What is your definition of wellness?
Wellness is having a sense that all is right with the world that the body
and mind are functioning at its optimal and highest level. The mind feels
more at peace and calm. Physically, you are more present and engaged with
the world and you have the energy to enjoy life.
Who is your wellness hero?
Well there are people who teach wellness and those who practice it. I’m a
workaholic, a wife, a mother. I struggle with maintaining a balance,
whereas my husband is one of those people who lives well. He makes it a
priority to do things that he enjoys, which sometimes could be seen as
selfish…but he’s a good example for me.
How has your training as an herbalist and acupuncturist (L.Ac.) made you
better at dealing with stress? I have a much better idea of what’s going
on. In some ways, I’m more accountable. Sometimes you ask a doctor and
they don’t know what causes [illness]. Stress is often anger and
frustration restricting the flow of Qi or energy. Qi needs to run through
and when it’s blocked, or you hold onto your anger, it can lead to
disease. Louise Hay’s book, “You Can Heal Your Life” wrote about tracing
disease to its original thought form. The body has the ability to heal
itself and I have the tools to do that.
You mentioned that your grandfather was a healer in the Philippines; did
his knowledge ever get passed down? Unfortunately, no, I had learned that
my grandfather was a healer when I was an adult. He was an herbalist and
was known for practicing body work. Incidentally, the herbs that I learned
about in Chinese medicine were the herbs he also used.
Why law?
I’ve always been interested in health, and I also liked the idea of using
words effectively to assist people. Law has its problems, though. It
creates a lot of conflict. A lot of law doesn’t build on anything, but
creates more fighting. Chinese Medicine brings a sense of wellness, though
I get told I’m still “sticking it to people.”
How did you start your PIHMA College and Clinic?
No one would give me a loan, so I financed the college on my credit cards
while also working my legal bar review job (PIHMA was established in
1996). In retrospect, I wouldn’t have used my credit cards directly, but
to leverage more credit instead. The experience has taught me how to move
slowly and not to force things when you have a big obstacle ahead of you.
I’ve grown like the Tao, to flow up and down with things, to shift and
move.
What trends do you see in the future for TCM?
There’s a movement towards practitioners earning a 4-year entry level
doctorate degree (Currently PIHMA offers master’s level education). I see
licensed acupuncturists playing a larger role in disaster relief. I also
see it being covered by insurance as a service under health care, because
patients need relief and acupuncture works.
Many thanks to Catherine Niemiec, JD, L.Ac. for the resources listed below:
Phoenix Institute of Herbal Medicine and Acupuncture, PIHMA
http://pihma.edu/
Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, CCAOM,
http://www.ccaom.org/
Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM)
http://www.acaom.org/
The National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA),
http://www.acudetox.com
Acupuncturists Without Borders (AWB), http://www.acuwithoutborders.org
