Ananda Emily Reese has a lifelong interest in comprehensive approaches to health and self-understanding. Early in her life she had a powerful experience with acupuncture, which offered relief from chronic asthma and allergies. In college, she avidly studied Western philosophy,  but wanted to dive deeper into the more embodied traditions of the East.

 

After college, she embarked on an intensive study of Yoga, Massage Therapy, and Ayurvedic medicine, connecting deeply to the perennial truths of these traditional practices. With an experiential understanding of her own vitality and health challenges, she sought a more comprehensive and practical method to treating the real clinical issues she saw all around her. This eventually led her back to Chinese Medicine, where she discovered a treasure trove of tools to treat every issue the Chinese have seen in their lengthy history, and a systematic approach to applying this wisdom to the health challenges of modern people.

 

After attaining her Masters of Science in Traditional Chinese Medicine and passing the California Acupuncture Licensure Exam, she co-founded Octagon North Oakland Community Acupuncture Clinic, a vibrant clinic where she has helped thousands of patients achieve their health goals. She has shared her extensive knowledge of anatomy and western nutrition with aspiring Chinese medicine practitioners as an instructor at her alma mater, the Academy of Chinese Culture and Health Sciences. She is also a graduate of the Kresser Institute Functional Medicine training program and is passionate about integrating Eastern and Western Medicine.

 

The mother of two young boys, Ananda is also intimately familiar with common women's health issues.  She has provided support to hundreds of women in all stages of their lives, from regulating menstrual cycles and promoting fertility, to managing common issues with all stages of pregnancy and post-natal care and on into perimenopause.

 

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