4 Branches Chinese Medicine Center

09/30/2025

This is a new video I created to help you get a sense of what a consultation with me is like.
If you’ve ever wondered what to expect or what my approach feels like, this will give you a glimpse into the care and space I hold here at 4 Branches.

Comprehensive ConsultationFor in-depth support—ideal for chronic symptoms, emotional or energetic patterns, postpartum care, grief, or long-term imbalance. Includes discussion of food and qi gong/meditation, a customized herbal formula if needed.$275*Cost of herbs is separate

08/19/2025

I’m excited to share a new free course I’ve created to support you in connecting with the deeper wisdom of Chinese medicine.
It’s called The Aligned Soul Roadmap: 3 Shifts to Return to the Clear Voice of Your Soul. This short video introduces the unseen inner system that guides your energy, emotions, and alignment. You’ll learn how Daoist practice and Chinese medicine can help you reconnect with your inner compass so that it’s more present in your daily life.

Sign up here:

11/27/2024

🌿 Happy Thanksgiving from 4 Branches! 🦃

As we gather in gratitude, it’s a perfect time to reflect on the power of stories—how they connect us, heal us, and remind us of our shared humanity.

Making herbal formulas is one of my big, enduring loves. I think of each formula as a story, uniquely crafted to reflect the journey of the individual it supports. These formulas, much like our own lives, evolve with care and intention, carrying wisdom that speaks to our deepest needs.

On November 15th, the National Book Awards celebrated writers and the courage and empathy of people sharing their stories in their own voices. It’s a beautiful reminder that healing begins when we see ourselves in one another’s experiences.

May this Thanksgiving bring you connection, warmth, and inspiration to honor your story and those of the people around you.

With gratitude,
Michele

01/17/2024

4 Branches is Moving to a New Space - https://mailchi.mp/f9813f38f19c/4-branches-is-moving-to-a-new-space

09/12/2023

I have some fun news to share.

Thank you to FeedSpot for ranking 4 Branches Chinese Medicine Center blog as one of the top 60 traditional Chinese medicine blogs on the web. FeedSpot sorted through thousands of blogs on the web and selected 4 Branches and ranked them by traffic, social media followers & freshness.

09/12/2023

The weather is starting to shift to slightly less hot days with less humidity and cooler nights. You can feel Fall. I am remembering how Andres and I always shared with each other the ways we felt Fall settling in. Check this blog out for some ideas about how to welcome Fall including an audio recording of a guided meditation for your lungs.

This lung meditation is one I really love because Andres recorded it. In Chinese medicine Fall is the seasonal cycle where we reflect on what we are letting go of, how it has transformed us, grieve the loss so we can move into the stillness of the unknown that is waiting to unfold and take shape. I am sitting with deep appreciation the many ways my partnership with Andres transformed me.

As we navigate the Fall season and prepare for Winter, we wanted to offer some support for staying healthy using Chinese medicine.

05/04/2023

Here is my new article about how Chinese medicine works and how it can be useful if you are experiencing a specific healthcare issue or whether you are experiencing a big transition of change in your life. I have a free 4 part video series on the homepage of my new website - https://innerradianceinstitute.com/ that can help you strengthen your awareness of the aspects of your consciousness I lovingly refer to as your inner infrastructure.

Are you wondering how herbs, qi gong, and meditation can support you? While Chinese medicine also can be used to understand specific and quantifiable symptoms, it can illuminate subtle clues your body, emotions, and spirit offer that things might not be exactly on track or simply need additional sup...

03/21/2023

Today is Spring Equinox, a day when the light and the dark are equal. A day of where light and dark are balanced. Each day that follow until the summer solstice the amount of light will lengthen each day until we reach the day with the most light. Check out this recent blog about how Spring is reflected in both the outer world and your inner world and some helpful ways to nurture yourself during the Spring season.

The start of Spring in the Chinese system is the beginning of February and falls on February 3rd in 2022. This day is called a cross quarter day and represent the midpoint between the Winter solstice and the Spring equinox. In the Chinese system this also represents the beginning of ...

03/14/2023

Each and every one of us has inner light and radiance. These light can become dimmer and clouded as we navigate the challenging and hard moments of life. In Chinese medicine these inner lights are the five organ systems or your shen zhi or heart mind. I think of them as the essence of who we are at....

03/13/2023

The lotus is a much used (some say over used) symbol for healing and transformation because it grows from the rich fertile dark depths of the earth and reaches toward the heavens. That is a truth that these months of deep grief have shown me once again. In the midst of the messy, dark, moments we are germinating and transforming.

I had success growing lotus flowers last year. After Andres died, each individual flower seemed to bloom at the exact moment I needed inspiration, encouragement, comfort. Our son collected the seeds from our lotus blooms, carefully picking out the individual seeds from the seed pod. We attempted to germinate them. And after months of daily attention, changing the water, and giving them space to soak up the warmth of the sun and water so many of them sprouted.

It is beyond amazing to me to witness again and again how the earth keeps showing us we can blossom after allowing ourselves to rest and dream in the dark, quiet, stillness. One of the reasons I created Inner Radiance Institute is that when we are exploring and navigating the dark tender inner parts of ourselves it can help to have a roadmap to guide the journey. To help us understand what we encounter and light the way. Check out my free course (sign up on the website) to learn more about the individual lights we all carry within us to guide our way.

03/11/2023

My new website and offering Inner Radiance Institute is the truest best representation of my years of practicing as an herbalist, studying and practicing Chinese energetic medicine and Daoist mysticism, and inner alchemy, as lived through my life experience. The essence is that we all have inner guidance and are trying to figure out how to navigate life while keeping the voice of our soul and highest self present and alive in our daily choices, actions, and interactions. Plants, Chinese medicine and Daoist practices have been my road map and my home base in cultivating my inner sanctuary.

This website is the home for my writing and online learning opportunities to support your journey in cultivating your own inner sanctuary. I offer a free course to learn and explore your inner infrastructure, which is the phrase I use to describe the aspects of your consciousness and energy body that can support you as you cultivate your inner home.

It has a special significance for me because Andres, my partner in life and in all of these studies and practices is present with me here. He died in June of 2022 but he took all the pictures for the site, read all the copy, and helped me pick the design elements. He is oresent not just in the physical elements but in the very essence of it. In so many ways big and small, I am who I am because of Andres and how our partnership transforms me. I use the present tense because we are still very much transforming each other.

I invite you to sign up for my newsletter and free course. Thank you for joining me in this space.