My Journey Towards Becoming an Acupuncturist by Nicole Holistic Healer, Health, Mindfulness & Meditation Coach

I have been a practicing holistic healer for 15 years now, and before that I was an aspiring healer. At the age of 14 years old, for a school project, I made a video of myself being an acupuncturist, poking a teddy bear with a 6 inch screw driver nail as my family read their scripts. I do not even remember the prompt for that particular project other than: do something creative to express things you’re interested in. So I decided to do something inspired by the Yin Yang, and another on the laws of physics in gymnastics (because I was a gymnast) and one more on Barbie & Ken enjoying their romantic stroll through an earthquake! (Watch the funny & educational video here, it was on VHS, so my family watched on big screen and re-filmed with iPhone):

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/18MD9Umjfz/

Something fascinated me from a young age about health, wellness and ancient medicinal techniques. I attended Bergen County Academy for Medical Science and Technology, a magnet high school with a competitive acceptance process and a rigorous pre-undergrad curriculum, specifically because I wanted to be a doctor; a surgeon to be exact. For some reason I loved blood and gore at that age. I even attended an internship at a hospital one summer where we toured the operating floor and got to watch and hear the banging of someone’s new hip replacement! The body fascinates me, and the mind as well.

It’s all a bit destined, if you ask me… I was diagnosed and medicated at 14 years old for depression and anxiety. That was because I was severely anorexic for 2 years, which turned into 15 years of Bulimia. I was a semi-competitive gymnast since 3 years old and the pressures from my coach, my Jewish father - who he himself wanted to become a doctor - plus transitioning to a very competitive high school and the pressures of one day being a successful adult simply turned into psychosis. It also included 15 years of torturous insomnia, social phobias and not believing in or understanding myself.

Through this experience I had myriad horrible side effects from the medications, such as being so drowsy I couldn’t see straight during chemistry class, to increased persistent negative thoughts of self-harm, and tremors when I would fall asleep. I was in 3 years of IOP at a well respected eating disorder clinic, hospitalized for suicidal ideations and home schooled for a few months in my junior year of high school - a very important time when I was deciding who and what to be.

All of this made me very uncertain about being a doctor, nonetheless a surgeon. I knew I had to be incredibly level-headed and unmoved by anyone or anything - not only in the operating room, but also for the next 15 years of schooling. It was hard NO. That’s why in college I started my journey on understanding brain and mental health, studying psychology and majoring in Cultural Anthropology because all aspects of human life (including myself) fascinated me. Through the study of culture, I started to open my heart to humanity on a different level: to the Mexican community - specifically illegal Mexican immigrants through my boyfriend at the time - and to the hungry and homeless through various work in local non-profits.  It was the beginning of my holistic journey.

After college, I moved back home to northern NJ where my town was already almost 40% Asian, predominantly Korean immigrants and their kids.  I didn’t really know what I wanted, but I knew I wanted to do nonprofit work, particularly for the UN, and I was afraid of the “importance” of that work and not being good enough for it.  I loved to swim, but my local gym dumped tons of chlorine in the water without proper cleaning and it was making me sick, so I searched on google and found “CGI Holistic Fitness & Spa”, a Jjimjilbang 20 minutes north of where I lived with an ionized pool.

I called the front desk and the rest was history; I decided to become a modern day monk/nun, aka “MIT/Master In Training” in an international modernized Taoist/Buddhist organization of healers with a Korean guru, and I completely got off of western medications after 3 years of training. I got to study under some of the best Korean Master Healers for 10 years - learning acupressure, massage, coaching, chakra healing, chanting and involved in deeply spiritual ancient ceremonies. II held various roles from instructor, healer and studio manager to sales, marketing, program coordinator, PR and fundraiser in order to sustain the company which had been founded in the US over 25 years before. I worked with clients with a whole spectrum of ailments.

During Covid I was relocated to the focal point of the organization - a retreat center in Sedona, AZ also built decades ago by the founder, where I decided to leave the organization to live and work in Sedona and pursue my own business, so that I could freely travel and learn about the world. I lived 2 years on and off in Sedona learning more about other people’s unique spiritual journeys and new modalities like sound healing with singing bowls from a Nepalese teacher, shamanic wisdom and music through Native American instruments and philosophies, as well as more traditional Buddhist teachings from Tibetan monks and devout locals.  I have met so many kind-hearted and worldly people in my travels, and this past year I lived on Maui for 10 months which was it’s own unique experience…!! Recently I have been opening my voice as a professional singer and sound healer, and recording my own music, as well as getting into AI art design (Spotify/Apple: NicQi Storm).

All in all, my journey has been quite deep and quite broad for a 36 year old Jewish girl from New Jersey… and I never want it to end! I am registered for an Indian YTT in Rishikesh, and am extremely excited to study acupuncture as a life-long discipline to enhance the practical application of my unique ability to sense people’s (and animal’s/nature’s) energy blockages, meridian pathways and chakra health. I actually already own 2 clinical acupuncture books that one of my clients gifted me (she said my sense and understanding of meridians, acu-points and chakras is very profound). I also hold a massage therapy license and yoga therapy certification, and look forward to refreshing my memory, upgrading my practice, and gaining more respect from society! Also I can’t wait to live in California!!!