June 4, 2015 9:49 am Bro of the Month- Dr. Injae Choe! Exceptional Acupressurist, Musician, Golfer
Dr. Injae Choe is a practitioner of Sugi Acupressure, a form of Korean bodywork therapy he learned from his father, a world-renowned eastern medical doctor. It is a form of holistic medicine that integrates various treatment strategies to bring about lasting healing of the whole person. He uses his hands to “replace the need for needles in acupuncture.” Dr. Injae combines bodywork therapy with knowledge gained from his PhD in psychology to help clients gain self-awareness. Dr. Injae grew up in different parts of Asia before attending Eton in England, and then took advanced degrees from UC Berkeley, Columbia University and the New School for Social Research.
Bro of the Month Interview with Dr. Injae Choe
What accomplishments in your life are you most proud of?
Finding a loving wife and raising a beautiful daughter together.
Having an occupation that fulfills my true passion and mission in life: To help people achieve physical and mental well-being.
Practicing what I preach by leading an active, balanced lifestyle myself.
Your life, education and work combines elements of East and West. How have you been able to meld these different experiences into a holistic approach to helping people?
First and foremost, by staying curious about different facets of the different cultures, and respecting where people’s perspectives originate. Staying inquisitive allows me to get good at exploring common ground and synergies—even when there at first seems to be incompatibility or even conflict. It’s a fun challenge to find ways to accommodate different customs and viewpoints in special contexts.
More concretely speaking, I’m excited to live in a time when many Western allopathic MDs are starting to engage in earnest with health practitioners of the Eastern holistic traditions, sharing knowledge and even patients with each other. That’s where I value my diverse formal education and training that allows me to speak the medical language with authority and to collaborate productively with different colleagues.
What qualities do you admire in a father?
Being always fully attentive to the child, but mostly in the background—without giving in to becoming a helicopter parent.
Following the child’s lead in an authentic and wise way.
Being able to appreciate life anew through the eyes of the child, and recognizing that this is a real perk of being a parent.
What type of music do you like and who are some of your favorite bands?
The blues at the core and its chief derivatives—jazz and classic rock—this stuff inspires me to keep improving my own guitar playing. Lately have been falling in love all over again with the Grateful Dead (am in a tribute band) and Eric Clapton. But some progressive rock bands such as Radiohead, Bjork and Sonic Youth are freaky good at painting compelling masterpieces on a musical canvas in the most unexpected ways.
Dr. Injae’s Daughter, Mirabelle, is wearing the crown seated right next to him.
What sports do you enjoy?
Playing golf (won the Twilight League with my teammate last year at Longshore Golf Park in Westport) as well as watching golf on TV—this is the one sport where you can be totally vicarious while watching the pros play.
What is your favorite drink? And where is your favorite place to Party with Moms?
The “darker” stuff: IPA, Guinness; Jameson etc.; now only familiar with Westport spots but would like to check out some Party with Moms haunts in Greenwich soon!
Dr. Injae has an office in New York City (1841 Broadway, Suite 905) and also sees clients in Westport, CT where he lives. House calls may also be arranged.
646 – 823 – 5386
