MM-Soong-s-Profile

When I first met Dr. Yuen, it was in 2005, during his session with my friend. I had no idea, or even a clue as to what he was doing. In fact, he didn't seem to be doing anything. But my friend's decade of suffering with headaches and an addiction to Excedrin, despite acupuncture and other alternative medicine treatments, vanished with his treatment. That triggered my scientific curiosity to find out more about this Chinese chiropractic doctor and what he did to clear my friend's problem. All I knew was that he is a chiropractic doctor, a 35th generation Shaolin Grandmaster and the technical advisor for the popular Kung -Fu TV series in the 1970s. My friend said his younger brother was a fan of the show when he was young, and the teachings from the show had affected Dr.Yuen’s life tremendously.

The Spirit of Shaolin woke up my college memories. When I was in college at National Taiwan University, I was a member of a kung-fu club that taught non-fighting Northern Shaolin martial arts. My closest friend from high school and college often had severe asthma attacks during the winter. Since childhood, this condition had often forced her to stay at home and miss many high school classes. One day it occurred to her that learning Shaolin Kung Fu might help alleviate her condition, but she didn't want to join the kung-fu club by herself. So I accompanied her in joining the club—almost like a bodyguard— and eventually it did help to ease her asthma attacks. I never imagined that forty years later I would meet the 35th generation Shaolin Grandmaster Dr. Kam Yuen. I wondered if my friend had known Dr. Yuen four decades ago, would her asthma problem have vanished in a few minutes with his help?

I was born and grew up in Taipei, Taiwan. At National Taiwan University I majored in Plant Pathology. After receiving a B.S. degree in Taiwan I came to America to pursue my graduate studies at the University of Missouri, in Columbia. Upon obtaining my M.S. degree, I was accepted into the doctoral program in Plant Pathology at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana—the "land of soybean and corn.” I wanted to know why plants got sick. But after receiving my doctorate, I went on to do cancer research at several major universities and medical research institutes where I worked on the molecular biology of cancer oncogenes, AIDS and tumor immunology. My interest lay in what triggers cancer in animals and humans, and the effects of chemotherapy on tumor cells at the molecular level.

In 1989, due to health issues that conventional medicine could not address, I reluctantly followed my doctor's suggestion to turn to Chinese medicine for help. My life’s path changed drastically once I met the master English acupuncturist Dr. J. R. Worsley, who would soon become my teacher. He had learned acupuncture with teachers in Taiwan, Singapore and Korea, and, most significantly, was instrumental in bringing Classical 5-element acupuncture to the West. He was also a doctor of Osteopathy, Physiotherapy and Naturopathy in England. I was at a crossroads and I decided to let go of my work in cancer research to study with Dr. Worsley, which I did until his passing in 2003.

Dr. Worsley had always said, "The needle is just a conduit; you really don't need to use the needle, but there are very few people in the world who can do that.” I wanted to find these rare people. After I got my acupuncture license, I traveled to England, several European and Asian countries and Mexico, where I met numerous teachers and immersed myself in different cultures and traditions. I didn't expect to find that rare person in Dr. Yuen, my first Chinese teacher. He has generously taught people what he has developed through his lifetime of Shaolin martial arts trainings, Western medical knowledge, and through treating 300,000 patients around the world. Dr. Yuen and the Yuen Method have helped me to bridge the Chinese roots that I had been ignoring with the Western science and culture that I had been exclusively embracing. How I perceived the world and my life were forever changed.

The simple and scientific YM technique has become the invisible paintbrush I use to create a sense of well being for myself and my patients in every aspect of life in our modern society, including relationships, money/finance, health/fitness, career/life purpose and aging... I have continued using it both with and without acupuncture. It has reduced the side effects of drugs, radiation, chemo treatments and surgeries, and has relieved the stress, fear, anxiety, depression and pain that individuals and their families face when they choose conventional medical treatments. Recovery times from these procedures have routinely reduced drastically as well. I also teach my patients how to use this simple yet profound technique to get back their own center in everyday life so they can release things that bother them right away instead of waiting till their appointment to see me.

I can now travel with my invisible “energy needles” without any concern that my physical needles will be confiscated by airport security personnel. China is famous for "The Art of War." Now, Dr. Yuen is carrying a torch and leading the way to teach people "The Art of Living.” My current dream is to share and connect people in Asia to the simple YM technique developed by Dr. Yuen so that they, too, can create their own artistry in living.

Thank you Sifu Dr. Kam Yuen for bringing forth your method and for sharing your teachings to benefit people.

Meei Meei Soong, M.Ac., L.Ac., Ph.D.

Certified Practitioner of Yuen Method , 2007 & 2010

Medical Board of California Licensed Acupuncturist. 1995--present

National Commission for the Certification of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine(NCCAOM) Dipl.Ac. 1992--present

The Worsley Institute of Classical Acupuncture Lic.Ac, M.Ac. 1992

University of Illinois, Champaign- Urbana, Ph.D. 1977