Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Leona Marrs, LAc.. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Leona, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
When I finished getting my Bachelor’s degree, I, like many people, didn’t really know what I wanted to do next. So I decided to move to Japan, my mother’s homeland. I had never been there but in the past I had also moved to NYC and had never been there either and it was great so I went for it. While in Tokyo, I became interested in acupuncture classes there, which were provided by a branch of Beijing University. I had no idea that this would lead to a career, I honestly just felt like continuing to formally study and this was intriguing. I became very interested in these classes and at the same time, my father became very sick with chronic Hepatitis C. It worked out perfectly for me to move home to be closer to my father while going to what I thought was the best acupuncture school in the U.S.: Bastyr University. As I studied, I was always framing it in a way to help my father’s symptoms and it was very motivating. The more I learned the more I wanted to learn more about qi and yin and yang.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am an acupuncturist and a Chinese herbalist. I feel like my twenty+ years of experience has shown me what works for my patients and what does not. At this point I really know who I am as a human being and also as a practitioner which helps me understand what energetics and strategies work in my clinical practice.
In Chinese medicine, you don’t just treat back pain, for example. Back pain is a branch of an ailment; back pain is the symptom. The cause is determined through asking many questions, seeing what is really there, and understanding other imbalances in the body that may or may not initially seem back pain-related. An acupuncturist can simply treat back pain in itself but the real healing comes in treating the underlying disharmony and allowing things to get back into right relationship.
This is why I love what I do, I can’t get tired of treating back pain! Or anything else. It is always interesting, there is always more to learn, more to observe, and room to grow. I said I know who I am but I am also interested in knowing who I can become as well.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1) I feel like life experience was the most helpful in my journey for my career. If I had started fresh out of undergrad, stayed in the same part of the country, and then tried to start my practice I would have failed due to my inability to truly connect with my patients.
2) Going to a great school and / or having great mentors. There was a time after I graduated where I was traveling a lot and practicing minimally. One of my first mentors, David Lerner, L.Ac., M.TCM, EAMP, let me spend time in his office and help out. I would help fill his herbal prescriptions and sit in on patients. He had a very full practice and I learned so much from him. I got to soak in the energy of a lively clinic from a very dedicated, inspiring practitioner.
3) Be organized. I feel like this skill helps so much in all areas of life and if you aren’t, your life can be so much harder, more time-consuming, more stressful. Being organized is a simple idea, not always easy, but really, for me, key to success.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
When I feel overwhelmed I take a “time in” and breathe. Sometimes it’s outside, sometimes it’s another room. I have a partner and two children and work to balance family obligations with work life. Am I always great at it? Definitely not, which is why I get overwhelmed! My youngest son is six so we are often working on what he can do when he feels overwhelmed. There has been no greater teacher than my children and my motivation to exemplify my own advice.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.leonamarrs.com
Image Credits
Just me. 🙂
