“Betrayal is a weird word but it is what comes up for me somatically…when I see acupuncturists or other folks who are making a living professionally off of the modalities that my ancestors felt that they had to give up, in order for their children to survive.”
—李道玲 Camellia Dao-Ling McDermott Lee
When 李道玲 Camellia Dao-Ling McDermott Lee contacted me about coming on the podcast as a guest, I knew that theirs was a perspective I wanted to hear and share. As a biracial member of the Asian diaspora, and a fifth-generation Taiwanese healer, Camellia has spent years trying to understand why their own Asian family members would express disdain for the ancestral healing traditions of acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. Was it internalized racism? Survival instinct? Perhaps even, love?
Camellia's narrative is interwoven with tales of war, empire, and anti-Asian racism that profoundly impacted their family's choices. Their unique academic path, against the backdrop of societal issues of racism, colonialism and systems of oppression, all coalesce into a captivating exploration of identity, heritage, and healing.
Along the way, we discuss:
The history of acupuncture in the United States, the financial barriers to acupuncture education, and its relationship with the broader issues of cultural appropriation, gentrification, violence, and displacement.
The far-reaching implications of Orientalism on marginalized groups, and the structures of power, money, and domination it reinforces.
The inherent reciprocity at the foundation of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the importance of participating in energetic exchanges on both the individual and community levels.
Towards the end of the episode, we talk about Camellia’s new book, Elemental Healing: A 5-Element Path for Ancestor Connection, Balanced Energy and Aligned Life. Camellia shares why they were inspired to write it, and the lessons and guidance it can offer to all of us, regardless of our background.
Throughout our conversation, Camellia generously shares their unique perspective on the challenges and rewards of reconnecting with ancestral practices amid a labyrinth of cultural and systemic pressures, while offering a poignant reminder of the necessity to challenge our perceptions and strive for empathy and understanding. This episode serves as a call to action, urging us to consciously dismantle these structures of harm through our interactions and conversations.
Love and gratitude,
Your Acupuncturist
李道玲 Camellia Dao-Ling McDermott Lee is a writer, healing artist, and student at Yo San University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which carries on a 38-generation family lineage of the healing arts. Camellia is a fifth-generation Taiwanese healer, a student, practitioner and mentor in Taoism, Taoist meditation and Taoist healing modalities, a member of Thien Hau Temple, and a student of a 22-generation Taoist lineage of Parting Clouds. You can learn more about Camellia’s work and subscribe to their newsletter at https://www.camelliadaoling.com
Camellia’s book, Elemental Healing: A 5-Element Path for Ancestor Connection, Balanced Energy and Aligned Life, is available from any bookseller.
Camellia’s meditations on Insight Timer
Huge thanks to 李道玲 Camellia Dao-Ling McDermott Lee for the great conversation, and to AudioCoffee for the music in this episode.
And endless love and gratitude to my paid subscribers for contributing to the sustainability of my work!
References:
Ep. 21: Challenging Systems of Oppression and Reclaiming Ancestral Practices with 李道玲 Camellia Dao-Ling McDermott Lee