I was born and raised on the Garden Island of Kauai in Hawaii. As a young child, I learned the ancient arts of acupuncture and shiatsu as part of my maternal lineage's tradition. Being drawn to systems of energy, I began a 10-year career as an IBEW electrician but continued to study my passion - the traditional arts of healing. I received a massage therapy license in 1986 from the Acupressure Institute in Berkeley. I later returned to Hawaii and attended the Tai Hsuan College of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine in Honolulu, becoming licensed in 1991. I became a Reiki Master in 1998, (non-traditional). I started Wai Kapulani in 1999.
Over the last three years, I have been to India three times to work as a volunteer acupuncturist for Tibetan refugees. The first time a team of 4 acupuncturists and administrative staff went to Bodh Gaya in January 2002. We administered over 1,000 treatments in about 14 days. I returned in February, 2003 to Dekyiling Tibetan Settlement in Dehra Dun with two other acupuncturists. In August, 2003, I worked alone with one adminstrative assistant and did over 600 treatments in 2 1/2 months.