Change is usually a tangle of both challenges and opportunities. The landscape of acupuncture has been shifting, from the health of our schools to the growing acceptance of our medicine in larger healthcare systems. These transitions ask us to reflect, adapt, and discover new ways to thrive.

In this conversation with Robert Hoffman, acupuncturist, educator, and administrator, we explore the crossroads our profession is facing. With experience as the president of a school, a commissioner at ACOM, and a leader in state organizations, Robert shares his insights on sustaining and growing the profession and the institutions that train future practitioners.

Listen into this discussion as we unpack the struggles facing acupuncture schools, the rise of integrative and institutional opportunities, the demographic shifts in students, and the adaptability required to navigate this ever-changing profession.

Robert’s reflections remind us that the resilience of Chinese medicine lies in its ability to evolve while honoring its roots. His perspective offers a roadmap for ensuring our medicine continues to flourish in a world that increasingly accepts acupuncture, but doesn’t always support acupuncturists.

For centuries books have been part of the transmission of knowledge from one generation to another. They have always been powerful tools for learning. Especially in the early days of Chinese medicine in the West, because of their rarity.

In this conversation with Bob Felt, one of the early publishers of Chinese medicine books in English, we take a journey back to a time when books on acupuncture were scarce, but curiosity and commitment were steadily increasing. Bob shares his story that began in the counterculture movement of the 1960s and that revolutionary spirit fueled a career that helped to bring important texts from the treasury of Chinese medicine into English.

Listen into this discussion as we explore the early days of macrobiotics, the challenges of publishing groundbreaking books, the evolution of acupuncture education in the West, and the ongoing need for practitioners to connect with their communities.

Ever notice how certain places and connections shape us in unexpected ways? Sometimes, it’s the unique character of a small town, the rhythm of a rural life, that offers opportunities you won’t find in an urban environment. It’s here where time flows a bit differently that relationships and healing move to a different cadence.

In this conversation with Katie Munger, we wander through her journey of building a practice in a small town, where her work has become woven into the fabric of the community. With over 20 years of experience, Katie reflects on how her practice and the relationships she’s cultivated have shaped her as much as she has shaped them.

Listen into this discussion as we explore the unique challenges and rewards of rural practice, the importance of being fully present with patients, the power of hands-on listening, and the challenge of following your heart, even when the path isn’t clear.

Katie’s story is a reminder that healing isn’t just about techniques—it’s about connection, presence, and being a part of something larger.

There is something in the essence of a practice. At the core is something precious, true and fundamental. We all have it. But you probably don’t know what it is, and you won’t until many years down the road of pursuing the work.

Curious that what is of essence, what is at the core of our work, is hidden from us.

It’s a journey of discovery to that which is the north star of how we work as an expression of who we are.

In this conversation with Philippe Vandenabelle we explore the “book we read again and again,” the aspects of our work that are essential to how we practice that slowly emerges over time.

Listen into this conversation on how practitioner development is a kind of ripening, the gift of being connected to people from a different time, and how the challenges in our work are exactly what we need to discover more about the essential core from which we work.

Ever think about how much of what we do as healers is more about what we don’t do? Sometimes, it’s in the subtle pauses, the empty spaces, where the real magic happens. What if the art of doing less is actually the key to unlocking profound change in the body?

In this conversation with David White we immerse ourselves into the world of Nei Jing acupuncture. With decades of experience and a passion for classical Chinese texts, David has honed a unique approach to acupuncture, one that’s rooted in precision, intention, and an unshakeable respect for the unseen forces at play in the body.

Listen into this discussion as we explore acupuncture as a tool of communication, the hidden power of empty spaces, the art of needling with precise intention, and why sometimes the most effective treatments are the simplest. Along with how the Nei Jing can guide us, both practically and philosophically.

Did you ever as a child grab a length of rope, run screaming around the yard and swing it around with abandon and joy?

Sometimes, the most unassuming tools hold the greatest potential for transformation. Rope flow might look like play, but beneath the surface lies a practice that can unlock balance, coordination, and deeper mind-body connection.

In this conversation with David Weck, the Godfather of Rope Flow and a mad scientist in functional movement we’ll discuss body and movement. How simple, dynamic practices can improve not only physical performance but also neurological integration and proprioception. His approach blends creativity, science, and connects up with Chinese medicine in some surprising ways.

Listen into this discussion as we unravel the origins of rope flow, how figure 8 patterns can boost brain function, the importance of spinal mobility, and how engaging your left and right brain symmetrically can change your body awareness.

That Mind/Body thing we are always going on about— we take it to the playground.

How did you learn the medicine you practice? Likely it through the influence of a school, a book or perhaps in this modern moment, an on-demand course of online study. There is another way that medicine gets transmitted, through the connections of friendship.

I’d not thought about that until Volker Scheid mentioned it in this History Series conversation. Once I heard it, it rang true. and I could easily look back through the years and see so many moments of having my eyes opened to something about our healing trade that came to me through the connection of friendship.

Truth is, there is a web of connection that supports us in everything we do. We are awash streams and currents of influence most of which out of our awareness that arise in our clinical practices as ideas that arise as unique treatments in a moment of time. We are connected to history, but our work unfolds in the present moment.

Listen into this conversation on the role of the German enlightenment on holistic medicine, the paths a good question will take you down, and how a head cold can lead to an unexpected connection with Meng He doctors and their surprising influence on the medicine you learned in school.

There’s something about the act of touch that goes beyond the physical, isn’t there? It’s like we’re not just meeting someone at their skin but somehow dipping into the unseen—into emotions, memories, and layers that words can’t quite reach. What happens when we listen with our hands instead of our ears?

The guest of this episode, Chris McAlister, is an acupuncturist and shiatsu practitioner who’s been exploring the art of presence and connection for years. He’s inquisitive about how the practical meets the mystical, constantly seeking ways to blend tradition with modern insight, and helping people discover parts of themselves they didn’t even know were there. From his experiences in Tibet to decades of teaching, Chris brings curiosity, exploration, and a touch of rebellion to the table.

Listen into this discussion as we unravel the power of not knowing, the healing spirals that shift our understanding of problems, and why it’s sometimes okay to let discomfort simmer. And there’s bending reality and what that means in the clinic.