According to my beloved teacher, Dr. Vaasant Lad; “the word Spirit means pure awareness and pure consciousness.” I would like to share from my notes, while sitting in Satsang with Dr. Lad in 2010:
“In Spiritual Well Being there is the ability to experience and integrate the meaning and purpose of life. You feel connected with your pure self and the higher self, connected with others, connected to the art, to the music, to the nature, sunrise, sunset, lovely light on water, beautiful bird on wings, and that moment of beauty and ecstasy, something is unfolded in your heart, bringing Spiritual Well Being”
In our current health care, we have completely extracted and discarded Spiritual Wellness, to only focus simply on the Body and the Mind. This missing pillar of health is the source of our disconnect from nature, eachother, and our sense of greater purpose.
However, Indigenous medicines from East Asia and the Americas have included the care of Spirit as an essential part of human health.
Throughout my practice I have woven in Spiritual Wellness, with subtle therapies (Tanmatra Chikitsa) and ceremonial selfcare. Even with acupuncture there are points to balance each organ’s spirit, such as the heart’s spirit called the Shen.
As I have grown within my practice, I am more committed to the focus of Spiritual Wellness as it’s clearly the overlooked “root cause” for much of our suffering.
My journey to become a licensed acupuncturist and clinical herbalist started with the passion for herbs of North and South America. It was through the Easterrn energetics of plants that I discovered a language with herbs that was both magical and practical.
While in Chinese medical school I kept searching for the original source of this medicine. My persistence brought me to the lesser known “Classical” medicines, which were indigenous to Tibet, China, and India.
When I found the Vedic Sciences of India, the mother of all medical science, I felt a sense of belonging.
I was blessed to have found authentic teachers of these medical arts, many that learned through lineage.
I honor these medicines by offering individual consultations, community health events with acupuncture, and evaluations with treatment for ceremony preparation & integration.
After practicing Eastern medicine for many years, I decided to complete my doctorate in Post Traumatic Growth and Indigenous Medicines, with the goal of healing our collective trauma and restoring our connection with each other and the planet.
Soma Sessions are offerings to heal our fractured hearts and disconnection to our greater Self and purpose.
Soma is a Vedic Sanskrit word that literally means “distill, extract, sprinkle”, often connected within the context of rituals.
In the Vedas, the same word (soma) is used for the drink, the plant, and its deity, and it’s believed that drinking Soma produces immortality. The search for Soma became the spiritual quest for keepers of plant medicines, and those seeking enlightenment.
Soma comes from many plants, and can actually be produced within our bodies through profound experiences, such as childbirth or near death, and has been coined by modern medicine as psychedelic ((psukhḗ, “mind, soul” + dêlos, “manifest, visible”).
Spirit Medicines are my preferred term for these Elixirs of Soma, and should be honored and revered for their unique ability to shift consciousness and awareness.
A Soma Session is unique to the individual and requires thoughtful preparation and integration. Please add your name to the waitlist if you would like to schedule a strategy session, and learn more about Soma Sessions.
Presently we are forming a group offering which will include a unique preparation course along with coaching. This program is based on the Five Elements and the Tao of Trauma.
This is collaborative work with fantastic guides, integration artists, therapists, and other trauma informed and skilled professionals.
If you are interested in learning more please add your name here, and I will contact you when we have more information to share with the community
The three stands of the braid represent body, mind and spirit
Without spirit, the braid is unstable and incomplete
Within the poetry of Taoist Medicine and Vedic Science are the braided trilogy, the three pillars of which optimal health is dependent, such as the 3 Doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha) and the 3 Gunas (Sattva, Rajas, Tamas)
I have shifted my practice of health care from “bridging” to “braiding.”
The moment I opened my first clinic and apothecary, it was impressed upon me that bridging Eastern and Western medicine is the key to integrating and elevating the wisdom of our ancestors.
However, it quickly became clear that Vedic Science and Ancestral/Indigenous medicine were not revered as a true science, therefore there would be no reciprocity or equitable relationship upon this “bridge.”
These ancient and Indigenous medicines are a science in their own right, embedded in the mytho-poetic mode of observing and describing nature, linking the spheres of macro- and microcosm
All that modern science has unveiled, such as the microbiome (which explains Qi/Prana) and DNA (which is Prakruti) has simply validated the knowledge of the Original Medicines, only with different terminology.
Although, the one aspect of our existence that modern technology can’t explain is the “spirit.” This should not justify ignoring the essential role or spirit in our vitality and longevity.
One of the simplest remedies for healing the spirit is braiding in Remembrance, Resilience, and Regeneration. These three represent your past, present and future. The remedies support your individual constitution, but are meant to be simple and accessible
My goal is to provide guidance in weaving together a lifeline that supports hope, connection, and a sense of both purpose and wellbeing.
