Meet Thaddeus Haas: Acupuncturist and herbalist

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

Hi Thaddeus, is there something you believe many others might not?
I don’t honestly know how conventional the following advice is, but I have been told over and over again throughout my life by a whole host of different people in an assortment of situations what boils down to some version of “Just wait and you’ll see,” or “Just wait, you’ll learn x, y, or z.” Inevitably this advice comes from someone in a position of actual, or supposed authority and more often than not unsolicited. Both of these factors complicate the advice. And not only because I have a natural tendency towards questioning authority, which I do, but because such notions say so much more about the individual “offering” the advice and their experience than any truth about the world or my experience of it. As Cat Stevens reminds us, “It’s them they know, not me.” My wholesale rejection of these moments though is not simply rooted in defiance. I have based my life and career on a whole hearted embrace of history, lineage, and tradition. It just so happens that those who’ve tasked themselves with maintaining the “status quo” are rarely the ones humble enough to acknowledge their position in relation to the wisdom of always asking “Why?” 

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My journey to becoming a practitioner of Chinese medicine is a long and circuitous one, it is hard to know where it began and which moments and decisions were essential. It is even harder to say whether where I find myself currently is the end result. The more time I spend in my clinical practice, teaching, and study of Chinese medical theory, the more I find myself changing and evolving. But I guess the most important aspect of this development which sets my practice apart from others is that I am constantly striving to go deeper to the heart of the medicine by returning again and again to the classical texts which house the foundational principles of the medicine. The reality is that in the West the majority of practitioners never have the opportunity to read the classics, which is a shame, for it is through delving deeply into them that I have come to see the crucial importance of attending to my patients’ emotional health and well-being. In Chinese medicine there is not the hard and fast distinction between the mind and body we assume in our culture. As such, the emotions can be indicative of imbalances in the body, or even create them, and this central position, offers a direct path to the root a patient’s disharmony. I tell my patients, “My goal is to always see you less,” and I have found that unless I consider the emotions I am rarely able to achieve this goal.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There are so many different Denvers that one can experience. There are of course the places everyone knows and talks about like Red Rocks and Union Station, but personally I prefer the smaller, less traveled paths. This will often lead me to Central Market on Larimer, or if I am feeling really adventurous Avanti Denver. But City O’ City for a vegan BBQ Seitan Wrap and Make Believe Bakery for their vegan Ho-Ho cupcake are absolute musts.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
All my teachers…inside and out.

Website: www.bodiesonpoint.com
Instagram: @bodiesonpointacu

Image Credits
First three: One Ton Creative Last two: Kristen Hagi