In Acupuncture in Black and White, Godwin explores several important concepts with a healthy dose of irreverence - the Five Phases theory is no exception. This presentation explores the often-overlooked ‘cosmological arrangement' of the Five Phases and the implications of this perspective in acupuncture. Several novel ideas regarding Five Phases are presented here including a new way of mapping the interactions between the phases according to the Four Signs of the Yijing. Godwin also proposes a ‘four-stage' process through which the phases interact with one another. This process has implications in both diagnosis and treatment - both are explored here. This presentation offers an entirely new look at Five Phases theory; it is a must for anyone drawn to Five Phases acupuncture.
Jacob Godwin, EAMP, MAOM, Dipl. OM
Jacob Godwin graduated with his Master’s Degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine from
the Academy of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine at Austin (AOMA) in 2005. He practiced for
four years in Austin, Texas before moving to Spokane, Washington where he now lives and
practices. Jacob came to East Asian Medicine through his interest in Daoist and Zen
philosophies as well as his practice of martial arts, meditation, and qigong. Because of his
background in these philosophies, Jacob is well-versed in the theories that comprise East Asian
Medicine. This interest led him to write Acupuncture in Black and White: Qi, Yin-Yang, and the
Cosmology of the Yijing, an exploration of the very foundations of Asian Medicine. Jacob
currently enjoys life in the mountains of the northwest with his wife and family, and practicing
and teaching East Asian Medicine.
Jacob has practiced meditation, qigong, and martial arts for two decades. He has a black belt in
Kenpo Karate and has studied Taijiquan, Baguazhang, Yiquan, and Xingyiquan over the past nine
years. Jacob’s teachers include Kawakami Takayuki, Tony Morelli, Li Junfeng, Ma Dongxin,
Cheng Shaoming, and currently, Fong Ha of Berkeley, CA. Jacob practices and teaches Fong Ha’s
Taijiquan, Yiquan, qigong, Yijinjing, Tai Chi Ruler, and meditation. Jacob’s practice of these arts
greatly influences his practice and understanding of East Asian Medicine.
