Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Oravitz.
Michelle, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I worked as an architect in New York city in my mid-twenties. I have had my own symptoms that I wanted to correct but no doctor was able to give me more than a bandaid treatment with no real solution. One day, my mom told me that she heard of a great acupuncture doctor from China that worked in Queens, so we went to see him.
I do not exaggerate as I say that he fixed my symptom on the first treatment. I was in awe as no one was able to do what he managed to do and so my love affair with acupuncture began.
I knew I wasn’t happy working as an architect but going back to school to study acupuncture after my parents paid off my student loans was off the table.
Shortly after, I got married and my husband and I moved to Miami. I enrolled in a school for Ayurveda (ancient Indian medicine – very similar concepts as Traditional Chinese medicine). While I loved every second of it, it was not as regulated as Chinese medicine in the US and I felt like I needed more training under my belt. Ayurveda served me well in raising my two girls. I was smarter with the choices I made with nutrition and utilized massage and essential oils in nurturing my girls. In the meantime, I sold art online and it worked amazingly because I could do it at my own pace while being a full-time mom.
When both of my girls were in elementary school, I re-assessed what I wanted to do for work. My husband brought up my old dream of acupuncture school, but I was afraid of how much time and effort it would take and if that would affect my time with the girls. With strong faith and a determination that I would balance family and school, I enrolled in an acupuncture school in Kendall and completed my master’s degree in three years. Upon graduating, I founded a wellness center in Miami Beach where I treat various conditions but focus on pain and women conditions such as infertility.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road but the road feels like it was blessed from the start – I am grateful for any challenges that I endured because they taught me so much! When I was younger, it was very hard to go up against opinions about changing my career and being able to stand strong in my belief of what’s ultimately best for my path. I have become stronger in choosing what I know to be right and am learning to bridge healing by being a business owner, which can be very challenging at times. But I now take these challenges as exciting and they infuse me with energy to improve and grow every day!
Please tell us about The Wholesome Lotus.
My company, The Wholesome Lotus, is a wellness center in Miami Beach. It is my pride and joy! I knew as a patient in the past that a big part of receiving my treatments is being able to check out for an hour and give myself some TLC. I wanted to create a little sanctuary that had sacred elements since I believe healing to be immensely sacred. I infused scents and elements throughout the design of The Wholesome Lotus to create a feeling of zen. When I do have people comment about feeling that ‘zen’ when they walk in, I feel like I’ve accomplished what I set out for. I incorporate acupuncture, cupping, moxibustion, herbal therapy, ayurvedic nutrition, and health coaching in my office. I also have other therapists who come in such as a nutritionist, a sound healing therapist, a massage therapist, and a craniosacral therapist.
I specialize in women conditions such as infertility, menopause, menstrual conditions, and I also specialize in pain management. My interest was always in women conditions which is what I originally went in for, but I’ve noticed that I also was able to easily and quickly address pain conditions in my patients.
At each treatment, I add a crystal sound bowl to initiate a state of peace in the patient and this is how each treatment begins. I would say what sets me apart is my ability to notice patterns and to address them in a way that is all-inclusive. I work very intuitively with my patients and create a very customized treatment plan that is unique to each patient. I take great pride in my work and infuse my New York work ethic to ensure that my patients have the best experience!
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Hearing stories from my grandmother. She used to be amazing at telling stories and she would teach me about how food was our medicine and that everything our bodies needed grew from the earth.
Contact Info:
- Address: 960 Arthur Godfrey Road, Suite 208
- Website: www.thewholesomelotus.com
- Phone: (786) 558-3254
- Email: michelle@thewholesomelotus.com
- Instagram: @thewholesomelotusacupuncture
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewholesomelotus/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-wholesome-lotus-miami-beach-3
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