Welcome to the Four Gates Wellness Center
We are a collection of complementary health care professionals who will partner you towards a renewed experience of yourself in wellness. We subscribe to a holistic and preventive approach, offering acupuncture (and hopefully we’ll resume body work, yoga and classes when Covid has ebbed) to enrich and forward your life.
Located in downtown Columbia, directly across from the Mall, Four Gates was founded by Michael Phillips and Heather Dorst, acupuncturists and educators, each with over 35 years of experience in their respective healing arts. They are joined by a skilled group of practitioners, all dedicated to advancing the experience of wellness for individuals and community.
The Four Gates refers to the Eastern image of a temple protected from injurious external influences while also inviting one to a deepening and expansive exploration of life. We invite you to experience the benefits and wisdom of traditional healing practices and philosophy offered here.
Lifestyle Choices and Our Health
Lifestyle choices are influential in achieving and maintaining optimal health.
According to acupuncture theory, we derive our basic life energy from two sources. The first is called "pre-natal qi." We are born with it. It is a gift, basically, from our parents. The second source is called post-natal qi and this is what we make for ourselves on a daily basis from our food, water and air. The choices we make in each of these areas contribute to our peace of mind and our good health.
Evidence from every direction suggests that a Low Glycemic Diet (a diet that encourages a slow release of insulin which keeps the blood sugar very stable) is a good choice for most people. This works out to be a diet based on whole grains, vegetables, protein, not too many fruits or sweets, and a minimum of processed sugary foods. ...
