Eat. Work. Sleep. Repeat & occasionally there’s time for the gym, yoga, brunch, dinner dates with friends/family. The constant hustle to grind is a familiar feeling most New Yorkers experience and the struggle to balance work and personal life is real. We usually make time for those you care about, but sometimes we forget to make time for the one person that maters most, YOU. My recommendation is to try acupuncture.

As a business owner, I’m constantly working 24/7 in a fast paced, high stress industry that requires a lot of time and energy. I’m happy that I’m able to do what I love and I’m finally learning how to make time for ME. My source of therapy is Jivamukti yoga, a 1 hr 45 min class of pure serenity, but unfortunately I haven’t had much spare time so I’ve been looking into other remedies to release my stress. My fiancé does acupuncture along with cupping, which helps his back pain so I was curious to try it myself. After doing some research, the average cost for acupuncture is around $100 for one session and the doctor usually recommends at least two sessions for better results.

Our friend Kevin took us to his favorite massage place in Chinatown called Fishion Herb Center, located on 107 Mott Street. *Disclaimer: This place is not the definition of a “spa” and lacks the scent of Jo Malone orange blossom candle, but it does offer body massages that will relieve joint, muscle pain and acupuncture for only $45. Be prepared to feel like you’re in Mainland China with an elderly Chinese Man practicing old medicine to cure all your problems.

The place on the outside looked sketchy and unsanitary. As a germ-a-phob I found myself doubting Kevin’s recommendation. We walked in and the place looked like an old school pharmacy with Chinese medicine displayed in the counter and a sign “Acupuncture – 25 Years in Practice”

I was intrigued and asked the Chinese lady for Acupuncture instead of a massage. She said that Dr. Pan is one of the best and he will cure whatever it is I need. Since this was my first time doing Acupuncture, I was nervous and unsure of the process and result. The room was simple, no decorations with a massage table covered with sheet of paper you see at the doctors office.

He asked me “What’s your problem,” I said “I’ve been feeling stressed with a lot of anxiety recently.” The doctor then took my pulse and said “Yes, lots of stress and anxious.” I laid down on my back and covered myself with a towel. He came back and applied a cotton ball with alcohol on certain areas on my arms, knees, calves, top center of my head and temples. I noticed him open a pack of sanitary, disposable needles which put my mind at ease.  Since I’m terrified of needles, I closed my eyes as he started placing the needles in the areas where he applied the alcohol. In some areas I felt a pinch and in other areas such as my knees and hands I felt a little more pressure. I don’t have a high tolerance for pain so I’m sure if someone else tried this they probably wouldn’t have felt anything. Dr. Pan turned the lights off and told me to sleep.

While laying there I still felt anxious with thoughts running through my head. I tried to meditate using the mantra, “Let Go” and focused on my breathing. The sound of the clock ticking grew louder, but eventually my breath and pulse slowed down. I finally fell asleep and 45 min later Dr Pan turned on the lights, removed the needles, which I did not feel and told me to lay on my stomach. He added more needles down the spine of my back and placed a heat lamp over me. Again he said “sleep.” Ten minutes later he entered the room and said “Finished, but you need to come back. No more time.”

I have to say my experience was better than I expected! I felt so relaxed, calm and content. It was a different kind of relaxation from a massage or a yoga class. My muscles no longer felt tense and my mind was clear. Finally, I felt like myself again and no longer felt a heavy weight on my chest. Moral of the story, #1 Acupuncture is a great remedy that everyone should try and #2 never judge a book by its cover!