Studying Chinese medicine has changed how I understand postpartum placenta encapsulation. After years of preparing placentas as a doula, TCM college has given me a deeper framework for Zi He Che, postpartum depletion, milk supply, mood, timing, pattern differentiation, and why placenta medicine may be powerful — but not universally appropriate.
There’s a moment when studying acupuncture shifts into something more real. This is where I am right now, not just learning how to treat, but building the systems, clarity, and confidence to create a practice that actually works in real life.
People think off-grid life is about escaping modern life. But most weekends at our homestead in South Knowlesville look surprisingly ordinary: hauling coolers, pumping water, lighting fires, borrowing freezer space from neighbours, muddy dogs on the porch, and kids learning real responsibility. Somewhere between the woodstove, peepers, blackflies, and community potlucks, life slows down enough to remember what actually matters.
For acupuncture students who are starting to realize this isn’t a traditional career path. Lessons from building a doula agency that will change how you think about branding, trust, and building a practice.
I came to acupuncture school expecting needles, meridians, and point location—not to fall in love with Tui Na. But the more I use Chinese medical bodywork in student clinic and cosmetic acupuncture, the more I realize some of the best treatments start long before the first needle goes in.