Facing Race: A National Conference in St. Louis, MO — November 20-22, 2024

LJ Punch

Executive and Medical Director, Power4STL | Power4STL
Pronouns: He/They
Dr. LJ Punch is a trauma surgeon, aspiring healer, and founder of Power4STL, a community of health working to reduce the impact of trauma in the St. Louis region. This includes the work of The Bullet Related Injury Clinic (BRIC) and The T, a holistic harm reduction program with a focus on overdose risk, both centering the experience of Black masculine bodied people because #BlackPainMaters.

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Instagram: @lj_punch
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Presentations from Facing Race 2024

Five-4-Five

Acudetox is a 5-point auricular acupuncture treatment created by activists, physicians, the Young Lords, and Black Panthers in New York in the 70's in response to the heroin and methadone epidemic. This treatment utilizes 5 points on the ear that create a release in the blockage of Chi associated with trauma. It has been used to relieve numerous sources of suffering including, various kinds of addiction.

Beyond these focused outcomes, and accompanied by an immersive sensory experience, Acudetox can open a window into relaxation, clarity, improved sleep, and the release of grief and tension that can last for days. It can serve as simple regular practice for the management of day-to-day impact of trauma in the body.

This session will introduce this easy and relaxing experience as provided by Dr. LJ Punch and the acudetox specialists who are part of Power4STL, represented trained and insured practitioners of auricular acupuncture. This practice includes other sources of healing, such as the burning of cleansing materials such as palo santo, the provision of herbal detox tea, the visual escape of Himalayan salt lamps, and the healing frequencies of a carefully crafted soundscape.

This session will allow participants to sit, exhale, rest, breathe, and reset to be in a better position to access the resources of the conference and to simply let chi flow. An approximate space of 8x4 ft is required for each participant, and a time window of 90 minutes is best.

Speakers: LJ Punch, Jamila Owens-Todd, Amy Miller