About
Rachael Henrichsen, is a California State Licensed Acupuncturist (L.Ac.), nationally certified Oriental Medicine Practitioner (NCCAOM), Herbalist, Mantic Artist, Tea Practitioner in the Urasenke Tradition, and Founder of Red Gate Path. She currently a faculty member at Five Branches University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and an Assistant Professor at the Golden Gate School of Feng Shui.
Growing up in Pennsylvania, she became an athlete at the age of 4, when she began training as a competitive swimmer and ballet dancer. This early exposure to physical training, led her on a personal quest to find optimal health and physical fitness through exercise and dietetics. She began to formally study traditional medicine and internal cultivation in 2000. She has had the good fortune to find authentic teachers and this led to a passionate interest in and dedication to preserving ancient wisdom traditions.
After living abroad in Asia, she began her training in Taiji, Internal Martial Arts, and the I Ching with Master Zhongxian Wu and began a Bön Dream Yoga Study with Chongtul Rinpoche which led to completing 15 year study to receive the robes of a Lopön (teacher) in the meditative, healing, and mantra practices of the Tibetan Bön Tradition and given the spiritual name Gankar Bön. She also was introduced to her favorite medical qigong form at the Daoist Traditions College of Medical Arts. The form, Shi Shen Di Gong, stems from the Jade Purity Tradition of Jeffrey Yuen, 88th Generation Daoist Priest.
Traveling West
In 2007, Rachael moved to the west coast and began studying the way of tea (Chado) at the Urasenke Foundation, San Francisco. This Japanese tea tradition is integrated with Zen Buddhism and has descended from Sen Rikyu (1522-91). She currently holds licenses from Urasenke in Kyoto to practice the Konarai tea procedures.
In 2008, she began studying the Chinese Mantic Arts and Almanac Astrology with the late Liu Ming, the founder of Da Yuan Circle. Rachael feels fortunate to be a part of Ming’s only apprenticeship in Polestar Astrology (also known as Zi Wei Dou Shu), where she learned to create and read a Chinese Polestar Natal Chart according to the system developed in the Song Dynasty. She now teaches this system and view to students in private class and University.
Rachael began her study of Five Element Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine at Five Branches University in 2009, and holds a Master’s Degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Since 2016, she has been honored to work in a traditional apprenticeship (where an accomplished teacher passes on their knowledge through working side by side) with Dr. Joseph Ng one of the first Chinese Medical Doctors to practice in the West and author of Sword and Lute. Managing the Meditation Instructor Training program for the Buddhist Studies Institute has also become a regular joy in her life along with studying within the Nyingma tradition as a Ngakpa of Tibetan Buddhism, taught by her root teacher Pema Khandro Rinpoche.
She currently spends her time between her private practice in Santa Cruz, CA and traveling to teach and to treat patients. With over 20 years of experience in a variety of healing and meditative arts she has a unique perspective that can help patients figure out how to achieve their goals for feeling good, inside and out.
Licenses and Studies
2000-2004 – Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and Business Law – University of Miami
2005-2006 – Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education – Hayward College
2005-2008 – Qigong and Internal Cultivation Study – Master Zhongxian Wu
2005-2006 – Touch for Health Certification – Arlene Green
2006-present – Bön Dream Yoga Study and Ngondro – Geshe Chongtul Rinpoche & Bon Shen Ling
2007- present – Chado (The Way of Tea) Study – Urasenke Foundation
2008 – 2015 – Mantic Arts Study and Zi Wei Polestar Astrology Apprenticeship – Liu Ming
2009-2014 – Masters Degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine – Five Branches University
2009-2014 – Five Element Acupuncture Certification – Five Branches University
2011, 2012, 2015 – Zen and Tea Study – Green Gulch Zen Center
2015-present – Licensed Acupuncturist and Herbalist (L.Ac.), California Acupuncture Board
2016-2019- Traditional Chinese Medicine Apprenticeship – Dr. Joseph Ng
2019-present – Oriental Medicine Practitioner National Certification – NCCAOM
2020-present – Vajrayana Training and Ngondro Training – Pema Khandro Rinpoche & Buddhist Studies Institute
2021-present – Bön Tse Dup Healing Training (2700 hours)- Geshe Chongtul Rinpoche & Bon Shen Ling
2022-present – Meditation Instructor Training and Certification (200 hrs) -Pema Khandro Rinpoche & Buddhist Studies Institute
2023-present – Yoga Teacher Training and Certification (200 hrs) – Siddhi Yoga
2024-present – Lopön Ceremony, Reception of Robes, and the spiritual name Gankar Bön, as teacher in the Tibetan Bön Tradition
The Apricot Forest
The calligraphy reads “Xing Lin Chun Nuan” the Warmth of Spring fills the Forest of Apricots, and is a phrase connected to a legendary story. The story began with a physician in Jiaozhou named Dong Feng (董奉), who lived from 200-280 AD. He was capable of curing many ailments and tales of his skill as a healer spread throughout the land. He encouraged patients who wanted to show their gratitude to plant apricot trees near his home.
After some time had passed the trees grew to become a vast apricot forest. When the apricots became ripe the people in town would eat or trade them for things they needed. When the fruit would fall to the ground it would feed the animals. This created harmony and prosperity in the village. To this day, the story of the apricot forest has become synonymous with the integrity and ethics of the skilled and generous doctor.