What is Chinese Medicine?
Traditional Chinese Medicine is an ancient practice dating back over 5,000 years. It's a way of understanding the body based on its energy. For example, if energy is stagnant, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine, whichever part of the body houses the stagnation is more likely to experience pain or dysfunction. Likewise, if we understand how to move energy, then we can move stagnation and rid the body of energetic imbalances.
Traditional Chinese Medicine follows Five Element Theory, which breaks the body down into 5 main Yin-Yang organ pairings and their elements. Rather than the four elements we are used to (fire, water, earth, air), Traditional Chinese Medicine observes wood, earth, metal, water, and fire. It is said that connecting with the qualities of each of these elements can create balance in the body and mind.
There are five modalities of Traditional Chinese Medicine, with Medical Qigong as the highest form. The others are Tui-Na, acupuncture, Chinese Medical nutrition, and Chinese Medical herbalism. We are pleased to offer Medical Qigong and Tui-Na here at our center!
About Our Medical Qigong Therapist
Kari is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Pennsylvania, Usui/Holy Fire® III/World Peace Reiki Master, and certified Medical Qigong Therapist through the International Medical Qigong College under the instruction and mentorship of Dr. Bernard Shannon. Her expertise is in trauma-informed mind-body integration and resiliency-focused wellness skills utilizing the Trauma Resiliency Model and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. Through her work, she's recognized the intersection between trauma/stress/emotions/thoughts and physical and spiritual ailments. This has long been recognized in Eastern Psychology and Indigenous Traditions and is now being validated here in the West.
In her therapeutic work, Kari seeks to meet clients where they are to create a safe space for growth and healing. She uses a gentle mind, body, and spirit approach that helps clients to build resilience and connect with themselves in a way that is safe and healing.