's like, you know, like, falseโฆ yeah, false, interest. When there'sโฆ an easing and relaxing in my body, and an engagement, and an excitement. Just, that was a nice piece of the puzzle for me to remember, because, you know, hand me all the money in the world, I'm kind of similar, my mind goes, like, alright, you know, what are we doing? You know, what would we do? Andโฆ
the excitement's there, but I find that exhausting, almost, thinking about that false excitement. And then, when I go into the ease, it's like, it's all the exact same thing, but the only thing is you're not doing is it's actually moreโฆ restโฆ restful if you really allow yourself to look at what the actual path and project is, which I constantly suppress, because I'm like, oh, it's too much for everybody and too much for me. It's like, no! This is actually going to allow your nervous system to chill, get it out on paper, and then you don't have to hold it anymore.
Ann:
Yeah, or whiteboards.
Mason:
My pods are so good.
Ann:
You put it on a whiteboard, because if youโฆ when you put it on paper, the paper has to go somewhere. So, is it going to sit on the desk or the kitchen table and get lost? And put aside, or if you put it on top of the fridge, you know, it gets forgotten. If youโฆ where would you put that piece of paper? That is so important. But if you have a whiteboard. which I do have screwed to my living room wall, then you can write on it. And you can writeโฆ you can just scribble ideas as they come, but at the top, I have the 30-year plan written right across the top of it. And then I have a marker, like a green marker, and it nudges its way across. and then it's there, and then you can't forget it. It's in front of you the whole time. You're walking past it several times a day.
Mason:
Mmm. So cool. for those listening, you know, like, those who are, like, kind of popโฆ being, you know, working to be poppies, I know that feeling when I'm so in theโฆ in theโฆ in the soil andโฆ and waiting for my sprout moment, and also it's lovely you know, there's a blueprint feel, even through that, even though it's not a clear project or, whatever it is. You know, when you look at your students, you can see they're going through their emergence, and they don't even maybe realize that they're going to engage with these big things, like. what are those practical reminders? We call it here. We have, like, CEO, blah, blah, blah, but we have the CRO. Who's the CRO? Who's the chief reminding officer? Just keep these things going on. you create the conditions for the emergence of that clarity.
What are those practical recommendations for every listening from your CRO perspective, just to keep them on path, even if it's not clear yet?
Ann:
To practice. Toโฆ all they need to do is practice to be in it. So, when I decided to make the move to teach Thoroughly, internationally, you know, many, many cities. I thought that maybe I wouldn't have time to go into the office, maybe I shouldn't go into the office. And I very, very quicklyโฆ Realize that that'sโฆ actually not an option. You have to stay in. You have toโฆ you're constantly learning, and you're constantlyโฆ that action of being constantly in touch with patients, and putting what you're teaching in practice, even though you've already seen, I don't know, seen tens of thousands of peopleโฆ tens of thousands of sessions, right? Itโฆ their learning doesn't stop, actually. and theโฆ The realizations, or the minor epiphanies that can happen. Happen every day. And so, that's the main instruction. Don't stop practicing. Keep practicing, andโฆ Treat every single person.
As though you saw them for the first time, even if you've seen them hundreds of times. Because what you think is their pulse picture, as you take your pulses, what you think is probably no longer that. You need to take it again, take the pulses again with a fresh mind, and you can find a different nook and cranny. 2, 3โฆ
Mason:
I love it. And for those, for those who aren't. practitioners, it is really just going, well, alright, well, what's the baseline work? What's the work that youโฆ in yourโฆ that's in your, Or, you know, for your lineage, or for you, you know, for who you are, what's that like? You know, show up every single, you know, show up and keep on doing those practical things, and theโฆ I know that for me, it'sโฆ It's aboutโฆ always creatingโฆ newโฆ educational frameworks, and assets, and teaching a handful of people, and then relinquishing it, and then moving on. And that's something, as soon as I stopped doing that. all of my wheels come off, and I get really stressed, and then I remember, and I come back to that. Is thatโฆ
Ann:
Happening from every aspect of your business.
Mason:
Yeah, well, that's happening now, and then, at the moment, then myโฆ Now, the other thing I'mโฆ I reallyโฆ Iโฆ is a massive excitement and relaxing for me isโฆ working with, you know, I call us, like, you know, trippers, you know, the trippers who'veโฆ who are working on growing organizations in how to then work with an organization as an ecosystem and find, then, places to put these, These things that we bring through and have organizational structure that can bend and morph and actually integrate them. grow out there into the world. That's, likeโฆ but it doesn't matter whether I'm doing it about mushrooms. or, general path with the DAO, organizational structure. It's just frameworks for flow, and frameworks for, for effective implementation of something that goes from conceptual to practical. It really just keeps me grounded, and in the sense of practice, the same. It keeps me going, like.
Oh, that's right, another little insight. Oh, here we go. No, that's actually a bit distractโฆ a bit distracted. This is actuallyโฆ and year after year, I'm amazed that I'm just like, oh wow, yeah, I didn't really have it all together, I gotta keep on showing up for that.
Ann:
May that need to stop, right? May they never stop that feeling that, oh, there's always more to open up into.
Mason:
Mmm. I've loved this conversation so much, and I really feel like everyone listening has probably got some digesting of information and life and the universe and all things after that one. Is there anything else on the tip of your tongue or heart or mind?
Ann:
Yes, the AI thing is on my mind very much at the moment, andโฆ I think it's important for people to know Vet. If the grid goes down, That healing can happen by remote. The treatment of the channels can happen without an in-person session. So all of this can be done. over the phone, over the internet, or over theโฆ or by pre-arranged time. If the grid goes down, there's no internet, right? Butโฆ Get your copper landlines back. It can also be done By people who have no knowledge of acupuncture, which isโฆ so 30% of the enrolment in the mentorship program. are not trained Chinese medical people. They are fromโฆ Love that. Yeah. And soโฆ
Mason:
It justโฆ and even those people who haven't been in practice yet, or, you know, like, it's amazing. The fact that you leave that accessibility of this type of work is just something I just feel is difficult to land, and I think maybe why I reallyโฆ I think we did it last time, just before the mentorship program, whichโฆ does it start in March? Is that from my memory?
Ann:
January the 5th.
Mason:
Oh, perfect. So this will come out before then, and, for those needing needing a leap, yeah, to be jumping in and going on this 6-month path. Maybe a little, little top-lineโฆ About Bill.
Ann:
I wasn't saying that to sell.
Mason:
No, no, you're not. Iโฆ that's my agenda.
Ann:
I was really saying it because I want to start saying this out loud, because Ifโฆ let's say AGI, which is the main concern, Let's sayโฆ That it decides thatโฆ you know, the world would be better off with the internet shut down. Let's say it made that decision. And so, now we can't be in touch with each other. Across long distances. There will beโฆ Theโฆ the capacity to heal. Throughโฆ Indirect means. It's going to be there, and so I don't want people to worry that they're going to die, you know, that they're going toโฆ that they'reโฆ people won't be able to take care of their chronic degenerative diseases, andโฆ By the way, reverse them.
Mason:
Is that somethingโฆ even having peace in the face of, like, these big changes, is that just something you've found has emerged as you'veโฆ maybe it's, like, whatever generic thing is about to come out of my mouth, like, connected to self, connected to the blueprint, the project, do you just find naturally that it's like, oh. that AI stuff and the tech stuff isn't as real, or whatever happens externally is very important, and acknowledging that, it doesn't shake me as much, I don't have myself or my meaning or my identity wrapped up in it, so do you just find it not shaking you as much?
Ann:
No, it doesn't shake me, but it does drive me to hurry up and get as many people as possible. It definitely does that. But itโฆ it doesn't. I think, That we need to collect books. Books of knowledge.
Mason:
literal books, I'm just on your website, so Ancestorsmaneveryone.com, everybody.
Ann:
I'm not talking about my books.
Mason:
I know you're not promoting, but Iโฆ what happens, and it's like, if I don'tโฆ if I don't bring it up, there's always, like, about 5% of people that listen to the podcast who, like, are really going, like, I really want you to highlight what the extras are. And then, likewise, I think it's important for 95 of people might be like, oh good, I'll take that general concept of we need the books, we need to remember these projects, but I always, miss that little CTA call to action sometimes, so I'm trying to get better at that.
Ann:
Okay, so I can do that, I can do that. Thank you for the opportunity. So, we have an enormous amount of, offerings, a number of offerings. The main one, really, for people who are so-called lay people, which I just calledโฆ I call them interested people, is the Instagram. At Ancestors Instagram, and I, as often as I can, I put little lessons up there, little lessons in the principles of Chinese medicine. which many people find interesting. There's, there's also, for practitioners, there's a Facebook group, Classical Community, no, Classical Medicine Community, Classical Medicine Community. And then there areโฆ there'sโฆ there are blogs, and the blogs are designed to teach people the fundamentals of Chinese medicine in aโฆ in a way that's couched in day-to-day life, and that'sโฆ all that's on my website. And then there are books, andโฆ I know, I'm forgetting things. We justโฆ
we try to put up as many things, and there are free resources in the bookstore on the website.
Mason:
And there's such great books. I mean, I just, like, the last time we talked, you just launched Becoming Healthy, Staying Healthy. And every now and then, a book does the rounds, and that one's actually done the rounds with a few of my team members. I saw it on a few desks, so it's always, like, lovely for me to see.
Ann:
That's my most important book. Becoming Healthy, Staying Healthy, yeah.
Mason:
I agree. I mean, and also the welcoming food, Andrew'sโฆ Books are always, always, being borrowed, and I always have to remind people to bring them back, because they just want to leave them in their kitchens.
Ann:
Becoming Healthy, Staying Healthy. They're two great books, and they are focused in wet food. Wet food brings true health.
Mason:
So cool, so practical. I'm so glad we got in for the mentorship program. 6-month classical acupuncture and remote healing training. I mean. We do get a lot of, clinicians, but especially a lot of students of Chinese medicine, and I forget my CRO. I forget that a lot of people Who come in haven't been here for, say, the last 6 years of this podcast, orโฆ tuned in to, yourself, Andrew, your teacher, Jeffrey Ewan, is that the name? Jeffrey Ewan, and the nature of the, you know, the difference between maybe a TCM university model or a classical Chinese medicine-rooted practice that has perception and everything that you're talking about. The extraordinary's been integrated into, into clinic.
For those listening, and you are like, I feel like I got a good baseline of education and had to go through the practicalities, and now I'm looking for that next place to actually reconnect with what I sense is at the heart of Chinese medicine, or healing in general, this isโฆ Where? This isโฆ this is it. This isโฆ a really great option, I should say. Yeah, so I justโฆ I wanted to just make sure I remind everyone of that, so if you knowโฆ If it's yourself listening, or friends, or, who are looking for that path, this is anโฆ this is an option worth, sending to them, and the mentor-ship program, 6-month classable acupuncture and remote healing. Practice the classics in alignment with their intention by learning the complete teachings, the complete, complement channels of acupuncture, soโฆ Yeah, I justโฆ I always forget, and I'm like, that we need to remind everyone of that.
Ann:
Thank you, Mason. Where do I send the cheque? Thank you.
Mason:
Yeah, that's, there's, there's, there's karmic checks in the mail already, so that'sโฆ and it is just exciting, I'veโฆ yeah, theโฆ It is just exciting watching, you know, watching it all, you know, all of our work weave together. I love it.
Ann:
And I'mโฆ I'm just loving your astragalus. Your Stragulus product is justโฆ it's brilliant. Beautiful. I use it as a tea. I just treat it like myโฆ my tea.
Mason:
Tonifies the spleen.
Ann:
COVIDs?
Mason:
doesn't surprise me. I mean, in terms of nourishing the treasures, which is, you know, theโฆ and cultivating the treasures and protecting them as the jam of theโฆ like, generally, those who get deep on the path are eventually like, oh, cool, you know, jing tonics kind of fall to the side, Shen tonics kind of fall to the side, and it just becomesโฆ the qi herbs just find their way as the permanent, because it's like, oh, we just need to maintain momentum until we get to our crescendo now.
Ann:
Yes. large collection of stuff, yeah, beautiful. Congratulations on everything you're doing, and doing it with integrity and respect for the earth, andโฆ
Mason:
Thank you so much, I really do appreciate that. It really makes meโฆ I reallyโฆ I'm working on acknowledging what we're doing at the moment, so I'll let it in. Thank you. Well, I love your work so much, send all of our love to Andrew as well. Everyone wants to listen to Andrew's podcast. I believe he was on the podcast with Tani, a few years ago. So you can go and, if you want to jump into that food side of things, so that's, yeah, that's, that's there, and please jump on to, Anne. Cecilsterman.com, all the links are there if you need to find them, but yeah, follow the Instagram. At the very least, that is your instruction. Homework is to tune into your blueprint, everybody, and thank you so much, Anne.
Ann:
Thanks for having me, Mason. Lots of love.
