Oak and Well Acupuncture

03/26/2026

One of the most common questions I get this time of year is:

What does it actually look like to eat with the seasons?

Yesterday morning, I made a simple breakfast (see the pic above).

Sautéed onions and kale with chickpeas and lemon juice, a side of sauerkraut, and two poached eggs on top.

Nothing elaborate. But very much aligned with spring from a Chinese medicine perspective.

In TCM, spring is associated with the Liver and the rising, outward movement of qi.

Foods this time of year are ideally:
lightly warming (to support digestion)
gently moving (to support Qi circulation)
and a bit fresh or sour (to support the Liver)

Here’s how that shows up in this meal:
• Kale – slightly bitter and cooling, helps clear heat and supports the Liver
• Onions – pungent and moving, helps circulate qi and prevent stagnation
• Chickpeas – neutral and nourishing, support the Spleen while providing steady energy
• Lemon juice – sour and cooling, helps the Liver regulate the smooth flow of qi
• Sauerkraut – lightly sour and fermented, supports digestion and regulates Qi in the middle jiao
• Eggs – neutral and nourishing, helps build Blood, which the Liver relies on

When combined, the meal is warm, lightly cooked, and easy to digest—but also fresh and gently stimulating.

That’s really the essence of spring eating. Not extreme cleanses. Not rigid rules.

Just small adjustments that help the body move with the season instead of against it.
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What I see often in the clinic is that people keep eating the same way year-round.

The same foods in winter.
The same habits in spring.

And over time, that mismatch creates subtle friction in the body—what we might experience as tension, sluggish digestion, or that familiar sense of being a little “off.”

Learning how to adjust even small things—like how you prepare your meals—can make a noticeable difference.

This is one of the things we explore inside my online course, Restore.

Not just what to eat, but how to think about food in a seasonal way that you can return to year after year.

Enrollment for Restore – Spring Edition is open until next Monday, March 30th.

https://rewilding-medicine.teachable.com/p/springchinesemedicineseasonalwellnesscourse

03/18/2026

For many years I practiced Chinese medicine the way most practitioners do.

Patients come into the clinic.
We talk about their symptoms and experiences.
I place the needles (while folks get to nap 😴).
The treatments help them heal.

But after a while I noticed something. Many of the same patterns showed up in predictable ways.

Spring stagnation.
Summer burnout.
Autumn fatigue.
Winter depletion.

The treatments work, but the seasonal rhythms and behavioral patterns underneath people’s lives aren’t changing.

And the truth is, Chinese medicine was never meant to function solely as a treatment system in the clinic.

Historically, it was a way of living with the seasons and the way of the Dao (i.e. the way of nature). That realization eventually led me to create my online course series, Restore.

Enrollment for the Spring Edition is open now.

This course in a series of 4 online courses will offer practical seasonal approaches to caring for your body, mind, heart, & spirit with Chinese Medicine. You’ll learn how to align your behaviors with the seasons and prevent illness before it arises. This offering highlights Yang Sheng (Nourishing...

12/02/2025

I want to take you a little deeper into the quiet heart of winter today — into why this season is considered the foundation of long-term wellness in Chinese Medicine.

If autumn is the time of letting go, then winter is the time of storing what’s essential.

Winter belongs to the Kidneys, the Water element, and the part of you that holds your deepest reserves — your Jing/essence, your blueprint for vitality, aging, clarity, and resilience.

This is the energy that carries you through the unexpected.

The energy that keeps your bones strong, your hormones balanced, and your nervous system steady.

The energy that helps you recover — from stress, from depletion, from life.

And winter is when this root energy is either protected and nourished…or slowly drained.

The trouble is, most modern life pulls us in the exact opposite direction.

Holiday intensity, late nights, big emotional demands, cold weather that tightens and constricts… plus the pressure to “keep up” the same pace we had in spring or summer.

It’s no wonder so many people feel:

Tired in a way sleep doesn’t fix
More sensitive or emotional
More stressed, fragile, or overwhelmed
More achy — joints, low back, knees
More prone to getting sick
Winter isn’t the problem. Not honoring winter is.

But the beautiful thing is: when you begin supporting your Kidney qi — even with small, simple choices — the whole system starts to shift. The body softens. The mind settles. The nervous system steadies. You feel more rooted, more capable, more quietly strong.

Here’s one tiny practice for this week:

Warm your lower back daily.

A warm pack, a hot shower on the lumbar spine, or even just placing your hands there with intention.

It’s one of the easiest ways to nourish your Kidney Qi and settle your nervous system.

In the coming days, I’ll share a bit about a new offering I’ve been preparing for this season… something designed to support you in restoring your energy and caring for your body through winter in a deeply aligned way.

But for now, just begin here: Warmth. Slowness. Gentleness.

The body responds beautifully to even the smallest shift.

If you feel called, reply below and tell me what you notice when you soften into winter instead of pushing against it. I always love hearing your reflections.

With warmth,

Sean (your friendly neighborhood acupuncturist)

08/19/2025

✨ Enrollment is OPEN! ✨

Restore: A Year-long Journey Through Chinese Medicine Self-Care & Seasonal Rituals is here.

This isn’t a quick-fix or a crash course. It’s a gentle, steady rhythm of returning — to your body, your breath, and the seasons. 🌱🍂❄️☀️

Over 12 months, we’ll explore:

🌿 Daily rituals for calm + energy
🌿 Seasonal food wisdom
🌿 Emotional support in sync with nature
🌿 Monthly live calls where we reset together

Doors are open. We begin with the Autumn edition. 🍁

👉 https://rewilding-medicine.teachable.com/p/autumn-chinese-medicine-and-seasonal-wellness to join us.

This course in a series of 4 online courses will offer practical seasonal approaches to caring for your body, mind, heart, & spirit with Chinese Medicine. You’ll learn how to align your behaviors with the seasons and prevent illness before it arises. This offering highlights Yang Sheng (Nourishing...

09/04/2024

I’m back from my trip to Ireland and in the clinic as of today! I’ll be responding to emails and voicemails over the next couple days. So bear with me as I push through some jet lag and catch up on getting back to all those who reached out while I was traveling! 🇮🇪✈️☺️

08/13/2024

Embark on a journey with Chinese Medicine to align your health with the fall season, exploring ancient wisdom on diet, lifestyle, and herbal remedies for greater health & well-being.

Join us! Enrollment is now open! Learn more in our bio.

08/13/2024

Well it certainly feels like an Autumn day today here in the Pacific Northwest! A bit of crisp air & gloomy weather has settled upon us. It seems the perfect time then to announce that the Autumn, Chinese Medicine, & Seasonal Wellness Course is now OPEN FOR ENROLLMENT!

Autumn, Chinese Medicine, & Seasonal Wellness Course - Join Us!​

You'll learn practical strategies to align your behaviors with the seasonal rhythms of nature to maintain your health and vitality.

This course offers time-tested dietary advice, movement practices, herbal remedies, and self-care strategies for Autumn living. By the end of this course, you'll feel more connected to the natural rhythms of the world around you, and you'll have a toolkit of Chinese Medicine techniques to maintain your health and prevent disease

If you're ready to learn how to apply Chinese Medicine body & lifestyle practices to feel less stress, more energy, better sleep, improved digestion, and less sickness this Autumn, then I'd love for you to join the August 2024 cohort.

​Explore Course Info HERE >>​

This course in a series of 4 online courses will offer practical seasonal approaches to caring for your body, mind, heart, & spirit with Chinese Medicine. You’ll learn how to align your behaviors with the seasons and prevent illness before it arises. This offering highlights Yang Sheng (Nourishing...

07/20/2024

To honor the outward movement of energy this season I’m happy to announce that I will be expanding my offerings and launching a Chinese Medicine online school in the weeks ahead! This learning platform is a way for me to help folks live healthier & happier lives beyond the clinic and help you integrate principles and practices of Chinese Medicine into your everyday life.

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As I build out this school I’d love to hear what is most useful for YOU! Would you mind completing the super brief survey below to let me know what topics within Chinese Medicine are of greatest interest to you?

06/24/2024

Humans yearn for connection. I hear it day after day in the clinic. Connection to our bodies, to our hearts, to others, to a place, to our ancestors, to the 10,000 things (as the Daoists might say). For me, taking time to connect to the lands we inhabit is a fundamental need. To the mountains, the trees, the lakes, all of it. Grateful to have stepped outdoors this weekend on a solo hiking adventure. This is your encouragement to connect in all the ways that uplift you. 💚

10/04/2022

We're happy to introduce our new Community-Supported Acupuncture (CSA) program!

This program allows us to offer a limited number of lower-cost treatments each week to under-served folks in our community. We are rolling out this honor-based system with a mission to expand access to rural healthcare in Jefferson county, help those from lower-income households or disadvantaged backgrounds, as well as raise awareness of the oppressive nature of a class-based capitalistic system.

The approach is simple. We’re committed to offering a set number of lower-cost appointments to those in need each week. When people with ample means give external funds to further support this effort, the number of appointments can grow to more accurately reflect the diverse persons living on these lands, while creating a more equitable healthcare model for all.

You can learn more about our Community-Supported Acupuncture (CSA) program here:https://oakandwellacupuncture.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/OWA-CSA-Program.pdf

(And...a fun picture of me in the garden for good measure!)😉

11/27/2021

Well THANK YOU Jefferson County for voting us Best Acupuncturist! Yay! We love our rural farming community & feel so privileged to co-create healing with you all. ☺❤

09/29/2021

So fun to be featured in the The Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader this week as part of their Health & Wellness edition! What a great bunch of people to collaborate with. ☺️

The article highlights some of the work we acupuncturists do with children and adolescents and how we can help those struggling with anxiety & depression. (& a shout out of appreciation to our friends over at Nourishing Life Port Townsend for helping to spread the word about pediatric acupuncture.)Take a read for yourself folks!

And of course, check us out at www.oakandwellacupuncture.com