Though I was still sure I was leaving Seattle sometime soon, on May 25, 1995, I changed my business license to Embrace The Moon School for Taijiquan and Qigong. Then I decided to run an ad in the local alternative magazine, “Common Ground.” Shortly after I got a call from one of their writers, Lily Casura. She was writing an extensive article on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and her own journey to heal from it. The magazine made an exception to having their writers and their advertisers co-mingle because they thought the topic was important enough to do so. Lily and I met in the University District for ramen and she interviewed me. Then, she joined my classes. That fall her article, “Gentle Medicine” came out (along with my ad). That article launched my career, really, as Embrace The Moon School. Lily remained in my classes for years, healing from her Chronic Fatigue though intentional work with acupuncture Tai Chi, Qigong, among other therapies she found.
A decades long folded hard copy of the article that launched my career. “Gentle Medicine” by Lily Casura, Common Ground Magazine, November 1995.
My classes continued to grow and were focused exclusively for people in pain. I got to know some amazing people and was honored to be a part of their healing journey and in many cases, their dying journey. As a Midwesterner I had a knack for being able to talk to Western Docs in straightforward non-jargonistic ways so I became a safe bet within the Western Medical circles, and began doing a lot of in-services and educational talks for MD's I was also tagged for small studies and grants. I worked for the Center for Complementary Care. The first addition of "Alternative Treatments for Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome," was published, citing my work. One day a student said to me, “I think I’m well now, do you have any regular classes?” I think I was still planning leaving Seattle.
Enter Mark McCormack & Joyce Broderson into my life. They study with me to this day.