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Volume 1: Dr. Cam and Meaghan Forster

    Did You Know? All about Dr. Cam and Meaghan Forster

    Dr. Cam, when did you first realize you wanted to go into Traditional Chinese Medicine? I was in my fourth year of kinesiology (Pre Med Studies) at the U of C when I started to recognize that as much as I always wanted to help people, it may not be in the traditional way. There was a class called the “Sociology of Medicine” teaching us about ‘what to expect’ when you finish med school and I knew immediately I was headed towards a model that wasn’t going to ‘fit’ with my belief system around healthcare. I had a wonderful experience with acupuncture in high school recovering from a torn rotator cuff incredibly quickly so it was always in the back of my mind as to a potential modality choice down the line – little did I know how much it was going to become an integral part of who I am!

    What sparked your passion to practice and focus on internal medicine? Patterns – Chinese Medicine has done such a beautifully simple job in connecting seemingly unrelated health problems into ‘root’ sources of dysfunction; when I started seeing patients have many of the same inflammatory patterns showing up in common areas that related back to the gastrointestinal tract or organs of the body it sparked my interest in connecting ‘all of the dots’ as to where illness truly begins. (Hint – it’s all in the gut )

    What is your favourite herbal formula, and what healing properties does it have? Oooh, tough one – I think probably it’s a tie between ‘Dan Dao Pai Shi Tang’ (Crush Stone Formula) and ‘Xiao Yao San’ (The Free and Easy Wanderer) which are both predominantly Liver and Gallbladder ‘tonics’. The Dan Dao tea helps the body to break down calcifications, plaque, and hardened tissues and it’s generally both a digestive aid (bitters) as well as a wonderful anti-inflammatory. The Xiao Yao San is also a wonderful digestive aid for the liver and pancreas but it’s mostly to help boost gut dopamine and serotonin so that people can achieve regular bowel movements (peristalsis), sleep through the night and feel calm.

    Share one thing for someone new coming to an Acupuncturist? Expect to be blown away with how powerful the treatments and herbs can be – these treatments can ‘tap in’ to a healing state that is often hard to describe; be prepared to feel ‘out of body sensations, to see visions/colours and to connect to a part of you that is often ‘dormant’ but still within all of us!

    Meaghan, how did you come up with the name ‘The Samadhi Tree’ for the clinic? We, Cam and I, were sitting at our kitchen table with my parents thinking about names and our intentions for the business. We knew we wanted our concept to be around the tree of life. With our experience living in China and Cam’s amazing knowledge of Chinese traditions, he blurted out the samadhi tree. Interest was peaked from all parties as Cam explained that in Buddhist traditions, there are three areas of importance; Virtue, Concentration, and Wisdom. ‘Samadhi’ refers to mental concentration, ‘tree’ refers to life and so it became – “The Samadhi Tree Centre for Conscious Living”!

    What is your favourite part about managing the clinic? Most definitely, the ability for Cam and I to raise our family of three children the way we want to. Owning our clinic allows us to be there for our children. We are with them in the mornings before school, and I can pick them up in the afternoons after school. All while managing the day-to-day and back-end office duties. Family time is of the utmost importance to us.

    The clinic has been going strong for seven years. What is your secret? Cam and I have a solid relationship that works well in all areas. Our secret to success is strong communication, which falls suit into the clinic life. We pride ourselves on the ability to help anyone in any way we can. Whether it’s a patient, client, or staff member, either one of us will step up, listen and reflect clear communication to meet their needs.