On a stretch of Youngfield Street in Applewood, Sattva, a new holistic wellness center, aims to help people think differently about their health by offering a range of services to heal both body and mind.
The idea for Sattva Health and Wellness sprung from the long-standing friendship of its two founders.
Dr. Jeannie Yu, a 4th generation Chinese medical doctor, had been seeing acupuncture patients, including three generations of the family of Dr. Amber Adkins in the space for nearly twenty years. So, after nearly three years of discussing the idea, Yu and Adkins teamed up to create what they call an integrative healing space, with a collection of providers who focus on treating the whole person to restore balance and “ease” versus only treating the symptoms of “dis-ease.”
Sattva offers Acupuncture, Chinese medicine, yoga, psychotherapy, wellness coaching, massage, functional medicine and The Feldenkrais Method, a type of exercise therapy.
Each practice is staffed by an expert in the particular discipline, but Adkins, a clinical psychologist, said there are endless opportunities for cross-pollination between disciplines, with the added benefit of the individual providers really knowing and trusting one another. That trust factor is invaluable when a provider is entrusting a patient to a different practitioner, Adkins added.
Yu said having been trained in Western Medicine in China, she always liked the approach the Chinese take, treating patients with modern Western medicine or ancient Eastern medicine, whichever looks to be more effective.
She also taught a workshop at MD Anderson, the renowned cancer treatment center, where she saw how effective the use of non-traditional therapies could be in treating cancer patients.
“Acupuncture, massage, music therapy, exercise, yoga, meditation, tai chi — all of that stuff together — it really gave people a lot of help,” Yu said. “Not just chemo, radiation — you’re adding all of these treatments in and the patients — it really lifts them up.”
The plan for this space with many paths toward healing, finally came together near the end of September, when Sattva opened.
Yu said she loves the result.
“I just treated an acupuncture patient this morning that is interested in getting some counseling sessions,” she said. “It’s kind of like a one-stop shop. With all of the providers under one roof, maybe after acupuncture, a patient wants to get a massage.”
They also have a community rental space, complete with kitchenette to host events for providers trying to build community. One side of the rental space is good for meetings or small events or workshops, while the other side is an open studio space that could be used for yoga or any number of classes.
Adkins said so far, things have been going great, and pandemic notwithstanding, the response from everyone involved has been really enthusiastic.
“It seems like we’re in a time where everyone is concerned about their health and more open to alternative offerings,” she said. “And even Western practitioners are having trouble meeting that need for chronic stress relief, so many physicians are anxious to find an answer and find a hand-off that they can trust.”
They’re planning to ramp up marketing efforts in the new year, to continue getting the word out and do more pop-up events when the conditions are right.
Learn more about Sattva Health and Wellness at lovesattva.com.