Page Allison, Owner of Hara Wellness, Acupuncturist and Athletic Therapist in Nelson, BC

What Does Hara Mean?

Picking a name for a business is no easy feat. For months I hummed and hawed over different ideas. I wanted a name that meant something to me, but also one that could encompass the many aspects of the work I do.

The word Hara means abdomen or belly, but in many healing traditions it carries a much deeper meaning.

As an Acupuncturist, I use Hara Diagnosis to help guide treatments. By gently palpating the abdomen, the body can reveal important information about what it needs in that moment.

The Hara is also known as the Tan Tien, the area where our vital energy, or Qi, is cultivated. This area tells us so much about our health, yet it’s often overlooked in Western medicine.

In traditional martial arts, practitioners speak about the Hara when generating power and stability. It’s the center from which movement begins. Think about how often you hear the cue “engage your core” during exercise, that’s the same idea.

The Hara is our center. It’s where balance, strength, and energy begin and grow from.

How did a get into Athletic Therapy and Acupuncture?

Growing up, I dabbled in a variety of sports and activities, but it wasn’t until I discovered snowboarding that a true passion for sport emerged. I began teaching snowboarding in my early twenties, and it was through teaching that my curiosity about human movement and body mechanics really began to grow.

In 2011, I enrolled in the Bachelor of Athletic and Exercise Therapy program at Camosun College. During my time in the program I had the opportunity to work with a variety of sports including rugby, lacrosse, tennis, golf, and soccer. Each experience helped deepen my understanding of how the body moves, adapts, and recovers.

It wasn’t until I began my clinical placement at the UVIC Sports Injury Clinic that I truly found where I wanted to be. Working in the clinic allowed me to build meaningful connections with clients, helping them understand their injuries and guiding them through recovery in a way that wasn’t always possible in a field setting.

While studying for my Athletic Therapy board exams, one of my mentors mentioned the possibility of going back to school to study acupuncture. The seed was planted. Over the following years, stories about acupuncture kept appearing in my life, and many of the clients I was working with were experiencing incredible results when combining acupuncture with Athletic Therapy. I became fascinated by this ancient system of medicine and wanted to learn more.

In 2019, I graduated magna cum laude from Pacific Rim College with a Diploma of Acupuncture.

Since then, it has been an ongoing journey learning how to blend Athletic Therapy and Acupuncture in a way that feels authentic to me. Being a lifelong student at heart, I continue to explore new ways to better understand the body and support healing. My continued education has included Craniosacral Therapy (CS1), Sports Medicine Acupuncture (SMAC), Movement & Mobility 101 through The Ready State, as well as courses through Rehab-U including Athletic Prehab Levels 1 & 2 and Movement Optimization Levels 1 & 2.