My first experience with Chinese medicine came about 25 years ago when I was doing a short stint as a school teacher. My wife and I had lived for 4 years at a yoga institute where we were learning diet, meditation and yoga when we decided to "try" the "outside" world. There were many nuances that contributed to the fact that I began to develop migraine headaches.  The prior 4 years I had a great diet, simple lifestyle, meditation daily.  I really felt a part of my community.  When I left entered the "outer" world I was re-confronted with "my" ways of the world.  Having been living in a partially cloistered community had a different set of rules, and while some of the rules were "hard", in many ways life was simpler.  Coffee, dairy, falling back into unresolved habits which were easy to ignore as a yoga student still beckoned us.  So ... we learned, again, mind, body, spirit...the fabulous trinity were still important to balance. I also had to deal with the fact that I wasn't cut out to be working in a classroom all day. (funny .. I still work in a small room many hours a day doing acupuncture  so some things haven't changed.)

At any rate my mind, body, spirit weren't jiving so I took up headaches as a hobby. To facilitate treatment I did a year of weekly trips 60 miles away and received herbs and acupuncture. And for me, it took that year and even a little longer to clear up my headaches and regain health.

One of the specialties that my first acupuncturist (John Roberts) had was his counseling ability. John said to quit my job if I expected the problem to go away. I did make shifts and left that job at the end of my teaching contract to go to acupuncture school.  When I met my acupuncture teachers my life really changed.  I realized and adopted Chinese medicine as a lifestyle as well as a process to offer other people.  Just grokking the concept of Yin and Yang opened me to a deeper understanding of spirituality. This spirituality for me became part and parcel with having a human body instead of an unattainable philosophy.

Of course we all have a story..I tell you this because acupuncture helped me and I have seen many people weather similar intense experiences and move back into fullness of a healthy life.

But ... moving Qi with needles, as powerful as it may be, is only a piece of the jewel that Chinese Medicine has to offer. To me the process of moving, stabilizing, and enhancing Qi are all just part of the many aspects of living and staying in the light of healing that Chinese medicine has to offer us.

I am so appreciative of my many teachers that I was blessed to train with.  Dr. Jeffrey Pang, Dr. Lucy Hu, Dr. Joanna Zhao, Dr. Sharon Feng, Dr. Richard Shwery, Dr. Richard Liao, and many other wonderful instructors were amazingly present and always unselfish with their time and energy. Twenty years later, I still think of them every day and appreciate this powerful opportunity to have spent time with these gracious beings.  I also really send appreciation to the many students that we're with me in our joint initiatory experience. 

And Now... Many Thank You's! to the family of client's and patients that share my life.  We work together to stay on healthy, joyous paths.

Another aspect that shot my practice forward and also showed me the gifts of Asian med was Reiki.  (see Reiki article)