I was born and raised in Oakland, CA and graduated from the University of California, Davis in 1998 with a B.S. in Plant Biology and a minor in Nutrition. I attended the Phillips School of Massage in Nevada City, CA and became a Certified Massage Therapist. I completed the Comprehensive Herbalist Training through the Institute of Chinese Herbology while living in Lake Tahoe and managing a Natural Food Store. It was in Tahoe that I met my lovely wife, Jen, and our son, Eligh, was born. After re-locating to the Pacific Northwest, I completed my official Chinese Medicine training at The Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM) in Portland – graduating with a Masters of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. While in school at OCOM, I attended multiple seminars and trainings in Contemporary Chines Pulse Diagnosis. Upon graduation, with my good friend and colleague, Ben Magga, we established Golden Cabinet Herbal Pharmacy and Acupuncture Clinic in early 2011 in SE Portland. With a strong focus on herbal medicine, my practice continued to evolve in many ways. I have continued to learn and practice the Shen-Hammer Contemporary Pulse Diagnosis system. I have also focused on expanding my bodywork techniques - taking courses in craniosacral and myofacial techniques from Michael MCMahon at Moving Mountains Institute. Of course, my unofficial training in Chinese Medicine is never-ending…
Blue Raven Farm
In 2016, my family purchased 5 acres in rural Corbett, OR. When we arrived, the land was largely neglected - a combination of mowed fields and overgrown weeds and blackberry bramble. It has been an amazing process of reclaiming and stewarding the land. We established Blue Raven Farm, where we grow an incredible variety of vegetables, fruits, berries, herbs and flowers. My wife, Jen, has been both farming and educating farmers for years. She founded Bridge City Farm School in order to continue educating aspiring farmers - focusing on intensive, ecologically grown small-scale farming. While my days are still spent practicing Chinese Medicine, I have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of this farm, caring for the land, and getting my hands dirty every chance I can. It is my belief that farmers understand and practice the most important aspect of Chinese Medicine - staying in harmony with the seasons and with the natural world.
My Early Introduction to Holistic Healing
My path towards healing began when I was about 15 years old. I was working on a ranch and was in charge of the rehabilitation of a 2-year-old stallion who had impaled his leg on a fence post while training to be a racehorse. There was a wound that went all the way through his hind leg. It happened that the owner of this horse was a famous homeopathic doctor.
I was in charge of administering a few tiny pellets of a homeopathic remedy made from Calendula officinalis (Marigold) to the horse twice a day. Anyone familiar with homeopathy will be aware that, according to scientific principles, there should not even be a molecule of the original substance left in the remedy after it is prepared. Knowing that these were sugar pellets coated in a ridiculously diluted extract of Marigold, I had very little confidence in its efficacy. Despite my lack of faith in the treatment, I dutifully gave the remedy to the horse every day as directed. As you can guess, the results were nothing short of miraculous. The wound healed and closed up before my very eyes!
Something clicked at that moment, as I realized that there was an energy, for lack of a better word, within this medicine that somehow resonated perfectly with the horse to stimulate a healing response. I was fascinated, mystified, and inspired all at once. For the next six to seven years, I dedicated myself to the self-study of homeopathy. In college, I became interested in nutrition and herbal medicine, as well. After moving to Lake Tahoe after graduation, I picked up a copy of Healing with Whole Foods: Oriental Traditions and Modern Nutrition by Paul Pitchford. This was my first real glimpse at the Chinese system of energetics – and at once I knew this was my path.
