Today we’d like to introduce you to Nikki Seals, LAc.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I like to say I got here partially by accident and partially by fate. Let me explain.
My brain has always been wired to seek the answer to one question: “why?” For most of my early life, if something couldn’t be explained logically or backed by science, I wanted nothing to do with it.
And then life humbled me.
I was experiencing the worst insomnia I’d ever had. We’re talking 1-2 hours of sleep a night for weeks. I was unraveling. I tried everything, including prescription sleep meds, and nothing got me closer to sleep.
A friend suggested acupuncture. At the time, I thought acupuncture was absolute “woo-woo nonsense,” but desperation has a way of pushing us out of comfort zones. I went. And that night I slept 11 solid, glorious hours.
It felt like a miracle, and my very scientific brain immediately needed to understand how something so simple and so strange could have such a profound effect on my body.
Looking back, I can see little breadcrumbs that Chinese medicine was always going to find me. When I was maybe 2 or 3, I remember lying in bed at night pinching my toes and feeling sensations show up in other parts of my body. I asked my parents why that happened. They had no idea. Now, as a practitioner, I know exactly what I was feeling. I was feeling the way energy moves through the energetic pathways (channels) of the body.
After that first acupuncture treatment, I kept going regularly. But in 2013, life threw a monkey wrench into my life that changed my trajectory. I went through a major health crisis. I was diagnosed with a cluster of conditions like Sjögren’s syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, dysautonomia… the list felt endless. There were days I couldn’t get out of bed or manage a simple task like making myself food.
Chinese medicine became the key that helped me rebuild my energy, my strength, and honestly, my relationship with my own body. I had to learn how to listen and to understand the signals my body was sending instead of pushing through them. I learned how to work with my body instead of unknowingly fighting against it.
Healing required me to rebuild my life from the inside out. And somewhere in that rebuilding, it became clear that I wanted to share this medicine with others, especially earthlings with chronic conditions who weren’t getting the support they needed from traditional Western care.
So I went back to school, earned my master’s in Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine, and in 2022, Stardust Wellness became the space where I now help others find their way back to themselves.
This work wasn’t part of my original plan, but it has become the most aligned and meaningful path I’ve ever walked.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Smooth? No. My journey had potholes, spiritual turbulence, and more than one existential meltdown. It’s been raw, messy, clarifying, and strangely beautiful.
All of the struggles, from rebuilding my health, to going back to school at nearly 40, to starting a business in a post-Covid world, taught me how to help others find their way back to themselves with steadiness, tenderness, and a decent amount of humor. It taught me the medicine I now share.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Stardust Wellness?
Stardust Wellness is a studio dedicated to acupuncture, clinical herbal medicine, and full health education, especially for chronic pain, chronic fatigue, autoimmune conditions, nervous system dysregulation, trauma healing, stress resilience, and long-standing “mystery” illnesses.
We are rooted in evidence-based care and guided by the body’s innate wisdom. This is a place where body, mind, and spirit are treated as collaborators.
Our treatments are grounded in Chinese medicine, which is a sophisticated system developed and refined over thousands of years. Depending on your needs, treatments may include acupuncture, cupping, moxa, herbal medicine, needle-free therapies, nervous-system regulation techniques, and education, like lifestyle, movement, and dietary guidance based on East Asian medicine principles.
We’re best known for working with people who have complex or a confusing mixture of symptoms, like the folks who have been told “your labs look fine,” or who’ve tried every Western treatment and still don’t have answers or relief. If you feel like a medical mystery, you’re in the right place.
I’m most proud that Stardust Wellness has become a refuge for people who didn’t know where else to go. A place where you can show up messy, exhausted, overwhelmed, or unsure and be heard, honored, and find hope.
I’m proud of the herbal pharmacy, the quality of care, the clinical depth… but most of all, I’m proud that people walk in and say, “I feel safe here.”
Safety is medicine. Being seen is medicine. Humor is medicine. Herbs are definitely medicine. And Stardust Wellness is built on all of that.
Everything we offer is built on one belief that you already have the capacity to heal. We just help unlock it.
What sets us apart is our blended approach:
– Deep expertise in clinical herbal medicine
– A full onsite herbal pharmacy with 200+ sustainably sourced, organic herbs
– Custom herbal formulas and tinctures
– Acupuncture, cupping, and needle-free treatments
– Trauma-informed, nervous system-focused care
– Practitioners trained in pharmacology and herb-drug interactions
– A calm, welcoming environment with zero judgment (and occasional humor)
<b>What is your philosophy as a practitioner?
</b>Healing isn’t something done to you.
A cast doesn’t heal a bone. A scalpel doesn’t knit tissue back together. They simply create the conditions for the body’s intelligence to do what it already knows how to do.
Our job is the same. We co-create the right environment for healing. You are the hero of your story. We’re the catalyst, the spark, the gentle nudge that helps your body remember what it’s capable of.
<b>What are your core values?</b>
Empowerment: Your body holds deep wisdom. We help you access it, trust it, and use it.
Safe Space: Stardust Wellness is a refuge for LGBTQIA+ folks, all racial and cultural backgrounds, and all immigration statuses. Everyone is welcome, except hate groups. No hate in the clinic.
Environmental Stewardship: We choose earth-friendly products and source herbs from sustainable farms. Medicine should heal the planet, not harm it.
Social Justice: Healthcare exists within a social ecosystem. We advocate for equality, bodily autonomy, and the protection of marginalized communities. Healing and justice go hand-in-hand.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
Yes! We host monthly group acupuncture events that are donation-based (pay what you can), making our services accessible to more people. Our signature monthly sessions combine a communal acupuncture experience with music and seasonal themes that are perfect for grounding, relaxation, and shared healing. Readers can find the dates, times, and sign-up information on our website under the Events tab.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.stardustwellness.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stardust.wellness/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StardustWellness
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@stardustwellness
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stardust.wellness
