Kona Stories

David Bruce Leonard, his partner Renee Jeffus, and their two children spend their time between Oregon and Hawai'i. David is a practitioner and teacher of all five branches of traditional Chinese medicine: Acupuncture, herbal medicine, massage, dietary therapy, and martial arts exercises.

David has studied traditional medicines with healers in Asia, North and South America, and Hawai'i. With a Master's Degree in traditional Chinese medicine, he has a working knowledge of more than 400 traditional Hawaiian, Chinese, and Western plants. A deep ecologist and Hawaiian native plant specialist, he has been a student of Hawaiian medicine under Kahu Kawika Ka'alakea, Kaipo Kaneakua and Na Kupuna 'O Hawai'i since 1992.

David studies, lectures and teaches on cross-cultural uses of plant medicines, environmental concerns, traditional plant gathering practices, sub-genius perspectives, and pragmatic approaches to health care. He is known for his off-beat sense of humor and sometimes wears his pants too short. David can often be seen in Hawaiian rain forests wearing his favorite trash bag as a raincoat.