Story

My name is Rita Ludwig and I’m the founder of our Qi (Chi) getaway here at Finding Joy. This is my story:

At 4 AM on an unsuspecting night, I was woken by a sharp pain radiating from the left side of my back to my shoulder. It wasn’t long before I realized I couldn’t move my neck.

Of course, this is no walk in the park for anyone needing to head to work in the next few hours. Yet, I called my boss to explain I needed to head to see my general practitioner.

After a quick consultation, my doctor prescribed a muscle relaxant that needed to be injected. While the nurse was performing, she told me not to work too hard to prevent worsening. At this point, I struggled to force a smile and went on about my day.

While the muscle relaxant helped a little, the pain remained unbearable and I still couldn’t move my neck. As I was giving up for the day, a co-worker leaned in to suggest trying acupuncture. They gave me a number for an acupuncturist they found worked wonders.

That very evening, I sat in the waiting room for the acupuncturist. After I gave him the spiel of my bothers, he checked my pulse on my normal radial artery which I later learned related to the Taoist beliefs of Earth, Heaven and Mankind.

The acupuncturist used only three needles to work his magic: he used them on my legs and arms rather than my back, shoulder or neck. After 30 minutes, the needles were carefully removed, and my first sensation was Qi.

I could finally move my neck and while the pain didn’t disappear entirely, it was noticeably more bearable.

And, that was my first encounter with a professional acupuncturist. For years since then, my trusted acupuncturist has been my go-to for every allergy, sprain or muscle contraction.

In these sessions, I have noticed the care and attention provided to clients by acupuncturists and became moved by the authenticity. So, I decided it was time I showed my appreciation to the acupuncture community.

I looked high and low for the right products that would bring calming Meridians and Yin energies in just about every online marketplace you could think of. But, nothing stood out.

I wanted to find something modern, well designed and useful for everyday life. Something that both patients and practitioners of acupuncture could have to show passion and identity within acupuncture society.

And, that’s why I founded the Finding Joy Gift Shop.

It’s been a unique journey to making acupuncture more accessible here at Finding Joy: Let’s continue to spread the acupuncture love!

 

 

May you find your Qi,

Rita,

Founder at Finding Joy