Featured Jing Practitioner: Michele Laiming Lee

Michele Laiming Lee

Michele is a Licensed Acupuncturist and a Certified Massage Therapist working in California. You can read more about her work here.

Tell us a bit about what got you into your career. 

I grew up in California among diverse cultures and lifestyles. My mother, who I lived with as a child, introduced me to holistic medicine, while my father, whom I saw on weekends and during long summer breaks, introduced me to traditional Chinese medicine.

As a kid visiting my father’s family, I would watch my grandmother practicing qi gong in their living room. Their pantry was their medicine cabinet, filled with strange packages of white fungus, red dates, and what seemed to be tree bark or roots—it was all a mystery to me at the time. Later, when I had my own four children, I embraced these teachings to better understand their individual constitutions and ailments. Several trips to China with my father deepened my passion for this field.

As my children grew into young adults, I shifted my focus to the full-time study of the healing arts I had grown up with. I have been an acupuncturist for four years, so that side of my business is still growing. However, for the past 13 years, I have been a Holistic Health Practitioner and a Certified Massage Therapist. When I studied for my Associate’s degree in Holistic Health Science, we were taught qi gong, tai chi, acupressure points, and Traditional Chinese Medicine theory—so I have been incorporating these practices into my work for over a decade.

“Having everything in one place makes my patients feel like I’ve worked tirelessly to curate personalized self-care plans just for them—when, in reality, all the videos and recipes are right at my fingertips.”

How important is self-care advice for your patients?

The app has already inspired me to think about nutrition and lifestyle coaching as part of my practice. I now see how important that aspect is. Before, I didn’t really think of myself as a lifestyle coach, but I realized that I was constantly sending patients links, screenshots of acupoints, and looking up food recommendations for them.

Having everything in one place makes my patients feel like I’ve worked tirelessly to curate personalized self-care plans just for them—when, in reality, all the videos and recipes are right at my fingertips.

How easy is it to use the Jing app in your daily practice?

I find it very easy to take a few minutes between treatments to create a program or add new modules. It elevates my practice and makes my patients feel like they are getting extra attention.

What do your patients say about Jing and the self-care material?

I’ve had great feedback. Patients seem surprised to find so much ancient wisdom presented in a modern, tailored app.

Can you give us an example of a recent case where Jing has been useful?

I have a couple who comes in regularly that I think of as the Yin/Yang pair. The wife comes in consistently for acupuncture and has a cold pattern. She encouraged her husband to come in for a massage, and I gave him a brief nutrition consult. He was running hot and wanted to make some lifestyle changes.

I got them both on the app and emphasized that this was something they could do together. Although they have different patterns, they could still support and encourage each other as they worked through their individualized modules. They were really enthusiastic about this, and it was heartwarming to see them helping each other along the way. Now they both come to see me a few times a month!

Do you have any tips for other Jing users on how to engage patients in their self-care?

Engagement is a challenge, but the key is in the name—be an engaging and excited practitioner!

If I ask my patients, “Did you do the suggestions I sent you?” or even, “How are you liking the Jing app?” some respond sheepishly, saying they haven’t done as much as they’d hoped. I suspect they hear it as, “Have you been doing your homework?”

So, I’ve changed my approach. Now, I say something like, “Did you know I can send you new modules to try? Yes! So cool—everything is tailored and adaptable, just like our treatment sessions.” I’ve noticed this gets a much better response!

If you’d like to become a Featured Jing Practitioner please get in touch!