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Decoding Chinese Medicine

AND HOW IT CAN TRANSFORM THE BODY FROM THE INSIDE OUT

Holistic Wellness 5 Minute Read

Once considered an esoteric practice, Traditional Chinese Medicine is now recognised as a complementary approach for whole-person care. Kimberly Rose Kneier, Director of Wellness at COMO Shambhala Estate in Bali, offers an extensive range of treatments — from cupping and qigong to advanced Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture. In this COMO Conversation, she breaks down the science behind acupuncture and why it’s so effective at regulating the body’s stress response.

On the simplicity of acupuncture

KIMBERLY ROSE KNEIER

With over two decades as a leading wellness practitioner, Kimberly Rose Kneier blends ancient wisdom with modern techniques to offer a truly transformative experience. She holds a Masters in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, alongside certifications in Clinical Herbalism, Aromatherapy, Qi Gong, breathwork and meditation. From March to April 2025, she will lead a COMO Journey at COMO Shambhala Cocoa Island in the Maldives as a visiting practitioner. 

HOW DID YOUR TCM JOURNEY START?

I studied herbal medicine in Canada after high school. The Chinese are prolific herbal medicine masters, and through my herbalism studies, I learnt more about Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and its different fields. After I finished schooling, I moved to Maui, Hawaii, and synchronistically met this Chinese Medicine master who was looking for an assistant to work at his clinic. He offered me the job and started training me in acupuncture, qigong, and taichi, and the more I learned what TCM was capable of, the more I wanted to learn about it and I wanted to learn everything I could. 

The premise of Eastern medicine is about prevention and restoring harmony and vitality in the body. Most people know acupuncture for treating pain and the musculoskeletal system, but it actually is a full form of medicine, so it is able to treat stress, sleep, digestion, headaches, reproductive issues, chronic pain, and more. 

What I like best about my practice is getting to connect with the people that I treat. I'm always amazed at the spirit of resilience of the human body. Every time I put someone into a deep state of relaxation, the body tells me that all it wants to do is heal. It wants to keep you healthy and functioning as best as it can. I’m constantly blown away by the simplicity of acupuncture, and how the body can change when we give it the space and environment to do so. 

HOW DOES TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE COMPLEMENT ALLOPATHIC MEDICINE? WHAT ARE THE KEY DIFFERENCES?

The biggest difference between Eastern medicine and Western medicine is that the latter has a reductive approach, while the Eastern approach considers the entire body. The reductionist approach believes that the simple makes up the complex — that by dissecting and looking very narrowly into the cells and organelles at the microscopic level, we can explain how everything works together. For the holistic approach in Eastern medicine, it believes that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Just because there’s a symptom in the lungs, it doesn’t mean that there’s a problem with the lungs, it may be coming from your digestive tract, or stress, or a myriad of different things. We are always looking to treat the whole person, rather than treating a symptom and attempting to eradicate it at all costs. 

Both approaches work synergistically for whole-person care. Western medicine is great for emergencies with surgery and drugs, and Eastern medicine is great at treating the root cause and managing long-term conditions with lifestyle changes like herbs, nutrition, or qigong. It addresses why you have these problems in the first place. 

ACUPUNCTURE IS ONE OF YOUR SPECIALTIES. WHAT ARE SOME COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT ACUPUNCTURE?

Probably the biggest misconception of acupuncture is that it’s painful. Of course, different practitioners have different styles, but I am very gentle — I like my patients to fall asleep on the table. Some acupuncturists have told me that I need to get a very strong needle sensation, and if I'm not getting that, then I’m not practicing the medicine. But I get very good results without putting my patients into more pain. The needles themselves are so fine that you can fit 20 of them into a hypodermic needle — it’s only a little thicker than your hair. There’s a certain pain and imagery associated with needles, like getting your blood drawn or getting a shot, but the needles used in acupuncture are rounded, and they move between the spaces of your skin and body so there’s no blood at all. 

HOW DOES ACUPUNCTURE WORK AND HOW CAN IT ADDRESS VARYING CONCERNS?

So we have 14 primary channels, or meridians, and 12 of those are associated with a specific organ, because the meridian either starts in that organ, or passes through it in its internal trajectory. I always give people the analogy of imaging the meridians as little streams of water — sometimes, logjams form, where little things get stuck in the stream and then build up over time. Everything upstream becomes flooded and everything downstream becomes very dry. Acupuncture breaks up these blockages so that the energy can flow smoothly again. In TCM, these blockages or stagnation in the channels eventually manifest as disease in the body. 

The scientific reason behind acupuncture is that whenever we create a microdermabrasion with the needles on the surface of the skin, it's going to cause a rush of fresh blood to the area, improving circulation. Acupuncture points are also high in autonomic nerve fibres, which controls involuntary bodily reactions, and sensory nerve fibre. Stimulating them with needles can result in pain reduction or stress release as it balances different neurotransmitters and releases different endorphins in the brain. 

This also explains why acupuncture is so good at treating a vast variety of ailments — because it downregulates the stress response in the body. We know that a huge majority of visits to healthcare professionals is because of stress — not because they’re telling the doctor “oh I'm stressed”, but because their stress has manifested in physical symptoms like headaches, digestive issues, sleep disturbances, even hormonal imbalances, which can be due to living in this very stressful and fast-paced world.  It’s important to recognise that whether or not people realise it or feel it acutely, our biology is living in a difficult time, where stress is compounded. From a physiological perspective, we’re also getting non-stop dopamine hits that we’re getting from our phones or from overconsumption habits, and after the pandemic, there was also this big rush to make up for the losses that we had during those years. And because acupuncture has such a profound direct effect on the central nervous system, it calms the body’s stress responses very effectively.

YOU’RE BASED AT COMO SHAMBHALA ESTATE, BALI, WHERE YOU OFFER A COMPLETE RANGE OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE TREATMENTS. WHAT ARE SOME INTERESTING ONES?

One would be Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture, which clients are always curious about. It’s a slightly more advanced technique that increases blood circulation to the face, boosting vitality and radiance. We also thread behind the wrinkle, inserting the needle between the skin and the subcutaneous layer to “push” the wrinkle out. So it’s very effective for fine lines and wrinkles, while increasing collagen and blood production. It involves a lot more needles on the face, but we still treat the entire body during the session — so needles on the legs and the hands that will help to make the points on the face work even better. I can also treat pain in the shoulders or knees or digestion at the same time. The treatment also includes a facial massage with guasha for a really restorative experience. Of course, you’ll get the best results doing it more than once. 

A complementary treatment alongside acupuncture would be cupping. Think of it as the opposite of a deep tissue massage — deep tissue puts a lot of pressure onto the musculature of the body, but cupping picks up the muscle and allows fresh blood to flow underneath. It’s good for loosening tight necks and shoulders, and it can also help with headaches and lingering coughs. We’re looking at improved circulation and detoxification as well. The marks left by the cupping are also a kind of diagnostic in Chinese medicine — the darker the colour, the more stagnation and toxins are in the body. When it comes to the surface, the stagnant blood and qi and toxins are able to be released. 

The Meridian Stretch Qigong also helps with the other aspects of TCM. There are five branches in total — herbal medicine, nutrition, acupuncture, movement, and massage, which we call tuina. Qigong falls under movement, and it moves the energy within your body. Even shaking or doing certain movements can help to get the blood and the chi moving. These are specific movements done to promote longevity, good health, and to bring back balance in the body. It’s all done while standing, and involves standing meditation at the start before moving into the series of movements. For example, we wring out the spleen and the liver with stretching, and when we squeeze the organs, we’re also squeezing the fascial compartments that surround the organs, as well as any trapped emotions that are associated with that organ. When we’re squeezing the liver, we’re ridding the body of frustration and anger, and the antidote to that is forgiveness. The pancreas holds overthinking and worry, and the antidote is nourishing thoughts, which I always fall back on Mel Robbins’ six magical words — what if it all works out? To try and catch your mind before it starts thinking too much. 

WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT THE ESTATE?

The restorative, healing energy of the Estate is something truly special. Clients usually find that being able to take time away and connect back to nature is one of the most helpful aspects of being at the Estate. One of the biggest disconnects that we have, especially in modern cities, is that we’re moving further and further away from nature, and that’s not working out for us. Psychologically, emotionally, spiritually — we really need that connection with nature. Whether they’re on a Wellness Path or not, just being surrounded by fresh air and lush greenery is healing in and of itself. 

Something new that I’m working on is also Yin Breathwork, or Rebirthing. It helps to release emotional blockages by using a continuous breathing pattern. It is also a very different approach from holotropic breathing, which involves very aggressive breaths that evoke massive emotional releases like screaming. This is the art of gentleness. It’s done on a massage table, with sound healing elements as well. I guide my clients to breathe in the same way that they would as a baby, anywhere from one to three hours. What happens is different for everyone, but it tries to connect people to their own higher self and it is some of the most transformative work that I’ve experienced for myself and witnessed for my clients. It is gentle, safe, and profound. 

Kimberly Rose Kneier will be in residence at COMO Shambhala Cocoa Island in the Maldives from 5th March to 27th April 2025. To book a session with her, please click here. Stay updated on our calendar of visiting practitioners here.

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