Dr. Tan’s Health Expo Set for
July 20-23
By Robert Ross
Wisdom - Happiness
- Longevity
Dr. Richard Teh-Fu Tan, O.M.D., L.Ac., has long been a fixture in
San Diego’s health community. His resume reads like a Who’s Who in Oriental
medicine. He has more than twenty-five years of experience in the field. He’s
an Acupuncturist, has coauthored three books on health, has his own radio talk
show, and is a master of Chi Gong and Feng Shui. Oh, he also lectures worldwide
on Oriental Medicine. In July he will be adding one more credit to his resume.
He will be hosting an Expo in San Diego on Oriental Medicine over a four day
period.
Recently I had an opportunity to talk with Dr. Tan about his upcoming Expo.
Ross: What gave you the idea to do an Expo?
Dr. Tan: I have been teaching Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture classes all over the country to many doctors and acupuncturist practitioners. Also, I have been practicing Chinese Medicine for twelve years here in San Diego. From my experience, I felt that as we enter the twenty-first century, we’re losing the balance between the high-tech, fast- paced culture and the very natural, relaxing, nourishing and nurturing culture. I found that many of my patient’s illnesses are a result of emotional stress. Because of that, I felt I should run an Expo with classes and workshops for four days, to get people together to rethink their problems and to investigate and research the solution to these problems. That’s the idea I have, to learn from the teachers and to gain wisdom through brainstorming. That’s why the title of the workshop is “Wisdom - Happiness - Longevity”.
Ross: Tell me more about this idea of wisdom, happiness and longevity.
Dr. Tan: From the classes, the instructors and brainstorming, we can gain wisdom and understanding. How do we position ourselves in the twenty-first century in the United States in this culture?
From the experience in the Expo, we can achieve insight for our own happiness instead of pursuing material success in an attempt to satisfy ourselves. I’ve found out that in general, people in this country already have their basic needs met, and yet they are more and more unhappy. Hopefully we will see if we can find something, through the Expo, that brings us happiness. From this happiness we can have longevity.
Ross: What kinds of people are you expecting to attend?
Dr. Tan: There are two curriculums at the Expo. One curriculum is designed for practitioners of Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture — including western medical doctors, chiropractors, and other practitioners. They will be able to get continuing education credit for their attendance.
The other curriculum is open to the public. It’s designed for individuals, families and friends. We have classes in Chinese music, flower arranging, Chinese brush painting, photography appreciation and Feng Shui. We’re also offering Chi Cultivation classes and Filipino-style martial arts and bodywork.
Through these classes people can learn to appreciate beauty — Chinese and Oriental beauty.
Ross: I notice that on Saturday of the Expo, you’ll be teaching a morning and afternoon class on Feng Shui. Tell me about that.
Dr. Tan: People in this country think Feng Shui is something like a formula. You go into a house and it (Feng Shui) tells you where to hang the wind chime, where to put a crystal, where to put a painting, where to put a water fountain and where to put a fish tank. That’s it.
To me, to really understand Feng Shui, you need to understand how to achieve harmony between the environment, body and the mind. That’s why at the Expo, for two days before the Feng Shui class, I will give classes on the arts. People need to understand the spirit of Chinese art before they can understand the decor and spirit of Chinese Feng Shui. If you don’t understand Chinese art then you won’t know the beauty of Chinese harmony. This includes music too. How do we play the music in order to generate a certain kind of energy? That’s important.
Since Feng Shui originated in China, we’ll be focusing more on the Chinese arts in order to understand the meaning of Feng Shui. In the future we will have more curriculum dealing with western art — how do we put western art and Chinese art together in this culture.
Ross: I see in the Expo schedule that a class on Face Reading and Diagnosis will be offered. That sounds interesting. What does that involve?
Dr. Tan: This class will be taught by Lillian Garnier, and will be open to both the public and health practitioners. In this class you will be taught how to read a face — look into the complexion, shape and skin — to understand the general health condition of the particular person.
From there you can also tell the emotional level and mind level of the person. From the class you’ll also be able to understand what kind of person will be beneficial for you to have as a friend. Many times our intuition tells us that we like or we don’t like someone, but the face reading class will help us understand how and why.
Ross: what is your overall mission or goal in presenting this Expo?
Dr. Tan: The whole idea of the Expo is to help people find their genuineness, kindness and beauty. This is where wisdom comes from. And how do you balance these three factors? If we can live with genuineness and kindness, then we will enjoy beauty.
Our mission and goal is to help people achieve these balances that will lead to happiness. As the interview came to an end, we talked about the expectations and the logistics of the Expo. Dr. Tan then presented me with a Chinese poem in calligraphy. The poem itself was a large print suitable for framing. There was also a translation in English. The poem was brief but captured the spirit of the interview and perhaps the spirit of the upcoming Expo: “If you seek peace, it is not necessary to follow the sound of the morning bell because peace is everywhere. In your life you can take the easy path, or scale a thousand mountain roads, it all depends on the truth that is in your heart.”
If you’re interested in knowing more about Dr. Tan’s Expo, please see the ad on page 27. You can also call for additional information at (619) 224-6886 or visit Dr. Tan’s web site at: www.drtanshow.com.
Robert Ross can be reached by e-mail SanDiegoRoss@Yahoo.com
Copyright 2000 by Robert Ross, all rights reserved
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