November 29, 2021
Acupuncture is Activism: Updated Zine by Maya Z.
Read this interactive zine to be more informed about discrimination & racism in healthcare. Learn how the Black Panther Party and other activists fought for public health initiatives in the 1960’s and 1970’s and what that has to do with the history of Acupuncture in the U.S.
November 2, 2021
Recipe: Qiu Li Gao, Autumn Pear Paste
Join AIMC Berkeley’s Herb Pharmacy Manager, Le Jiang, to learn how to make a nourishing pear paste for the Autumn. Pears are known for their moistening and cooling properties in East Asian Medicine. With the addition of other yin-nourishing herbs and the tonifying properties of honey, this delicious paste is the perfect salve for fall’s dryness.
Qiu Li Gao (Autumn Pear Paste)
Ingredients:
The raw herbs are available through the AIMC Pharmacy; ask your practitioner for a “prescription” of them next time you visit our in-person or telehealth clinic!
Pears ———————————– 2000g
Luo Han Guo (Monk Fruit) ——– 1 piece
Sheng Jiang (Ginger) ————– 70g
Chuan Bei Mu (Fritillaria Bulb) — 15g
Fu Ling (Poria) ———————– 25g
Bai He (Lily Bulb) ——————– 15g
Mai Dong (Ophiopogon Tuber) — 15g
Ge Gen (Kudzu Root) ————— 30g
Hong …
Intern Olympics & Community BBQ
Students, Supervisors, Teachers, Administrators, Friends, Families & pups all gathered in mid-October for a fun day of BBQing and friendly competition.
A Day of Fun
One day in October of 2021, we founded a new AIMC Tradition: The Annual Community BBQ & Intern Olympics. Students, friends, family, and all of our staff & faculty members were invited to join us for a day of fun, food, and friendly competition in Tilden Regional Park.
The Intern Olympics
The Intern Olympics started with an opening Wuji posture ceremony, followed by balloon needling, blind herb taste testing, point location bingo, and a Jeopardy grand finale. Spirits and excitement were high as our competitors stood to win a consortium of herbal goodies, CBD products, some amazing Shen Nong t-shirts, fancy acupuncture …
October 11, 2021
Shuumi Land Tax & Indigenous People’s Day
Here at Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine College, we are proud supporters of the work of the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust. We have a lot of respect for the land we are on, which was once home to the Ohlone people.
October 5, 2021
Alumni Spotlight: Sapho
Are you wanting to learn more about acupuncture and Integrative medicine? Learn more about how our school changed Sapho’s life and what they’re doing now.
How do you become a Licensed Acupuncturist?
Every Acupuncturist has an origin story. You can ask any of us about the treatment or series of moments that led us to the big, scary thought “I want to be an Acupuncturist.” We had already asked our Acupuncturist why they look at our tongues or why some points feel spicier than others, we’d listened to podcasts about East Asian Medicine or maybe even read The Web That Has No Weaver, we’d tried some meditative practices, and stacks of books about herbalism and the energetic body threatened to topple over on our nightstands. Some of us took Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine College’s Introduction to East Asian Medicine course just to peek a little further.
And then maybe we looked …
September 2, 2021
What’s an Herbal Medicine “formula” All About?
The differences an Eastern medicine-trained herbalist can have on building your formula plan is huge. In this blog, we cover the differences between what you may find on the shelves and why finding an herbalist is so important to gain the full benefits of herbs and Eastern medicine. Learn more!
September 1, 2021
Alumni Spotlight: Erin Wilkins
Explore Erin’s journey as an Asian American herbalist and acupuncturist. We love learning about the personal and transformative journey her career has taken into showcasing her identity as an Asian American practicing traditional East Asian medicine. You can learn more about her herbal shop and her experiences with AIMC. Read more!
July 21, 2021
How often do I need to get acupuncture treatments? (and other common curiosities about the course of treatment)
The goal of any acupuncturist is to get you out of their clinic– and hopefully shouting from the rooftops about how your pain went away or that you haven’t slept this well since you were a teenager or one of the other 10,000 benefits of treatment. In order to get you out of our clinic and back into your life (and sending all your friends and family our way), we’ll ask you to commit to a consistent course of treatment for a specific length of time, and then we’ll re-evaluate along the way. You can expect a course of treatment to involve getting acupuncture once or twice a week, some lifestyle or movement coaching, and, when appropriate, a custom herbal prescription.
Consistency is Key
When people …
July 19, 2021
Alumni Spotlight: Dr. Karen Villanueva, DAIM, LAc.
“When people come to us for help, they may not necessarily be their best selves, so how do we meet them where they are and do something that’s really with them, and not for them or in spite of them… that relationship is really a sacred one. I’m not doing anything for you, I’m just with you– I’ve had my own journey, and I can share with you my experience and I can share with you my experience with other people, and then together we get to figure out what works best for you.”
The “Reluctant” Healer
Before starting Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine school, Karen Villanueva was a nurse for over 20 years; she worked in the ER, ICU, prison system, and even at the ballpark. …