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Monday 11am - 5:30pm Wednesday 1pm - 4:30pm Thursday 9:30am - 7pm

Balboa Park Holistic Wellness Center

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San Diego, CA
Balboa Park Holistic Wellness Center

Acupuncture, Chinese herbs, functional nutrition, craniosacral therapy dedicated to helping people get back to doing what they love!

08/16/2025

An acupuncturist's day isn't just about seeing our patients. Most of us are small business owners, and we do everything which keeps the business going.

I always laugh when people tell me they envy my "3-day workweek", because what they don't realize is that when I'm not seeing patients there are at least 10,000 other things which need doing! Being self-employed gives me a ton of flexibility with WHEN and how all those things get done, but it is definitely more hours than a typical 9-5 job.

All these social media posts? I write every single one of them, and create all the images. The Substack articles I send out? I write those, too. And if that weren't enough, I'm writing a book. Who knew that finishing the initial manuscript was the EASY part?? Editing, even with a great editor, takes more time than you can imagine.

I also do my own bookkeeping, marketing, and budgeting, wrangle with the few insurance companies I still work with, and coordinate the efforts of my answering service, virtual assistants, and front desk staff. If the internet goes down, I'm waiting for the fixers to arrive. Plumbing issues? If I can't manage it myself (hello, plunger!), I'm the one calling the property manager. All those medical questions I casually answer during our conversations? I spend HOURS digging into medical literature to stay up-to-date. Truly, the to-do list never ends, and I NEVER get bored!

How do I stay sane and centered with so much on my plate? Self-care is non-negotiable. Workouts are written onto my calendar. Acupuncture, chiropractic, and massage appointments are scheduled in advance. A weekly "pub night" gives me an evening off from meal-prep at home with time to relax with my husband and friends. Kitty cuddles are critical. Nobody can drink from an empty well, and I give myself at least as much self-care as I encourage you to do for yourself.

While I love practicing East Asian Medicine, running a small business isn't my favorite. Doing all the things you don't "see" sets the stage so I GET to do the parts I adore 😍

08/13/2025

Fun Fact:

While we're called "Acupuncturists", we do WAY more than just insert needles. In California, acupuncturists are trained and licensed to do the full scope of East Asian medicine.

What does that mean, exactly?

This was once the ONLY system of medicine practiced in most of Eastern Asia. It includes internal medicine, physical medicine, nutrition, physical therapy, all within the East Asian paradigm.

How does that look in modern-day America?

🌿Internal medicine = Chinese herbal medicine. We learn over 200 individual herbs and 400 herbal formulas which have been safely used for centuries. In China, herbal medicine is used along side pharma in clinical practice and even in hospitals.

💊Physical medicine = Acupuncture and Tui Na. We apply needles or pressure or rubbing or scraping to the body to facilitate circulation, improve muscle tone, break up spasms and adhesions. We may use other tools like cupping or gua sha, electrostimulation, or heat to add to the treatment.

🏋️‍♀️Physical therapy = Tai chi, qi gong, breathing exercises. We can coach you on specific movements to improve balance, strength, muscle tone, and even calm the nervous system.

🥕Nutrition = nutrition. Our diet recommendations may be based on what we know from modern science, or may be based on classical theory. In ancient times, East Asian people ate the foods which were seasonally available, and tried to remain in harmony with the external environment. We can learn a lot and benefit from this system.

Acupuncturists offer so much more than "just" needles. We can help in a multi-faceted way with every aspect of health and longevity.

Curious? Call or text (619)772-4002 to schedule a free 15-minute discovery call.

08/11/2025

Today's "meet the acupuncturist" prompt is asking for the health tip I give over and over and over again. There are so many that I'm literally writing a book, lol. But the top of the top is straight out of Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma. It goes like this: "Eat real food, not too much, mostly plants."

Why? Because what we eat has a HUGE impact on the rest of our health. Our food provides the fuel for all of our cells. If we're eating too much, our pancreas needs to work a lot harder to get the extra calories into storage. Queue up metabolic syndrome, hormone dysregulation, belly fat, heart disease, chronic fatigue...

If we eat artificial sweeteners and highly processed ingredients we don't get the actual nutrition we need, plus we can get inflammation which makes us feel foggy, irritable, and in pain. If our digestive tract gets inflamed, it makes it harder for us to digest everything and creates a vicious cycle.

And if that's not enough, processed foods, artificial sweeteners, and conditions like insulin resistance make us more vulnerable to getting heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer. Some of us are genetically destined to get these things no matter what we do, but most of us can reduce risk and even eliminate it by following this simple but not easy recommendation.

When we eat real food - vegetables, fruits, whole grains, minimally processed meat/fish, eggs, nuts - the stuff on the perimeter of the grocery store and the things our great grandparents would have considered to be food - it's like putting premium gas into your performance car. Everything just works better.

So yes, my number 1 piece of health advice is "Eat real food, not too much, mostly plants."

You're welcome :)

08/08/2025

Fear of the needles is the number 1 objection I get from people who are thinking about trying acupuncture. If I had the skill demonstrated by practitioner in this comic, I'd make a fortune!

Seriously though, some points are a little bit pinchy, and sometimes they feel a bit like a bee sting. But most of the sensation with acupuncture is over quickly, and more weird than painful.

By the way, even though acupuncture is serious medicine, we can't be serious all the time and humor is great for the soul. If I can get someone giggling in the treatment room I know I've done my job for the day.

08/07/2025

Acupuncture. One of my favorite tools for making everything feel better.

How does it work? Nobody really knows, but we have lots of ideas.

Those tiny needles send little tugs through your connective tissue which stimulate nerves to send messages throughout the body. They can trigger a "stretch reflex" in your muscles which causes them to relax. Just like when you get a splinter, your body responds to the "invasion" of the needle and sends out chemical signals which stimulate healing, increase circulation, and more. And that's just the insertion!

When you rest with the needles, your brain waves shift into a deep relaxation state, and the "bliss" molecule, anandamide, is released along with endorphins so you get up from your acupuncture session feeling relaxed, alert, and maybe just a little bit "buzzy".

All of this means acupuncture is a powerful tool for stimulating your body's natural healing ability, while calming your nervous system and making you feel great. How could you not love that??

Curious? Come on in for a treatment and find out for yourself :)

08/04/2025

I'm Lisa, your acupuncturist!

The image shows some of my passions and some of my favorite things. I'm a complete Chinese medicine geek, and when I'm not in the clinic I'm usually deep into a literature search for something relevant to one of my patients.

When it's time to play, I'm an avid cyclist, love to hike, walk on the beach, and pretty much anything which gets me outside and moving my body. Bonus points if my husband is by my side. I'm a passionate cook and foodie. Chinese, Indian, and Persian foods are some of my favorite things to put on the table, and I've been playing with chocolate for over 20 years. What's not to love about a food which is high in antioxidants and boosts anandamide?? I'm crazy enough to tackle making mole and macaroons from scratch, and have even made Peking duck with all the fixings. I used to offer cooking classes, and I'm considering bringing those back.

Coffee or tea? Enthusiastic YES to both. Ketchup or mayo? NEITHER 🤢. I'll take chutney or raita, please! Playlist? All over the map - at any given moment it could be classic rock, heavy metal, country, classical, or...🎵 Mountains or ocean? Yes, please. Travel? Pretty much anywhere. I've been to Italy, France, Belgium, India, Greece, Tunisia, Canada, Baja, England, and over 40 states in the US. Can't wait to see and taste more of this world.

I live in San Diego, with my husband of 24 years and Percy, our intrepid hunter and mischief maker 🐈. (He's snuggled up on my lap as I type this, after alarming his humans with an all-nighter in the neighborhood last night 🙄)

Going through breast cancer has taught me to treasure every moment of this life, and I do my best to live fully and unapologetically, while helping my patients to do the same. I'm looking forward to meeting YOU and being part of your journey 💕

08/02/2025

My colleague Stephanie started the "meet the acupuncturist month" 3 years ago, and it was so much fun last year that I'm doing it again! Stay tuned this month for more random posts about joy AND for some inside scoop on Balboa Park Holistic Wellness Center 😍

07/21/2025

Did you know that an acupuncturist in California has to complete 50 hours of continuing education every two years to maintain their license to practice? It's true!

I'm such a geek, I love to go to conferences. I attend programs designed for medical doctors as well as classes for acupuncturists because they help me to "level up", communicate better with my patients' other providers, and stay current on the research which is updating standard of care.

This weekend was spent at a waterfront hotel learning about updates on the big ongoing studies for breast cancer treatment. I was side by side with some of the top medical and radiation oncology researchers in the US, listening to the same lectures. and participating in the same conversations.

Discussions ranged from which new drugs look promising for stage IV hard to treat cancers to managing the endocrine side effects of certain types of immunotherapy to using drugs like Wegovy to help women on hormone blocking medications maintain their weight (important because excess belly fat is a risk factor for cancer coming back and hormone blockers cause weight gain).

My brain is full, and I'm excited to bring all that knowledge back to the clinic, the support group, and the book I'm working on. But first, a NAP!

07/18/2025

How do we find joy when the world feels too heavy to bear? Or when our days are filled with challenges?

Turns out that we find what we're looking for. If we're always looking for the things which suck, that's what we'll see. But if we spend even a few minutes each day looking for the little things which bring us joy, we'll find more of it.

If you're stuck in a cycle of negativity, try making a list of things which typically bring you joy, if only for a moment. Like the feel of fresh sheets against your skin. Or a really good belly laugh. Or the pure bliss of that first sip of coffee. You get the idea.

Try writing down 5 things you're grateful for every day. Even things like access to running water and a roof over your head count here.

It takes time, but slowly you'll start to see that there really are moments when you feel good each day. Eventually you may even find those little joys are the primary things you notice instead of them being limited to fleeting moments.

Keep at it, and your heart and soul and nervous system will thank you. 💕

07/15/2025

Simple joys.

Most Friday afternoons I enjoy a girls ride on a local bike path for about 30 miles of chatting and outdoor exercise. It's one of the highlights of my week.

I've been an avid cyclist for years and even though I'm no longer riding insane distances, I still adore pedaling. There's something about the sun on my back, the wind in my hair, and the sheer physicality of covering 30+ miles under my own power which brings me an intense sense of pleasure and accomplishment.

Last week, I finally got fed up with the old shorts I've been wearing. The worn out chamois was no longer providing the right cushioning to reduce the impact of bumps on my bum. And lets face it, menopause and no longer doing ultra-distance has increased the size of that 🍑. Every time I dress for a ride I've been feeling a bit like a sausage stuffed into a casing which is too small.

The JOY I felt on my first ride with new shorts was so incredible, it completely made my week! 😀😃😀🙃😍

This is more than just the joy of wearing something new, and something with more comfort. It's also the joy of accepting that my current body is no longer the body of a 45-year-old athlete and it's ok.

So many of my patients, especially the ones who have been athletes, find themselves looking in the mirror and hating what they see as their bodies age. I still have moments when I grieve the changes in my body, but I'm overjoyed that at my present age, after surviving cancer and everything which goes with it, I'm lifting stronger than ever, I can ride 30 miles comfortably and can still do 50+ off the couch, and my knees are fine with squatting. I'm not losing ground as I get older, I'm healthy and strong, and being bigger is ok.

My advice to other women who are becoming wider and wiser...stay as active as you can. Try to focus on the JOY of feeling your body getting or staying strong instead of your size or what you wish weren't sagging. Feeling good about yourself is such a simple joy, and you deserve to experience that happiness whatever your shape, color, or fitness level. ⭐️🌟⭐️

07/12/2025

Admit it.

You've had a moment, while sipping your favorite beverage, when that special song pops up on your playlist and no matter what's going on in the background, you instantly relax. An involuntary smile forms on your lips. And you feel it. JOY.

A simple sense of contentment, peace, ease. It may be fleeting, but hopefully it sticks around for a bit.

So often we feel like we don't deserve to feel joy. We haven't done enough. We're not good enough. We haven't earned it yet.

Today, I'm here to remind you that we don't need permission to feel joy. We don't need to earn it. We just need to slow down enough to make space for it.

It's there in the spaces between:
🌸in the scent of jasmine on your morning walk
💧the sensation of a raindrop on your face
☕the bitterness of your coffee
🍫the silkiness of pure chocolate melting on your tongue
👼🏼the innocence of a sleeping child
🐈your cat's purr

What brings you joy? Is there something you can do today to bring just a little bit more (or maybe a lot more!) of it into your awareness? I hope you can!

07/09/2025

I somehow quietly missed it. 25 years of being a licensed acupuncturist, and 28 years in business, serving the San Diego community. I started as a massage therapist in a shared one-room office in 1997, got my acupuncture license in 2000, and I'm grateful to still be here as your partner in health and in life.

It seems like just yesterday when I quit my corporate job, moved 3000 miles, and started a new chapter which included 4 more years of graduate school, a licensing exam, and starting a small business. Amazing how quickly the time goes.

I'm honored to have been part of the healing process for so many incredible humans, through upturns and downturns, pandemics and politics, sickness and health. If you've been my patient, thank you for putting your trust in me. If you haven't, I'd be honored to be part of your journey, too.

Address

San Diego, CA

Opening Hours

Monday	11am - 5:30pm
Wednesday	1pm - 4:30pm
Thursday	9:30am - 7pm

Telephone

+16197724002

Website

https://balboaparkholisticwellnesscenter.com/, http://linktr.ee/acupuncturegeek

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Our Story

At our acupuncture clinic our philosophy is that every person has the capability to heal deep within themselves, and we know that modern life leaves most of us disconnected from our bodies so we forget how to tap into that power within us. We offer services such as acupuncture and herbal medicine in order to give your body everything it needs to turn on its powerful healing capabilities. Call us today to book your free consultation and learn more about how we can help you!