Hi!  My name is Jacob Swette (that’s pronounced like the sweetie in sweetie-pie, by the way), and I grew up in the United States playing violin, collecting rocks, and studying martial arts.  At 16 I left conventional high school and was chosen to be the protégé of a local martial arts expert with whom I spent my adolescence.  This unusual and ongoing experience of full-time apprenticeship influenced my life profoundly.  Through it I learned about the importance of tradition, trust, tenacity, & respect, as well as the massive responsibility we have to preserve the great body of knowledge discovered by those who came before us.

A number of years have elapsed since then that have included the completion of my undergraduate education at university, attending woodworking school, completing massage school, completing a graduate program at a Chinese medical school, completing my clinical doctorate, and spending several long periods of time in China. During those periods I studied Chinese Medicine, health cultivation arts, tea, and the Mandarin language extensively.  I’m grateful to my teachers who helped guide me along this unique journey.

In the late Spring of 2017 I moved to a remote town in northern Minnesota where I currently practice Chinese Medicine, drink lots of tea, train tai chi, and write.  Every autumn I travel to southern California for several weeks to advance my studies in acupuncture, herbal medicine, manual therapy, qigong, and integrative medicine.  Check out my community programs, information on my private clinic, and US teaching schedule at Vital Center Nourishing Life Arts and learn about my clinical work at the Essentia Health campus in Duluth, Minnesota here.

I stand on the shoulders of giants.  Special thanks to Dr. Wang Ju-Yi, Jonathan Chang, Dr. Lu Li, Chip Chase, Dr. Jake Paul Fratkin, Barry Forst, Master Tseng Yun Xiang, Tom Bisio, and my family  I can’t imagine a more profound life than the one I have because of the love, care, and gentle (and sometimes not so gentle!) guidance from these very special people.  I’ve been lucky to have these good role models, and every day I strive to work harder and to live every moment with integrity and a deep concern for life.