Hi my name is Ira. I am an acupuncturist treating patients in Mamaroneck, New York. The road that has brought me into the field of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine has been long and difficult one. As a teenager I suffered from debilitating anxiety. This anxiety effected my relationships with friends and family. My time in was school very difficult and my grades suffered. Through most of high school and college I was a nervous wreck. I tried counseling and I tried many types of medications. Neither offered me much relief.
During my senior year of college a friend suggested I visit an acupuncturist. After leaving my first acupuncture session I noticed a very tangible change in my anxiety. I was floored. I continued with treatment for a few months and because of all the changes I was noticing I decided I would not become a social studies teacher as I had planned prior. I knew I wanted to become an acupuncturist so that I can create the experience for others. Who would have thought a couple of needles inserted into the body could bring about such a profound change?
In the fall of 2004 I enrolled in a Chinese Medicine masters program at the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in New York City. From there my life changed again. A whole new world opened up to me. I found with the use of food, exercise, acupuncture, herbal medicine, etc. a person could take back control of their own health. I realized if people were not finding help with conventional medical treatments they did not need to accept being unhealthy or in pain. They have other options to gain health again. I felt extremely empowered.
While at the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine I met my first mentor. He was a qigong practitioner who used qigong and various forms of Chinese Medicine to help patients. I made several trips to China to study various aspects of Chinese medicine with him. I spent seven years traveling to China with him to study and I would meet with him weekly to practice qigong. Studying with him I learned many aspects of Chinese medicine which is not taught at school. I learned how meditation, qigong, bodywork and massage can have a profound effect on mental, emotional and physical health. During this time I was teaching qigong as well. This teacher opened my eyes and mind up to the possibilities of Chinese Medicine. It is not only good for treating pain and for stress. It can help patients on a very deep level to work through very difficult health issues.
Ira Wahrman L.Ac in Beijing with his teacher Master Yu
In 2009 I moved to China to search out the secrets of Chinese medicine first hand. I lived in Beijing for about 9 months trying to study Chinese and find a high level doctor or qigong practitioner to study with. I did not have the fate to meet a teacher at that time. Luckily two years later I met my current teacher and mentor.
In 2011 I became a formal disciple of a Chinese massage and Acupuncture master at Tong Ren Tang hospital in Beijing. From him I learned massage and acupuncture for the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders as well as many internal medical complaints. He invited me in like a son and did not hold anything back when teaching me. At the beginning I would observe him in the clinic during the day and in the evenings I would go to his house for dinner to ask questions. His treatment techniques looked very simple but he would get tremendous results with very difficult cases. Master Yu has a big heart and huge smile. He always emphasized that practitioners must sacrifice themselves for their patients. He also taught me how speaking with patients during treatment is almost as important as the treatment itself. As Chinese medicine practitioners we are not only performing techniques to physically help patients but we also need to counsel patients in a way to lighten their mind and emotions. I remember seeing him treat a patient with paralysis from a stroke. Besides acupuncture and massage my teacher would always tell this patient jokes to make him laugh during treatment. The more he laughed the better the treatment worked. His stroke was caused by suppressed anger and he lost some of his memory. Laughing and smiling was his medicine. Master Yu has been like another father to me. I always look forward to seeing him when I return to Beijing.
In 2019 I met another teacher that has been a huge influence on my practice of Chinese Medicine. I began my studies with Suzanne Robidoux in Toronto of that year. Suzanne is a practitioner of Classical Chinese medicine. She specializes in Chinese herbal medicine, moxibustion, scalp acupuncture and classical acupuncture. Before working with her moxibustion and herbal medicine were not a big part of my practice. She opened up my eyes to how effective herbal medicine and moxibustion can help with chronic degenerative issues. Some of the cases that were slow to respond with acupuncture and massage often responded very quickly to moxibustion and herbal medicine.
Along the way I have studied with other practitioners including Dr. Tan and Henry Mccann who have influenced my practice of acupuncture. With Dr. Tan I studied the balance method. With Henry Mccann I studied Master Tung style of acupuncture. I have also been influenced by the writing of Andrew Sterman. Andrew’s work has been the best view and usage of dietary medicine through the lens of Chinese medicine.
I am always on the look out for ways to improve the treatments I provide to my patients. I am constantly researching and reading about Chinese medicine and its various branches.
Styles of Acupuncture:
- Traditional Chinese Acupuncture
- Master Tung Acupuncture
- Dr. Tan’s Balance Method
- Auricular Acupuncture
- Scalp Acupuncture
