CLINIC HOURS: Mondays 4-6pm

After an initial appointment and health assessment, which is $55, follow-up treatments are $35, with a sliding scale available. Call the Moon and Lotus Eugene office at 345-2220 to make an appointment. Ask for the “community clinic.”

Kamala Quale, MSOM, LAc, is our acupuncturist. She has a master’s degree in classical Chinese medicine, and has been in private practice since 1983. Kamala is nationally certified in all branches of Chinese medicine which include acupressure, acupuncture, Chinese herbs and therapeutic exercise (qigong). Kamala was a medical-surgical nurse from 1975-1983, and is a certified practitioner and teacher for the Hakomi Institute of Experiential Psychology. She integrates her unique blend of skills with her patients to help with healing for body, mind and spirit.

The first appointment takes about an hour and 15 minutes, and is an opportunity for me to know you and your goals for your health. We talk about you and your medical history and make an individualized treatment plan. We will go over the health history questionnaire that we send you when you make your first appointment. I will ask questions about the presenting condition and about your physical and emotional health in general.

When we finish talking I will ask to look at your tongue and take your pulse. The color of the tongue, its shape and coating indicate how your body is functioning on the inside. Oriental medicine practitioners have correlated what they observe on the tongue with internal conditions for thousands of years. In the same way we feel the pulse at your wrist on each side for rate, rhythm, strength and quality. There are about 28 qualities of the pulse identified in Oriental medicine. About nine of these are very common and reflect the quality and functioning of the 12 primary organ meridian systems or meridians.

Next you will lay down on the massage table, I will press different points and get a sense of areas of tension on your face, neck, shoulders, torso, arms and legs. This will give both of us a better idea of places that your body holds tension, and tells me about the acupuncture points that I will want to use.

If we are addressing a physical problem with acupuncture, I will insert from four to twenty thin needles in appropriate points. I will then spend a little time helping you relax and suggesting a specific breathing or visualization technique that you can try to help you focus healing awareness in your body. Acupuncture treatments encourage a feeling of relaxation, and many people drift into a pleasant nap. Most of the time you lay with the needles inserted for 15 or 20 minutes.

If we are addressing an emotional issue or we are exploring how stress is affecting your body or physical symptoms, I will ask you to focus internally and notice your how your breath, body or mood change as you are feeling whatever situation you are facing in your life. With specific touch to acupressure points or with the insertion of needles along with inner focusing we allow the process to unfold. Mindful awareness and curiosity in a safe environment, help to quiet thoughts and allow new insights to emerge. The next step in the healing process becomes apparent. These bodymind methods are a result of my personal integration of the Hakomi Method of body-centered psychotherapy techniques and classical Chinese medicine.
Bodymind acupuncture sessions can be done on and off in a treatment plan to help you move through specific issues. We will schedule these as private sessions due to the nature of the work and the time required. At other times you can come into the community setting for acupuncture that helps you relax, heal and rejuvenate.



Be sure to wear loose, comfortable clothes that can pull up and allow access to the lower leg and forearm. A shirt or blouse that buttons down the front is good because we can open the neck line a little to reach your neck and shoulders if needed. Try to arrive a few minutes early to relax and check in.

When you come in hang up your coat and place your payment in the envelope on the table in the entryway. Take a look at the scheduling book there and mark yourself down for a future appointment. You can write the appointment down on a business card that is there and take it home to remind you. Come in and sit in a comfortable recliner. Take off your shoes and socks, roll up your sleeves and pant legs, and I will be with you shortly.

When we begin your treatment, I will speak to you softly and discreetly ask about your health and the progress since our last session. I will then insert some needles and let you relax while the needles do their work.


I use only single use, sterile acupuncture needles that you will see me open before I insert them. You may feel a slight sharpness, a dull ache, or tingly sensations when the needle is inserted. These sensations subside quickly and most of the time you are not aware the needles are there. If there is pain or discomfort that does not let up, I will adjust or remove the needle until you are comfortable. You will probably feel a general sensation of relaxation as you sit with the needles. Many people take a short and refreshing nap.


People usually feel physically looser and emotionally relaxed, or maybe a little “spacey” after a treatment. It is common to feel a little tired, so plan your evening accordingly. Often pain relief is felt right away and continues to improve. Sometimes you feel more achy for the rest of the day or the next one and then you start to feel better. After a few days the pain or condition may reassert itself. It is optimal to be treated regularly so that the body learns to let go and rebalance.


The effects of acupuncture are cumulative. Acute conditions often respond very quickly. Chronic conditions may take more time. I ask people to plan to come for 4-6 weekly sessions initially to see how the acupuncture will help them. After that we can reassess our treatment plan.

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© Kamala Quale 2007 -