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Tuesday 12:30pm - 8:30pm Wednesday 9am - 1pm Thursday 12:30pm - 8:30pm Friday 9am - 1pm Saturday 9am - 1pm

Lotus Center for Integrative Medicine

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Los Angeles, CA
Lotus Center for Integrative Medicine

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Acupuncture, herbal medicine, functional medicine, nutrition

The Lotus Center for Integrative Medicine is a practice dedicated to the restoration and optimization of health. Utilizing a unique blend of both traditional and contemporary techniques, we address each person as an individual. Our practice focuses on identifying and treating all of the factors that influence health: physical, biochemical, environmental and emotional.

08/27/2026

Back in 1999, Steve, Brandon and Wendy decided to band together to create a healing space fueled by their common love and respect for classical Chinese medicine and its Taoist roots.

Our first herbal pharmacy was in Steve’s garage. Our first office space was in West LA where we rented a room with and Alex Wiesner. Brandon simultaneously saw patients at a chiropractor’s office in West LA. All three of us worked as herbalists at the now-defunct Elixir in West Hollywood. We moved to a space by Huntington Hospital in Pasadena where we shared space with an oncologist.

Then one night on a walk down Via Marisol, Brandon and Wendy saw an office space for rent in Hermon. Over 20 years later, we are still here! joined us in 2007 and Airi in 2022 and our office has tripled in size from the early 2000’s.

A few weeks back, we were designated a City of Los Angeles Legacy Business. Over the years, we’ve had the privilege of watching our NELA community grow and transform, and we are incredibly proud to have grown along with it. Thank you to all of our patients and staff members, past and present, who have been part of this journey. We wouldn’t still be here more than 25 years later without you. ❤️

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DcjwNNBSSEE/?igsi=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

06/17/2026

In Classical Chinese medicine, women are said to move through life in seven year cycles. The Huang Di Nei Jing, one of our oldest texts, states that around age 42, there is a gradual shift in physiology: The “three Yang channels” weaken, hair begins to gray, the skin begins to dull and this is where perimenopausal transitions can begin. Symptomatically, women may also notice changes in sleep, mood, energy, cycles and stress resilience.

But menopause is also understood as a transition, a reevaluation of the body’s priorities. Rather than directing the body’s energy outward toward reproduction, the body begins redirecting resources inward toward restoration, wisdom and deeper integration of mind and body.

This is one reason Chinese medicine looks at menopause differently than simply hormone loss. Symptoms like hot flashes, insomnia, anxiety, fatigue, dryness or emotional volatility are viewed as signs of imbalance within systems including the Kidneys, Heart, Liver, Chong Mai and Ren Mai. These patterns can often be supported through individualized treatment.

The encouraging part is that many women begin feeling significantly better when they start supporting their bodies differently during this phase of life. Prioritizing restorative sleep, managing stress, focusing on nourishing foods, building strength through regular movement and receiving individualized care through acupuncture and herbal medicine can help the body adapt more smoothly to these changes. Menopause does not have to mean simply “pushing through” symptoms. It can become an opportunity to reconnect with your health, energy and long term well being in a deeper and more intentional way.

06/03/2026

Summer tea suggestions from your local acupuncturists!

🍃 Mint: Easy to grow, very prolific, keep it in its own container.
🌼 Chrysanthemum: Most commercially available dried chrysanthemum is treated with sulfur and aluminum so seek unsprayed flowers.
🍵 Long Jing (aka dragon well) tea: Lion peak is one type of Long Jing. Steve also mentioned white tea. stocks and sources impeccably.
🫖 Goji berries: We have seen goji berries treated with food coloring and sulfur so choose an organic brand.

04/22/2026

Attention chocolate lovers! Join us for a 10 piece tasting with at our office in Hermon. If you haven’t been to their shop in Echo Park, it’s a fun place to visit. Kala has curated the most amazing and diverse collection of artisan chocolates from around the world. Seats are limited so please RSVP and bring your chocoholic friends!

Lotus Center for Integrative Medicine
5910 Monterey Road
LA 90042

Monday, June 8 at 5:30 pm
$55 per person

04/01/2026

How would you rate Rena and Wendy’s perimenopausal IDGAF faces? For those of you going through the same transition, at some point in time you might notice improved emotional stability, less anxiety and/or less caring about what others think. Why? The amygdala is the brain’s emotional processing center and is activated when we feel fear or a threat, a warning system for initiating fight or flight. It is also a storage area for memories with strong emotions. This part of the brain changes as women age. In perimenopause, the fluctuating estrogen levels create a hypersensitivity resulting in mood swings, irritability and anxiety. But as time goes on and hormones stabilize, the drop in estrogen causes the amygdala to downregulate. This means women become less reactive to negative stimuli. At the same time, the prefrontal cortex becomes more active leading to better control over emotional responses. Ultimately, this manifests in less anxiety, better emotional regulation and a lot more I don’t give a f #.

Perimenopause and menopause are fascinating physiological transitions from a Classical Chinese medicine perspective. Let us know if you’re interested in learning more!

01/28/2026

We haven’t had a lunar new year gathering for a while (since 2017!) so we thought we’d bring it back for the year of the fire horse. This time around, we plan to have a relaxed afternoon/evening event with tea tasting, mah jong, small bites, good intentions and community. To keep things cozy and comfortable, we’ll be limiting the number of guests. Please RSVP by sending us a DM!

01/22/2026

A few months back a post by inspired a deep dive into seed oils’ impact on fertility. Although seed oils as a category do not directly cause infertility, one particular seed oil does. Gossypol is a natural compound that is secreted from the cotton plant as a natural defense mechanism against predators but it also causes infertility in insects. It’s used to control rat populations by interfering with both s***m production and motility (PMID 26227499) as well as degenerating ovarian follicles (PMID 25540815). Human studies in China, Africa and Brazil have found gossypol to be an effective male contraceptive at relatively low levels and the effects can be irreversible in over 20% of cases (PMID 12020773).

There are industrial processes in place that render cottonseed oil “safe” for human consumption but you can make that decision for yourself. Check your ingredient lists. Cottonseed oil is often lumped into the category of “vegetable oil” in processed foods. It’s used as the oil to lubricate delicious rice noodle rolls aka cheung fun for most of the rice noodle rolls in Asian supermarkets in Southern California.

01/08/2026

Many people check in with their primary care doctors at this time of year and so many patients ask us what additional labs they should ask their doctors for. Lots of people are using as they have a very comprehensive panel, but if you want to run it through your insurance plan, here are the ones we recommend.

CMP
CBC
Lipid panel
25(OH)D
Thyroid panel: TSH, free T3, free T4
HbA1c
Insulin
Uric acid
Hcy
CRP
ApoB
Lp(a) - this generally needs to be tested once in a lifetime
CA-125 (in females)

This also doubles as a nudge to check in with your Western medicine doctors too! Tag or send to a loved one who needs this reminder.

10/25/2025

Today is National Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine day. Can we still say that? Anyway, we are grateful to all of our patients and followers who have an interest in this magical and incredible medicine. For over 25 years, we have seen so many patients and this healing modality literally never ceases to amaze us practitioners. We love that each patient presents with so many different symptoms, tongues, pulses, medical histories, environmental exposures, lifestyles, dietary patterns. Every day it’s like a puzzle to figure out where each patient hides their pathologies and how it got there. It’s even more gratifying to find the various acupuncture points and customized herbal formulas to promote balance and resolution.

We love what we do and will never be bored. Thank you for being receptive to this ancient art and placing your trust in us.

10/16/2025

Last month, Consumer Reports issued a report about boba. Sorry to say the results weren’t great. They tested boba from Gong Cha and Kung Fu Tea (both are huge chains) as well as packaged boba products including the Trader Joe’s boba kit and they found lead in EVERY sample. Although levels weren’t considered to be above their level of concern in one serving, we know that some people have a rather unhealthy several-times-a-week boba addiction and lead can accumulate. This heavy metal is typically found in the brain, liver, kidneys, bones, nervous system and reproductive systems so we should definitely not make boba a daily habit. Boba is made from tapioca which is derived from cassava root. It would be nice if the local boba shops who make their own housemade boba can test their tapioca flour (hint hint). And it’s not just boba! Remember tapioca is in a lot of products so be sure to check your ingredients for tapioca starch, syrup and flour in your processed foods and drinks.

BTW pictured is housemade boba with soft serve from in Milpitas. Delicious but lead level unknown!

Address

5910 Monterey Road
Los Angeles, CA
90042

Opening Hours

Tuesday	12:30pm - 8:30pm
Wednesday	9am - 1pm
Thursday	12:30pm - 8:30pm
Friday	9am - 1pm
Saturday	9am - 1pm

Telephone

+13235515962

Website

http://www.lotuscenter.com/

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Contact The Practice

Send a message to Lotus Center for Integrative Medicine:

Mary Kay Cocharo, MFT
11500 W. Olympic, Suite 614

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