It's easy to dismiss the yin-yang symbol because of its over-use. Who wants to see one more yin-yang car window sticker, T-shirt emblem or tattoo? But the image gained popularity for a reason, perhaps because it reminds us that everything and everyone has a natural balance, and that balance can be restored even when things seem really out of whack.
Rob Fox understands this. He moved his practice, called Shalem Healing (800 E. Locust St.), from Waukesha to Riverwest last May. Fox, who has a degree from the Midwest College of Oriental Medicine in Racine, combines Western and Eastern techniques and sees medicine as a blend of science and art.
Hence, the yin-yang symbol on his building sign is more than a weak fashion statement -- it has real meaning.
"There are many different modalities when it comes to medicine, and one should know the limitations of a particular modality as well as knowing the strengths. This is where a lot of physicians, both natural and western, go wrong. They get stuck on a particular modality and fail to see the other options," says Fox, who lives above the business with his wife, Sophia, and infant son, Reuven. "In my practice I use what works."
Shalem Healing offers a variety of services, including acupuncture, herbs, Tui Na (Chinese massage) and tissue mineral analysis - or hair analysis. The amount of toxic minerals in a person's body can be detected through the hair and, according to Fox, early detection of mercury, lead, cadmium and aluminum makes it possible to treat the toxicity before symptoms appear.
So far, Fox has successfully treated patients with a host of medical issues, including allergies, depression, arthritis, asthma, eczema, carpal tunnel, psoriasis and more. "When I see a patient I explain their condition in terms of the Eastern viewpoint as well as the Western viewpoint," says Fox.
Originally, Fox earned a degree from the Milwaukee School of Engineering as a biomedic engineer and planned to use sound and light to heal the body. Being a deeply spiritual person and a devout student and teacher of tai chi, Fox eventually found his true calling as a healer.
Shalem healing offers workshops on Chinese medicine, nutritional health, cleansing and detoxification, intro to natural medicine, food cures and medicinal foods, healing digestion, complementary cancer treatment, tai chi and qi gong.
Fox says he feels confident about his move from Waukesha to Riverwest. "The Outpost, Beans and Barley and the Riverwest Coop all have a decent following and are constantly bringing more people back to what nature provides naturally. With that, people are coming back to using the medicine that nature provides naturally as well."
For more information call (414) 640-5433.
Shalem Healing's Web site is www.shalemhealing.com
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
