After com
pleting basic medical school Dr. Randine Lewis finished her studies at the American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in 1998; interned in China in 1999; and, received her PhD in alternative medicine from the Indian Board of Alternative Medicine in India in 2001. Dr. Lewis has been a professional member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, as well as the residing medical expert on HowToMakeAFamily.com and About.com’s infertility site. She is the author of The Infertility Cure and The Way of the Fertile Soul and teaches workshops and retreats on fertility enhancement across the country. Dr. Lewis is the founder of Eastern Harmony clinic in Houston, Texas, and the Continuing Excellence in Fertility Professionals Program.
How did you become interested in Chinese Medicine?
I developed an interest in Chinese Medicine when I had some reproductive issues that Western medicine couldn’t treat effectively. While I was already interested in Eastern philosophy, I was initially skeptical of acupuncture; mostly because of my Western training. I started noticing subtle ways my body was righting itself. I developed this strange feeling of well-being in my own skin that I hadn’t previously known.
We try to instill in students the importance of self-cultivation. How do you cultivate to help support yourself in your work?
This mostly became apparent through qi gong practice. I had always been physically active, but my exercise usually consisted of running and strength training. I was never a huge fan of holding yoga poses, so I was amazed at how these rather refined movements could quiet my mind, and I felt a sense of peace permeating my entire body. If the mind starts to get overly active, I bring some qi gong into the process to move it through.
What do you enjoy most about working with patients?
I love to witness someone coming into their own internal healing process. While I might be the one inserting needles or prescribing an herbal formula, as they start to trust the wisdom of their own inner guidance system, they begin to find harmony in their lives and peace in their own heart.
What do you enjoy most about working with students?
I’ve been quite comfortable imparting high level reproductive concepts to experienced practitioners for many years, so I thought teaching students just embarking on their Chinese medical studies would be a cinch. But I was humbled – I needed to re-root myself in the foundations to meet the students who are hungry to understand this fascinating approach, from the ground up. It brings me right back to “beginner’s mind.” And I love to see them flower in this field – as they apply the concepts to their own lives, and as they experience themselves as carriers of this extremely effective approach to healing, it makes me proud.
Tell us one thing about you that no one at DT knows.
I joined the air force after high school, it afforded me an opportunity for travel and education. I spent two years in Italy in the security service, and was awarded the AF commendation and expert marksman medals.
