We recently connected with Emily Blanche and have shared our conversation below.

Emily, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What was your school or training experience like? Share an anecdote or two that you feel illustrate important aspects or the overall nature of your schooling/training experience.

In 2019 I enrolled in school to learn Chinese medicine. The school I attended had just received their accreditation for a doctorate program. I was so excited to learn all about traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that I breezed right past all the biomed requirements for the doctorate program. Biomedicine, the western medical paradigm is very different than TCM. Learning them both together twisted my brain. One feeling very intuitive and one that required a lot of memorization. Included in the curriculum is 3000 hours of clinical hours, creating excellent opportunities for providing customized treatment for a variety of complex ailments. A large portion of the clients who received treatments from the school clinic were 60 and older seeking care of chronic pain. I loved hearing how much relief they experienced and how they wished they would have tried acupuncture much sooner.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a community leader that runs Gold Lion Healing Arts . GLHA offers traditional Chinese medicine modalities such as acupuncture, cupping, gua sha, moxibustion, dietary consults, herbal medicine, as well as sound healing, yoga and meditation. I combine internal medicine and esoteric treatments in my work. Many clients seek me out for women’s health assistance- fertility, menopause, hormone balancing, PCOS and painful periods. I also treat depression, anxiety, stress management, nervous system regulation, headaches, migraines, digestive issues, bells palsy, pain management, detoxification and life transitions. I also facilitate sound healing baths around the valley. Providing opportunities for people to unwind, reflect and turn inward motivate my work.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I began practicing yoga in 1992 and became certified to teach in 2004. For almost three decades I was fully immersed in yoga. Taking additional teacher trainings, workshops, white tantric, traveling to India, ect. I taught it professionally, my community, my mental health were all wrapped up with it. Then in 2020 my last bubble broke with the teachers who brought yoga to the West. From Bikram yoga- Bikram Choudhury to Kundalini Yoga by Yogi Bhajan and many between were outed for horrendous harm inflicted upon their students that was done and hidden for many years. What was taught as secret acient teachings from the East, meditations and kriyas were actually made up. I had an existential crisis. I needed to unlearn what they taught me, the rules they instilled. I’m still unwinding what tools I have experience with that are helpful and what I want to sit down and leave behind.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

I think to be successful in any field one needs a mentor, integrity, passion and to be aligned with their true self.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://goldlionhealingarts.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goldlionaz
• Linkedin: linked.com/in/goldlionaz
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/gold-lion-healing-arts-phoenix?osq=acupuncture

Image Credits

Tara Logsdon, Ashley Zettler