Kyle Shinners, LAc. Co-Founder and Co-Owner at EVO and Evolution Acupuncture
What is the work that you do?
By trade I am an acupuncturist, by craft a medicine man, by choice a husband, father and community member. In another 6 months I’ll complete my doctorate and finally be able to legally call myself a “doctor,” which I dig because it comes from the latin word docere: to teach. After almost 2 decades in the field of medicine and healing arts, I’m beginning to accept the truth that there is no disease to be ‘fixed’ or ‘healed,’ rather lessons to be learned and patterns to be recognized on our path of growth. Many years ago while wandering the globe in search of healing and enlightenment, I heard Traditional Chinese or Daoist Medicine described as the medicine of transformation. I still like this definition and do my best to remind patients that I’m just a helpful guide on this seemingly painful leg of their journey… So my work is simply to embody the Dao and learn to trust all is well.
How does living in community support or inform your presence in the world?
As with most sangha, the Emerald Village Observatory supports me to ‘see’ myself as a contributor in the game of life. Sometimes I’m useful, sometimes I’m not. Sometimes I’m the problem, sometimes I’m the solution. Maybe so and maybe not, but everyday the reflection of EVO amplifies my awareness of how ENGAGED I am in playing my role as human being. Living here, it’s a lot harder to get away with bullshit or wallow in complacency.
What is your greatest lesson living in community?
“No Man is an island.” ~ John Donne
Everything we do and how we be, intimately affects others. Living in community is the art of coexistence. Learn to share or die. From the practicality of communal meals and laundry facilities to the intricacies of governance models and decision making, living in community invites one to recognize we are ALL responsible for the co-creation of our experience… good, bad, ugly and beautiful. Though nothing new, It’s a timely lesson for our species to consider ‘being considerate’ more often.