Bio
It all started in 1999 when I was working in Japan as a language teacher. I was often overworked, stressed and tired. Nothing seemed to be able to get me back to my usual vibrant self. Then, one day, a colleague of mine suggested I’d try acupuncture as a way to restore my energy levels and to relieve my stress. I was (as you might expect) somewhat sceptical about acupuncture and concerned about the needles. Ultimately, however, my sense of adventure led me to embrace the East Asian culture that surrounded me. I had my first acupuncture experience with a blind practitioner (I have since learnt that, in Japan, it is quite common to find blind acupuncturists). The moment I met Manabu, my scepticism doubled – how was he going to find the right acupuncture points to heal me? To my surprise though, after just one session, I was able to face my daily challenges with renewed energy. With several more sessions, I was back to my optimistic, energetic self and enjoying life even more than before! From Japan, I moved to Australia – Brisbane – to study Traditional Chinese Medicine. I studied full-time for four years at the Australian College of Natural Medicine (now called the Endeavour College of Natural Health). My studies encompassed both Eastern and Western Medicine and included hundreds of hours of clinical practice. Upon graduation I received the “Most Outstanding Student Practitioner of Acupuncture” award. I worked as a Practitioner of Chinese Medicine at various clinics in Brisbane, before deciding to work on a cruise ship in the Caribbean as the official “Resident Acupuncturist at Sea”. This was a truly remarkable experience! On board the cruise ship, I learnt just how powerful acupuncture can be. My patients there could usually have only between 1 and 5 acupuncture sessions before disembarking (the length of that particular cruise was 7 days). The truly remarkable phenomenon I discovered was that the results of one acupuncture at sea were the equivalent to having two or even three sessions on land! Because my patients were on holiday, more relaxed and surrounded by water (a healing element), they were more receptive to healing. I then returned to York in 2011 (I was here before, between 1995 and 1998 when I attended The University of York where I obtained my Bachelor Degree in History of Art) and immediately set up my practice York Traditional Acupuncture. I now have a lovely room in East Parade, Heworth. Since then I have been treating hundreds of people presenting with all sorts of medical conditions, including aches and pains, stress, insomnia, infertility, menopausal symptoms, menstrual issues, gastrointestinal disorders and much, much more. You can read my patients’ experience in their own words by visiting the FreeIndex website. I feel privileged and lucky to have been able to help so many people in all these years. York Traditional Acupuncture has been rated “Best Business of 2017 – 2020” in its own category by the “ThreeBestRated” index for several years in a row. It has also has been successful in the Alternative Medicine and Holistic Health Awards, and has been awarded: Best Acupuncture Clinic 2018 – North Yorkshire.