A Gathering of Great Minds
Last weekend our team here at Miridia Technology was blessed with the opportunity to host our third annual AcuGrowth Symposium in Boise, Idaho. We had more guests than ever before, and we are overwhelmed with gratitude to all those who came, participated and offered their insight, experience and presence to the group.
Each attendee brought his or her own powerful point of view. The collaboration of so many devoted minds and passionate hearts was truly incredible to behold. But it was more than just a professional gathering. As one attendee put it, “I’ve been to a lot of symposiums, and many of them are great. But AcuGrowth is the only one that feels like family.”
Ah Fong Chuck—A Boise-Based Pioneer
This year at AcuGrowth, we dedicated our efforts to an acupuncture mentor who saved many lives and made a great impact in medicine in the United States.
His name is Ah Fong Chuck, and he was the first licensed acupuncturist in the United States. He fought a fierce battle for his profession, his methods and his right to practice. His actions paved the way for every acupuncturist that would follow him. He saved countless lives, unselfishly sharing his gift as a healer with his community.
And the best part is, our symposium venue was just 2 blocks away from Chuck’s Boise acupuncture practice—the place where he paved the way for every future acupuncturist in the United States.
It was an honor to gather in his memory, and to share his story.
Optional Intro to AcuGraph Class
Attendees poured into our office, completely filling the seats. They enjoyed a tour, had a snack, and then learned about the theory behind Ryodoraku, the function of the AcuGraph Digital Meridian Imaging System, and graphing and treating technique.
It was a great opportunity for more engaged, hands-on learning and love demonstrations with AcuGraph.
After the class, attendees piled into a big yellow school bus that took them across town to Kimberly’s home, where homemade tacos, Coronas, Margaritas and Sombrero-clad friends awaited them. The group enjoyed delicious homemade tacos, and plenty of good drinks while they made connections.
AcuGrowth Day 1: Auriculotherapy, Laser, Electroacupuncture and Non-Needle Modalities
Attendees got their first glimpse at the historic Owyhee building downtown as they took a short walk from their hotel. After signing in and grabbing a gift bag, they settled in as Dr. Adrian Larsen started off the day with a welcome announcement, a dedication to Ah Fong Chuck, and his first class, “Modern Tools for Modern Acupuncture.” The class learned about the various tools and techniques they would be learning about throughout the course of the weekend.
After a short morning break (healthy snacks provided) we next heard from Kimberly Thompson, L.Ac. on beating fibromyalgia with acupuncture. This has been one of Kimberly’s specialties for years. Her passion and excitement were tangible as she presented!
Lunch was soup, salad and bread—with vegan and gluten free options available to all. Attendees talked, laughed, discussed what they’d learned, and then attended a mini class, “Enhancing your Practice Revenue” after they finished eating.
Many attendees also enjoyed lounging and relaxing during breaks on several Jade Vitality far infrared heating pads provided for their enjoyment. Headphones and iPods were also available, giving them the option to experience the included 17 minute guided healing meditation. The pads and the meditation were a huge hit—helping to keep everyone relaxed and focused when it was time for class to start again.
Cocktail Night!
During the last class, members of the Miridia staff were hard at work preparing food for the complimentary cocktail hour.
As soon as class ended, each attendee enjoyed one free drink and a plethora of hors d’oeuvres like greek salad, fresh fruits and vegetables, gourmet cheese boards and homemade carrot-banana bread.
This offered ample opportunity for more friendships to form and connections to be made. An overall atmosphere of joy, love and appreciation permeated everything.
After a fulfilling day, several groups went out to enjoy the sites, culinary scene and nightlife of downtown Boise. Both the Owyhee event center and the hotel were in walking distance of the best restaurants and shops Boise has to offer.
AcuGrowth Day 2: Five Elements and Emotions, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and Chronic Pain
Dr. Jared McCollum
Dr. Jared McCollum opened day 2 with a truly fascinating and enlightening class on the Five Elements, and Emotional Core Treatments. He shared his self-developed system for helping patients overcome emotional and mental disorders by organizing patterns of imbalance in the hardware (the body) and the software (the mind) of his patients.
Throughout his years in practice he has seen incredible success using AcuGraph to diagnose patterns of emotional disharmony, and has blessed countless lives by helping patients overcome the difficulties and trauma of their pasts. You could hear a pin drop in that room as attendees listened and intently took notes.
Jared also taught attendees about building a community referral practice. With almost no marketing efforts, Jared has built a thriving community practice through word-of-mouth referrals and the power of AcuGraph. In his town in Canada there are about 36,000 people—and 9,000 of them are his patients. That’s 1 in 4 residents!
Everyone was truly inspired by Jared’s positivity and his story. He genuinely believes that every acupuncturist can find true success in building their ideal practice. And he wants to help them get there!
Dr. Charles Quigless
After a short break, Dr. Quigless favored attendees with his personal story about his son Charlie’s life with autism, and the power of acupuncture—especially auriculotherapy—in helping him to live life as comfortably as possible.
With treatment, Charlie has made great strides in his social life and communication, his autonomy and his ability to express himself. The presentation was a heartwarming testament to the power of our medicine in blessing lives, and the beauty of diversity.
After anticipating for years that they might need to provide Charlie with care for the rest of his life, Dr. Quigless and his wife are overjoyed that he will be able to attend University completely independently and study his passion—music.
Kimberly Thompson, L.Ac.
Finally, Kimberly Thompson shared her tried and true system for treating chronic pain. Kimberly’s passion and talent were evident throughout every aspect of the presentation—from her overview, to the real-life application and treatment demonstration.
Attendees were really able to get involved as they helped dissect the AcuGraph readings of two volunteers, and helped decide how to treat them with both a root treatment to achieve balance, and a branch treatment to address chief complaints.
Many attendees chose to stick around in Boise for one last night. Groups enjoyed dinner, walked and shopped the streets, and posed for photos in Boise’s iconic ‘Freak Alley.’ And as small and unknown as Idaho may be, our visitors absolutely loved the area.
So much so that they almost unanimously agreed that we ought to host it here every single year!
A Final Thank You
AcuGrowth 2019 proved a huge success—thanks to the talent and passion of guest speakers, the open minds and hearts of attendees, and the bonds of friendship that were forged throughout the weekend. Truly, there was such an abundance of love permeating through everything—from the formal presentations to the personal conversations. It was so fulfilling to see the hard work we’ve put in come to such abundant fruition.If we changed or blessed even one life through the symposium, we consider it a great success.
A deep and sincere thanks to all those who attended AcuGrowth this year. Thank you for contributing to the atmosphere of harmony, balance, growth and love! To those who weren’t able to make it, we’re sorry we missed you—and we hope to see you next year!
Symposium 2020….
If you’re interested in attending our 2020 Acupuncture Growth Symposium, it will take place here in the Boise, Idaho area! Keep an eye on www.AcuGrowth.com, and we’ll keep you informed as plans solidify.
Love and well wishes from your Miridia Acupuncture Technology family!
p.s…. feel free to check out more pictures! Scroll on!
Hellow Dr Adrian Larsen glad to see acu growth symposium .congratulations.