Earthquake Relief in Nepal--Thank YOU!

View from the rooftop of the clinic in Chapagoan, Nepal

Hello Friends!

When the Earthquakes happened in Nepal, I thought of all the patients I had met there during my two trips in 2010 and 2013, all the interpreters who were my friends and colleagues, all the monks who tirelessly pray for our collective enlightenment.  I had to stop myself from looking to fly there right away, my mind knowing that my body would be more in the way than helpful in the midst of all the chaos, as much as my heart wanted to help.  So, I printed some photos, framed them, and began a little fundraiser on the counter here at The Vital Compass.  Many commented on the beauty of Nepal, and many purchased photos in support of the thousands of people who have lost their homes, their drinking water, and their friends and family in the Earthquake.
Today, we received a letter of thanks from the organization we donated to, the Chokgyur Lingpa Foundation.  Follow the link to see all they have done, or donate yourself!  It is really a letter of thanks to you all who have donated through the purchase of your photos.  And so, we pass the thanks onto you.  

This is the same organization who hosted the non profit I worked with in 2010 and 2013, the Acupuncture Relief Project, who now is focused on not only providing much needed medical care, but also shelter, water and food to the many villagers affected by the natural disaster.  They are now working urgently to take care of the basic needs of the locals who are most remote and unable to receive care from the larger organizations.

Coldly administering care January 2010 in Nepal

If you haven't had a chance to purchase a photo yet, there's still time!  While much have the world has moved on, and the West coast especially attempts to prepare for it's own potential earthquake, we will continue to sell photos and make donations through the end of the summer.  Consider purchasing one at your next appointment, or stop in to browse the herb shop and pick out a photo for donation.  See you then, and thanks again!
~Alison Loercher, L.Ac

Getting to Know Us! Meet Ali!

In the first of our fun interview series on The Vital Compass's worker-owners, we've thrown a bunch of questions at Alison Loercher, all of which she has answered swiftly and deftly...except how to pronounce her last name. And if you want to know that, you'll have to schedule an appointment with her!

Ali on top of Huang Shan

John at The Vital Compass: Hey, Ali!

Alison Loercher: Hi!

J@TVC: The Vital Compass is well into its second year of being open. How do you feel about how things are going?

AL:  Things are pretty amazing here!  Green and I had a vision when we opened and I feel so lucky that so much of that has been fulfilled.  There's a lot to still do to complete our initial goals, like develop our CEU curriculum and a lot of brain storming has been done that is leading us in new directions, like the development of a product line. 

J@TVC: You've done a lot! What keeps you going when you have so much on your plate?

AL: Definitely my clients!  

J@TVC: How so?

AL: I love people, I love getting to know them and the kind of relationship that is formed between myself and my clients.  And a few months ago, someone called to me across the street and said "Hey, you're the Vital Compass lady, right?" and I thought my heart would explode from happiness!

J@TVC: Zowie!

AL: I know! I've had the honor of seeing so many people already throughout my career, both here in Portland and abroad in Nepal, and it only takes a moment of reflection on any of them to appreciate the wonder of the body, of nature, and life itself.  I am consistently amazed at the healing power our bodies innately have, and am humbled to be a part of that process for the people who choose to see me as their practitioner.

J@TVC: That sounds like quite the responsibility.

AL: It can be. I have people who have told me they see me as their "doctor", and that's not quite appropriate, and I've had people who see me and the treatment as more of a "Spa" experience, and that's not appropriate either. 

J@TVC: What is appropriate then?

AL: Aside from being a practitioner of Chinese Medicine with a professional degree? Well, I'm a problem solver. Chinese medicine is a system that allows me to contextualize seemingly huge problems. From a couple of simple theories, five element and yin/yang theory, comes a way of understanding not just human nature, but all of nature. The biggest challenge right now, both for myself as well as I think for the profession as a whole is finding our place in people's healthcare.  I look forward to there being a greater understanding of our profession so that people can find us at the right time for them in their healing process.

J@TVC: And how does someone know when the right time is?

AL: That's not for me to say, but the most all encompassing answer would be to not come until you're ready.  Don't come for a treatment until you are ready for change.  We don't have to be optimistic and expectant all the time, but we do have to be willing to be different from who we are in order to become someone new.

J@TVC: Are you a new person as a result of Chinese Medicine?

AL: Oh, god, yes. Chinese medicine has helped me in so many ways!  It has given me a path to dedicate my life to, as well as a way of healing myself from the array of things life throws at us.  It lets me feel useful in situations where I may have felt at a loss before, and I will be forever in its debt for that.


J@TVC: How about how you've benefited yourself from the medicine?

AL: Have you ever heard of someone being allergic to the cold?

J@TVC: Sure. My friend's mother is.

AL: Yeah. That was me, but I wasn't born with it. 

I was 20 and I went for a hike with some friends at Silver Creek Falls.  It was the middle of summer--warm and dry, so we all jumped into a pool at the base of a waterfall.  Immediately, I was covered in hives from head to toe, exhausted and itchy.  And the hives came back every time it got wet or cold out, which was often being that this was Oregon.  

J@TVC: No! Not Oregon!

AL: Mhm. The dermatologist told me that I was spontaneously allergic to the cold (!) and that the only remedy was steroid antihistamines that I could be on for the rest of my life.  Though I didn't know anything about medicine at the time, I figured this couldn't be a good idea.  

A friend recommended that I see an acupuncturist, and that was the only thing that helped!  After a couple of weeks of treatments, the hives weren't as severe, after a few more, they came to only limited parts of my body, and after a couple of years they went away completely. Not only had it relieved the hives, but also relieved my anxiety, helped me lose weight, and have a better outlook on life as a whole.  I could think of no better way to spend my time than helping people with this seemingly simple tool--and still can't!

J@TVC: C'mon. It can't all be rainbows and roses.

AL: It's pretty darned close. Of course, people have some strange misconceptions about the medicine.

J@TVC: Such as?

AL: Sometimes people want to know if acupuncture is part of a cult or religious ritual.  They're concerned that having an acupuncture treatment was an un-Christian thing to do! I'm pretty blown away by that one! 

J@TVC: What? It's not Voodoo?

AL: Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine is neither a religious tradition, nor from the same part of the world as Voodoo.  No belief or ritual is required!

J@TVC: What other misconceptions have you come across?

AL: The one I battle with the most is that one treatment will fix you.  There are some stories out there about people having one treatment and their problem going away and never returning!  After having been in practice a while now, I can see where this might happen, but most often seen situations in which people will need a series of treatments over time.  And because of this I often hear that "acupuncture doesn't work."

J@TVC: What's a better way of looking at it?

AL: I'm of the opinion that it is physically impossible for acupuncture not to "work"---if one puts an object into one's skin, something is going to happen physiologically--therefore the acupuncture had an effect, it "worked".  So, what would be more accurate is to say that "Acupuncture didn't help my chronic arthritis of 20 years after 2 visits."  That can be a completely accurate statement, and could be solvable!  It's possible that Acupuncture wasn't the most appropriate therapy, or that the practitioner didn't have a good understanding of the condition, or that the frequency of treatment wasn't enough to promote healing, or any number of things that could have not been working about the situation, but none of these things is the "fault" of the acupuncture itself. When I hear that "Acupuncture doesn't work" from someone, I understand them to mean something more like "I don't understand how acupuncture is supposed to work". 

J@TVC: But what is your miracle-of-acupuncture story?

AL: (Laughing) Well, the first time I went to Nepal with the Acupuncture Relief Project, there was a woman who had had a stroke 10 years prior and lost the functioning of her right arm and leg, as well as her speech.  She and her husband came in daily or every other day for 4 weeks while I was there (and I'm sure for some time after), and I had the joy of seeing her begin to be able to speak again.  It was a few small simple words, but it was a delight to her and her husband.  When I left they gave me a couple of felted flowers, which are currently in our restroom at The Vital Compass.

J@TVC: That's awesome! Is that what you like treating?

AL: I like helping to get to the bottom of complex conditions, so I'm drawn to autoimmune disease as well as digestive problems, symptomatic hormonal imbalance, and chronic headaches.  Often there are multiple layers to work with, peel through and discover, and I like being part of that process for someone.  It also takes a particularly dedicated person to do the work to resolve their chronic problem, and I really admire that in the people I get to work with.  It's so inspiring. 

J@TVC: What do you dream about?

AL: I dream about all kinds of things, sometimes kind of gross and sometimes beautiful.  The quality of all my dreams though is like I'm watching a movie, I usually feel pretty detached from what I'm seeing.  Recently I've been listening to a track that has Delta sound waves embedded in it which is supposed to help you dream lucidly.  So far, no dice, but I'm starting to be aware of when I'm dreaming though, so I think that's a good start! 

J@TVC: How about when you're not asleep?

AL: I am really excited about buying a house in the next few years.  I love to garden and can't wait to put every inch of my yard to good use growing food and herbs!  Professionally, I'm looking forward to growing The Vital Compass and sharing its Cooperative model so that other acupuncturists can use it for a viable business model of their own.

J@TVC: This was great. Thanks, Ali!

AL: You're most welcome!