The art of medicine

This week, as part of Independent Activities Period (IAP), learn about how traditional medicines and arts affect the human body. The five-day IAP series, which starts today, will showcase various speakers and practitioners who will demonstrate traditional medicines and arts in relation to western practices. Morning events, taking place from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., include: "The Biology of Dance: The Effects of Dance and Movement on the Human Physiome," with Julia Bayers of Lesley College; "The Ancient Art of Face Reading and Diagnosis," with Richard Buckley, a 25-year practitioner of this ancient diagnosis method; "Pulse Diagnosis: The Body's Rhythms to Predict Health," with B.J. Wang, a Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor; and more. The evening events, taking place from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., will move to how cultural arts, such as dance and music, have an effect on the body. World-class performers of middle-eastern dance, healing African drums, Chinese dulcimer will give lecture/demonstration with 30- to 45-minute performances while "wired up" to diagnostic instruments measuring biological parameters to ascertain if and how the different art forms affect their biology, as ancient tradition predicts. All the events are free and open to the public. Advance sign-up is not required and participants are welcome at all individual sessions. The morning events are all in 32-141. The evening events are in different rooms. Please visit http://www.traditionalartsmedicines.com to get more details.