Well, this is interesting. I hope you won't mind if I rattle on for a bit. It is my specialised subject 😂. Any acupuncturist who prescribes herbs is 99.9% likely to be a TCM practitioner. The thing is that TCM is a relatively modern invention. It was developed at the time of the cultural revolution when they wanted to become more Western. I'm told (and believe) that the practitioners of classical acupuncture (aka traditional acupuncture which makes it all very confusing) were all killed or driven out. Traditional acupuncture was very rooted in spirit, and that fell very much out of favour. TCM was closer to a medical model. I trained as a Five Element Acupuncturist (aka Traditional Acupuncture) with Jack Worsley: a system he devised based on the old ways. I am told that when he DID eventually travel to China, he met old men in the hills and mountains who whispered to him that they used to practice that way but weren't allowed to any more. The thing is that, whilst I am not a fan of TCM myself (I'm biased of course) I do think that if someone is a good healer, it doesn't matter whether they are practising Five Element, TCM, Reiki or reflexology: a good healer will use their energy to get your energy moving. So don't for one minute thinking I am dissing all TCM practitioners. I am not practising now (except on family and friends occasionally) but when I was - I would SOMETIMES suggest someone might benefit from some herbs BUT i would only refer to Medical Herbalists: no boiling up unpalatable things there . . .

So sorry that your UTI flared up with the herbs.

How fabulous that you trained in medical Qigong. I did a course once in Roots and Branches 5 element Qi Gong but am no expert. I shall stop there. It is lovely to connect with you, A🙏💚