I was specifically told by my mentor NOT to call this Blue Orchid Acupuncture. He said people want to relate to a PERSON, not an idea. He told me to call it Terrence Monte acupuncture. He was probably right, but I didn’t take his advice anyway. The reason is, I want to change the way we view healthcare, and medicine in general. I want to leave a legacy, so that when I’m dead someone else can pickup the torch and continue Blue Orchid. I want to leave wellness centers all over the U.S., and the world. Thus, Terrence Monte was too small to make that work (Yes, I know about Pilates. But I just didn’t want to make my name the thing).

So, my wife was telling me about Orchid children and Dandelion Children. Dandelion children can become healthy, happy adults in any kind of environment. Childhood trauma, disease, whatever, these kids are gonna grow up and be ok. ORchid children needed more attention, more care; they are more sensitive than Dandelion children, but given the right care they grow up to be beautiful orchids. I loved that idea about sensitivity and care. Additionally, acupuncture is often compared to tending a garden, where western medicine is more like a mechanic: you take your body into the shop and get whatever is broken repaired. So this metaphor of gardening combined with the Orchid children spoke to me.

The color Blue was chosen because there is a fundamental principle I use EVERY day in medicine called the 5 phases. It’s a huge philosophy, but essentially blue is the color for the Kidneys, for Wisdom, for Family, for Contemplation. These are the things we need to be fully present, happy, productive in this life. (Family is both blood and chosen family- you can’t go through this life alone). So Blue Orchid is the idea of caring for you as a WHOLE person, a person that doesn’t need something added to be whole, but rather a person that needs to be seen for who they are and cared for in the way they ask. My role is more gardener than mechanic.