Toyohari Acupuncture

So many people are put off using acupuncture by their fear of needles and as a professional acupuncturist I hate causing unnecessary anxiety or pain. So in order to improve the well-being of my patients and my own skills I’ve enrolled on the first ever year long Toyohari course to be held in the U.K.


Being an acupuncturist is a way of living and life long learning is one of the most wonderful aspects of that. Meeting other professionals from all around the world to learn and swap ideas is so wonderful.

Acupuncture arrived in Japan from China and Korea via Buddhist monks in the sixth century. In the mid 1600s, a blind Japanese acupuncturist named Waichi Sugiyama started to develop a technique that reduced the discomfort of treatment. Even now 30% of Acupuncturist in Japan are blind and the Toyohari Meridian Therapy Association is spreading the practice of Toyohari to sighted acupuncturist worldwide.

Toyohari can enhance acupuncturists' ability to feel qi and improve their clinical skills through gentle, nonstimulatory and effective treatment methods to regulate and harmonize qi. Like all acupuncture skills it takes time, effort and the help of master practitioners to improve. We had the benefit of 2 such practitioners this weekend including Stephen Birch who has written about and practiced Toyohari for over 30 years.


feel so lucky to be able to continue my journey into acupuncture on this UK course.