Healing Begins Where the Roots Are Tended: Acupuncture Rooted in Chinese Medicine

Deborah Jane
May 3
3 min read

A tranquil forest scene with tall trees meeting in the middle, sunlight filtering through the canopy—symbolizing balance, connection, and the rooted healing of acupuncture at Chi Flow Acupuncture in Matakana. — Where light filters in and roots run deep—this is how healing begins.

Symptoms Are the Branch. Let’s Treat the Root

Rooted in Something Deeper

When I first opened the doors to my clinic, I didn’t just create a space for healing—I rooted myself in something deeper.

The plants outside flourished. A stream flowed quietly nearby. Wind chimes whispered messages of calm.

Over time, I realized: this isn’t just where I work. It’s where I became grounded.

Clients often say there’s a feeling when they step through the door—like their nervous system exhales. I believe that’s because they’re entering a space that is tended, like a garden. With time. With ritual. With intention.

And that intention runs deeper than comfort. It runs all the way to the philosophy behind every treatment I offer.

What Does Treating the Root Mean in Acupuncture?

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), we speak of root and branch: The branch is the symptom—what shows on the surface. The root is the underlying cause—what lies beneath.

Your headache may be the branch. But the root might be liver qi stagnation, emotional frustration, or hormonal shifts.

Your fatigue might be the branch. But the root could be a depleted Spleen from overthinking, skipping meals, or chronic worry.

Skin flare-ups? That could be a branch pointing to imbalances in the Lung and Large Intestine meridians—channels that process not just air and food, but also boundaries, grief, and letting go.

TCM reminds us that symptoms are messages, not enemies. And instead of simply silencing them, we listen.

Observation Is a Key Part of Acupuncture Diagnosis

A session at Chi Flow Acupuncture begins in stillness. Not with a rushed intake form, but with quiet attention.

I listen to your pulse. I look at your tongue. I observe your skin, your posture, the tone of your voice.

I might ask about your dreams. Your digestion. How you feel when you wake. Not because every detail is a diagnosis—but because every part of you is part of the picture.

We look at your body through the lens of the Five Elements—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. These aren’t just poetic concepts. They reflect patterns in nature and within us.

Wood is your growth and direction.
Fire is joy and connection.
Earth is nourishment and stability.
Metal is boundaries and letting go.
Water is rest, fear, and deep wisdom.

When one element is in excess or deficiency, the others respond. You are never treated in isolation, but as a complete ecosystem—shifting with the seasons of life.

Rooted Doesn’t Mean Rigid

To be rooted isn’t to be stuck. It’s to be supported.

It’s the feeling of being connected to something stable, even when life is moving fast.

Rooting into your body—into rhythms, breath, rest, ritual—gives your nervous system a signal that it’s safe to settle.

And from that place of support, healing happens naturally. Like a plant turning toward the sun, you begin to reorganize, rebalance, and return to your innate state of flow.

Acupuncture Treats the Root—Not Just the Branch

So many people come to acupuncture after trying everything else. They’ve treated symptoms. They've taken medications. They’ve adjusted diets, done yoga, and tried to think positively.

And still… something doesn’t shift.

That’s often the moment they’re finally ready to treat the root.

Because when we treat the root, the entire system has a chance to bloom.