Why I Became An Acupuncturist!

I remember the first day that I walked into my acupuncturist's office, acne faced, overweight, eczema filled hands, unknowingly anxious, smoker, and what brought me in chronic shoulder pain. Not to mention the temper of a giant.

It's been a decade since my first appointment and never in my wildest dreams did I think that I'd be sitting on the opposite side of the table.

My story isn't any different than any other mid-twenty-year-old. A few years into the workforce, young and naive, I was trying to climb the marketing ladder. I followed all the right steps, worked through university, hustled for a great internship, landed my full-time role, performed, promoted and increased my pay, but something seemed…off.

My first cubicle, 2007.

It became apparent when I had my first anxiety attack at work: heart racing, sweats, and pacing. I had no idea what was going on. Anyone who has experienced this will attest to the magnitude of how scary that moment can feel. I felt as if I was in complete control of my life, then all of a sudden, something was happening that I couldn't explain. A trip to the emergency room and multiple trips to the doctor's office, to only be told: "everything is ok; you just need a vacation." A vacation? Something was going on that didn't seem right. I had no idea what a vacation may solve aside from giving me a week away only to return to the same scenario. I needed to make a change but had no idea how. 

With no answers, I started to seek other help. This is where my acupuncturist, now mentor Vu Le, comes in, and my journey with acupuncture starts. If I am candid, I was skeptical but felt helpless. All I knew at that time was the treatments helped me feel better. Now in retrospect, it is much more clear what we were doing. We were improving my mental state by working on the external factors that were exacerbating my symptoms. Long story short and to be revealed in this blog, I quit smoking, eczema under control, shoulder pain went away, and all of a sudden, with some work, I felt calm. Two years later, I started my journey to becoming an acupuncturist.

I think that every part of our life prepares us for our current selves, but I consider 2009 the year I started this journey to becoming a practitioner. The start was the hardest! Little did I know all these experiences have helped prepare me to be the practitioner I am today and remind me to be humble.

So why, acupuncture? In short, it saved my life. How did it save my life? It put me on a path to seeing my true self, learning how to communicate with myself, and, more importantly, play an active participant in my health. It's hard to say where I would have ended up if I continued the lifestyle I led a decade ago. Thoughts that I prefer not to invest time on. Instead, I vest my energy in recognizing that everyone's journey looks different; mine was not a straight route. 

It's these experiences that have motivated me to push through a gruelling Acupuncture program numerous post-secondary programs all to land here. It's my chance to contribute to the larger picture by working one on one with each of my patients. May it be reducing your chronic back pain, working on your digestion, or relaxing your mind - as a practitioner, I consider it a privilege to be a part of your health and wellness journey.