Today we’d like to introduce you to Jasmine Moran.
Jasmine, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Acupuncture became a regular part of my life when I was in my twenties, at a time when I was studying kung fu several days a week. My teacher was an acupuncturist, and he would often give his students treatments — first he would break us, then, he would fix us. In a way, Chinese medicine and martial arts were inseparable for me, and as I learned more, I saw how fluid the lines were between the physical aspects and the more subtle energies of the body. Breathing and visualization were necessary to throw a punch correctly; an acupuncture needle could equally well release a tight muscle or a troubled mind. Acupuncture transformed my thinking around health and medicine, especially during my own treatments for injuries and asthma, as well as difficulties during my first pregnancy.
I opened my own kung fu school in Brooklyn, NY, while also doing graphic design for a weekly newspaper, teaching martial arts in elementary schools and performing regularly in two different bands. It was a hectic lifestyle but rich and never boring; I was doing what I loved and connecting with a wide range of people. In 2007, I had my first child, and we soon moved our little family from Brooklyn to Cambridge where my husband would begin graduate school. It was a time of transition and I was yearning to direct my energies toward something meaningful. I decided I would become an acupuncturist and embark on a career in healthcare. It was daunting at first, but I had a strong feeling that this path would tie together so many things that were important to me: connecting with and helping people, problem-solving, working independently, and deepening my understanding of how the body works and repairs itself. Acupuncture also relates to my love of the natural world and the connection between our physiological processes, the seasons and cycles of life. Truthfully, I can’t imagine I could have found a more fulfilling career. Every patient is a wonderful mystery — working with people on their health challenges requires some good listening and a lot of a detective work. Nothing is more satisfying than seeing them get better.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I decided to go to acupuncture school at a time when our family was growing. I became pregnant with my second child during my first semester, and so a three-and-a-half year Master’s degree program became a five-and-a-half year adventure. I stayed at home part-time with an infant and a preschooler. I was up for hours the night before my first day of the clinic, desperately trying to placate a screaming toddler with lollipops and dinosaur videos. Now, I am a business owner and the challenges of running a small enterprise while raising a family and taking care of a household remain. Although it can be frustrating at times, something in me enjoys the unpredictability of it all, having to think on your feet and be okay with uncertainty. As I learned from two of my loves, sparring and music performance: it’s good to have a plan but be ready to improvise.
For young women starting on their journey: the efforts to view men and women as equals in the workplace does not always account for the complex and subtle challenges that women face, both in terms of social bias and our physical biology. As a martial artist and a musician, I have often felt like I have to work twice as hard as a man to get recognition and respect. In starting a business – as well as in the general business of life – I have found it helpful to focus on my strengths not as a woman but as a human. While recognizing the challenges that face our gender, it is important not to allow them to distract from the strength we can find in ourselves as individuals through self-reflection and self-improvement. Taking the time to think about your personal values, write them down and set an intention to live according to them can help you shape your vision, and give you the strength to call out bias and unfair treatment when you see it. It is also important to learn to ask for help when you need it – community and communication are vital, especially to counter the tendency many women have to take on the mental load and invisible labor in silence.
We’d love to hear more about Jasmine Acupuncture.
Acupuncture is remarkably multi-faceted. It is often described as holistic — acupuncturists don’t just look at individual symptoms; instead, we look at patterns. What this means for each of my patients is that the diagnosis and treatment will be tailored to how his or her individual body works. Two different patients who need treatment for migraines may be given different sets of acupuncture points if one has a history of severe menstrual cramps and the other has insomnia. What may seem like two separate issues to a western doctor, for example, constipation and depression, can be seen as having the same source to an acupuncturist? This is why patients can feel such a broad range of benefits. Many of my patients come initially for pain, but find that they are also sleeping better and have better digestion and more energy as a result of the treatments.
There are many styles of acupuncture, but I tend to gravitate towards the more gentle Japanese styles. Japanese acupuncture relies on palpating the abdomen and channels to help with diagnosis and generally uses finer needles and an array of gentle tools in treatment. For this reason, and because I have so much experience working with children, the way I practice is suitable for many types of patients, including the very sensitive and very young — the youngest patient I have treated was a just few days old.
So much of the media coverage is focused on the challenges facing women today, but what about the opportunities? Do you feel there are any opportunities that women are particularly well positioned for?
I can’t say what specific opportunities there are for women in this city these days. All I know is that it is important to make sure that the opportunities you find match your own values and inner drive, regardless of the field.
Pricing:
- 90-minute Initial treatment: $100
- 60-minute Follow-up treatment: $85
- Package of 3 follow-ups: $225
- 30-minute Pediatric treatment: $40
- Package of 3 Pediatric treatments: $110
Contact Info:
- Address: Address: Jasmine Acupuncture
at Great Way Wellness Center
278 Elm Street, Suite 227
Somerville, MA 02144 - Website: www.jasmine-acupuncture.com
- Phone: 617-575-9335
- Email: info@jasmine-acupuncture.com
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasmineacupuncture/
Image Credit:
Jasmine Moran
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