About Mikhael 

I was born in Reykjavík, Iceland in 1982. My journey into spiritual practice began in high school, during a time when I was struggling with depression. Seeking guidance, I turned to my father—a practicing Zen Buddhist—who taught me how to meditate. That first introduction to contemplative practice became the foundation for everything that followed.

In 2012, I received priestly ordination in the Japanese Soto Zen tradition from my teacher Jakusho Kwong Roshi of Sonoma Mountain Zen Center in Santa Rosa, California. Over the years, I explored many forms of alternative and holistic healing, but it wasn’t until 2022 that I encountered Chinese Alchemy—a tradition that felt uniquely aligned with my nature and path.

What drew me to Chinese Alchemy is its humility and depth. The practitioner is not positioned as an authority or healer in the conventional sense, but rather as a companion on the journey. In this work, I am not interested in providing answers—I am interested in questions. The answers, I believe, reside within each of us.

My training in Ge Hong’s Nine Stages of Alchemy has been guided by Leta Herman and Jaye McElroy, founders of the Alchemy Learning Center and practitioners at the Alchemy Healing Center in Northampton, Massachusetts, and students of Master Jeffrey C Yuen, an 88th generation priest in the Jade Purity (Yu Ching) lineage of the Shang Qing school of Daoism. Leta is an accomplished acupressurist who studies with Jeffrey C. Yuen, a Daoist priest and 88th-generation lineage holder of the Shang Qing tradition, and Jaye is an Alchemical Life Strategist and Chinese Stone Medicine practitioner.

This path continues to unfold, and I’m honored to walk it with others who are drawn to live more fully, more authentically, and more in tune with their Spirit.

What is Chinese Alchemy?

Chinese Alchemy has to do with a discovery of one’s true character, and the release of that which is inauthentic. In alchemy we hold that a person’s true self is perfect and complete just as it is. What happens is that our environment sends us the message that it’s not OK or safe to be ourselves. When we know that we are acting in accordance with our Spirit, life feels easy, effortless, enjoyable and unique to us. 

The legendary Eight Immortals were a band of alchemists of which there is a great deal of lore in Chinese culture. The group included people that were male, female, non-binary, old, young, neuro-divergent, disabled and able-bodied. The message here is that alchemy is for everyone. Anyone can walk this path.

What Are the Ghost Points?

The 13 Ghost Points is a classical treatment method first recorded in the 6th century CE by the renowned Daoist alchemist and physician Sun Si Miao—one of the most revered figures in Chinese medical history. Originally developed to address spirit possession, this method was designed to help individuals release energies or influences that do not belong to them.

While "possession" might sound extreme in modern terms, we can reinterpret it as being burdened or overshadowed by unresolved trauma, emotional patterns, or limiting beliefs—experiences that prevent us from fully embodying our authentic selves.

The Ghost Points offer a profound journey into the energetic landscape of the individual. Through this treatment, we explore what is truly you—your True Qi, your pure, vital essence—and identify and release what is foreign, stagnant, or obstructive.

With presence and compassionate awareness, we invite clarity, alignment, and freedom back into the body and Spirit. The Ghost Points are not just about exorcising the past—they are about reclaiming your wholeness.