Having been interested in holistic medicine from a young age, I found acupuncture very early. I constantly returned to it whenever I had aches, pains, digestive disturbances — it just worked for me.

Then in my mid-thirties I had a transformational experience where two major things happened: I had a vision in meditation where I could literally see light and energy pulsing through the channels of my body, and I experienced a major heartbreak.

When I returned home I was reeling and sought acupuncture mainly due to the strong physical pain in my chest. That appointment not only took away the pain, but it brought immense clarity to my experience. I knew then that something like this — that brings healing to body, mind, and spirit so completely — was not just a passing interest. It was what I wanted to devote my entire life to.

Two things come to mind immediately!

The first: acupuncture is not painful. Maybe it’s my personal interest in nervous system regulation, but I’m just not a “no pain, no gain” type of practitioner. I’m deeply committed to consent and communication, so my treatment style is quite gentle. Sometimes it takes a few treatments for people to settle into the experience, but patients widely report that it feels nourishing, regulating, and deeply relaxing.

The second: if it didn’t work for you once, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t work. Acupuncture isn’t a pill you pop — it’s an ongoing relationship with your body and nervous system. The medicine often unfolds over time, through consistency, pattern awareness, and learning how your system responds.

Dancing. 100%.

So much illness begins with stagnation — stuck emotions, stuck breath, stuck nervous systems, stuck Qi. Dance moves ALL of it. It gets me out of my mind and back into my body. It allows me to literally move the energies that are blocking me in life.

Ecstatic Dance is especially useful for this, which is why I’ve brought it to our Orangeville community. It’s like therapy meets exercise meets celebration — and you’re invited to come dance with me!