I came to Oriental Medicine in a rather roundabout way. I was trained to work in surgery, first as a surgical technologist and then as a registered nurse. I have worked in surgery in almost all specialties for over 40 years and continue to do so today. So for me to move to “the other side of the fence” in 2000 was still rather novel in my medicine family.
My llamas are the ones that started me on that journey. My first one was anything but easy to handle so I had to look outside the box. I worked with friends and others who had training with horses and llamas but I did not appreciate the heavy handed nature of getting them to comply with my wishes. I knew there had to be another way. They led me to TEAM – Tellington-Jones Every Animal Method. It was fascinating and gave me hope. What I wanted to achieve with my animals was possible if I took the time to listen to them and
work with them as team members and not as a dominant figure. You don’t dominate animals that weigh over 300 pounds. It’s all about developing trust. If they don’t trust you, you won’t go anywhere. The same goes when working with humans. This system brought me in contact with the concept of qi, which I had heard of but knew nothing about. I appreciated the simplicity of the process to work with the animals. It addressed some of my personal challenges as I was (am) not always the most patient person. (Cell phones are still a challenge.) I got to do things with my animals I never thought possible and we became partners and friends as we worked and grew together. They are no longer with me on the earth but will always be with me in my heart. They are my teachers forever.
Well the TEAM system has some pretty flowery names for the maneuvers we put the animals through. After I began to explore this “qi” concept by starting taiqi I noticed the similarity in style of naming movements and I thought “huh”. Maybe there is something to all this. I had a friend recommend an acupuncturist to me as I had a few issues I wanted to address but didn’t want all the tests and medications that might come with addressing a persistent cough and congestion.
I couldn’t believe the first treatment. If I hadn’t been trained in western medicine I would have been a bit worried with my reaction to qi movement. It was pretty amazing, somewhat scary but definitely did the trick. I got rid of the phlegm and calmed the cough. I found other little things to go back to her for as I was very fascinated. With all this new input I began to consider a change in patient care for me.
It took me a number of years to determine what direction to go in. I got more acupuncture and I explored Ayurvedic 
medicine and yoga therapy. Massage was on the list, but frankly that is very energy intensive. So while I love and encourage massage I can’t do it full time. I took a few workshops with Deepak Chopra and they were amazing. I was awakened to the ability to manifest your intentions and they just kept happening. The meditations with him during the workshops were incredible. I did a lot more exploration into this medicine but in the end I went with Acupuncture and Oriental medicine. I felt it was gaining a bit in popularity and provided the greatest opportunity for me to make a living at it.
So here I am doing providing wellness with acupuncture, Oriental medicine, Chinese herbs, diet, nutrition and exercise counseling and guidance with life stressors and meditation. I add in taiqi and qi gong exercises to strengthen and relax. I suggest other ways of looking at situations to help release their hold on you and find a balance point. It’s all about balance. Hard to maintain with our world in the state that it is in. However, when you find a listener, partner, coach, trainer it makes it easier to find that path to optimum wellness. There are many paths for you to follow. You have all the answers inside you and when you are ready to take the journey I can help you find that path. So call me! ph:503-653-1468