Acupuncture with Angela

01/01/2026

I’ve always enjoyed poetry, especially when it sits alongside medicine rather than outside it.

I recently read “The Song of Genuine Qi” by Man Fong Mei, a Chinese medicine practitioner whose writing moves between clinical understanding and poetic reflection.

The poem speaks about struggle, between what is genuine and what distorts, between clarity and the pull of power, between disorder and coherence.

What stays with me most from this poem is its insistence on return: that there will be a time when what supports life can become abundant again. A thought I am carrying into 2026🤍

26/12/2025

I recently returned to the Huangdi Neijing texts, specifically reading its teachings on how life is protected through living in harmony with nature, and adapting ourselves to the seasons, the environment, and the subtle rhythms of the Earth.

For most of my life, I lived in capital cities.
Late nights. Frequent parties. Going out often & travelling non-stop. Living out of a suitcase.
A life shaped by constant movement and stimulation: familiar, enjoyable, and, for a time, unquestioned.

Gradually, my life began to shift closer to nature. For the first time in my life, I moved out of the city. And with that shift, small but meaningful changes became clear.
My nervous system softened.
My immune resilience strengthened.
My baseline level of stress eased.

This shift didn’t feel like withdrawal.
It felt like alignment.

Chinese medicine has always understood this: when we live in accordance with nature, the body remembers how to balance, restore, and sustain health 🍃

25/12/2025

22/12/2025

It felt like the right moment for a website update.

I designed and built this, alongside the same care and attention I bring to clinic. The foundations are now in place, and I’m pleased with how it’s coming together. Some of the finer visual details will continue to evolve, as time and space allow.

For now, it’s here.
And it feels right 💙

Thank you for the input & 💚
🔗 Link in bio

Suggestions or feedback are always welcome - please do mention them below 👇

18/12/2025

The 🔥 Fire Horse 🔥 is gathering speed, but the race hasn’t started just yet. We have until February 2026 to finish our internal transformation 💙

I’m spending the rest of this year in “review mode”: clearing blockages and helping my patients release the weight that can’t travel at the speed of the next chapter.

As for myself, breaking down old patterns feels like unmaking a house I’ve lived in for years. The dust is settling, the air is clearing, and I am finally resting in the open space I’ve created 💖

The horizon is changing. In two months, the Fire Horse arrives to bring speed and power to our lives. Build your foundation in the stillness now, so you can handle the momentum later. Fire is coming; make sure you’re ready to run with it. ⚡️☄️

04/12/2025

… to name a few 🫖 For centuries, Traditional Chinese Medicine has viewed specific teas and herbal infusions not just as beverages, but as functional aids to restore balance and harmony in the body. Different brews are selected based on their thermal energy (cooling or warming) and their impact on specific organs, helping everything from aiding digestion to calming the mind and boosting focus—a practice that underscores wellness as a foundation for achieving complex life and career goals.
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⚠️ Important Safety Disclaimer

✅Always source your teas from recognised, certified providers to ensure safety and quality.

❗️If you have any existing medical conditions (especially liver or kidney issues) or are pregnant or breastfeeding, consult a healthcare professional before consuming herbal teas.

‼️Always adhere to recommended daily amounts to avoid adverse effects.

01/12/2025

Trading Resolutions for Water Season Momentum💧 In the external, fast world, we are conditioned to constantly push, power through, and often plan our resolutions together with the symbolic fresh start of January 1st. But for true, sustained growth, we must look deeper.

In Chinese Medicine, Winter is the season of the Water Element, and it teaches us the ultimate power: Deep Rest and Restoration 😴

Momentum is not speed; it is sustained energy. We cannot build growth on exhaustion. This season requires us to prioritise our internal Essence (Jing)—the deep reserves that will fuel the unbreakable growth we seek in the Spring 🌱

What is one thing you are shedding today to protect your energy for tomorrow? 👇

21/04/2024

Pleased to announce that I have started as Programme Lead for Research at the College of Integrated Chinese Medicine starting 1st April 😊✨🙏🌟

We are delighted to announce that Angela Van Veen has been offered the role of Research Programme Leader at the college, and started this role at the beginning of April.

For those of you who don’t already know Angela, she is a CICM graduate with a previous degree in Economics and Law and has been a researcher and dissertation supervisor at CICM.

Angela has 20 years of experience in senior management positions, leading and delivering large, complex, global corporate projects. She led initiatives such as mindfulness meditation in the workplace, global mentoring programmes and driving gender diversity in the science, technology, engineering & mathematics (STEM) field.

Angela practices Acupuncture in Sevenoaks and has a specific interest in Mental Health research.

Jo Rochford, our college Principal said, “We all look forward to working together with Angela, who I know has many ideas to bring to her new role, including expansion of the popular ‘Monthly Journal Club’ she introduced! Please join me in welcoming her to the role of Research Programme Leader.”

We would also like to take this opportunity to extend huge gratitude and thanks to Roz Gibbs, who stepped down as Research Programme Leader at the end of March. She bought a lot of expertise to the role and we wish to acknowledge everything she has done as Programme Leader, in particular all the support she has given to the students.

And if you’re a CICM graduate, you may have already seen some of Angela and Roz’s excellent work, in our new research project which was emailed out this week!

We are interested in understanding which of our graduates are still practicing acupuncture, and how their practice has developed over the years.

We would love for you to get involved, if you haven’t filled in the questionnaire yet, consider this as a gentle reminder - even if you do not practice acupuncture anymore, your perspective is still very valuable to us.

We will be sharing the outcomes of this study in our future graduate emails, so do stay tuned!

22/12/2023

❄️ 3am this morning marked the Winter Solstice - the shortest day and longest night…

⛄️ Winter Solstice is the most yin time of the year, which means it is the darkest, most still, most cold, most inward moment of our seasons…

💧 Winter is the season associated with the Water Element and yin - that quiet, inward, cooling, calming, moisturising energy…

💙 It’s now all about hibernation, getting cosy, resting, having time alone to reflect on the year gone by, honouring, replenishing and consolidating our energy in a really gentle and mindful way…

🔥 This is the direct opposite energy to yang - that busy, moving, upwards + outwards energy of fun, connection and joy - all the Fire Element and Summer themes!

🎅🏻 And yet, there is something rather aligned with those Fire Element themes arising around Christmas and the festive period too, at the time of the Winter Solstice and the Water Element - we just need to make sure we keep a balance! The optimal example of yin and yang in harmony!

🎄 That said, we hope you enjoy a restful break over the holidays, and we look forward to seeing you in the 2024 New Year. The college will be having a break too, and will close from today until just after the New Year bank holiday.

🙏 Our warmest winter wishes to you all on behalf of the college teaching team and admin staff.

25/09/2023

Acupuncture & migraines 👌👒

The research indicates that acupuncture is an effective treatment option for those who suffer from headaches.

22/06/2023

The Summer solstice is a powerful time to practice Qigong and align yourself with Nature's energies.