Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Chanelle Macnab. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Chanelle thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you share a story about the kindest thing someone has done for you and why it mattered so much or was so meaningful to you?
What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?
There have been many kind gifts bestowed upon me and I always attribute it to a very young understanding of gratitude. The law of attraction, so to speak. The countless acts of kindness that have surrounded my life have always felt like a gift from above, that taught me to be grateful, to stay open to opportunities, to seek out mentors, to continue to improve myself and to dedicate my life to helping others as well.
I’d like to highlight three of the “acts of kindness” that have been pivotal in my journey, my growth and has had a ripple effect on my core values and my desire to help others.
I was twenty two years old and a pre-med student in college. I may have been a good student but I was naive about the law. Like most young adult, I made poor decisions. I did not always consider the consequences of my actions. Auspiciously, some of these unwise decisions led to new opportunities. It was spring semester in college, I was running late to class and I parked illegally on campus. After class I could no longer access my car because a giant yellow boot was installed on the tire of my car. Basically, I could not move my car until I paid the outstanding fines. I contacted the parking agency and because I couldn’t afford to pay the ticket, a court date was set for August and my car was released. I escaped to Colorado that summer with a college friend whose father owned a house and agreed to let me lease a room. I was working three jobs in Telluride to afford the high cost of living. Consequently, I missed my August court date and showed up two weeks late to court. The judge was less than happy with me but she offered me community service to pay for the extravagant (several hundreds of dollars) fee for the boot removal and for missing a court date. I left feeling miserable, defeated and worthless. I was given a list of places to complete my forty hours of community service. I chose a children’s learning center. I walked into the office and sat down. I explained my predicament. George was his name, and his first words to me were “out of everything bad comes something good.”
Fast forward a few weeks, George saw that I was a hard worker. I showed up on time. I cared about the quality of my work. I wanted to do a good job no matter the circumstances that brought me to this place. I recall scrubbing high-chairs that had gum like baby food molded onto its surfaces and cleaning midget size toilets and floors that had been mutilated by toddlers. It was not an easy task to clean up after pre-school children. My favorite part of the job was outdoors, planting flowers and cleaning the playground. They were long eight hour days on Saturday’s but I endured it with a smile. George pulled me aside and took me into his office at the completion of my assigned hours and said “I have a proposal for you”. He explained that he was on a committee that sends youth ambassadors to other countries, all expenses paid, to represent their large agriculture organization, called 4H. The Ambassador would work and set up agricultural projects that help rural communities around the world who have very little resources. Previously, only members from the organization were allowed to apply for the program but there was a shortage of applicants in the past two years. He wanted to make an exception for me. I had never heard of this organization, nor was I a member, but my ears and eyes were wide open. I applied, sat at a table with ten board members and answered questions relevant to being an ambassador for their organization. I had grown up in another country, fluent in Spanish, and I felt I could be a noteworthy candidate that would work hard to achieve whatever goals were imminent. One month later, I was assigned to live in Botswana, Africa. I was a Junior in college. My anthropology professor offered me a full semester of college credits if I agreed to write about my experience in Africa. My stars were aligned and I was going to live in Africa, get a full semester of credit, potentially be published, and help set up agricultural programs in impoverished villages, all because I parked illegally and got a boot installed on my car. It felt like a jest from above. I was ecstatic.
In Botswana, I lived in a mud hut and carried water on my head to the river to do laundry. We washed dishes from the ashes of the fire because we had no dish soap. Children chewed on a specific tree bark to clean their teeth because they had no toothbrushes or toothpaste. At night we would sing and dance and laugh. The village people were connected to the land and exonerated the food and water, as if it were a gift from God. Every single day two or three dishes were set aside at lunch to feed unknown people of the community whom I had never seen before. They taught me how to be jovial with very little resources but with the wealth of a community. I could not speak the language but somehow we were always able to communicate. My job was to assist the elementary schools in setting up vegetable gardens that could be sold to the community for school fundraising and rudimentary supplies. I set up gardens in local medical clinics to provide patients with healthy food. Beekeeping projects and recycling programs for plastic and aluminum were among the few things I was able to get started in the villages. Ironically, the task of bringing these simple tools to the villages will never compare to the depth that they brought me in understanding humanity and our interdependence on each other. They taught me to think about the “we” versus the “I” for sustainability. This experience shaped me as a human and left me wanting to always give back to others what I received so profoundly in Africa.
Upon my return to the USA, I received a full semester of credit towards my Bachelor of Science degree in Anthropology, Biology and Psychology. I was published by McGraw Hill publishers in their college textbooks for my work in Africa. I gained the most incredible life experience. I was preparing to go to Graduate school for Medicine. I took a gap year post graduation, walked across Spain along the “Camino de Santiago” and then decided to pursue a career in Eastern Medicine, always keeping in mind that giving is receiving and helping others is our true purpose in life.
When I returned to the USA, I had a tug on my heart to live in another country, to learn another language and to follow that magnetic pull within me towards something new. I was young and there were unknown experiences awaiting me.
The second kindest thing anyone has ever done for me occurred when I was living in Boulder, Colorado. I was in my first year of graduate school for Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture and working as a waitress at a popular Mediterranean restaurant. It was mid-summer on a Friday night, a group of four people, in their mid to late forties came into the restaurant and sat at one of my tables. We hit it off and exchanged great conversations. They were preparing to do two races that weekend. Unbeknownst to me, they started talking and they asked me if I would do both of the races with them. They said I would win a prize if I completed the two races. I was twenty-four years old, completely unprepared to race but I was a devout yogi and a runner. I was up for the challenge. I showed up at 6:30am that Saturday morning to start the ten kilometer race. The following Sunday, I showed up to the five kilometer race. I do not recall my time, how long it took to finish but I completed the challenge and I was proud of myself for doing something new. The group of friends took me to breakfast after the second race and said the following. We are going to Nepal in November on a guided tour to Annapurna Base Camp. We want to invite you to join us, all expenses paid. I was flabbergasted. I met these people three days prior. I could not believe that such a gift would be bestowed upon me. Over the next few months, it was a tumultuous battle with my graduate school director to take the time off from my rigorous program. Unlike my trip to Africa, I was told I would fail out of the program if I left. I did it anyway. I was not going to let an opportunity of a life-time like this pass me by. I trained for almost four months hiking around Colorado and then left for my twenty eight day hiking trek in the Himalayas. We spent one night in Kathmandu to begin to acclimatize. The next day we flew to Pokhara to begin the ascent of the Annapurna Sanctuary Trail. Annapurna peak is four mountain ranges away from Mount Everest. Our guided trek was set to get us to Annapurna Base Camp in six days, which is rather quick. For clarification, we were not trying to summit Annapurna Peak, a 26,000 foot that is extremely technical and dangerous to climb. Base Camp is also a challenging trek, thousands of stone steps through valleys and villages to arrive at 13,550 feet. I was young and fit, I moved fast, perhaps too fast, and I suffered severe altitude sickness when we arrived at Base Camp, basically vomiting incessantly. Strangely, I didn’t mind the purging. It felt more like a deep karmic cleansing of lifetimes, to be tucked deep inside the Himalayas, hearing the quiet whispers of the sacred mountains against avalanches roaring like earthquakes and my tiny body hunched over echoing into the valley “I let go, I release, I surrender anything negative from my past.” I was grateful for everything and everyone that had brought me to this moment in my life. A strange and undeniably beautiful gift from above. I have always felt that I released past life garbage that day, high up in the holy mountains and I was meant to be there. Regardless, it fed my soul and left me feeling lighter but also very strong.
After the Annapurna Sanctuary Trek I departed from my Boulder friends and went on to hike part of the Annapurna Circuit trail with a college friend. We spent another fifteen days trekking, meeting people from different countries, seeing the beautiful faces of native Tibetan pilgrims passing through the Himalayas. We finished the trek riding white horses through the Kali Gandaki Valley and taking a helicopter out of Jomsom, a small town 80 kilometers from the nearest road. On the flight from Kathmandu to Bangkok I bumped into two British travelers that had slept in one of the tea houses (rugged places to sleep) on the trek. They invited me to travel Thailand with them for a week. It was Christmas holiday and school was out. I decided to accept their offer and spend another week on the beach in the southern islands of Thailand. I called it my thawing off from the cold mountains of Nepal. Another beautiful encounter that led to another soul rewarding adventure.
Upon my return, I finished my examinations and passed all of them with flying colors. I received all of my semester credits, after much hard work and litigation with the school director. I am forever grateful that I took that leap of faith into the unknown, but more importantly for all that I gained along the journey.
Whilst on my pilgrimage in Nepal, my hunger to travel was palpable and I decided that the following year I would take a gap semester, live in Italy and study the language and learn about Italian cooking. I knew no-one in Italy. My sister was a teacher and had the summers off. I saved as much money as I could as a server and the following summer, when school ended, took off for Italy.
I traveled around Italy with my sister and serendipitously met some Americans in Sardinia. Kate, an American from Chicago, offered me a room in Milan. I guess I’ll live in Milan, I decided. Within one week of living in Milan, I got a job at a holistic wellness center. Within one week of working at the wellness center, I met a doctor who offered me a job doing Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at his private oncology clinic. I had done a semester in the USA in an oncology Hospital that prepared me for this moment. Dr. Paolo Pontiggia and his daughter were both oncologists running a private practice. They were interested in integrative medicine and holistic modalities. I explained my work as an Acupuncturist in the USA treating cancer patients to ameliorate symptoms and to boost the immune system. I had not yet been licensed to treat patients in the USA. I had to sign paperwork that the doctors would assume full liability for me to practice under their licenses. I couldnt believe they would assume that risk, considering they didnt know me. They trusted me and my intentions. They also assisted me in getting a visa to work in Italy. Here I was gaining hands-on experience in my field, a dream internship, without ever applying for it. It all happened very quickly. It was like wearing a blind fold and jumping off a cliff and hoping you will land on your feet. The clinic was very busy and I would treat at least a dozen patients a day, mainly improving quality of life by reducing pain and nausea, helping with insomnia and improving the immune system. Dr. Paolo was a world renowned hematologist and oncologist in Europe, had published many books and was dedicated to research and development in the field. We conducted studies and saw a significan improvement, not only in the patients immune systems but in the quality of life, after introducing Acupuncture to the clinic in Italy. Dr Paolo’s daughter went on to receive a degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine and began to integrate Acupuncture into the family practice. It was a win-win for everyone, mutually beneficial and life changing to say the least.
Meanwhile, I learned Italian fluently, translated books for the doctor from Italian into English and traveled around Europe on weekends. A dream come true is an understatement. After two years in Milan, Dr. Paolo, much like George in the first story, told me that he was a medical director and board member for an organization that gives grants to medical students to further assist them in their studies of medicine. Again, they had no applicants that year for the grant. I sat before a board of doctors and explained my situation. After a long application process, I was granted forty thousand dollars to finish my studies in Chinese Medicine in the United States, at a college of my choice. I accepted and I finished my Masters of Chinese Medicine in San Diego, California. I frequently traveled back and forth on summer breaks to study and work in the clinic in Italy. They became my family. Dr Paolo joked that I was his fourth child. Again, none of this can be explained logically, it always felt like unseen forces were guiding me.
Full circle, one life experience leading to the next, I believe that choices are not only made from the mind, but from the heart and soul. I would never have been offered these incredible opportunities if my heart was not open and more importantly, if I had not been aligned to what my soul needed for growth, expansion and evolution. More importantly, I strongly believe that these unique circumstances occurred because of a driving force from above, an entourage of unseen ancestors and angels guiding my way. Gratitude is only one small part of the sentiment I carry for these acts of kindness. I have made a promise to myself to return these small gifts to the world, not only with my hands but with my heart being fully open to give and to receive, in whatever shape or form that appears. I invite you to take these inspirational stories as a gateway to weave your own incredible journey out of nothing more than kindness.
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?
What do you do?
As a Licensed Acupuncturist, I have a boutique wellness center in downtown Austin, called West Sixth Wellness. My sessions are experiential in that they are tailored specifically to what each client needs. In addition to a detailed evaluation of the medical history, I treat what is present and I invite you to look at what’s underneath your ailment. A typical session might include local acupuncture points to address your ailment and it will also include sound bowls, guided meditations, deep relaxation and mental and emotional exercises to release blockages in the body and mind. The body is a whole ecosystem that must be looked at in all of its parts.
What services does your business offer?
West Sixth Wellness offers a variety of services including acupuncture, cupping, herbal medicine, facial acupuncture, facial red light therapy. Some of the more unique experiences offered are Chakra Cleansing, Sound bowl therapy, House and Space Cleansing and foot soak ceremonies. Medicinal Magnesium Mineral Salt foot baths are very popular. They are perfect for relaxing tight muscles and boost mineral levels in the body and decrease inflammation. All of the services leave you feeling relaxed in a serene healing environment.
What do you specialize in?
Especially since the pandemic, anxiety and depression are prevalent in almost all of us, yes, all of us. An astonishing ninety percent of my patient’s experience some form of anxiety, including young children and adolescents. Acupuncture is extremely effective at treating and managing anxiety because it activates the nervous system, shuts off the fight or flight response and turns on rest and repair, a calm parasympathetic state. In this state, almost all ailments can heal. The body can literally heal itself.
What are you known for?
I asked this question to my patient the other day and her response was this: Empowering others to heal, love in action, magic, miracle worker, co-creating health, spiritual healer.
What sets you apart from others?
I consider myself a unique practitioner because every single patient will leave with a new tool in hand, to heal themselves. A great analogy is when the doctor gives a child a coin to get a toy from the machine after each visit, my gift is a learned tool, a self-empowering, long lasting, subtle exercise to practice in daily life to improve mental and physical health. What sets me apart is that I empower people to heal themselves. The medical system in place falls short. If you know your power, you will use it.
Can you talk to us about how your funded your firm or practice?
What a great question that relates to the previous stories in this interview. How I raised the capital for West Sixth Wellness is another example of a beautiful ACT OF KINDNESS that helped start my business.
As a mother of two small children, I went through a divorce in 2017, I left my husband of thirteen years and because of a pre-nuptial agreement and his unwillingness to participate in the support, I basically had to start from scratch. I had no assets, no money and I was struggling to survive..
I bumped into a colleague at the Chinese Medicine store one morning and he explained that he was moving into a new building and needed another practitioner to take over the lease. Later that day I went to see the building in the wonderful neighborhood of Clarksville. I was unable to enter quaint bungalow style house. I looked through the windows. I liked what I saw and I said yes. I said I would join. I had no idea how to pay for it. I had no savings. I could not afford the new lease. The next day one of my clients, who I call a walking angel, came into my tiny one room office and I told her about my situation. She offered to give me a $10,000 loan to start my business. This allowed me to pay the deposit and to purchase supplies and furniture for my new location. Fast forward to 2024, I have a thriving business and wellness center, thanks to my angel investor. I paid off the loan in full this year and I am, again, grateful beyond words for this gift from above
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
What sets me apart is my experience, my expertise in the field, my mentorships, my travels and of course, my servants heart. If you work from your heart, offer clients a genuine experience, and you truly want to serve, your clients will return again and again. Stay true to who you are. I give to others because I want people to feel better and to empower people to heal themselves. If you are doing your job for money, clients will feel that emptiness. My favorite quote is that “there is no such thing as work life balance, it’s all just life.” Make your work your life and it will reimburse you with joy.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.chanellemacnab.com
- Instagram: @chanellemacnab
- Facebook: @chanellemacnab
Image Credits
Photo Chad Wadsworth