We were lucky to catch up with Sarah Anderson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Sarah , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.

While working on a massage client I had a strong visualization of my finger tips extending into needles and communicating with nerves and bones and fascia. I knew in that moment I had to continue my education. I had considered it for quite a while but something in this moment was so compelling, and I knew I wanted a broader scope of practice with more tools. I had visited many acupuncture schools and PCOM, now PCHS, had a campus in NYC’s financial district close to where I worked, but we decided it was time for a major shift so my husband and I moved cross country for our West Coast chapter. I graduated from the San Diego PCHS campus in August, 2022.

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?

NuBody Modern Medicine is a woman & doctor-owned mobile health services boutique. I travel to patients’ homes, corporate offices, and events offering acupuncture and therapeutic massage. My treatment specialties include TMJ Dysfunction, Pregnancy and Postpartum support, as well as Pain Management for orthopedic and neurological conditions and injuries. I love to build strong relationships and get to know my patients. Connection with people drives my practice and I believe it is a key ingredient for healing experiences.

I come from a performance background in music, theater, and dance, and that is where my love for bodywork and somatic therapies began. We studied massage, Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais, Linklater, Laban Movement Analysis, and more. Practicing these methods made me feel ALIVE!!! And present in my body in a way I had never felt. The most memorable aspect of these experiences was being allowed the space to safely explore my creative limits in a judgement-free zone. It was distinctly different from real life and so beautifully liberating. I felt compelled to share these tools and to learn how to hold safe space for others so they might experience a similar freedom and ultimately feel at home in their bodies. That led me down the path to massage therapy which I practiced in NYC and San Diego. After 6 years of massage practice I was inspired to study Chinese Medicine because of its multi-faceted approach. It considers all aspects of the human experience and includes many therapeutic tools such as acupuncture, moxabustion, electric stimulation, cupping, guasha, food therapy, herbal medicine, qigong, and tuina medical massage. The tools I use in a session depend on the individual and their presentation at the time of treatment. This approach yields powerful results because it is strongly tailored to the individual. I find that acupuncture and manual therapy is a much needed complement to modern medicine.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I feel that most of my adulthood has been about ‘unlearning’ poor coping strategies, stress addiction, hustle culture, people pleasing, overly individualistic thinking, hyper-capitalistic tendencies. I grew up internalizing all the ways that American culture would prefer I ignore my senses and dim my intelligence, especially as a woman. I believed a lot of the external noise about how I should live my life- that is until I didn’t believe it anymore! So over time I went down a messy path to understand my inner workings.

I’ve discovered that the point of ‘unlearning’ our maladaptive programming is so that we can experience joy in this truly miraculous life. We are wired to look for the threats to our survival which leads to depression, anxiety, stress. We have to actively practice gratitude and cultivate wonder. None of us are entitled to anything, and when we let go of how things ‘should’ be, we can appreciate that our world exists at all. I feel very spiritual about nature, the universe, and my little place in it. I believe this is the secret to a truly healthful and connected life. Get oriented and aligned with yourself. Let life flow through you. Taoists have a phrase to describe this- ‘Wu Wei- doing nothing’ or ‘effortless action.’ I love to help others get out of their own way and allow their intelligent bodies to do what they are made to do.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Word of mouth & referral! My guideposts for life and business: Have Integrity. Communicate well. Understand the value you bring to the table. Know your limits. Define your boundaries. Maintain good physical and energetic hygiene.

These things more than any marketing strategy have been my guide when it comes to building a sustainable client base. I’m not looking for exponential growth, I’m looking for quality of care and interaction. I want to find the people I know I can help!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://nubodymodernmedicine.com
• Instagram: @nubodymodernmedicine
• Facebook: NuBody Modern Medicine
• Other: Booking: nubodymodernmedicine.janeapp.com

Image Credits

Darci Fontenot