The Journey of healing

I truly believe that we all reach a point in our lives where we awaken to the fact that we have a calling, for the select few who have found that calling early on than I have the utmost respect and maybe a little envy for you.

I was in my mid to late 30's when I found mine, I was fully involved in Kung Fu, went 4-5 times a week, signed up for tournaments and extra classes when I could and absorbed so much, in the end I burned out, but that's for another day...

It wasn't until I found the healing arts through the martial arts that I came to fully appreciate both together, they went hand in hand. It was a late December evening and there was an small impromptu class and Sifu offered to show us some accupuncture to help boost our immune system over the busy holidays, like with everything else in the kung fu world I wanted to drink it all in, I was fascinated that these few invisible points actually worked in making myself and my family feel better when I pressed them, so I bought a small book online and started to practice here and there and low and behold, I was good at it!

Time passed and my parter atthe time had suffered from IBS and a few other ailments that our family doctor failed to adress or even try to help aside from pills, so my path led me to a mutual martial arts friend, Sifu Mark this was in 2011.

Mark had been running a small clinic from his home in the old area I grew up and I made an appointment and my partner and I wentto see him, he knew I was interested in what he was doing and while he was administering a treatment I watched intently and asked many questions in which Mark answered politley.

After a few treatments he approached me about passing along his knowledge, I was to be his first apprentice! I didn't jump right away, this would require time, money and dedication , and I didnt know if I could really do it, I mean sure I could dabble but to actually work at becoming a barefoot healer?...me?...well I took the plunge.

I started to work on the weekends in the clinic with Mark, I learned to needle right away, acupuncture, fire cupping, TCM, Tongue diagnosis, they were all taught openly, I bought books, I studied, I would practice needling on a fig to get the feel of the needle puncturing the thick muscles of the human body, I loved it.... I was lucky enough to have my partner allow me to work on her, and I was having sucess!

At that time I took a side step and started to venture into the realm of herbal medicine and would purchase books, watch videos and make concoctions...it was a wonderful time in my life...than the other shoe dropped....

My plan was to get a diploma from Mark and start to practice on my own and with hi at his cininc, at about that time in 2013 the Ontario government started to make changes to the firld of accupuncture, at that time anyone could practice and the government want to have it regulated, I saw the pros and cons of this in which I will talk about another time, but in the end my diploma from mark and almost 3 years of work looked like it was to be all for not...than I met Professor Henderson.

On a whim I started looking for an accredited college I could get an recogb=nised diploma from and Paul graciously offered to help me continue and finish my studies and get my diploma...

I would work all week at my day job, study at night and drive 2 hours on the weekends to the college in Milton....it was such a different approach for me to learn, more book based than hands on but I needed that part to help me round out my skills, I was doing great!, and near then end of my course my life changed again, my personal life was in shambles, and some how I found the strength with the love and support of my friends, family classmates and teachers I plowed through and got my diploma....than did nothing with it....I was broken and in recovery mode, sure I would treat the odd client from the small clinic I had opened in my home but my heart and my head were not there...I almost gave up....Than I met Amanda :), and my life changed again, she pushed me forward, pulled me up kicked me in the ass!

She knew I had a gift, I had helped her with a few ailments of her own and she asked why I wasnt really practising anymore, she knew my story and said I was basically wasting my gift, and so we worked on the clinic, I reahced out to Paul and he also put me back on m path, Now I am working towards my diploma in Orthomolecular Medicine and Herbal medicine, Amanda and I continue to work on the clininc and support each others goals...

My story is just like a million other people out there, some never get back on the path, it's not always easy but it is doable...if you have dreams, go for them, if you have goals, reach for them...

Be true to your heart, stand tall and you can aspire....just look at me!