50 Years of Healing: A Legacy Carried Forward

Tao of Wellness celebrates five decades of patient care, acupuncture, Chinese medicine, and a new generation of integrative doctors

More than 100 patients, students, faculty members, physicians, alumni, and friends gathered at Tao of Wellness in Santa Monica on September 19 to celebrate an uncommon milestone: 50 years of healing in America.

The afternoon kicked off with Dr. Daoshing Ni welcoming the guests and reflecting on the importance of continuity of care—generations of doctors within his family caring for generations of patients and their families. The event included book signings, herbal elixir tastings, food, and reunions, but the most compelling moments came from five patients and longtime friends whose stories illustrated what five decades of continuous care can mean.

Dr. Mao Shing Ni introduced the first of five speakers—Jodie Evans. She opened the program by recalling, as the Director of Administration for then-Governor Jerry Brown, the early days of acupuncture in California and the period when the profession first gained legal recognition. Among the early practitioners to be legally licensed was Hua-Ching Ni, whose arrival in California in 1976 marked the beginning of what would eventually become Tao of Wellness.

At the time, acupuncture and Chinese medicine were still unfamiliar to much of the American public. Fifty years later, Tao of Wellness has become part of a much broader movement toward preventive and integrative health care.

When Patients Become Generations

Debbie Myman, an education consultant, shared how she and her husband Bob, an entertainment attorney, first received care from Hua-Ching Ni and later brought their son for treatment. Over the decades, her family continued seeing doctors at Tao of Wellness. That relationship ultimately extended across four generations of the Myman family.

It was perhaps the clearest measure of the practice’s longevity: not simply years in business, but the trust of families who continue to return at different stages of life.

Carol Merrill-Mirsky, musician and former director of the Hollywood Bowl Museum, told a similar story. Her relationship with Tao of Wellness spans nearly the full 50 years—from the initial care with Hua-Ching Ni to subsequent generations of Drs. Mao Shing and Daoshing Ni, and now to Dr. Yu-Shien Ni, representing the family’s 39th generation.

The anniversary theme, Three Generations in America, is not just history; it extends to the patients' current experience. 

Healing Through Difficult Moments

The final speaker, Kim Childs, a primary school teacher, shared an emotional account of her journey following a cancer diagnosis in 2023. Her story brought the celebration back to the essential purpose behind the medicine.

For people facing serious illness, care is not only about procedures and treatments. It can also mean having experienced practitioners who listen, understand the whole person, and help support strength, resilience, and quality of life throughout a difficult journey. That philosophy has remained remarkably consistent through Tao of Wellness’ five decades.

A Tradition Still Evolving

The afternoon also looked toward the future. Tao of Wellness doctors signed books and met with visitors, while Dr. Yu-Shien Ni released her new book, The PCOS Myth. 

Drs. Daoshing and Mao Shing Ni acknowledged that no institution reaches 50 years on its own. They thanked their family, staff, patients, and colleagues who helped sustain the practice through the decades, as well as the faculty, students, and graduates of Yo San University—the traditional Chinese medicine university founded by the Ni family in honor of their grandfather’s legacy—who have carried Chinese medicine into communities throughout the country.

Today, the next generation of Ni family physicians includes Dr. Yu-Shien Ni and Dr. Yu-Ming Ni, joined by Tao of Wellness doctors and Yo San University graduates such as Dr. Albert Vaca, principal practitioner at the Tao of Wellness Pasadena office, and Dr. Shannon Lawrence.

Bringing East and West Together

Another patient, Wayne Pepper, an Executive Coach and Management consultant, spoke about receiving care that combined traditional Chinese medicine expertise with Dr. Yu-Ming Ni's preventive cardiology work. His experience reflected an important direction for the future of medicine: thoughtful collaboration between traditional approaches and modern specialties.

For today’s patients, health care increasingly involves more than choosing between Eastern and Western medicine. Many are seeking ways to combine acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutrition, lifestyle practices, modern diagnostics, cardiology, women’s health, oncology support, and preventive medicine in a coordinated approach.

That integration has become an important part of Tao of Wellness’ next chapter.

The Next 50 Years

Tao of Wellness enters its next chapter with the same fundamental purpose that shaped its first: helping people live healthier, longer, and more balanced lives.

What has changed is the opportunity. The coming years will bring deeper integration of traditional Chinese medicine with modern medical specialties, greater emphasis on prevention and longevity, and another generation of practitioners carrying these traditions forward.

The first 50 years were about planting roots. The next 50 will be about growing the forest.

For the patients, families, students, physicians, and friends gathered in Santa Monica, the anniversary was not simply a look back. It was a reminder that a healing tradition remains most meaningful when it continues to grow, adapt, and serve the generations still to come.