I recently re-launched my website (and business) and decided to add a blog!
Welcome to my new page! I want to add tips, insights, and any helpful information that pops up, in case it is also helpful and/or interesting for you!
I also want to introduce myself and tell you a few things about me and how I came to be a Medical Qigong Practitioner. My name is Moriah, I live in Austin, TX, and I am passionate about holistic healthcare, nature, animals, delicious food, and relaxation, to name a few things.
I have been interested in medicine and the human body since I was a kid. My favorite bedtime book was a children's human biology book. As I grew older, my interest shifted to natural medicine when I began noticing how everyday habits as well as diet affected people's health. I started reading about diet, herbs, supplements, sleep, visualization, massage, etc, and knew that I wanted to be a natural "doctor" of some kind. I just didn't know what kind.
I went to college and changed my major several times, eventually settling on Biology, since I knew I could use it for several healthcare avenues. I eventually graduated and still didn't know how I could best become a natural healthcare practitioner. Some people recommended medical school, others recommended naturopathic school, and of course there was always nursing. I just wasn't sure, and honestly, none of those areas felt quite right.
While still meditating on a career, I decided I needed to put my Biology degree to use and get a job. I was in Boston, so lab and research jobs were plentiful for people like me. While working in a research lab, I finally realized (I don't remember how) that I wanted to study Chinese Medicine! I began reading books and studying, eventually settling on the idea of becoming an acupuncturist. I had to become an acupuncturist! I had found my new career! Sadly, the more research I did, the less it seemed liked a good idea. School was full time for 3-4 years and it was expensive. On top of that, I couldn't work full time while in school. Rather than rush into school, I kept studying on my own while working in clinical research.
We moved to Austin in 2011 and I continued working in research, eventually switching to cancer registry work. It was in Austin that I discovered Medical Qigong. I knew that it was a movement art, usually taught in acupuncture schools, but I didn't realize it was a standalone therapy like acupuncture. Not only this, but I learned that it could actually have deeper effects on the body than acupuncture. I was sold! I did a search and found a school in Austin called The Healing Tao headed by Jampa Stewart. The program was part time in the evening and on weekends, so it was very doable! I stayed in the program for 2 years, but ended up finishing through Aiki Healing owned by Kay Hutchinson McNeill.
Tomorrow, I will talk more about my transition to Aiki Healing, my reasons for the change, and my graduation.