Today we’d like to introduce you to Astra Gordon.
Hi Astra, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
As a child, I was always drawn to nature and loved to be outside exploring the woods and fields as much as I could. However, having grown up in small blue-collar town in CT, I never really heard much about acupuncture or natural medicine and thus never imagined I’d one day be working in this field. It wasn’t until I graduated college and started working a full-time corporate job that acupuncture and eastern herbalism trickled into my realm of awareness. It was during this time that I developed a very debilitating chronic pain condition. I went through months and months of testing and treatments to no avail. Eventually, my doctors had to break the news to me that nothing more could be done and that I’d have to learn to live with the pain. I remember feeling heartbroken, frustrated and hopeless after hearing my prognosis however, there was a small part of me that thought, hmm… maybe this doesn’t have to be true.
Following that intuition, I began my search for more holistic options. That’s when I discovered a local acupuncturist/eastern medicine practitioner, who, after only two weeks of working with me, entirely eliminated the chronic pain I had been struggling with for well over a year. After working with this incredible eastern medicine practitioner, my mind was blown and my life was changed forever. I went from feeling hopeless to hopeful and it was the best feeling in the world. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I had to learn everything there was to know about this amazing medicine and use it to help other people. I wanted to bring the same sense of hope and relief that I felt to everyone. Thus, I quit my corporate job, packed my bags and moved to Austin in pursuit of learning the ancient art of acupuncture and eastern herbalism. For me, it’s a high honor to practice this medicine. It affords me the privilege to provide a more natural form of treatment that encompasses thousands of years of wisdom and enables me to use this knowledge to improve the health and lives of people who need it.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, the road has not always been a smooth one. Because acupuncture is not a mainstream form of medicine, it is not very well recognized. A lot of people don’t realize the potency of this medicine, not because it doesn’t work, but more so because it’s not on our cultural radar and isn’t well understood. So I’ve had to work through a lot of biases and misconceptions. Let’s face it, the idea of having needles placed on various points on the body does not sound like a party everyone wants to go to lol. Often times, people think it’s going to hurt, however, the beauty and irony of this medicine is not only does it NOT hurt, it’s deeply relaxing. The needles I use are hair thin and might feel like a pinch here and there but usually don’t feel like very much of anything at all. Fortunately, now that major hospitals are using acupuncture, more people are becoming familiar with it and using it for chronic pain conditions, allergies, digestive issues, headaches, infertility etc.
As you know, we’re big fans of Zen Point Acupuncture. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
The name of my company is Zen Point Acupuncture; and acupuncture is the primary service that I provide however, it is not the only service I offer. I’m also certified as an applied clinical nutritionist and hold a Master’s degree that encompasses eastern herbalism, so I work a lot with specialized herbal formulations and nutraceutical supplementation as well. I believe there’s more than one way to peel an onion, and thus employ a variety of methods to treat my patients, including dietary and lifestyle recommendations as well. In my practice I believe the key lies in identifying each person’s unique physiology and treating in accordance with those distinctions to ensure that everyone who walks through my door receives the most precise treatment for their particular condition and variety of imbalance.
Another system I love to use in practice is pulse diagnosis. I have specialized training in this field and use this skill during my treatment sessions to gain a more detailed understanding of what is happening systemically in the body. The pulse is essential because it represents the overall health of all of the organ systems and meridians. In this way, it holds the key to understanding whatever symptoms may be occurring in the present moment and at the same time, also provides me with insight into hidden imbalances that may be at the root of the presenting disorder. In this way, I’m able to treat both the symptom as well as correct any imbalances that might be lingering in the backdrop which haven’t yet some to the surface. This allows me to curtail any future health problems that might otherwise arise due to these more clandestine underlying imbalances.
For me, practicing this medicine holds a lot of meaning and is thus very dear to my heart. As one of the oldest healing arts/sciences in the world, acupuncture is the grandmother and grandfather of medicine and as such passes down thousands of years of high wisdom that’s laced with integrity, the healing power of nature and efficacious outcomes. I feel it’s a great honor and privilege to serve my community with this remarkable form of natural medicine.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I feel like I’ve been very lucky to have so many incredible and amazing teachers along the way to help me better learn the intricacies of my profession and who have contributed to my personal growth as well. I also consider myself lucky to be surrounded by such a supportive and dynamic community dedicated to health, wellness and the overall betterment of humanity. Overall, I can say that I’m very lucky to be surrounded by so many good people.
Contact Info:
- Email: Zenpointacupuncture@gmail.com
- Website: www.zenpointacupuncture.org
- Instagram: gordonastra