Toronto’s Leading Eastern Medicine Mental Health & Relationships Professional

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MEET MATT

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Are you under your life, not above it? Are you suffering from chronic health issues or emotional turbulence that keep you from finding a stable footing in life – to bring about your vision of the life you want to create? You’ve come to the right place, Matt’s been through it all, let him share his Inspired Warrior story with you…


So who is this Matt person, anyways?

Matt Walton (R.TCMP, R.Ac) has been making maps to health since he first learned the word ‘depression’. Always recognizing the value in recording his steps, paths, and relentless pursuits of what really worked towards healthy mind and healthy body so he might someday help others. This inner voice knew that life was meant to be lived to its fullest both in the celebration of life, and in leaving an impact for future generations.

Trusting that this process of integration was a blessing in disguise, Matt knew his experiences and skills were meant to be shared with others, so that others don’t have to spend so long in the dark – spending years looking for the path before even beginning to walk it. It didn’t take long for Matt to realize that ‘disease’, like health, is wholistic; that his mental and emotional well-being depended on his physical and vice-versa. And so began his Spiral Journey, learning that there is no silver bullet, with ‘every little bit helps’ becoming his mantra. Every step he has taken since another tool in his toolbox towards helping others to whole health & well-being.

Early Life…

Matt was an extremely imaginative (over-imaginative may be more appropriate here, but inspired by Calvin & Hobbes, he doesn’t believe in that idea) youth who spent most of his years outdoors with friends, both people and nature. He is the ‘big brother’ of his beloved sister Julia, the youngest of his 3 siblings. Julia lives with Down Syndrome and has been one of the greatest teachers in his life, teaching him endless tolerance, understanding and innocence, qualities Matt tries to embody each and every day.

Matt’s awakening to the “spiritual” side of things began unusually early. Growing up in very rural Ontario, Matt was never far from nature, and began noticing patterns, (what he calls “whispers”) and special encounters with the wildlife in his Ontario and literal backyard. This lead naturally to exploring paganism & indigenous spirituality in early high school; while expressing his insights through writing, art and film direction winning him “Best Director” in the Kitchener-Waterloo “Charlie Awards”.

Through a series of powerful insights this then naturally lead to an equally deep and transformative exploration of meditation, Kundalini tantra practices, Buddhism, as well as Jungian depth psychology in his later high school years.

A Journey to Integration…

After his first move from home, from a tiny village to downtown Toronto, Matt’s journey into wholistic medicine truly began. He worked with two Tibetan Amchis (Tibetan doctors) for several years, experiencing the power of Tibetan Medicine, where his Amchis could tell what he had eaten the previous week – by simply feeling his pulse.

During this phase of life, Matt attended numerous Tibetan “Empowerment” ceremonies (his most significant being Green Tara, White Tara and two Medicine Buddha rituals). Actively involved in the Shambhala Warrior community of Toronto (specifically the teachings of Pema Chodron), Matt received Level IV Warrior Meditation Training, as well as numerous other retreat trainings offered by the community. Matt also participated in the Kalachakra Initiation, the highest Tibetan Empowerment, offered by the Dalai Lama himself in 2004.

His deep respect for traditional/native cultures then took him to the jungles and ruins of Central America in 2005, where for almost half a year he bicycled some thousand plus kilometres across the landscapes of Yucatan, Belize & Guatemala. His intention: to extract fact from fiction from the pre-2012 “Mayanism” fad, by learning from the Mayans themselves. This journey awoke him to the power of indigenous plant medicines, while also witnessing the destruction of rainforests & indigenous communities, specifically in Guatemala, due to Canadian mining companies. This path then lead back to a re-analysis of his own spiritual roots as he internalized the pursuit of decolonization and debunking “New Age” misinformation.

His passion to preserve these traditions and environments lead him to working as a social justice and environmental activist in his own backyard, teaching him the mechanics of privilege and anti-oppression, as well as alternative economic and education models & subcultures.

Matt worked both professionally and volunteer as a community organizer for numerous activist & cultural collectives, marching in major anti-Iraq War protests including Toronto, Kitchener-Waterloo, Ottawa, and Montebello, worked as a graphic designer and campaign coordinator for GlobalAware Independant Media, was featured in a CBC “dumpster diving” documentary on reclaiming food waste, was active in the War Resistors movement, Food Not Bombs (Toronto, Ottawa), and campaigned for Greenpeace and the Rainforest Action Network, up to participating in the Toronto G20 protests and Occupy movements, as well as attended numurous First Nations events at the Native Canadian Center of Toronto and Dodem Kanonhsa. All while simultaneously working in health food stores and supplement departments – until his lightning-bolt decision to start his TCM training in 2009 – effectively synthesizing his life’s work, into one red carpet.

In his spare time, he reads (and reads), dances (a whole other trajectory, right there), stays fit, generally deals with his obvious ADHD (which he prefers to see as routine side quests), and laughs (and laughs).

Continuing the Tradition…

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Matt possesses an intense passion for preserving, reigniting, and translating the world’s traditional medicines in a time when this wisdom has been nearly extinguished by colonialism. The profound inclusive worldview of many of our ancestors is medicine in and of itself, a medicine that is desperately needed in our increasingly fragmented, isolated, and unsustainable society. 

These ancient medicinal systems truly reflect mind-body integration and have refined these incredibly successful techniques and philosophies century after century. It is here where Matt finds his work, clarifying the scientific merit of these timeless traditions. With insight and humour, he advances traditional healthcare while remaining passionately rooted in evidence-based verification & research; inspiring, guiding, empowering, and restoring deep health to his incredible clients.

From listening to the whispered teachings of nature herself, to learning from the cultures that preserved these teachings; from deeply understanding the systems of our beautifully complex biology and psychology, to applying his natural skills in treating and healing his clients – Matt Walton embodies wholism and integration – believing it to be the basic common sense, the absolute foundation of true health.

Experience…

Matt is an insured and licensed member of the College of TCM Practitioners & Acupuncturists, the regulating body of Ontario, Canada, and holds a Diploma of Acupuncture (R.Ac) and an Advanced Practitioner’s Diploma of Eastern Medicine (R.TCMP) from the Institute of Traditional Medicine. His training includes advanced Eastern Herbalism & Clinical Nutrition, Counselling, Qi Gong, and Bodywork applied to areas such as TCM Psychiatry/Mental Health, Pediatrics, Cancer Care, Internal Medicine, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Dermatology, Infectious Disease, and Traumatology.

He has also received intensive training by renowned practitioners such as herbalist extraordinaire Dr. Jake Paul Fratkin, winner of the U.S. acupuncturist of the year and teacher of the year (U.S.); ‘Healing with Whole Foods‘ author Paul Pitchford, considered by many to be the ‘bible’ of modern & traditional integrated nutrition; Lorie Eve Dechar, author of Five Spirits and developer of Alchemical Acupuncture for psychological & spiritual healing; and Kenneth Cohen, North America’s leading Qi Gong master & researcher. Matt is a highly trained 4th level Gokuikaiden/Daoist Inner Energetics Master in the Gendai Tradition since 2004 and is deeply researched in advanced modern nutrition and the mental-emotional health activism field where he finds his greatest passions.

Today, Matt applies his endless search for the roots to the concerns we face today, from the issues of society as a whole, to the wholeness of your health – and is amplifying this message with the launch of the upcoming Inspired Living Studio, backed by MaRS Discovery District, and a “top 25% worldwide” graduate of the pre-eminent pre-seed start-up accelerator the Founder Institute. Matt is currently writing four books: the first printed edition of “The Inspired Health Handbook” (found in the shop, above), “Get Your Life Back: A Guide to Inspired Living”, his master untitled thesis on the underappreciated power of Chinese Medicine in treating mental-emotional health conditions, and “The Politics of Health Misinformation: The COVID-19 & Climate Change Era”. Matt writes in two medium blogs – his personal Spiral Journeys and open Inspired Living Warriors Magazine (write for us!); all while nurturing a powerful Facebook Community and LinkedIn networks.

Upon the launch of the Inspired Living Studio, Matt plans to return to his rejuvenated premium Roots to Sky clinical practice within the Studio with a new clinical focus on mental and sexual health.

Despite his formal training, Matt roots his experience – not in his extensive education – but by tapping directly into our often-forgotten ability to intuitively perceive our interconnected nature: from the physical, emotional, to environmental (in working with him, you’ll hear his endless metaphors) believing that by deeply honouring what life presents us in all its forms, we learn the deep keys to restoring balance on all levels…

Within ourselves, and to our outer natural world.

TRAINING & EXPERIENCE OVERVIEW

(For simplicity, all dates are upon completion. More details on Matt’s LinkedIn page, below)

ADVANCED EASTERN MEDICINE

  • Advanced Diploma: Registered Acupuncturist (R.Ac) – Institute of Traditional Medicine, Regulated CTCMPAO (2009)
  • Advanced Diploma: Registered Traditional Chinese Medicine (R.TCMP) – Institute of Traditional Medicine, Regulated CTCMPAO (2013)
  • Healing with Whole Foods Intensive Certificate – Paul Pitchford (2011)
  • Tibetan Medicine & Mentoring (Dr. Amchi Kunga, Dr. Karma Dolma)

WESTERN MEDICINE & NUTRITION

  • Pre-med: Institute of Traditional Medicine: Dr Atenu Nandy Director (2009)
  • Western Herbalism: Diane Kent – Ontario Herbalists Association (2009)
  • Employment at The Big Carrot and Whole Foods, receiving supplement training by Udo Erasmus (2007-9)

MENTAL HEALTH & COACHING

  • Intro to Psych – Yale University (Coursera 2020)
  • 5 Spirits/TCM Mental Health Training Intensives – Lorie Dechar, Lonny Jarrett, many others
  • Anti-Oppression Training – Institute of Traditional Medicine: Ani Mackinnon
  • LGBTQ+ Advocacy – Six Degrees Community Acupuncture; People With AIDS
  • Non Violent Communication Comprehensive Training (2010)

ACTIVISM & FIRST NATIONS ADVOCACY

  • War Resistors Toronto (2003)
  • GlobalAware Independant Media – Campaign Coordinator, Graphic Designer (2004)
  • Food Not Bombs (2004)
  • Willing Workers on Organic Farms Guatemala (2005)
  • Greenpeace, Rainforest Action Network Canvassing (2006)
  • Ayahuasca Event Facilitator (2 Hosting + Over 10 Participating)
  • Dodem Kanonhsa – Settler Relations Workshops (2005)

Qi GONG/ENERGY MEDICINE

  • Reiki Levels 1-4 Gokuikaiden, Daoist Energetics – Reiki Healing Centre Toronto (2005)
  • Chi Nei Tsang Intensive – Khadro/Mantak Chia (2010)
  • Qi Gong Intensives – Master Kenneth Kohen (2010)

MEDITATION TRAINING

  • Shambhala Warrior Training Level IV – Shambhala Meditation Centre Toronto (2007)
  • Tibetan Empowerments (Green Tara x2, Medicine Buddha, White Tara) – Riwoche Tibetan Temple
  • Kalachakra Initiation – Dalai Lama (2004)

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

  • MaRS E101 (2016)
  • Founder Institute Alumni (2021) – Launching The Inspired Living Studio!

Learn more on Matt’s LinkedIn Profile

Matt is your guide towards living your life to its brightest potentials, healing the smallest aches, to the deepest pains. Matt’s clients leave with a sense of connection and purpose… what he calls… an ‘Inspired Warrior Life’.

☯