Please join us for a special groundbreaking book launch featuring Harmony Village’s own Dennis von Elgg, owner of The Redwood Needle Acupuncture Studio. This is a free event featuring selected readings by the author, audience Q&A, book sales and signing. Refreshments available.
In Heart Stories, acupuncturist, educator, and Sonoma Coast author Dennis von Elgg explores the fascinating intersection of Traditional Chinese Medicine, modern cardiovascular science, and the stories we carry that shape our lives. Drawing on decades of clinical experience, contemporary medical research, timeless Eastern wisdom, and moments from his own journey, von Elgg invites readers to consider heart disease through an entirely new lens—one that recognizes the intimate relationship between physiology, emotion, stress, memory, and consciousness.
Rather than presenting Eastern and Western medicine as opposing viewpoints, Heart Stories reveals the surprising places where they converge. Along the way, readers encounter compelling patient stories, reflections from the author’s own life, practical insights for improving cardiovascular health, and an exploration of the emotional patterns that often accompany illness, resilience, and healing.
Written for both healthcare practitioners and thoughtful readers, Heart Stories is an exploration of what it means to heal—not only the physical heart, but the human heart as well. Blending science, philosophy, personal reflection, and clinical wisdom, it offers an invitation to see both health and human experience with fresh eyes.
"Drawing from decades of hard-won clinical experience, von Elgg reframes our tradition while respecting its roots, considering the classics in the context of modern research and cardiovascular therapy. With case studies that read like stories and invitations for us to reflect on both ourselves and our patients, this is one of those books that will make going to work all the more interesting and rewarding."
Dr. Jason D. Robertson - Seattle Institute of East Asian Medicine
"This work bridges the measurable and the mysterious aspects of the heart with remarkable intelligence and humanity. Rooted in both cardiovascular science and Chinese medicine, it offers a rare synthesis — equally rigorous and deeply compassionate. Professor von Elgg offers a beautifully articulated exploration of what it truly means for the heart to be 'well.'"
Dr. Bianca Di Giulio, L.Ac.
Author of "Bridging the Gap: Integrative Oncology and the Practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine"
"In 'Heart Stories,' Dennis von Elgg turns his holistic lens towards cardiology while finding deeper meaning and enjoyment in our lives. This book is a written treasure that will inform and delight practitioners and patients alike for many generations to come."
Robyn Adcock, DACM, LAc, CMT, Director of Pediatric Integrative Medicine, UCSF
"It is unusual for a book to give both the EKG and the 神 (shén) equal weight. With clinical clarity and a teacher's warmth, Dennis' book makes the case for psychocardiology and a way to meet the whole of a patient's being. For practitioners working where biomedicine and East Asian medicine meet, it's a thoughtful map of a territory that is too often left unexplored."
Toby Daly, PhD, LAc
Author of An Introduction to Chinese Medicine, The Saam Acupuncture Tradition, and Tracing Our Lineage
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dennis von Elgg, L.Ac., is an acupuncturist, educator, and author who has spent more than three decades exploring the intersection of Traditional Chinese Medicine, modern medical science, and the human experience. Living and practicing on California’s Sonoma Coast, he has dedicated his career to helping patients understand the relationship between emotional well-being, cardiovascular health, and the body’s remarkable capacity to heal.
His debut book, Heart Stories: An Inner Exploration of Heart Disease and Human Consciousness, weaves together clinical insight, contemporary research, Eastern philosophy, patient stories, and reflections from his own life to offer a fresh perspective on the Heart—not only as an organ, but as a center of physiology, emotion, and consciousness.
Dennis lives on the Sonoma Coast, where he maintains a private acupuncture practice, teaches, writes, practices yoga, coaches high school baseball, and treasures time with his son.
Through his writing, Dennis hopes to encourage a deeper conversation about healing—one that honors both scientific discovery and the wisdom found in our own lived experience, reminding us that the journey toward health is as much about understanding ourselves as it is about understanding the body.