I love being an acupuncturist since I benefited from these treatments when I was pursuing my doctorate degree in Colombia, my homeland. I was diagnosed with bilateral optical neuritis, which is a neurological manifestation of Multiple Sclerosis. At that time, I was given a bad prognosis because I was losing my sight, and blindness seem inevitable. Fortunately, I received Acupuncture paired with Western treatment and made full recovery. I was fascinated by the holistic nature of the treatments, the non-pharmacological approach, and its poetry. The acupuncture points themselves are metaphors for the patient’s journey through life.
This experience changed my relationship with the medical field I was working in, and I became more interested in alternative approaches to health that were more energetic. I understood that healing involves not just the organs and its components; it goes beyond the mechanical, biological view of the human body. It is the capacity to awaken our potential to thrive, connect and flourish.
I was trained in acupuncture after finishing a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Infectious Diseases. I have been now practicing Acupuncture and energy modalities for more than 20 years and I have learned some of the most important aspects of the healing process are to listen with an open heart and to hold a safe and compassionate space, where healing can naturally occur.