Anna Wells
Bsc (Hons) Acupuncture, LicAc, AAC
My Approach
My university training included both JR Worsley Five Elements and Traditional Chinese Medicine. These are the two most common forms of acupuncture practised in the UK. Driven by a deep curiosity and respect for the authentic roots of this medicine, I have since immersed myself in teachings from a Classical lineage. I continue to grow and learn within this tradition, guided by teachers who are deeply committed to Classical Chinese Medicine principles as taught by Daoist priest and scholar Jeffrey Yuen.
My Background
I have had a keen interest in Eastern philosophy and holistic healthcare since my teens. I learned Reiki and Seichem in my 20s and went on to study The Bowen Technique with Farida Irani in Mumbai. In 2010 I became a certified yoga teacher within the Sivananda lineage and spent considerable time at their ashrams in South India.
Most of my adult life has been spent in Goa, India. I feel enormously grateful to have worked as an animal rescue volunteer assisting the stray population of animals in my area and reducing suffering where possible.
I was first introduced to the 5 Element system in 2014 whilst studying naturopathic nutrition and thus began my exploration into Chinese Medicine. I attended a 3.5 year full time BSc Hons Acupuncture degree in Reading and also obtained a Licentiate in Acupuncture. My post graduate training within a Classical lineage was initially an additional 1.5 years. My Tui Na training with Tim Sullivan is ongoing.
I have recently attended Dr Evan Rabinowitz’s Yao Shan Herbal Medicine Programme (10 months) and am enrolled with the School of Classical Chinese Herbalism Jing Fang Apprenticeship programme to begin in 2026.
Since qualifying I have worked in several clinics in Shropshire, Devon and Goa.
Classical Chinese Medicine rooted in Daoist philosophy
From the 5th century BCE through to the 11th century CE, physicians practiced a highly sophisticated form of medicine that recognized more than sixty energetic channels, or meridians. During the Song Dynasty (11th–12th centuries CE), the Imperial Medical Academy standardized acupuncture theory and practice, reducing the number of recognized channels from around sixty to twenty.
The channels omitted during this standardization are often referred to as complement channels. Understanding these pathways is considered fundamental in grasping how disease progresses and how the body diverts pathology away from internal organs in both acute and chronic illness.
This knowledge has been made accessible via oral transmission through lineage based practitioners. Jeffrey Yuen, recognized as an 88th generation lineage holder is a key figure in maintaining and teaching this pre-Song Dynasty medical tradition.
I am deeply committed to the continued study of Chinese Medicine within this framework of understanding.