Barefoot Acupuncture Peterborough is currently a solo practice, operated by Marianne Pedretti, a Registered Acupuncturist.

The clinic is a LGBTQ2S+ safe space and is located in Peterborough, Ontario also known as Nogojiwanong. This is part of the traditional lands of the Michi Saagiig Anishinaabeg. I am grateful for their care for, and teachings about earth and all our relations. May we respect, acknowledge and honour these teachings and our deep connection with earth and the web of life.

I’ve been interested in holistic medicine for much of my life and began studying Chinese medicine formally in the spring of 2012. I graduated in July 2014 from Eight Branches Academy of Eastern Medicine from the 3 year Acupuncture and Moxibustion Diploma Program. It’s an excellent school with a dedicated group of teachers and I would recommend it to anyone wanting to study eastern healing arts.

My studies involved both western and eastern medicine and included all of the modalities or branches of traditional Chinese medicine:

  • acupuncture and moxibustion (a heat therapy involving the burning of artemesia herb)
  • massage: tuina (Chinese acupressure massage) and shiatsu,
  • nutritional therapy
  • cupping and gua-sha.
  • tai qi and qi gong
  • Chinese traditional herbology (I’m not a certified herbalist but have studied on a basic level; Chinese herbal therapy is extraordinarily sophisticated with thousands of herbs and many formulas).
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Acupuncture is the method of treatment that first drew me to this medicine as I had experienced its’ healing effects after a lingering shoulder injury. I went from quite a bit of pain to no pain after the first treatment and knew that I wanted to learn this therapy. I had tried acupuncture before that for other issues and had also experienced quite phenomenal results but it was at this stage of life, after living with constant pain for a few months that I realized how acupuncture could be life-changing for people with pain. 

I have a background in science; specifically environmental sciences and restoration ecology and so my mind gravitated towards a medicine that was systematic and based upon theory and evidence. Traditional Chinese medicine has a long track record, having been practiced since ancient times and continuously developed over the years. It is a life’s work, exploring its’ intricacies as it delves into deep consciousness and explores not just what is showing up now but tries to understand what the body is doing or adapting to. Its’ basis of understanding or foundation, is rooted in yin yang theory, originating in Taoist philosophy. Thus, the body is viewed very differently compared to modern western medicine and so, for example, mental and emotional health are not seen as separate from physical health. It’s a medicine that pays special attention to the connection between systems.

The link between body and mind is common in many holistic medicines and tcm has much to offer in terms of understanding the bodymind connections. I believe that we can benefit greatly from meditation and other ‘quiet listening’ practices.

I have been practicing meditation in Peterborough, beginning with The Buddhist Place in 2003, and have experienced the effects of mindfulness and know how it can transform our daily lives. The Buddhist Place has weekly meditation sittings and offers much to those looking for a dharma community.

Movement practices are also key to good health and tcm includes practices like tai chi and qigong for maintaining and building health and wellness. I’ve had the good fortune of studying with a local teacher, Sifu Greg Magwood since 2012. He’s a wonderful teacher of the internal arts and also kung fu and jijitsu and other traditional martial arts. He offers weekly classes that promote a deep understanding of these arts.

I also have learned much from doing yoga. I began doing yoga in the 1980’s and feel that my yoga, tai chi, qigong and meditation practices are all forms of preventative medicine in that they help to keep me well and restore harmony in the mindbodyspirit. In 2019 I undertook a 300 hour yoga teacher training with Ahimsa Yoga and am now a certified yoga teacher. I choose to use my knowledge of movement anatomy and physiology to help clients find ways to build and restore their bodies from injuries and other imbalances.

In my clinical practice, I believe in empowering people to develop their own practices to keep body/mind/spirit well. Acupuncture is an excellent tool but there is much that people can do themselves so I like to share information and resources so that clients feel able to manage on their own. I especially value developing our self-knowledge and inner authority and so my approach to helping others, lies in the recognition that the body knows how to heal itself and that we only need to learn to listen: everything is inside us that we need to heal.
As a practitioner, I’m happy to serve as a collaborator in your health journey. This type of ‘outside support’ can be really useful to catalyze a healing reaction and can benefit and alleviate many health problems. I am continually impressed by the depth and scope of issues that acupuncture can resolve.
I am a member in good standing with the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of Ontario. (CTCMPAO)