Dr. Aiden Jakob Seraphim DACM, LAc. shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Aiden Jakob, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
Every morning I wake up and spend a few minutes in bed saying a prayer of gratitude for another day of being alive and healthy. I also add to that prayer all of the qualities I want to embody in my day. Then I get dressed and head downstairs where I drink a glass of water before making myself a cup of coffee or matcha. Then I usually open the sliding doors to get some fresh air and hear the sounds of our fountain as I sit to write. Sometimes I will play my record player. Either 2 or 3 times a week I will take a Qi Gong class about an hour after waking up.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Aiden Seraphim, a Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, author, and retreat facilitator. My work weaves together ancient wisdom traditions, neuroscience, and embodied practices to support people in healing trauma, rewiring patterns of disconnection, and rediscovering their wholeness. What makes my approach unique is how it integrates the personal with the universal, blending somatic tools, acupuncture informed techniques, breathwork, and creative expression to help people shift at every level: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.
At the heart of my work is the belief that healing is not about fixing what’s “broken,” but about remembering our innate capacity for connection to ourselves, to others, and to nature. My forthcoming memoir, We Are The Medicine, shares my own journey through trauma, addiction, and identity fragmentation, and mirrors the very process I guide others through. Right now, I’m developing a long term healing program and continuing to lead transformational retreats that create spaces of community, creativity, and authentic connection.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child, I was deeply sensitive, self conscious, and often insecure, convinced there was something wrong with me, that I wasn’t good enough, not as capable or worthy as others. Yet even in those early years, a quiet knowing lived inside me, whispering that my suffering carried a purpose and that once I found my own healing I was meant to help guide others toward theirs. It has taken a long journey to unravel those childhood stories, but today I no longer believe them. Instead, I’ve learned to love and accept myself as I am, the full package with both my gifts and my flaws.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
The defining wounds of my life began at birth. I was born to a mother struggling with addiction, and from the very start I experienced severe neglect. My early years were marked by instability, bouncing in and out of the foster care system, where I endured not only physical and sexual abuse but also the heartbreak of never knowing where or with whom I truly belonged. Eventually, I was adopted, but the promise of safety gave way to more cycles of sexual and emotional abuse. Those experiences reinforced the belief that I was unworthy, broken, and fundamentally flawed, that there was something wrong with me and that I would never measure up to others.
Healing has been a journey of exploring both my inner world and my creative expression. Writing, including the process of working on my memoir, became a lifeline, a way to process the pain, make sense of my experiences, and reclaim my story on my own terms. Recovery, therapy, and integrative practices such as Chinese medicine, breathwork, somatic healing, and emotional integration became the anchors that allowed me to confront the traumas I once tried to bury. Slowly, I learned to see my story not as evidence of my brokenness but as the ground from which my strength was born. Through journaling, poetry, and other forms of creative expression, I discovered a path to self-understanding, insight, and transformation. These outlets allowed me to witness my own growth, to shift perspective, and to find meaning in the very experiences that once felt unbearable. Today, writing, especially my memoir, remains central to my healing, not only as a personal practice but as a way to help others tap into their own resilience, discover their voice, and reclaim their power.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What truths are so foundational in your life that you rarely articulate them?
At the core of my work and my life philosophy are several truths that have guided me through both pain and healing. I deeply believe in the transformative power of forgiveness—not as a concession to those who have hurt us, but as a liberation for ourselves. I hold that everyone carries the capacity to change and to heal, and that beneath the layers of conditioning, fear, and the lies we’ve been taught, most people are inherently good. Life, even in its challenges, unfolds in service to our growth, and there is a benevolent, loving force that runs through all things, holding and guiding us. I trust in our capacity to evolve beyond fear, selfishness, and old patterns, to step fully into our humanity. Being alive, even when life feels cruel or unfair, is a profound gift, and within that gift lies the opportunity to connect, to love, and to honor both our differences and our shared essence. I am committed to fostering a vision of reality where we recognize our inherent worth and goodness, coming together to co-create a world grounded in compassion, acceptance, and the courage to live authentically. These truths are the foundation from which I live, teach, and write, and they inform every step of my journey toward healing, self-discovery, and transformation.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace when I’m walking in nature, especially in the mountains, surrounded only by trees, dirt, and wide open blue skies. There’s a stillness in those moments that quiets everything inside me. I also experience a deep sense of peace when I share a moment of heartfelt connection with someone or witness a genuine act of love. Watching the sweet innocence of my nephews often brings that same calm, reminding me of life’s simple beauty. Creativity also grounds me; whether I’m writing, listening to records, or painting, I find a quiet joy that feels like peace. I love poetry. Here is a piece I wrote on my recent trip to Italy:
Dalmatian Coast Dreams
I’ve come here
to rewrite my reality—
jagged rocks
smiling
at our sorrow.
You go swimming
while I sit
on a bench,
four feet
facing each other,
painted on cement.
Before I was
domesticated
did wonder still exist
in moments
like this?
Last night I woke—
heart pounding
from a dream,
parts of me
crying, purging
over a porcelain sink.
Early morning—
Dalmatian sea breeze,
redemption songs
bringing
new beginnings.
A slate wiped clean.
My hands clutch
for water,
not understanding
I’m already free.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.aidenjakobseraphim.com and www.heartcenteracu.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heartcenteracu/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aidenseraphim/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100080546340808
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/heart-centered-transformational-wellness-costa-mesa?osq=Heart+Centered+Transformational+Wellness
- Other: https://substack.com/@aidenjakobseraphim
Image Credits
Self
