JADE ACUPUNCTURE/About Our Place

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Anna Barak and Ralph Roberts first met at
the Pacific Institute of Oriental Medicine and became friends. Together they
opened Jade Acupuncture in the Spring of 1999.

We chose the name Jade because it represented some of what we hope to achieve here. Jade--the stone--attracts good fortune, friendship and loyalty, wealth and happiness. It provides protection against one's enemies, if one has any, strengthens the heart, immune system and helps to clean the blood.
We liked what Jade stands for and decided to take it as our name. As with everything we do it is a process and a partnership.

We did not want an office that looked too medical or cold, so we decided on a warmer, more personable environment. Our vision was to create a comfortable and supportive place for both practitioner and patient.

The waiting room has the sound of running water provided by a fountain created with wood, plants and stones from New York State.
The walls of the treatment rooms are four feet short of the actual ceiling, making them more open and lending an air of greater space.
We used wooden beams stained in varying shades of red and mahogany, and placed them across the top of the treatment rooms.
Each room has one wall painted an ochre shade.
The furnishings come almost exclusively from the antique markets and small stores throughout the city.
The metal ceiling was in good shape so we painted it golden; it is very outstanding without being outspoken. Gold adds a warming element, unlike the white metals, and this warmth is felt throughout the space.

The tone and feeling reflect oriental aesthetics.

A small seated Buddha greets all who enter the waiting room

followed by....

Quan Yin--a Chinese female Buddha, also known as the Green Tara in Tibetan Buddhism. She is the embodiment of the Buddha of Compassion and stands in the hallway that leads to the treatment rooms.

In and effort to continue our learning experience and the understanding of the use of Chinese raw herbs, we decided to maintain a small raw / loose herb storeroom.

At the present time we stock about 140 herbs
that we combine to create formulas designed for each
individual patient's condition.

We did not think twice about having the raw herbs even though there are certainly several drawbacks: They take up space. They can get old. They can go bad. They are time consuming to prepare.
However, herbal medicine IS Chinese medicine, and we felt it necessary to work with raw herbs in order to provide our patients with the most thorough treatment for their individual conditions, however mild or severe.

We wish to practice acupuncture and herbal medicine with it's 'roots' intact (no pun intended!) and not to Westernize it. In addition to the raw herbs we do stock over 30 different patent or pill forms of herbal medicines with brand names such as 'Minshan' and 'Plum Flower'.

JADE ACUPUNCTURE
is a place/vessel for learning and a path to Healing and Health.

We are located at:
39 West 14th Street
(between 5th and 6th Avenues)
Suite 201
NY, NY 10011
212-691-5198

Eventually we would like to have small workshops on topics of interest to us and our colleagues. We feel lucky to have three other practitioners in our office. Even though we are not all there at the same time we do get to share ideas. The additional input is a refreshing chance to share our excitement and to be around others who understand what we are "talking about".