Bernhard was born in 1954 in Zürich, Switzerland. From 1970 to 1975, he focused on teacher education for public schools. In the late ’80s, he shifted to naturopathy, studying in Munich at the School for Naturopathy Lotz from 1989 to 1991.
In 1991, the interests turned to Chinese Medicine and he made his formation at the Academy of Chinese Healing Arts in Winterthur. He underwent an internship at the Institute of Traditional Medicine Clinic in Ho Chi Min City in 1994, gaining more insight in different ways of treating with Oriental Medicine. The mid-’90s brought a QiGong-Teacher education in Switzerland, adding another aspect to his ways of working. This was followed by formation of Taijiquan in St.Gallen (CH) and The Hague (NL).
Getting the approbation for Naturheilpraktiker in Switzerland, he continued his journey with Taijiquan formation in St.Gallen. Drawn to other ways of working with Chinese Medicine he followed an education for Heavenly Stems and Earthyl Branches by Joan Duveen and Peter van Kervel. He was also meeting Master Jeffrey Yuen in Winterthur and followed in the early 2000 the teaching about Luo Meridians, and Qi Jing Ba Mai. After this initial teaching from Jeffrey Yuen he continued regularly to follow and study with him to this day, be it in Ireland, the USA or in Europe, profiting from his profound knowledge about Classical Chinese Medicine and therefore adding some more knowledge about the ways of working with CCM.
Other teachers he followed on his journey were Julian Scott, who deepend his understanding of Pediatric acupuncture, Peter FIrebrace, who supported his interest in the alchemy of the Internal Organs and of the YiJing, Elisabeth Rochat de la Vallée with her understanding of Classical Chinese Medicine based on the classical texts.
The 2000s marked also an exploration of Shamanism, first with Donna TalkingLeaves(2002-2014) and then with Jeffrey Yuen (2018-2021), as well as a basic education in Craniosacral therapy (2012-2013). Further education in Taijiquan followed in The Hague and St.Gallen (2005-now). From 1999, he’s been sharing his knowledge of Qigong and Taijiquan in giving courses in Switzerland, the Netherlands, and now in France.
Since 1994, he has been a practitioner of Chinese Medicine, working in Switzerland, the Netherlands, and now France. He had a clinic for pediatric acupuncture from 1994 till 2002.
In 2000 he started teaching, first as an assistent to Dr. Hamid Montakab and later having his own classes. He continued being a teacher in the Academy of Chinese Healing Arts, later Chiway, till 2016, being also the principal in the last few years.
Currently he is building a little center together with his partner Janet Holtkamp in the Gascony in the southwest part of France.