When Minnesota native Meaghan Moakley became familiar with Chinese medicine, she began to take a more holistic approach to health and wellness. “A lot of my dietary and lifestyle choices have made a tremendous impact on my health,” she says. “Chinese medicine looks at the world through the seasons, the weather, and how we can best behave to respect the earth and our bodies.”
With it being springtime in Minneapolis, she says we're moving into liver season. “It’s about helping to support the liver with sour foods like lemon and making sure that we're getting sunlight in our eyes within an hour after waking. These behaviors are rooted in ancient medicine, but have such modern impacts on our hormones and nervous systems.”
The more she learned and practiced Chinese medicine, the more she wanted to share it with others. In 2021, she founded Azalea Acupuncture in Edina.
“It wasn't my original plan to open a private practice – I studied Spanish and taught English as a second language. I loved teaching, so I just kind of blended the two and now with Azalea, I do a lot of patient education.”
Her patients, she says, become fascinated with Chinese medicine and how it relates to their bodies. “Much of what we look at with Chinese medicine is how everything in our body is connected. They'll share with me constellations of symptoms that may seem very random to them, but they're actually painting a perfect picture for me as a Chinese medicine practitioner of what's going on internally.”
Meaghan offers a whole range of treatments to help patients feel and look better. “We love combining acupuncture with cupping, which is a powerful tool to help relieve stress and anxiety in the body.”
It's also great for muscle tension. “A lot of people will come in complaining of a tight upper back, neck, and shoulder area because they carry all that stress and tension there. A combination of acupuncture and cupping can be super helpful and provide them with immediate relief that will last a while.”
Another popular treatment is gua sha. “Gua sha is another Chinese medicine modality that's become more popularized thanks to Instagram and TikTok over the past couple years.” It’s used to treat pain and can be used on the face for aesthetic purposes. She often combines gua sha with cosmetic acupuncture.
“Cosmetic acupuncture feels like a newer thing, but that's actually been part of Chinese medicine for thousands of years,” says Meaghan. “With the same principles being used on internal health, it’s going to lead to an expression of external beauty.”
The needles she uses stimulate collagen production and elastin in the face. “When people make repetitive facial movements, it can lead to lines between the eyebrows. With the needles and gua sha, we can help promote more blood flow to the face, which is going to lead to a more radiant complexion.”
For people who are afraid of needles, she puts their minds at ease. “The needles that are used in an acupuncture setting are filiform. They're typically pain-free and if there is any sensation, it would be a slight pinch, almost like a mosquito bite.” Many of her patients often fall deeply asleep during their sessions.
All of the treatments are conducted by Meaghan, a licensed acupuncturist through the Minnesota Medical Board. She will even do home visits if someone has had an injury and is not very mobile.
As she looks back on her first few years in business, Meaghan is proud of all she has accomplished.
“Opening Azalea has really connected me with a lot of people in the Twin Cities. It’s definitely inspiring as a business owner to know that there are many people who care about the area’s well-being.”
4388 France Ave. S Suite 260 | 612-516-3184 | AzaleaMPLS.com.