After more than three decades in practice, I’ve come to realize something fundamental — something that has shaped the way I treat, teach, and now, dissect:
Acupuncturists need to be anatomists.
As practitioners of East Asian medicine, we’re trained to think in meridians, patterns, and energetics. We palpate for point tenderness, assess pulses, observe tongues. And while all of that is vital, it doesn’t negate the fact that our needles move through very real anatomical structures: skin, fascia, muscles, blood vessels, and nerves.
This dual awareness — of energetic theory and anatomical reality — has become the foundation of how I practice and teach. And it’s the reason I created iDissect.ca.
Bringing Anatomy to Life for Acupuncturists
This summer, I’ll be hosting a 10-day hands-on dissection course at the University of Toronto, using soft-embalmed cadavers that preserve the natural tone, color, and texture of real human tissue. This isn’t just an academic exercise. It’s an opportunity to see what you treat — to match what you’ve felt in the clinic with what’s really under your hands.
Each morning session will be taught by Dr. Poney Chiang, whose neuroanatomical insights into acupuncture are second to none.
Each afternoon, I’ll be teaching from a manual therapy and palpation-based lens — focusing on fascial continuity, muscular relationships, and how what we needle connects to what we feel.
Over the course of 10 days, we’ll explore:
- The peripheral nervous system, from scalp to sole
- The anatomical layers beneath common acupuncture points
- Fascial chains and myofascial continuity
- Neurovascular safety zones
- Real-world anatomy that enhances both clinical outcomes and confidence
The Why Behind iDissect
I created this course because I needed it. I wanted to understand the body not just as a map of channels, but as a living, breathing, layered system. I wanted to see where Stomach 36 actually lies in relation to the tibialis anterior, or how close LI4 really is the radial nerve. I wanted to trace the brachial plexus, see the phrenic nerve, and lift the psoaswith my own hands.
And I know I’m not alone.
Many acupuncturists crave this kind of clarity — not to replace our medicine, but to deepen it. When we understand anatomy at this level, our treatments become more precise, our needling more confident, and our appreciation for the human body even greater.
Course Details
📍 Location: University of Toronto – Medical Sciences Building
🗓️ Dates: July 21–25 and July 28–August 1 (10 days total, weekends off)
🕙 Morning Sessions (10 AM – 12 PM): Dr. Poney Chiang
🕐 Afternoon Sessions (1 PM – 3 PM): Samuel Lo (me)
💵 $150 + HST per 2-hour session — register for a single class or join us for the full 10-day experience
🔗 Register now at www.idissect.ca
Whether you’re a student, a new graduate, or a seasoned practitioner, this course will change the way you see — and treat — the body.
See it. Feel it. Dissect it. Integrate it.
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