This is a question I get ALL THE TIME.
So here’s what happened:
I was young, 18 or 19 at the time, and I started having asthma attacks that were seemingly out of the blue. Because I didn’t know what they were or how to cope, I ended up in the ER one night. Thankfully, they gave me a shot and helped me to breath (I definitely think that western medicine has it’s place!). After that, they did all the tests on my lungs and said that they were “fine”. So I was given an inhaler and sent on my way. I used the inhaler during my next attack and found that it did not help. I tried to use it in between attacks and quickly learned that there was no preventative value to it for me. So I felt stuck. What next?
My dad decided to take me to his doctor who was an MD but also practiced holistic medicine. He assessed my situation and recommended herbs & diet changes. He also gave me some deep breathing exercises and recommended yoga. I started doing all these things and was surprised at how quickly I was benefiting from them. The next time I went back to him he recommended that I assess my “internal emotional state” regarding what might trigger my asthma attacks. I thought this to be very interesting so I started keeping a journal of how I was feeling and the severity and frequency of my attacks. I noticed that they were related to me disliking my job and also to one aspect of my relationship to my parents. I worked on this by having a candid relationship with my parents and also I ended up quitting my job. I decided, instead, to go to Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine School! I started to realize how much better I was feeling and how much I enjoyed the idea of healing the body and the mind. By the time I went to school Acupuncture school (about 9 months later), I wasn’t having any more asthma attacks!
Fast forward to now, almost 13 years in practice!
Check out the 10 things I’ve learned after 10 years in practice!
What have I learned? Celebrating 10 years of insight in alternative medicine
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