My First Stop Back in Japan — Visiting My Mentor’s Clinic
Whenever I return to Japan, there is one place I always visit first:
the clinic of my mentor and the advisor of The Centre for Japanese Acupuncture, Dr. Seino.
Although my clinical work in Toronto is fulfilling, my own body naturally accumulates fatigue and imbalance.
To reset myself — both as a practitioner and as a person — I make it a tradition to visit my teacher as soon as I arrive in Japan.
Experiencing His Technique Through My Own Body
Each time I receive treatment from Dr. Seino, I am reminded:
“This is the level of precision truly required in clinical practice.”
The angle, depth, pressure, and timing of his needling are refined and purposeful.
By experiencing it firsthand, I can recalibrate my own sense of clinical accuracy.
His moxibustion is equally remarkable —
a gentle, comfortable warmth that never becomes too hot, yet penetrates slowly and steadily.
This level of temperature control is something only an experienced practitioner can create.
There are aspects of acupuncture and moxibustion you can only understand not by performing them, but by receiving them.
This annual visit is my reset button and an essential part of my own clinical development.
Sharing Lunch and Exchanging Ideas
After treatment, we always go for lunch — another part of the yearly ritual.
We catch up on clinical insights, teaching methods, recent cases, and the differences between the Japanese and Canadian medical environments.
It’s only once a year, but the density of this time is incredibly valuable.
Guiding My Own Students as a Mentor
In Toronto, I not only treat patients but also mentor students and younger practitioners.
The foundation of what I teach —
the decisions, the touch, the interpretation of subtle changes —
all comes from what I continue to learn from Dr. Seino each year.
Techniques cannot be taught by words alone.
They must be felt, absorbed, and understood through the body before they can be passed on.
This is exactly why my annual visit remains so important to me.
Returning to My Roots Helps Me Move Forward
Japan and Canada are far apart, but the relationship between teacher and student remains unchanged.
This year again, I received treatment, shared meaningful conversations, and returned to my foundation as a practitioner.
I will bring this experience back to Toronto and apply it to my clinical work and education at The Centre for Japanese Acupuncture.
Thank you, Dr. Seino, for welcoming me warmly again this year.
