Why I Chose to Specialize in Five Element Acupuncture

It all began with a fascination. I’ve always been drawn to the old ways, the wisdom of the masters who lived in harmony with the natural world. There is an understanding deep within me that these old ways, rooted in hard work and reverence for the natural order, hold immense value. The reward of such work isn’t just physical but also deeply spiritual. This alignment with something greater has always resonated with me, and it’s the foundation that ultimately led me to this medicine.

My journey toward acupuncture began with a personal healing quest. As a teenager and into my early twenties, I struggled with depression and mental health challenges. I found a way through, largely by immersing myself in Buddhist teachings, particularly the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. These philosophies helped me begin to reclaim a sense of balance, but in my pigheadedness, I required more suffering to learn what I needed to learn. 

In my early twenties, I suffered a debilitating back injury that took over a year to heal. It was only after a powerful experience 9 months into my recovery with an old Bostonian acupuncturist from the west side of Oahu that my back finally starting healing. I felt called to the path of healer at that time, but it seemed like a lot of work and a bit arrogant to pursue, so I chose a different path. I enjoyed a few years of vitality; I was in many ways thriving. And then, I contracted Lyme disease just before my 26th birthday. Several months went by before I was diagnosed with Lyme disease and by then the infection had established itself in my system. I now had what is labeled as a "chronic disease". This finally compelled me to answer the call to become an acupuncturist. These healing experiences have taught me the importance of looking beyond the physical symptoms to address the deeper disharmony within.

A year later, I enrolled in acupuncture school to study Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), eager to explore the rich theories underpinning this practice—Yin-Yang theory, the Five Elements, the flow of Qi, and more. My first semester was inspiring, filled with the promise of understanding ancient wisdom. But as the program progressed, I realized much of what I was learning lacked the spirit and depth I had hoped for. It felt like an extension of the disconnected, spiritless education system I’d experienced in my prior academic career. The wisdom of the old masters, the “Foggy Mountain” I had envisioned learning on, seemed far away.

This realization was disheartening, but it also led me to a deeper truth: many of us ignore a reality that isn’t immediately physical but exists nonetheless. This invisible realm—often dismissed by the pragmatic, scientific mindset of Western culture—was something I could no longer overlook. It had manifested in my life as depression, chronic pain, and illness, and only by confronting it, with brutal honesty and surrender to powers greater than myself, did real healing begin.

A turning point came through an unlikely connection. A friend I met during orientation at acupuncture school, a former monk who had trained with the great Thich Nhat Hanh, shared his transformative experience with a Five Element acupuncturist in San Francisco. This acupuncturist had treated both Thich Nhat Hanh and my friend, and the results were profound. Intrigued, I asked my friend if he could introduce me to his teacher. She agreed to meet me, but first, I had to get treated, and she had to then decide if I was worth taking on as a student.

That next week I went up to the top of Pacific Heights, a ritzy neighborhood of San Francisco, and walked into my hopefully new teacher's office and home. I'm not sure if it was foggy day, but I'd like to think it was. I found my "Foggy Mountain". At the time, I was still grappling with chronic Lyme disease, battling fatigue and dizziness. Her treatment awakened something deep within me. It wasn’t just my mind that was blown wide open—it was perhaps also my connection to spirit.

Five Element acupuncture respects and works with the unseen reality I had come to know. It operates in the space where spirit and body intersect, where healing transcends the physical and touches the soul. This is the space I strive to inhabit in my life and in my work.

It is an honor to hold this space for others on their respective healing journeys. Each time I witness someone connect with this deeper reality, it furthers my own growth and fills me with gratitude. Often, I’m moved to tears by the sheer beauty of these moments, by the profound gift of being part of someone’s transformation.

Thank you for reading, and for sharing this journey with me.