My name is Neena Abraham, and I am a graduate student pursuing my studies in Chinese medicine, holistic health, and the healing arts at Yo San University, Los Angeles. My personal journey to alternative and holistic health studies spans a decade. As an undergraduate, I studied Psychological and Brain Sciences at Johns Hopkins University, gaining four years of clinical, research, and applied public health experiences. After an internship at a teen drug treatment facility, I became disillusioned with the profit-based healthcare system, and left for the software, media and consulting worlds. At the pinnacle of my corporate career, I took a break and returned to the healthcare world as a patient. A three-month sabbatical turned into a five-year journey across several countries, receiving treatment from multiple holistic health modalities, including Ayurveda, acupuncture, sound medicine, yoga, Reiki, meditation, and biofeedback. Unlearning Western-based medicine and embracing holistic sciences healed my underlying soul sickness, creating a cascade effect in my emotional and physical health. These healing modalities helped me regain self-worth and personal power. The experience inspired me to transition from patient back to practitioner, and commence formal study of the healing arts traditions. My personal experience allows me to empathize with patients and stay invested in their healing journeys. Understanding the gaps of the American healthcare system reaffirmed my commitment to the path of alternative medicine. Over the years, I’ve witnessed sick people getting dismissed or criminalized due to medical gaslighting. Seeing patients suffer was a turning moment for me. I resolved that I would not only be someone who gains and applies Eastern-medical knowledge, but also be an advocate for those who slip in between the cracks of our allopathic medical systems. In 2023, two experiences deepened my commitment to studying acupuncture. Firstly, I visited a community acupuncture clinic that restored my ability to walk. The first-time experience not only helped me understand the intersection of women’s health and acupuncture but also the value of making life-saving treatment affordable for all people. Secondly, a one-month stay at an Ayurvedic & sound medicine retreat introduced me to former addicts and chronic illness patients who successfully reversed their diseases with alternative medicine. Their testimonies were powerful, and helped pair my understanding of acupuncture with activism. I left inspired to learn how I could do that for others as well. My vision for enhancing the lives of my clients is multi-faceted. I want to offer services that help people find their inner peace through the holistic way. I want to help make wellness affordable for all people in our country. I can visualize a health care system that treats all human beings with compassion and understanding. I envision shifting the national paradigm of making Chinese medical doctors active as PCPs across all states, and creating policies to subsidize medical debt as well as holistic education. I intend to reclaim the healing power of Spirit and integrate it back into mainstream medicine. I would like to support people in healing themselves, and live harmoniously with nature and each other. I envision helping people manage the stress of modern living and treat the root of their diseases. I also see a future where holistic and western medicine is integrated, and the people who need the most healing (e.g. long COVID patients, grief management patients, and women’s fertility) receive cost-effective treatment options. Overall, I want patients to have a better healthcare experience. Personally, I am frustrated that patients have to embark on several scavenger hunts to find clear & consistent medical advice. This lag can also contribute to worsening health outcomes, especially when it comes to early disease detection. Part of my near future vision is creating a one-stop holistic center with alternative and traditional providers in order to help patients reduce the number of doctors’ visits. My vision also includes combining food medicine with Chinese medical arts to teach people the power of nutrition in the healing process. Most of all, I want to take away people’s pain. From my experience, healing is a journey of returning to oneself. It’s remembering your authenticity. I envision a world where people use healing methodologies to return to wholeness, and then operate in the world from that place of wholeness. Often, I ask myself - what would our society be like if everyone was operating at their 100%? What would that mean for how we tackle social ills and heal the earth? I believe these healing modalities have the power to create radical ripple effects in our society at the individual, familial, and intergenerational levels. In conclusion, I believe my professional and personal experiences shaped me into a strong candidate for the Wellness Visionary Scholarship. My vision is to marry my gift of helping people with the knowledge of Chinese herbal medicine to shift the U.S. health paradigm while supporting people who seek transformative healing.