Inspiring Conversations with Klara Furst of Yes Acupuncture Works

Today we’d like to introduce you to Klara Furst.

Hi Klara, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Maybe the most surprising part of my story is that I am here, in Los Angeles. When I came here 14 years ago, I had a single purpose: to finish my degree in east asian medicine at Emperor’s College in Santa Monica. L. A. was just a stopover, a place to finish the four year master’s I had started a few years prior in Portland, Oregon. I had every intention of moving on once I had my credentials.

But instead of leaving, I sunk down roots, started a family, and started my acupuncture and herbal medicine practice. In that order. It has truly been a wild ride.

I came to study east asian medicine as a result of my own health struggles. The lingering effects of Lyme Disease, which I contracted as a teenager in upstate New York, led me deeper and deeper into alternative and complementary medicine modalities. I found acupuncture unique in its understanding of health and disease. This ancient medicine recognized physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels of wellness. All these levels were connected, inextricably intertwined, reciprocal. The human being was viewed as an integral part of nature, the connection between heaven and earth. This probably sounds very esoteric, and it can be. The theories and philosophy that are the foundation of this style of medicine are profoundly complex, one topic alone worthy of life-long study. Yet it is also a completely practical medicine. It is grounded in nature, the ebb and flow of the seasons, the weather, the senses. It is about cultivating sensitivity and awareness of that which is obvious, clearly displayed. It is about learning to read the signs of nature, the signs of the body. Learning again our most innate language.

My practice started really small. I took my licensing exam when I was thirty two weeks pregnant with my second child. It was a difficult pregnancy. My son was an extremely active toddler. I studied during his nap times and after his bedtime. My husband was freshly out of graduate school and we were living on a shoestring. There was very little in our budget for outside childcare. I remember at one point he suggested that maybe we couldn’t afford the cost of my board exam. I got through that year on willpower alone.

I passed my board exam with flying colors and in record time. It was a day of personal celebration for me. I felt strong and empowered.

Weeks later exhaustion and anxiety struck hard. My daughter was born. We were both healthy but postpartum depression felt like wading through a swamp. I would gain some ground, only to feel myself sinking again. At this time I couldn’t imagine ever practicing. Who would take care of the kids? How could we afford for me to work?

One day I ran into a former classmate of mine from acupuncture school at the post office. She told me she was practicing close by. She encouraged me to come in for a treatment. This generous, kind, talented practitioner rescued me. What a relief it was to lie down on that table and be cared for. How wonderful it was to rediscover this medicine, to experience how acupuncture and herbs could be a powerful part of bringing me back to balance, healing me from the inside out. After a few months of regular treatments she suggested that I rent space in the office she was working out of. I was terrified but I started with a weekday evening and a Saturday morning during times my husband could be with our kids.

All my first patients were exhausted parents with kids similar in age to my own. I knew what they were going through. I knew the relief they felt in being cared for, listened to, and the healing that happened when they were, for a brief time, the most important person in the room.

From that small, tenuous beginning, my practice grew by word of mouth alone until I was at times treating three generations in a single family.

Over the years as my children have grown, I have changed practice locations, added more days, and increased my offerings. I am always learning. Always curious. This past year I added functional gut health to my acupuncture and herbal medicine practice as well as a low-cost group acupuncture and meditation offering at a local yoga studio. I am excited about where I am today and where I’m heading.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The biggest challenge has been raising my kids while building my acupuncture practice. I took the road less traveled and decided to homeschool from the beginning. This was before the pandemic. This meant that when the pandemic hit, we were uniquely prepared to navigate that time as a family. My husband and I spent years learning to stagger our work schedules, tag-teaming the homeschooling, classes and activities. We have also had to learn how we can nourish a healthy partnership as we concurrently pursue careers and raise and educate our children. Another major challenge has been the business aspect of my practice. I had no training or skills in this area and I had to learn everything as I went, often the hard way. But I am convinced that all my struggles and challenges have made me a better practitioner.

As you know, we’re big fans of Yes Acupuncture Works. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I am a licensed acupuncturist and board-certified herbalist. I specialize in helping individuals, caregivers, and families achieve wellness through a root-cause approach that balances the nervous system. My methods combine acupuncture, meditation, functional medicine, nutrition, herbs, supplements, and lifestyle changes. I have a private practice in Montrose. A large portion of my practice is women’s health: hormone balancing, fertility, peri/menopause. I also provide gender-affirming fertility support. I treat autoimmune diseases, pain conditions, digestive issues, and provide complimentary support to individuals undergoing cancer treatment. Because I am looking at constitutional-level imbalance in the body, there is very little that acupuncture can’t help with. I have even had patients request my treatments as part of their end-of-life care.

I think what really sets me apart is the amount of time and individualized support I give to each one of my patients. I spend 45-60 minutes of active practitioner time with each patient on follow-up visits. I find this amount of time necesary to build rapport and support each person at a foundational level.

My work with patients is a conversation.

At each appointment I look at the tongue, a mirror for all the internal organs. I listen to twelve unique pulses that express the state of the body’s systems and the overall state of the nervous system. I am listening to the sound of the patient’s voice, hearing and observing the core emotional stance, noticing the odor of the body that subtly fills the room as the person shares their story, taking note of slight variations in color present in the face, especially around the eyes and mouth.

These signs along with the patient’s report of their symptoms, their story, their troubles, weave together into a complex and unique tapestry. And this is where the conversation begins. It is a call and response that reminds me of music. Acupuncture invites, encourages and eventually guides the nervous system into a new pattern of functioning. Body systems become attuned. Stress resilience increases as systems support one another instead of stressing one another. During this process the patient becomes fluent in the language of their own body. They become empowered in their self-knowledge and start to make lifestyle and dietary changes on their own. They balance, sleep and exercise. They gain clarity around what nourishes them and what depletes them in all areas of their life.

I get to be with people through this process. I get to learn alongside them, be part of this conversation, journey alongside them as they expand their domain of health, wellbeing, and dynamic equilibrium.

Is it clear that I love my work?

What am I most proud of? Well last August I started a low-cost group acupuncture and meditation offering. This had been a long held wish of mine but it took years for me to have the bandwidth to figure out the logistics and find the right space for this. This is now a weekly class where I provide acupuncture for up to ten people at a time in a yoga studio. Comfortable padded mats and zero gravity chairs are provided. I select acupuncture points based on seasonal five element theory. For spring the element is Wood. Wood corresponds to the Liver and Gallbladder meridians. I introduce participants to the function of the Wood element in the body. Once acupuncture needles are in place, I guide the participants through a twenty to thirty minute meditation that uses images and visualizations from nature to bring relaxation, balance and calm. I love the community building aspect of this class. People come together in person, take time away from their phones, the hustle and bustle, to rest and find peace. This group acupuncture and meditation class has been especially poignant post fires. I offered this free of charge to those displaced and it became a place to mourn, process, heal and connect with others navigating the trauma and unbelievably complicated logistics of losing their home.

I look forward to expanding my community offerings for low-cost group acupuncture. I also have ideas for workshops and collaborations with other practitioners that are in the planning stages.

In closing, there is one other unique aspect of my practice I would like to mention. I am a Tree Ambassador for a a non-profit organization called One Tree Planted. For every acupuncture treatment, I make a donation to plant one tree. Planting trees is a simple, yet powerful way to combat climate change. I believe that our individual health is inextricably linked to the health of our families, communities, and planet. As we take the time to heal ourselves, we have the opportunity to contribute to the health of the planet and the health of future generations.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love the diversity here. The diversity in nature: ocean, mountains, desert, canyons, wildlife, plants, geology. The cultural diversity: diversity of experiences, stories, lifestyles, cuisines, backgrounds, and values. What I like the least is the traffic and resulting pollution. Imagine this city with a robust, accessible and reliable public transportation system.

Pricing:

• Group Acupuncture/Meditation: $39

Contact Info:

• Website: https://YesAcupunctureWorks.com

Image Credits
Evelyn Küpper, A. McFeat