Transcription
Bologna. The whole thing always gets back to drugs. Hello, my name is Sandra Gracia, and I’m a licensed acupuncturist. So you know, the serious interviews with the experts, and some of them, you know, you might have heard of them before; some of them might be new to you. And you know, this vlog—although I’m Portuguese, not a big secret—and I’m in Ireland, also not a secret—never had anyone from Ireland. So I’m, I think it’s about time to change that.
On the other side of the line, on split screen, I have Dave Gypsy, the author of Mastering the Art of Abdominal Acupuncture. So not only are we going to know a little bit more about Dave and his courses and the workshops he’s done all over the world, we’re going to learn about his book as well. I think he has something really cool to share with you all that is not even in the public domain yet. So if we’re watching this as it’s coming out now, earlier in the week, you’ll get to know this before even it’s all online. So, and that’s pretty cool, and I really appreciate Dave taking the time to talk to us. And as I said, he’s the author of Mastering the Art of Abdominal Acupuncture; it’s a fabulous book. He is, he’s gonna have the honor of being the first Irish person to be interviewed for the, for the vlog. I hope you enjoy it. Oh yeah, I hope he has plenty of surprises for us as well. And I’ll leave some details on how we can get your hands on his book. But to tell us more about him, this new course that he has coming up real soon, and about his book, let’s go to split screen and talk to Dave Gypsy.
Dave Gypsy: Thank you so much for being here, for taking the time to, and just have this little chat about—well, we were going to talk about the book, but I believe that you have some great news you want to share with everyone about your course coming up. So, and here’s the platform, tell us more about this, and—well, thanks.
Sandra Gracia: Thanks for the invite. Come on.
Dave Gypsy: So pleasure, and first time talking to you face to face. We’ll have to change that. And yeah, and it’s, it’s great, but my abdominal acupuncture online is going really well, and we’ve, last year we ran three different courses, and, and it’s kind of evolving as we go along, and, and really it is, it, I wasn’t too certain about it when we were about to release the first episode or the first issue offered, and then we introduced a fact factor into it that makes it really personal. So I’m actually mentoring on, on the course for four weeks. Unusually, it actually ends up being about five or six weeks. So it’s different to a lot of other online courses. You know, you don’t just get the video to PDF and you work way through it. We actually try and schedule it so I do, every week I do a Facebook Live or a group Live—I’ll probably actually be using Zoom from now on—and so that I talk to the participants and try and suggest where they should be in, you know, third course, and you know, if they’re not up to speed, that’s fine, but it really makes it an almost like doing a live presentation because you get that emotional connection with the participants. And so we have a platform for people to, and send me their attempts at abdominal acupuncture, and they can discuss what third case histories are, semi-photos, and it’s, it’s amazing, really. And the first course that I ran on my last video that I was doing it was like, all right, my little ducklings, go and fly, but was the heartfelt, genuine, and very different to what I thought it would have been, ya know. I’m really delighted with the way it’s turned out so far.
Sandra Gracia: This course, just to tell us one thing then, for this course isn’t just for—is it open to anyone, or does it have to be for someone who’s done one of your workshops before? What way is it structured for, for people to, to know how to register?
Dave Gypsy: Yeah, and this course is primarily for acupuncturists, our final year and students of acupuncture. I have had people who’ve done my live course do the online course because I suppose you have access then to all the material and all the video and all that stuff, and, and, and I’ve had it the other way around as well, that people have done my online and they come to my seminars.
Sandra Gracia: Mm-hmm.
Dave Gypsy: And but you can do it, look, good. Some people have read my book, some people have never even heard of it, so, and they just saw this course and thought they would do it. So really it’s open to anybody if you’re looking for a new and, or a different way of treating clients, is whatever I need to use to get results. And I’d say 85, 90 percent of my treatments are abdominal, and I’ll mix it up, but usually initially I start purely with abdominal, and if that, if I need to use digital points—of use digital points—one thing I don’t use and pretty much at all, since since my partner had our baby, I haven’t used a black point. And so four years ago when she was in labor was the last time black points, and that didn’t go down too well. But anyway, and so yeah, it’s, you know, it’s open to, to anyone. And the amazing with the internet, online stuff, you can have participants from every corner of the world.
Sandra Gracia: Yeah, that’s the beauty. You can, you can spread the word. And again, there ‘cause I’ll talk about that in a little bit more detail to tell you, because you know about this, but it’s, it’s the way that we can connect to, to everyone. I’ve had people from all over the world recording stuff with me for the vlog, and now you’re actually in Ireland, and we’re still using technology to record because it just makes it more convenient.
Sandra Gracia: So where do people go to, to register? I suppose the registration will open soon, so we don’t need to talk about dates, just so that we don’t make, they don’t put a time stamp on this, but registration is opening soon. I’ll put the details down here. What’s the website that they should go to?
Dave Gypsy: To register, the website that they should go to, if you check, learn abdominal acupuncture, okay, I think I could punch about dot net. Okay.
Sandra Gracia: Worried the wonders of technology mean that I can also edit this, and then down here I’ll have the proper link to it, so it’s, it’s fine. And I’ll put it on the description area as well, so that’s okay.
Sandra Gracia: You know about people, you were saying about people not knowing about your book, like you’ve been all over the world and they’ve been doing workshops and lectures all over the place, so I don’t think there’s not many people who don’t know about your book.
Dave Gypsy: And because—yeah, true.
Sandra Gracia: Yeah, okay. Yeah, I’ll give you that, but last year, so towards the end of the year, and someone who you know well as well from the other side of the world was walking around a conference in San Diego, and you go, oh, I’m not a minute, that’s Dave Gypsy’s book. So you are reaching everywhere; it’s, it really is wild and totally unexpected. And like the book never nearly didn’t get released because, you know, you can have self-limiting self-doubt, and oh, I should do this, and I should do that, and my partner and myself, like we went through some hard times with, you know, the final tri-note because I was, I really wanted to get this book out, and I was the first English, English book on abdominal acupuncture, and so was it ended up taking me nearly four years, and, and now I know had to use Word, but I should never have used Word, anyway.
Sandra Gracia: Yeah.
Dave Gypsy: And just people were so generous. The likes of Brad Whisenhunt was really good. I asked a number of people to prove it, and, and actually, you know, Brad was really good, he came back to me in two weeks, and again it was just through social media, and somebody recommended that people buy his book. I bought it, said, oh yeah, it just bought it, and he responded, and then it’s not all, maybe I’ll chance my arm here and ask what he proved my book—can he, he read my book, and he came back with all these great and powerful words—awesome—and you know, and then that was what gave me the confidence on it. And somebody else that I met through the clinical club here in Ireland, and Ryan Peterson, he was really helpful as well, and really encouraging because you could very easily, or I could very easily have sat on this, and it, it is like going out and exposing yourself, going naked across the street, everything is bared.
Sandra Gracia: Yeah.
Dave Gypsy: I’m not, and what people have been so supportive, and it’s, it really makes, you know, the whole internet thing more actual family.
Sandra Gracia: Yeah, true. Yeah, it makes it all more real because it actually connects us all, you know, that’s what I always thought, and I said to myself, I’m definitely gonna have to have you as soon as possible because I thought that was hilarious, you know, here I was, you know, so we’re in the USA, there’s someone from Australia walking around to tell the guy who’s in Ireland, saying, here’s another book from Ireland.
Dave Gypsy: Yeah, yeah. Nikki was the one who noticed that your book was there, so it’s, it’s, it’s great for you in a way, but you’ve also been through a lot of other European countries, that have been to the U.S. as well, that I’m sure it’ll be more stuff planned. So this is what really connects us, and you have to ask, you have to put yourself out there and ask.
Sandra Gracia: Yeah, yeah, big time. And it has been, I mean, social media has been great for me, and it’s lovely then when you meet these people in real life, and that connection, it’s like if you ever go traveling—well, when I was younger, you know, you’d go backpacking or whatever, and you make these connections with people, and it is lovely, and it’s, it’s very real. And I know there’s a lot of people that go, oh yeah, Facebook’s a load of baloney, and it can be, but you know what, it can be very powerful, and it can make real connect. Isn’t it just like any other tool, you know, in the right hands you can do stuff, and in other hands you do something that it’s not appropriate, but that’s like anything else in life, you make the most out of what you have, so I just go, go with the flow, I suppose. But then again, you know, it’s not just as simple as you are, as you are putting it here, because it is a good book though, like first, first, first things that I would say, and I was thinking about what I was gonna say to you, and I know this is gonna sound terrible on camera, but the illustrations are actually quite nice, and it just sounds like I was looking at your book because of the pictures, but, but it wasn’t like that, because I actually have to say something about the language. I found, I don’t know what feedback you’re getting from people, but I actually found the language quite accessible, so it’s easy to read, and it’s, it’s like to me it read as if you were writing it while you’re in the clinic, you know, the kind of way where you’re talking to a patient, and it’s not like that medical, there I say boring pace, it almost like you need a time and space to read it, but your book, it’s like, yeah, it’s like language that you would use to a patient. It’s easy to read, it flows well. And I said, yeah, the pictures are really nice though.
Dave Gypsy: Pictures are—yeah. And I was too loaded with them after, and say actually that was Sam, a friend of mine who’s an amazing guy, he’s a dancer, he’s a martial artist, he’s an illustrator, he’s an art teacher, but I actually, and we did most of that on a barter system. I did pay him a certain amount as well, but, and I was, yeah, I was delighted with the art but he had done, and actually some people said that the cover of my book I should just put, and you know, abdominal acupuncture, and learn, and just keep it real simple, and but now I have to say I really like the cover of the book, so yeah, I mean it might, and it might appeal to as many people, arty as fast hidden, but no, I loved the illustrations, and, and I did try and keep it, keep it real. And I remember my brother actually gave me some advice when I started writing and blogs and stuff, I think just speak like you’re speaking to me now.
Sandra Gracia: Yeah, I did like you’re speaking to me now, so that’s Sam.
Dave Gypsy: Yeah, and so it, I think it’s worked well. Now I enjoy, and put in my personal slant on it, makes it more relatable as well. Yeah, you know, we are like, you know, some of the platforms, the acupuncture platforms are a little bit more rigid than others, some of the groups are more fun-loving, and I definitely go more with the fun-loving, but with the very real. Yeah. And I did, years ago when I finished school, and when I finished my biology degree, I thought I’d go into teaching, but then I realized that, you know, you know, pubescent kids, lovely, great, who would just want to rip you apart, and I gave up on that idea, but I’ve always had an interest in teaching, or you know, facilitating people to learn. I think it’s, it’s an, an amazing, I, I see it makes a lot of sense. So instead of having the kids doing that, you now have grown-ups ripping that apart, so it’s—
Sandra Gracia: Yeah.
Dave Gypsy: That’s changed a lot.
Sandra Gracia: Want to be there.
Dave Gypsy: True. Yeah. No, it’s for anyone, obviously. I’ll leave the links down here that, that people can go and check out your book and get it, because it’s, there’s a lot of case studies as well, which again makes it very practical, and which I can only imagine took you a long, long time to compile and put everything together, but then again it’s that flow where you talk about something but also give the example makes that book way more, I suppose, usable, and again relatable because of the language, you can easily have it in the clinic and refer to it, you know, on a daily basis.
Dave Gypsy: Absolutely. Yeah, yeah. And actually I’m writing in cases all the time.
Sandra Gracia: Hmm.
Dave Gypsy: Which is great because really the circle to use of abdominal acupuncture make it necessary that you experience different, and cases, different scenarios, because it can be the finest little adjustment of a needle, that much coming result or no result. And so yeah, I mean on the, on our website, learn abdominal acupuncture dot net—Jesus—and you don’t have to, but you know, we put up regularly, you put up new case studies, but I know I, on your Facebook page as well.
Sandra Gracia: And thank you so, okay, to me, to do that. And but yeah, you know, like I’m just doing a case history now, and it’s a better guy you had, and he got a root canal surgery tone, but they ended up damaging and nerve here, and, and he was in serious pain, and even right in it, I’m gonna actually result I got what this guy was incredible, and I’m even blown away now writing about it that I got such a powerful result with the one treatment, and but it was really just to be able to stay with the treatment and do the little fine-tuning. Sometimes I find people want to just bang in more needles.
Dave Gypsy: Yes, sometimes that’s nice, and it’s, and that’s great, you know, so you see you’re gonna share that experience, you might have someone across the world reading that and going, oh, similar case, I was thinking about this, maybe I should just adjust my approach, and you know, again, learn from experience, and that’s you really, again, between your workshops and your book, you’ve managed to combine that really well, and I suppose that’s why you’re successful as well.
Sandra Gracia: So don’t be, there’s no, this is, this is my vlog, you can say whatever you want, within reason, for YouTube not to block the video, but yeah, it is true, like, I mean, if it wasn’t for that, you know, that you wouldn’t, you wouldn’t be where you are now, and, and it’s, it’s combining that and it really makes a difference with the language, because once you click, once you connect with a person, like there’s a lot of practitioners out there, from the ones who are just finishing their course or the ones that have been in practice for a long while that are looking for, you know, you have your acupuncture course, but you might want to go and explore different avenues, like with the abdominal acupuncture, and just get into something that might be new for you, but really, really useful in the clinic, and it’s, it is so powerful as well, like, Tom, know, like puncture them, unlike some other micro systems, and it really, it can, it can get to the prenatal Chi, so it’s really, really powerful, and it’s the knock-on and side benefits.
Dave Gypsy: Mmm.
Sandra Gracia: But you, you get after a treatment as well, like, you know, I still can’t sometimes predict what I expect somebody to get from a treatment, and then they come back and they say, oh, I’m this, and, and this, and—well, you know, it, it can be incredible. So it’s not just about treating pain, and it’s, it’s definitely deeper than that.
Dave Gypsy: Yeah, you’re really reaching the person there in front of you. That’s great, that’s a great connection to have.
Sandra Gracia: Yeah.
Dave Gypsy: And usually it’s pretty much pain-free.
Sandra Gracia: Mm-hmm.
Dave Gypsy: You get maybe one point that will be a little stringer, but don’t get that pang of Chi. Yeah, some people like, and I like some points, like gall bladder 34 is always wanted. I love having Tana myself, and I like that dying of feeling the needle. Dominic, you don’t really get that; it’s much more of a glow rather than, you know, bang.
Sandra Gracia: Isn’t it great though? Like, look, look at, look at what you’re saying there now, that, that’s a great way to have yet another tool in a toolbox. You might have someone that comes into your clinic and actually says, yeah, you know, my previous experience with acupuncture, and I just find, you know, that sensation from the needles a little bit too strong, and you can just rely on that extra tool and go, well, okay, I can actually use a dongle acupuncture on you, and you’ll experience something different. Isn’t that great for the patient?
Dave Gypsy: I’m definitely, and that’s the way I would usually kind of reel people in, because you know yourself, people in Ireland, yeah, they want to be fixed, but they don’t want to know about having to endure, yeah, anything that might be taken as uncomfortable. Yeah, so usually I use abdominal first couple of times, and then maybe I’ll start to introduce other points along with it, and but I’ve done it the other way where I’ve gone, you know, somebody comes in and they’re like bent over in pain with their bike, and for whatever reason I choose to use a strong point, and it fixes their pain.
Sandra Gracia: Mmm.
Dave Gypsy: But they wouldn’t come back again because they, you know, have this idea, oh my god, that was so uncomfortable, but the result was amazing. But that’s, that’s definitely one of those selling points of abdominal is it can be, and so minimal in needle sensation, yeah, but still getting the same result. So that, that’s, that’s amazing.
Sandra Gracia: People can get your book; I’ll leave the, I’ll leave the link down here, and they can check, they can check it out. People can also get you on social media; I’ll leave all the links for, and I’m sure that you’ll share the video, and I’ll make sure that it’s everywhere on social media for people to watch, and now they can actually learn from you as a mentorship program online, and I’ll leave that link down here too. And where is this going—where is this going to stop? Are we gonna have Dave Gypsy’s still in Ireland, or as Dave Gypsy, you’re going to be all over the place?
Dave Gypsy: Yeah, it’s, it’s amazing how it is taken off, and it’s great because first time I saw abdominal acupuncture, I knew that this was for me, and I honestly was just instantly blown away and attracted to it, and you know, it took a long time to get to this stage, and, and I want to keep on, and I’m gonna, I’m hopefully gonna put another book together, and which yet it’s in the back burner. Yeah, so yeah, I want to keep on meeting people, I mean, I love going away, and I love the doom seminars and stuff, and at my age it’s probably getting a little bit harder to enjoy the travels, but—
Sandra Gracia: Know what, like, what happens at 35 that we should know about?
Dave Gypsy: Listen, thank you so much for your time. You’ve been very, very generous. We are, I hope that we get to catch up again before that second book is out, and I really, really hope that, that people really, really engage with that, with your course. I’ll leave all the details.
Down here, go and check it out and listen. Thank you so much for your time, and I can say Jennie wants to say to you any time that you have any message to it, to pass on, just it's a privilege to add, to show, to show to everyone that a lot of the times it's about doing, just get yourself out there and do stuff because you're a great example of just get out on the road and just do stuff. Totally just yet, yet do it. Don't, don't listen to the beat bro jury, just do it. If you had something to say and it's worked, people hearing you know, and it's not offensive, and maybe I said, look, school teaching it, but you know, please boom, right there because there's so many people to coke. Oh yeah, we share it, done that, and you know you could end up with a lot of resentment if you don't do what you really are putting the planet to do. Yeah, and thank you. Yeah, sorry, I have to rush off.
No problem. I know you're very kind with your time. Thank you so much for your time, and what would your course? I really hope it goes well. We want to know everything about it so soon. We want to, we want to get the feedback on how you're getting on and somewhere around the world and in one of the conference's on one of the seminars. So good luck with it all. It takes thanks so much. Thank you. Break time. Thanks Sandra. Take care. Cheers. Sorry, there you go. I told you it was gonna be amazing. Good night. The end. This guy is really, really, it was so generous of his time, is rushing out the door and he said I really want to do this interview now. It's amazing. It's amazing to have people that are so dedicated and really giving a lot to our profession. So Dave, again, thank you so, so much for for your time, and as I said I really hope that people go and check out your book and I certainly had a great time reading it. It's really, really informative and I can really see how it can be used in the clinic and best of luck with your course as well. So I hope you get a great response. People can go online and check it out. I'll leave the link here to go and have a look at at the course and the details about registration and catch up with Dave on social media as well. And please, if you know anyone who would be interested in this sort of mentorship and learning more about abdominal acupuncture, pass on the video, share, comment, like, and I suppose do whatever you want to the video. It's all, it's all yours. We really thrive on getting the practitioners to come on and give us their views and pass on the information and then you, the subscribers to the channel and the people who are watching us on social media, you are the ones it with the rest. So thank you so much everyone, and I hope you enjoyed it. If there's any comment, if there's anything you want to know, or if there's anything you want us to talk about on the next vlog again, please leave it on the comments below and we'll get back to it as soon as we can. And until next time, be kind and be healthy. No baloney, the whole thing always gets back to drugs. [Music]