We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Henaz Bhatt a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Henaz, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?
Love. Inquiry. Deep commitment to knowing myself and being comfortable in my own skin. Wisdom of the generations before them. Respect for life around me and the elders who came before me. I am because my parents are.
The way both my parents approached teaching was by giving reason instead of judgment. When we were young, they would remind us not to touch the plants at night because they too need their sleep. I was not yelled at or punished for touching a plant when I should not have. I was given the responsibility of knowing that my actions have consequences, and that I can contribute to better relationship with the world around me with my choices. I remember that lesson in my cells–the world around me is alive, and as such, I must respond to it with the dignity and respect it deserves. Compassion was baked into the lessons I was taught. They reminded me that I am not alone in this world.
We grew up in a family that was deeply grounded in Advaitic philosophy and the teachings of Ramana Maharshi–the philosophy of nonduality. My parents helped me see the world through this lens: that we are not our bodies and our true Self cannot be contained to any form. Separation, the idea that we are distinct, is an illusion. When we inquire into the nature of our self-hood–“who am I?”–we will see the self we see as “me” is in fact made up of non-me parts.
These lessons of reciprocity, responsibility and nonduality are the basis of everything to which I have ever committed my life. My work as an acupuncturist, yoga and qigong teacher, practitioner of healing arts and a community- and justice-centered facilitator is an extension of my parents’ core teachings and the teachings of my grandparents before them. I am a continuation of this, and for that, I am incredibly grateful.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My business, Flow Acupuncture, is an Immigrant, Queer and sister-led, integrative healing practice. We work to create access to holistic, responsive, community and justice-centered care, especially for those who have been systematically denied that access (i.e. folks who are Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Queer, Trans and Nonbinary, Poor/Working Class, Immigrants, Disabled, Large Bodied, and other marginalized groups). Coming from a family lineage of Ayurveda, Reiki, Yoga, and Jyotish Astrology practitioners, we call upon and learn from our ancestors. We are committed to offering and expanding our services for our Flow fam (and fam to be), always guided by the values of non-duality and interconnectedness.
At Flow, we offer Acupuncture, Reiki, Yoga, QiGong, Healing Justice Workshops and more–in individual and community settings. My sister, Chancy, brings her expertise in Education, justice-based facilitation, Yoga, Usui Reiki, and Death Doula work to our practice. I am a practitioner of Acupuncture, traditional Yoga, Usui Reiki, justice-based facilitation, medical QiGong, Ayurvedic pulse diagnosis and Marma Chikitsa. Our practice also has a beautiful little apothecary where you can find lots of Ayurvedic, Homeopathic and holistic remedies, as well as some fun gifts and treats.
You should consider Flow as a part of your care team if you are interested in treating your whole bodymind and want practitioners who work hard to receive you in your full humanity. No matter the imbalance you are experiencing: anxiety, depression, IBS, migraines, physical pain, neurological imbalances, stress, fertility, hormonal fluctuations, or something else, the medicines we practice can support you.
But my road to becoming an Acupuncturist was a spiraling one. Just two years out of my undergraduate studies in Political Science and Human Rights, I asked for (and miraculously received) a sabbatical of two months from my role as Center Director at Score Educational Center. I took that time to pursue my yoga education at The Yoga Institute in Mumbai, India. During my meditations there, it became clear to me that I wanted to leave the world of education business and pursue something in the healing arts. I started my program at the Eastern School of Acupuncture and Traditional Medicine soon thereafter, graduating in 2010. During those 3 years of rigorous schooling, I was also working full-time at the American Conference on Diversity. When I graduated with my acupuncture degree, I practiced part-time because the universe gave me an opportunity to be the Director of Diversity at Kent Place School, and I took it. For 7 years, I honed my skills as a facilitator, trainer, community builder and justice advocate, all the while knowing that to heal our community, we also must heal ourselves. In 2017, I left Kent Place to manifest my dream of having my own integrative healing studio that incorporated all my passions in one space. Flow Acupuncture was then born in Union, NJ. Come visit our space if you’re in the area!
Have you ever had to pivot?
One of my mentors always said to me, “don’t try to be a straight line when you know you’re a spiral.” This lesson has indeed informed my moves, adding layers and curls to my choices in my career and life. I like to think of a pivot as a QiGong or Yoga movement: exhale, and space will appear.
When the pandemic and subsequent lockdown happened in 2020, I wanted to ensure that folks who needed care more than ever were still able to access it. I began to offer “Driveway Acupuncture.” Folks would pull up to my driveway in the comfort of their own cars, masked, with their windows open and receive their acupuncture treatments. For folks who did not want to come in person, I also began to offer virtual consultations and free weekly Flow Breathe Be healing classes which included prānāyāma, yoga nidra and gentle yoga and qigong movement. This was a way to remind folks of the healing power of community and that all the Qi (lifeforce/prana) moved during any acupuncture treatment is already inside you. It was a lovely way for us to tend to our collective bodyminds.
Another major pivot happened last year when my landlords made choices that made it impossible for Flow to remain where it was. We had invested time, money and resources in creating a space in which we could grow. Unfortunately, within two years of being there, we had to relocate. Finding a location that would allow us to keep up our patients’ care plans on such short notice required persistence, patience and creativity. It was incredibly stressful and painful (with notes of racism and gentrification), but it taught me a lot. And as with all unexpected obstacles, it led us on a path we hadn’t exactly dreamt of and yet fulfilled our dreams.
These experiences all remind me that sometimes we are called to change directions, and sometimes, the directions are changed for us. Either way, I try to remind myself to exhale in the midst of these changes. Let go and new life will come to you in unexpected ways.
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
My business partner is my sister, Chancy! We met soon after the time of her birth (though, did we ever not know each other?) and have been evolving in friendship, sisterhood and reciprocal love ever since. It is the biggest blessing of my life to have the luck to practice so many different modalities alongside a person with whom I shared a womb.
She and I are also co-founders of a grassroots organization called The ROOTS Project. You can read more about it on our website: www.inclusiveroots.org.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.flowheals.com
- Instagram: @flow_acupuncture
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/acupunctureflow
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henaz-bhatt-61197179/
- Other: https://www.inclusiveroots.org
Image Credits
Chancy Bhatt
Henaz Bhatt