Hi, I’m Dan — founder of Gentle Rebellions, recovering overachiever, and lifelong student of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

I grew up in China in a household where herbal teas simmered in the kitchen and acupressure tools were always within reach. My mom, a TCM practitioner, shared advice and remedies that I absorbed long before I fully understood the deeper principles behind them.

After over a decade in tech, I had checked all my “struggle” boxes: insomnia, hormonal imbalances, digestive issues, and the quiet but constant feeling of falling behind. I kept handing my wellbeing to external fixes: diets, rigid training plans, productivity hacks… until it feel like another full-time job.

That exhaustion brought me back to the roots I had once taken for granted. I deepened my study of classical TCM and Taoist philosophy, and it was a radical shift — from forcing to flowing, from symptom-chasing to holistic awareness, from distrust to deep body wisdom.

Instead of outsourcing my health, I turned inward: listening to my body’s messages, honoring my energy cycles, and trusting what felt true. This active reclaiming of agency demanded unlearning, patience, and practice, and every step has been worth it.

I was never the rebellious type, but choosing softness in a world that worships control felt radical. It still does.

Gentle Rebellions began as my personal experiment in living differently. As I practiced and shared these principles with friends and communities, others resonated deeply — now, I welcome you to begin your own rebellion.