This year, Five Seasons Healing turned 21! As we celebrated this milestone, we couldn’t help but reflect on the journey that brought us here — from a small acupuncture practice to a trusted space for healing in the heart of New York City.
And at the center of it all is our founder and lead clinician, Sharon Yeung. Many of you already know Sharon as the calm, caring force behind Five Seasons Healing — but there’s so much more to her story.
Our team sat down with Sharon to talk about what inspired her to start Five Seasons Healing, her passion for traditional Chinese medicine, as well as her personal self-care practices that have kept her grounded and joyful through the years. Whether you’re a long-time patient or just getting to know us, we think you’ll enjoy learning more about the woman who started it all.
A Conversation with Sharon Yeung
Can you tell us a little about your journey to becoming a traditional Chinese medicine Practitioner?
I grew up with Chinese herbs as a normal part of my upbringing. I remember my grandmother, who lived with us, steaming ginseng whenever a family member was ill and adding many herbal medicinals into our nightly soups. When I got sick, I was made to drink “Chinese Coca-Cola”, a euphemism my mother used to entice me to drink bitter Chinese herbal teas. I laugh now as I do the same for my own kids. During my Wesleyan junior year abroad, however, I was enrolled in an immersion program in China where traditional Chinese medicine was the focus of study. This is when my interest in the medicine really blossomed.
There, I was introduced to TCM and its practices: acupuncture, tuina or Chinese medical massage, and qigong, an internal martial art. I was amazed by the results I saw in patients at the TCM hospitals I visited and how deeply TCM’s health principles were woven into everyday life. I spent many afternoons in the local Shanghai parks, witnessing the throngs of people practicing qigong exercises together. It left such a strong impression on me that after college, I continued practicing qigong and eventually took up kung fu as well.
It was during my time in the Shanghai parks and hospitals that I also developed an interest in documentary filmmaking, and I dreamed of making a film about Chinese medicine. After college, with this in mind, I applied for a graduate program in journalism. While waiting to hear back, I slowly realized that rather than making a film about traditional Chinese medicine, I wanted a more embodied experience—I wanted to practice it myself. At the same time, I had been studying martial arts intensely, and the fact that my kung fu instructor was also a Chinese medicine doctor inspired me even more. So, even before I found out that I had been accepted into the journalism program (which I was!), I switched gears and applied to Chinese medicine school instead. Looking back, this was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
Why did you choose the name Five Seasons Healing for your practice?
I wanted the name to reflect the connection between health and the innate rhythms and elemental forces of nature, much like the cycle of the seasons and the distinct qualities each one brings. Interestingly, in traditional Chinese Medicine, there are five main seasons, not four. In fact, if you look even closer, each season is divided into multiple micro-seasons, each associated with advice on how to adjust our habits to align with these subtle shifts throughout the year. I find this incredibly fascinating and deeply appreciate the level of attention it reflects—how TCM understands both the nuances of the environment and the rhythms within us. That’s why the name Five Seasons felt so fitting: it honors this core principle that there is a greater force outside of us that we can connect with to live a healthy, balanced life.
Why do you believe TCM is still so relevant today?
Even as the world evolves–with new diseases, industrial growth, and environmental shifts–the body’s underlying disease mechanisms remain the same. TCM understands disease on a deep level because it’s based on the laws of nature—laws that never change.
Another enduring strength of TCM is that it views the body as an interconnected whole, not merely as isolated symptoms or organ systems. Just as we must consider the relationships among climate, water, plants, and animals to understand the health of soil, we need to look at all the relationships within the body to understand where illness and imbalance truly begin. We can apply this knowledge to any type of condition that comes through our doors. I think this is what is often missing in modern medicine and what makes TCM shine–an ability to get to the root of disease processes and not just address symptoms.
Why do you think so many women are drawn to acupuncture and Chinese medicine?
I think the modern woman is looking outside of the box for answers to her health concerns and is dissatisfied with the fragmented state of our current American healthcare system. She’s tired of being sent from one specialist to another and given bandaid after bandaid for symptom relief. She is also frustrated with having her symptoms dismissed, particularly when labs and imaging don’t show any significant findings. She is drawn to TCM’s holistic perspective, which seeks to uncover the root cause of imbalance and brings clarity to symptoms that may feel “mysterious” or unrelated.
Women seek a true partnership in their health journey. They don’t just want to receive care; they want to understand the reasoning behind it and feel empowered to take part in their own healing. In Chinese medicine, this kind of partnership lies at the heart of effective healing. Because acupuncture has a cumulative effect, I often see patients weekly or bi-monthly for continuous care. Through this ongoing process, we build a strong, trusting relationship and work together to set goals to address their main concern and to bring attention to other areas to support their well-being.
Also, women’s monthly cycles often make them especially attuned to the subtle rhythms and changes within their bodies. This heightened awareness, paired with a generally proactive approach to their health, aligns beautifully with the TCM philosophy of prevention and early intervention.
Can you share a patient journey that was very impactful for you?
I remember a patient who came to me a few years ago who had chronic fatigue symptoms that stopped her life in her tracks. Her fatigue and pain were so debilitating that she was often housebound and unable to even walk around the block. She had been an accomplished pianist and an aspiring writer, but because of her condition, she was unable to pursue these passions. But then, through regular acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, she began to regain her strength. What started with short walks around the block turned into loops around the local park and eventually into regular subway travel around the city without a second thought.
Like many other patients who walk through our doors, she was plagued by symptoms that left her feeling like her body had abandoned or betrayed her. But, with each acupuncture session, she left our office feeling a little better, a little more relaxed, a little more pain-free, and was reminded that her body could heal. This is one of the most rewarding aspects of my work: helping my patients rebuild trust in their bodies and enabling them to return to activities that bring them joy and purpose.
Outside of the clinic, what brings you joy or helps you stay balanced?
I love spending time in nature. A few years ago, our family moved from Brooklyn to the Hudson Valley, and it has been such an incredible experience to be fully immersed in the natural world. Walking our dog through the wildflower field across the street, I’ve come to notice the micro-seasons—the almost-weekly flush of new blooms. Every time we open our front door, we’re greeted by the sounds of birds and cicadas, day and night. I play outdoors whenever I can—climbing and bouldering with my family at our local crag, or long-distance swimming in the nearby lake. Eating a local strawberry or peach in season is pure delight.
Yet the true foundation of my happiness is my daily meditation practice. The practice itself brings a sense of calm and steadiness, but it also infuses the rest of my life with greater clarity and joy. It has become such an integral part of who I am that I can’t imagine my life without it.
Thanks for celebrating 21 years us! We hope you’ve enjoyed learning more about who Sharon is and her vision behind Five Seasons Healing.
If you’d like to see how Sharon and our team can support you in your health and healing, click here to book an appointment.
