Meet Klara Furst | Licensed Acupuncturist & Board Certified Herbalist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Klara Furst and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Klara, how does your business help the community?
I see healing as a process that takes place at three interdependent and mutually generative levels: individual, community, and planet. As a practitioner I work at the level of individual healing in my private practice. I work at the community level in my offerings of low-cost group acupuncture and meditation sessions. I work at the planet level by being a Tree Ambassador for a non-profit organization called One Tree Planted. For every acupuncture treatment, I make a donation to plant a tree. Planting trees is a simple, yet powerful way to combat climate change.

My practice is founded on the principle that humans are a part of nature, not separate from or superior to nature. Individual health is a reflection of the health of our communities and the health of the planet. As we walk the path of individual healing, there is a ripple effect out into our communities and the larger world. In turn, every effort to heal and uplift our communities and the planet, nourishes our individual health and wellbeing.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My organization is called Yes Acupuncture Works. I am a licensed acupuncturist and board certified herbalist. I specialize in supporting individuals and communities achieve wellness through a root-cause approach that balances the nervous system. In my private practice I combine acupuncture, meditation, functional medicine, nutrition, herbs, supplements, and lifestyle support. Yes Acupuncture Works has a low-cost community acupuncture and meditation offering. This is a twice-per-month class where I provide affordable acupuncture and guided meditation for up to ten people at a time at a local yoga studio. This class focuses on seasonal balancing through the wisdom of Five Element theory. 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. Community healing is a vital component of individual health. Yes Acupuncture Works also carries a vision for healing the planet. I plant a tree for every acupuncture treatment. This is a simple, yet powerful way to combat climate change. My mission is to support health at the individual level, the community level, and the planet level. These levels are all interdependent and mutually generative. Please join me on this journey!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would be keen on showing off all the incredible nature and plant life we have here in Los Angeles. We would hike in Deukmejian Wilderness Park, meditate on a rock by Switzer Falls in Angeles Crest, catch a yoga class at Greenspace Yoga, an outdoor studio in La Crescenta overlooking the whole Crescenta Valley. We would spend an afternoon strolling around Descanso Gardens. We would go to a Full Moon Forest Bathing session at L.A. Arboretum and Botanic Gardens followed by delicious warm food at Bhanu Indian Cuisine and Market. And of course we would have to go to The Huntington to marvel at the array of plants and the unique and biodiverse gardens. One of my all time favorite summer combos is picking up ingredients for a decadent picnic at Milkfarm cheese shop in Eagle Rock and going to Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival. My kids think Shakespeare is the best show in town thanks to Independent Shakespeare Company. We’d do a beach day up at El Matador State Beach in Malibu and an afternoon at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena.

I would like to show a friend the whole array that is Los Angeles: rugged canyons and hiking trails, manicured gardens complete with screaming peacocks and a pandemonium of parrots, crazy freeways and traffic jams, the concrete jungle balanced out by the ocean and breathtaking sunsets, the crickets that sing in the foothills all through the winter, the quiet place underneath an ancient oak tree.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I owe so much to Diana Beresford-Kroeger’s book To Speak For the Trees. This book woke me up to the fact that there was a way for me to nourish and care for the health of the planet in a meaningful and impactful way by planting trees. Lots of trees. I also owe so much to the individuals who have joined me at the level of community healing in my low-cost group acupuncture and meditation classes. Many of these individuals lost their homes in the Eaton Fire. The healing we found together through returning to the wisdom of nature has been both profound and humbling. And also a shoutout to all the folks walking the brave path of healing at the individual level. I have learned everything from you. I am so grateful to be a collaborator on your journey.

Website: https://www.YesAcupunctureWorks.com

Instagram: @YesAcupunctureWorks

Facebook: @YesAcupunctureWorks

Image Credits
A. McFeat, Ben Furst