Milkweed & Alchemy

An Interview with Acupuncturist Bianca Clayton

Jen Padilla-Burger: Could you tell us about your acupuncture practice and your journey towards this healing profession? 

Bianca Clayton: Yes, I feel like it has been this road of twists and turns. Every experience was like gathering information to get me to where I am now. In high school, my boyfriend’s mom was really into homeopathy and Bach flower remedies. He eventually went to chiropractic school, and I attended the open house with him. There was a Chinese medicine school there, too, and I found the information so intriguing. However, in my mind, pursuing a profession like that was just a fantasy. I had just gotten into Cal Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, for architecture. Even while studying, though, I always had this vision in the back of my mind to do something with natural healing, like becoming a midwife, or an herbalist, and Chinese medicine was always in the back of my mind. My thesis project at Cal Poly was designing an alternative medicine retreat center with acupuncture treatment rooms, a meditation space, and healing bath waters.

I ended up graduating from Cal Poly at the bottom of the recession. I was so fortunate to have an internship that kept me on after I graduated, but they were struggling to keep us all employed. With time, I started getting busier with architecture. The further down the road I got with architecture, the more it felt like it wasn’t right for me. People kept telling me to climb the ladder and that it would get better, but the more I climbed the more stressed I became. I observed my bosses and saw that they were totally stressed out. I started to develop anxiety, depression and insomnia. I realized that I wanted to have work that I was passionate about. I wanted to help people.

Now Chinese medicine and Ayurveda are becoming more mainstream, but fifteen years ago it wasn’t that way. I made the decision ten years ago to go back to school to study acupuncture and herbal medicine. I was in my mid-20s and figured I might as well go for it. I figured I could always fall back on my architecture degree and at least quit wondering about working in a healing profession.

In January of 2013, I moved up to Santa Cruz to start Chinese medicine school. That week, I felt like, “This is it.  This is what I’ve been put on the planet to do.” I felt like I could take a deep breath for the first time in a long time.

Jen: Do you believe we all get these nudges or signs that open us up to our true purpose or path? But because we’re following the rules of using our college degree and maintaining a stable career, we avoid those nudges?  What happens to us if we don’t listen and follow the path like you did?  

Bianca: Absolutely.  I think a lot of people look back on their lives and think “I should’ve done that,” or “I should’ve gotten divorced,” or “I should’ve gone back to school,” or gone on that trip, or whatever it is for them. Society tells us to take the path of least resistance and to toe the party line, but by doing so you miss out. The logical thing for me to have done was to keep with architecture. So many people told me to stick with architecture and that I wasn’t supposed to like my job. People told me I was crazy to leave and study acupuncture. Those people have since apologized to me now that they see I developed a successful business from it.

I think the universe will nudge you and remind you of who your most authentic aligned self is and push you to that. It tells you that if you don’t want to listen it will back off, but if you do follow then it will be easy for you. The decision won’t be easy, but it’ll try to make it as easy as possible once you make the decision.

Jen: I was thinking about how much fear and uncertainty was in the air during the pandemic. Maybe for the first time in a long time, many people refocused on their health. People began to open the door to other treatment modalities. They started to look at health as wholeness versus just diet or exercise or massage. During the pandemic, did people come to you for support with their wellness and immunity? 

Bianca: Yes, and it’s still a little controversial for people in the alternative healing world of naturopaths, acupuncturists, herbalists, and functional medicine doctors to speak out against the narrative. We wanted to affirm that, yes, this is a deadly disease but, for the most part, it’s affecting people that were already really sick to begin with. We encouraged people to take personal responsibility for eating well, getting exercise, reducing inflammation, reducing stress, and making health an absolute priority.

Immunity in Chinese medicine is so remarkable. Chinese herbal medicine in particular is incredible. Prior to Covid-19 there was a SARS epidemic in China. There was this study showing how about 800 nurses and doctors that were given the Chinese herbal formula for immune boosting did not get sick, whereas the other participants were compromised. Personally, I’ve been taking some form of Chinese medicine or medicinal mushrooms for immune boosting and I haven’t gotten sick yet.

Jen: Your practice is so diverse. You offer Reiki, gua-sha, acupuncture, cupping, and nutrition services.  Can you share about chi or energy and how it impacts the body?

Bianca: Yes, so there’s essential substances that are moving through the body. We have blood, we have lymph, and we all have chi circulating through the body. If it becomes stagnant, like blood or like lymph, then there’s going to be disease in the body. So chi is our lifeforce. It’s in everything. It’s in an orange that comes off of a tree. It’s in our animals. It’s in the air. It comes up from the ground. It runs through everything in the universe. We have chi that flows through our body and, when we’re taking good care of it, then it’s flowing smoothly. To have a smooth flow of energy, you can eat well, exercise, do Chi Gong, and regulate your emotions. However, when you get an injury, for example, that will block the flow of chi, iIt’s like the river of chi is flowing, then a beaver comes along and starts creating a dam. The dam blocks the water and stops irrigating, so there’s no nutrition downstream. In Chinese medicine, we want to move any blockages that are preventing the smooth flow of chi. Things that will block chi are poor diet, injury, and emotions like anger. However, anger can be like the chicken or the egg, as stagnant chi makes you susceptible to anger. You want to take care of your emotions so you’re not stagnating your chi.

Jen: On your website, there is a specific call to support women of all ages. What is your goal with supporting women in particular? What are your specific offerings?

Bianca: I feel grateful to be a woman. I just love being a woman in this lifetime. We are such complex beings. I can remember when I was in school, seeing a cut view of both the male and female bodies. In the woman’s body, there are all of these cogs, wheels, and levers. Our hormones are so complex and they’re assaulted in the modern world. Between the stuff in our food, the water, the air, our beauty products, and cleaning products, the full-time job, thriving career, pressures to look a certain way, to be anti-aging, to have children, and be PTA moms—[we] were not built to do this! The stress of it all burdens our bodies. It can show up as thyroid and cortisol imbalances where you are wired yet tired. It can impact reproductive hormones through menstrual irregularities, low libido, hot flashes, insomnia, endometriosis, fibroids, and ovarian cysts. We decide we’re going to move their energy through acupuncture. Acupuncture is calming to the nervous system. For some women, it can be the only time in their week or month where they can just check out and relax. I think our bodies know what to do; they know how to heal. It can’t heal if it’s in this tight, stressed-out state.

Acupuncture is number one, but herbal medicine is also really accessible. I have clients that may not be able to afford to come in for acupuncture regularly, but they can afford a $25 bottle of herbs that’s going to last them a month. The herbal medicine will really support the movement of chi. The medicine is not one-size-fits-all. It’s tailored to that person’s specific pattern and needs.

Diet also plays a major role in health. Every year, it seems like there’s a different popular diet, like paleo, keto, or intermittent fasting. However, a lot of these studies are done on men and men are rightly different from women. Chinese medicine is specific to each person, like some may do well on carbs whereas they make others feel sluggish. It depends if you have a yin deficiency or a yang deficiency. There are also many food sensitivities now, too, due to all of the alterations and chemicals that are put in our food. I try to help people navigate all of that to find the best way to fuel their bodies.

Jen: Seasons are an essential part of Chinese medicine. Right now, we’re in spring. Could you share about the importance of seasons and how we can support our bodies in this season?

Bianca: Yes. So we, as humans, like animals and plants—we’re all microcosms with the macrocosm. We’re responding to what’s happening in our environment. It can include our built environment, the way we’re living, and then there are the seasons. With each season, there’s different correlations with different organs. Spring, for example, is related to the liver. In Chinese medicine, the liver is all about moving the chi. In the five elements, it’s connected to wood. Spring wood represents growth. In the spring, you might be inspired to begin new projects and have new ideas. We’re leaving winter, which is more yin. Winter is about hibernating and resting. In spring, we emerge to cleanse and support new growth. I went on a hike this morning and saw all these little springs of grass and flowers popping up. So all of that green is what our bodies are wanting right now. The liver loves dark leafy greens like chard and collard. It wants herbs like cilantro, parsley, and dandelion. These are all fresh, leafy things that are naturally coming out in the Spring.

On January 1st, people decide to do a detox, but that’s wintertime and their bodies could be best supported by eating hearty foods and vegetables. It’s time to be lounging around and watching movies. It’s not time to train for a marathon or detox.

Spring is associated with the wind. Here on the Central Coast, we get the spring wind and it just makes me so ornery! Wind is my least favorite weather because it creates irritability and anger, which are the emotions associated with the liver. Everything is intertwined. Spring is a time to start moving your body and dusting off the cobwebs from winter.

I have a big interest in Feng Shui, which is kind of like the merge of my two professions of architecture and acupuncture. The term “spring cleaning” shows us that we have the energy to move things out and detox our environment. When we clean out our closets, that’s like moving chi in your house or your built environment. It’s funny to think that we naturally gravitate towards “spring cleaning,” and we don’t even realize that is all a part of Chinese medicine. It just feels natural.

Jen: For this year, if you could give your clients a message to support their overall wellness, what would that be?

Bianca: I’m trying to give myself this message of asking, “Is this moving me towards or away from my most authentic, aligned self?” You don’t want to overwhelm yourself with Netflix shows or social engagements with people that don’t really align with where you’re heading. It’s important to set that boundary and choose to do things that fill you up alongside people who are on the same trajectory as you. It’s getting clear on finances and deciding if we want to choose retail therapy or to spend money on self-care and experiences. It’s one of those day-to-day things where you make little choices. Nothing will change overnight, but little by little you start moving towards your most authentic, aligned self.

Jen: How can people connect with you?

Bianca: People can find me on Instagram @milkweedandalchemy and my Facebook page, Milkweed & Alchemy. I’ve been in this season of going inward and taking a break from social media, but I’m feeling more ready to reemerge.

Bianca Clayton

Bianca Clayton is a California Board licensed acupuncturist and herbalist. From a young age, she was always drawn to herbalism and alternative medicine, but instead decided to pursue an education in design and environmentalism at California Polytechnic University in San Luis Obispo. Her senior design thesis was a holistic healing center on the California coast. After graduating with honors with a Bachelor in Architecture and Minor in Sustainable Environments, she worked with local architects for several years. During that time, she received acupuncture and herbal medicine for her own health challenges. Inspired by the profound healing from this ancient medicine, she decided to go back to school in the hopes to help others one day. She received her four year Masters in Traditional Chinese Medicine from Five Branches University in Santa Cruz, CA. While in Santa Cruz, Bianca interned in a County sponsored drug and alcohol treatment facility and in a clinic that provides acupuncture services to free of charge to military veterans. She currently volunteers monthly at the Hearst Cancer Resource Center at French Hospital giving acupuncture in a group setting.

Treating the body as a whole requires a comprehensive approach, Bianca's practice includes acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutritional counseling, Reiki, and Yin Tuina, a subtle touch technique. Being of the thought that everyone has to be an advocate for their own healing, Bianca is passionate about helping her patients with their personal journey to optimal health. Her goal is to equip her clients with the tools they need to take the best care of themselves outside of the clinic with the use of nutrition, herbs, exercises, and lifestyle modifications. Outside the office, Bianca enjoys deepening her yoga practice, cooking, backpacking, meditation, watercolor painting, and exploring California’s beautiful Central Coast with her family. Learn more at milkweedandalchemy.com.