Energy Matters Acupuncture & Qigong

Energy Matters Acupuncture & Qigong Energy Matters Acupuncture and Qigong is here to help you live a longer, stronger and healthier life!

Energy Matters Acupuncture and Qigong helps people of the Bay Area live longer, healthier and stronger lives through personalized wellness and healing services using traditional Chinese medicine. Our skillful practitioners and accomplished teachers bring deep experience and care to the development and maintenance of our clients’ vitality and good health in mind, body, and spirit. We offer an array of services:
-Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs
-Orthopedic Acupuncture
-Pediatric Acupuncture
-Acupuncture for Beauty-
Qigong Classes
-21 Days to Better Health Program
-Health and Well-being Lectures

With shorter days and cooler weather on the horizon, humble root vegetables have their moment to shine! Eating seasonall...
10/02/2025

With shorter days and cooler weather on the horizon, humble root vegetables have their moment to shine! Eating seasonally is a wonderful way to diversify your diet, support your gut health and feel connected to the earth’s natural rhythms. Root vegetables like sweet potatoes, beets, turnips, celeriac, carrots and parsnips, are packed with fiber, satisfying ‘slow carbs’ and nutritional all-stars like lutein, beta carotene and a bevy of vitamins and minerals. If you haven't enjoyed them in the past, try roasting or airfrying them to enhance their natural sweetness. Our 21 Days to Better Health recipe guide has a bunch of easy recipes to try, like these warm and comforting sweet potato wedges.

Need a shortcut? Find frozen root vegetable fries in the freezer section of grocery stores like Trader Joe’s or Berkeley Bowl

ROASTED SPICED SWEET POTATOES WEDGES
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes, or more to taste
1 teaspoon sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 pounds medium sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons organic extra virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid

Preheat oven to 425°F. Coarsely grind coriander, fennel, oregano, and red pepper flakes in an electric coffee/spice grinder or pound a bit with a mortar and pestle. Stir together spices and salt.
Cut potatoes lengthwise into 1-inch wedges. Toss wedges with oil and spices in a large roasting pan and roast in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes. Toss wedges around, and continue roasting until tender and slightly golden, 15 to 20 minutes more.

Massage is more than just relaxation, offering a number of health benefits beyond pain relief. An especially powerful ap...
10/01/2025

Massage is more than just relaxation, offering a number of health benefits beyond pain relief. An especially powerful application of massage is during pregnancy. Prenatal massage requires specialized training, and we’re so happy our Therapeutic Bodyworker Yolanda Cazares has brought that expertise to Energy Matters. Recently we chatted with Yolanda about what’s special about prenatal massage.

"While I have never been pregnant, I was close to my sister and some of my friends as they went through the wonderful transformation of becoming mothers. For them it was a time of discovery, joyful anticipation, and sometimes even anxiety. To me they seemed warm and radiant, very much like my orchids when they start growing little buds on their branches, so full of flowering energy, getting bigger day by day.

When I learned about pregnancy in massage school, I was amazed by the incredible rebalancing that is orchestrated through the endocrine system. Learning that bodywork could offer extremely useful physical and emotional support during this time of change inspired me to include prenatal massage as one of the modalities I practice." Check stories for full interview.

Qigong Fall Term begins the Week of October 6!Spread your wings with a 9-week journey through Wild Goose Qigong — a grac...
09/30/2025

Qigong Fall Term begins the Week of October 6!
Spread your wings with a 9-week journey through Wild Goose Qigong — a graceful, energizing practice rooted in Chinese medicine. Qigong is a simple, soothing and natural way to:

Improve your balance and mobility
Regulate your energy and mood
Strengthen your immune system
Keep you grounded and centered in body and mind

Choose from 6 weekly class times with online and in-person options. Whether you’re a dedicated practitioner, returning to the practice, or brand new to Qigong, our classes offer expert guidance and the benefits of support from teachers and classmates.

It happens gradually, of course, but one day a couple of weeks ago, I suddenly "felt Fall". It seems to happen over nigh...
09/25/2025

It happens gradually, of course, but one day a couple of weeks ago, I suddenly "felt Fall". It seems to happen over night - the angle of the sun changes, air flowing through my open window at night is cooler, in the late afternoon the trees are drenched in that rich golden light that seems to come from underneath.

It makes sense - the Autumnal Equinox is next Monday, September 22. My body has been taking note of the subtle changes over the past weeks, even if it takes my brain a while to catch up.

Fall Equinox marks the transition from days that are longer than the nights to nights that are longer than the days. Many people feel a sense of mourning with the passage of summer. From a Chinese Medicine perspective, the Fall is in fact associated with letting go, with grief and loss, with shedding that which is not serving us currently. So, it is not surprising there can be a bit of melancholy associated with this seasonal shift.

In times past, people went to bed earlier and slept longer in the darker months by necessity. We can of course carry on per usual with the benefits of “modern conveniences" like electricity. But our bodies are noting the changes, and there are simple things we can do to facilitate the recalibration.

Gradually shift your bedtime/wake up time to get more sleep - even 15 minutes makes a difference.

Sit outside a few minutes each day.

Change your workouts toward more inward and yin activities.

Visit your local farmer’s market and relish the bounty of late summer harvest.

Take stock of your “harvest” for this year; your veggie garden, your work, your creative projects, etc.

It doesn’t take much to tap into the ancient rhythms of humans living in alignment with the natural world. Your body will thank you.

Kirstin Lindquist

Source: Lots of mainstream tea companies use cheap green tea - sometimes literally the dustings left after packaging up ...
09/24/2025

Source: Lots of mainstream tea companies use cheap green tea - sometimes literally the dustings left after packaging up the good stuff to be sold at higher prices. Tea is one of those items where you get what you pay for. Purchase your tea from companies that specialize in green tea. I have purchased my tea from Strand Tea for the past 20 years. They only sell in bulk (no tea bags), and their teas are top quality at reasonable prices. They source from small farmers, often organic. I highly recommend Strand Tea. You can buy small quantities of several different teas initially and experiment to see which are your favorites. Mine are Tai Mu San, Cloud in Mist, and Genmaicha.

Water temperature: Don’t use boiling water on your green tea!! This will make it bitter and cause you to think “I don’t like green tea.” Green tea tastes best when steeped at about 175 degrees (water boils at 212). How to know? If you get into drinking green tea, you’ll want to get an electric kettle that allows you to set different temperatures. But with a regular kettle, bring the water to a boil, turn it off, and set a timer for 5 minutes before pouring the water over your tea leaves or tea bag.

Steeping time: Steeping time for green tea is typically 2-3 minutes. Oversteeping is another common mistake that leads to bitterness and the idea that you don’t like green tea.

Slow Down: We live in fast times. Tea is an opportunity to slow down, even for just five minutes. A great book to accompany tea drinking is Paul Rep’s Zen Telegrams. My favorite: Drinking a bowl of green tea I stopped the war.

With a little bit of experimentation, likely you can find a green tea (or two or three!) that brings you both taste and soul satisfaction. Please let me know if you have any questions or want to share your favorite tea tips

Wisdom Teachings for the PolycrisisMonday, September 29, 5:30-6:45pm, Energy MattersJoin Prajna Choudhury, Dharma Teache...
09/23/2025

Wisdom Teachings for the Polycrisis
Monday, September 29, 5:30-6:45pm, Energy Matters
Join Prajna Choudhury, Dharma Teacher in the lineage of Thich Nhat Hanh and Energy Matters staff acupuncturist, for a monthly gathering. Each session will focus on providing spiritual support during difficult times, including

Meditation (part guided, part silent) to help calm and ground
Discussion of the reading and how the teachings apply to our lives and times today
Opportunity to share and to listen deeply to others in our community.

For the next Wisdom Teachings for the Polycrisis, we will be visioning the world we want (not just resisting what we don't want), a key practice in Norma Wong's When No Thing Works: A Zen and Indigenous Perspective on Resilience, Shared Purpose, and Leadership in the Timeplace of Collapse. (affiliate link) You don’t need to have attended previous sessions to join.

Suggested donation is $10-20 and space is limited.

Wisdom Teachings for the Polycrisis - Monday, September 29, 5:30-6:45 PMFall 21 Days to Better Health Group - Starts Sun...
09/23/2025

Wisdom Teachings for the Polycrisis - Monday, September 29, 5:30-6:45 PM
Fall 21 Days to Better Health Group - Starts Sunday, September 28
New Qigong Term Begins - Week of October 6

Global Acupuncture Project  started 25 years ago in Uganda, where they continue to instruct primarily medical doctors on...
09/13/2025

Global Acupuncture Project started 25 years ago in Uganda, where they continue to instruct primarily medical doctors on the use of acupuncture for those living with HIV. Their program in Mexico began following outreach from a midwifery institute that sought an acupuncture program for its students. Next came a call from a birthing clinic in Guatemala, where the program continues to focus on acupuncture education for midwives or parteras.

It was an amazing group of women, each woman carried a wealth of knowledge and experience from cities and towns of both Guatemala and El Salvador. Some were second or third generation parteras, and a few also came from lineages of spirit healers.

On this magical 13th Friday, read the rest of Kari Napoli's full essay on her experience this summer in Guatemala on the blog in bio.

I get asked a lot about acupuncture points, what they do, why they work, or how I selected a certain combination. I love...
09/13/2025

I get asked a lot about acupuncture points, what they do, why they work, or how I selected a certain combination. I love when this happens, as it not only keeps me on my toes, but reminds me that concrete explanations help affirm what the needles are actually doing, and this, in return, helps a person connect to their own inherent healing.

Yet acupuncture is not just a physical needle being inserted into a specific location to achieve an end result. It is also a metaphor for life, and life can be unpredictably chaotic at times. Healing is a kind of disorderly process that strives for order and ultimately, liberation from suffering.

Read Angela's full free jazz Ode to Acupuncture in our blog in bio.

The Hopeful Book Club returns for a Fall gathering! Last time we had a rich and satisfying discussion of the novella A P...
09/12/2025

The Hopeful Book Club returns for a Fall gathering! Last time we had a rich and satisfying discussion of the novella A Psalm for the Wild-Built. Let’s continue nurturing hope!

Join Kirsten Cowan at Energy Matters for tea and talk about the wonderful (and short) book The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World, by Indigenous botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer.

What if our society and economics were organized around generosity, gratitude, sharing, and abundance, rather than competition, scarcity, greed and cruelty? Ecosystems and indigenous societies show us a different way - one that feels radical, but in fact is completely natural; literally.

You can get The Serviceberry at the Energy Matters Bookshop (affiliate link) which supports independent bookstores and Energy Matters, or pick it up at your local library or bookstore.

There’s no charge, but space is limited - call to save a spot.

Suitable for just about everyone, a few sprays of this herbal blend can soothe dry, irritated throats, calm coughs, and ...
09/05/2025

Suitable for just about everyone, a few sprays of this herbal blend can soothe dry, irritated throats, calm coughs, and fend off the onset of colds and flus.

Marshmallow root, sage leaf, echinacea, myrrh and clove combine anti-microbial effects with soothing pain relief.

““I recommend it to everyone!... easy to use, transport and store, I keep one in my bag and one in my car. It’s great for singers too!”
- Angela C**n, L.Ac.

Regularly $27
Save 15% during September!

9 WEEK SESSIONS START OCTOBER 6, 2025Online Only Via Zoom $145Wednesdays 8:30-9:45 am – Gail WhangIn-Person  $175473 Hud...
09/05/2025

9 WEEK SESSIONS START OCTOBER 6, 2025

Online Only Via Zoom $145
Wednesdays 8:30-9:45 am – Gail Whang

In-Person $175
473 Hudson St, Oakland
Mondays 1:30-3:00 pm – Sue Boyle
Wednesdays 11:00 am-12:15 pm – Gail Whang
Wednesdays 6:15-7:45 pm – dagmar weber

In-Person Coast Yoga $175
3704 Grand Ave, Studio B, Oakland
Saturdays 10:00-11:30 am – Sally Hutchinson

Address

4341 Piedmont Avenue 2nd Fl
Oakland, CA
94611

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 6pm
Tuesday 9am - 6pm
Wednesday 9am - 6pm
Thursday 9am - 6pm
Friday 9am - 6pm
Saturday 9am - 3pm

Telephone

+15105979923

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Our Story

Energy Matters Acupuncture and Qigong helps people of the Bay Area live longer, healthier and stronger lives through personalized wellness and healing services using traditional Chinese medicine. Our skillful practitioners and accomplished teachers bring deep experience and care to the development and maintenance of our clients’ vitality and good health in mind, body, and spirit. We offer an array of services: -Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs -Orthopedic Acupuncture -Pediatric Acupuncture -Acupuncture for Beauty -Qigong Classes -21 Days to Better Health Program -Health and Well-being Lectures