About Us
We’re proud to introduce you to our doctors, to share our work’s purpose, and to offer a glimpse of our deep history dating back 38 generations of medical practitioners in the Ni family and 74 generations of spiritual training from master to student. Together, we offer you our expertise and guidance as part of a truly unique medical practice.
Our Doctors
Dr. Daoshing Ni, D.O.M., L.Ac., Ph.D, Dipl.C.H.
Dr. Dao is a Licensed Acupuncturist in the State of California and is a Diplomate of Chinese Herbology NCCA. Dr. Dao has been active in the TCM profession as well as professional organizations. He was an examiner for the California Acupuncture Committee and also participated in the Chinese Herbology Exam development for NCCA. Well known and respected for his special interest in reproductive and gynecological conditions, Dr. Dao is a member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, Pacific Coast Fertility Society, and American Association of Oriental Medicine. Dr. Dao is the author of Tao of Fertility and co-author of Sitting Moon: A Guide to Rejuvenation after Pregnancy.
Dr. Mao Shing Ni, L.Ac., D.O.M., Ph.D, Dipl. C.H., ABAAP
Dr. Mao Shing Ni, popularly known as Dr. Mao, is the 38th generation of Chinese medicine doctors in his family. Well known and respected in the field of integrative and anti-aging medicine, he is the cofounder of Tao of Wellness and Yo San University, both award winning centers for health and Traditional Chinese Medicine graduate education, respectively. Dr. Mao holds two doctorates as well as being board certified in anti-aging medicine. Dr. Mao has written 18 books, including his bestselling books Secrets of Longevity, Second Spring, Secrets of Longevity Cookbook and his latest, Live Your Ultimate Life. Awarded Best of the Best on The Doctor Oz Show, Dr. Mao can also be seen on The Doctors, Katie Couric, as well as the pages of The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times. Online he writes about natural health and longevity on The Huffington Post, Ask Dr. Mao, EmpowHer and other popular websites and speaks at medical conferences internationally. Dr. Mao maintains a full time clinical practice with his brother, Dr. Daoshing Ni and their team of doctors at Tao of Wellness, integrative medical centers with offices in Santa Monica, Newport Beach and Pasadena, California.
Albert Vaca, L.Ac.
Albert Vaca, California Board Licensed Acupuncturist, received his Master’s degree in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine from Yo San University. Having a background in martial arts and competitive sports, he was drawn to Sports Medicine and orthopedics. He completed a postgraduate training in acupuncture orthopedics at Cedars Sinai Hospital, and furthered his training by becoming certified as an Acupuncture Orthopedic Specialist from the Academy of Orthopedic Acupuncture.
Albert is a firm believer in integrative healthcare and has worked in women’s health, internal medicine and pediatrics with other medical specialists at the Venice Family Clinic and Being Alive HIV clinic. An educator at heart, he served as Dean of Clinical Education at Yo San University where he enjoyed sharing his clinical knowledge with interns. He is co-author of BACK to Pain-Free Health: Secrets of Natural Healing for Back Pain, and is fluent in Spanish.
Albert is dedicated to personal development and practices meditation and tai chi regularly. He hopes to empower patients at Tao of Wellness with his knowledge, and to help them activate their innate restorative abilities that promote healing and well-being.
Dr. Shannon Lawrence, DAOM
Dr. Shannon Lawrence is a California Board Licensed Acupuncturist and a nationally certified Diplomate.
She received her Master's and Doctorate degrees in Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine from Yo San University. Her interest in pursuing Chinese medicine was discovered while working as a professional ballerina and dealing with multiple foot and ankle injuries. Working with an acupuncturist and physical therapist, during her ballet career, Dr. Shannon realized these practitioners genuinely cared for her. They taught her to embrace overcoming her injuries and live a healthy lifestyle. They educated her and taught her that health wasn't just about showing up for appointments, but their belief in wanting her to heal and the belief in herself, as well as committing to healing were all factors. Dr. Shannon is dedicated to giving patients that experience and a space to feel safe and empowered.
Growing up on the East Coast, near the Chesapeake Bay, Shannon spent a lot of time fishing, swimming, and caring for farm animals. Her father and grandmothers’ taught her to use the earth's natural resources for nutrition and healing. This way of life prepared her greatly for the medicine she has chosen as a profession. She has extensively studied orthopedics, pediatrics, internal medicine, and, most recently, psycho-emotional conditions and women's health. Dr. Shannon firmly believes that the integration of Western and Eastern medicines is key to the health preservation and longevity of all ages. Her goal for Tao of Wellness patients is to provide them with the ability to heal, find community support, educate them, and allow them to bring empowerment into their lives.
Our Mission
Traditional Chinese Medicine has its origin in ancient Taoist philosophy which views a person as an energy system in which body and mind are unified, each influencing and balancing the other. Unlike allopathic medicine which attempts to isolate and separate a disease from a person, Chinese medicine emphasizes a holistic approach that treats the whole body. We believe that acupuncture, along with herbal therapy, tuina massage and nutrition are the key tools to wellness. Many people have found Traditional Chinese methods of healing to be excellent tools for maintaining optimum health and preventing illness. Traditional Chinese Medicine is effective for physical, psychological and emotional conditions.
One of the Ni family’s strongest beliefs is: to be a good practitioner, one must also be a good teacher. Hence, Master Ni, Drs. Dao & Mao Ni also founded a school of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yo San University in Marina del Rey where the doctors teach and continue to transmit this ancient knowledge of healing. Drs. Daoshing and Mao Shing Ni are also well published authors. Between the three of them, including Master Ni, they have published over 70 books in Chinese Health and Fitness, Chinese Classics, Taoist Philosophy, Tai Chi and Qi Gong. These are great resources for patients to promote their own wellness. Even though Tao of Wellness has received accolades such as, “Best of L.A.”, we strive to continue improving and providing the best possible service.
Our History
Master Ni, Hua-Ching has been teaching and practicing in the United States since 1976. Master Ni is fully acknowledged and empowered as a true Master of Tao.
He is heir to the wisdom transmitted through an unbroken succession of 74 generations of masters dating back to the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE). As a young boy, he was educated within his family in the spiritual foundation of Tao, and trained in mainland China by Taoist masters in healing, T’ai Chi Ch’uan, Kung Fu, Internal Alchemy, Chinese Medicine and Herbology. Later, he studied for more than 31 years in the high mountains of China, fully achieving all aspects of Taoist science and metaphysics.
Throughout his life, Master Ni has supported himself through his work as a physician. Tao of Wellness and its predecessor clinic were established by Master Ni in 1976. He retired in 1985 and his two sons, Drs. Daoshing Ni and Mao Shing Ni took over and have since expanded the medical center by bringing in additional associates. All doctors and associates at Tao of Wellness treat various conditions, such as infertility, gynecological disorders, immunology, gastrointestinal, pain disorders, pain management and healthy aging medicine.
