Your New Girls' Night: A Home Acupuncture Party

I'm part of a wellness group is made up of local women who make their health a priority as well as a place to connect, inspire, and feel empowered to take action by having the support of others who "get it". Being a part of our group does not mean you have to eat kale with with an "organic or die" mentality but most of us do appreciate clean and healthy food and other health practices. Some of us are all in and some of us are dipping our toes in the wellness pool.

The idea was to create a space where you could link arms with other women who reside someplace along the wellness spectrum. I reached out to who I knew wanted or already made wellness a priority in their lives. Our common denominator is the desire to do/be better people in mind, body and spirit. Wellness encompasses the whole person, not just how much kale and green juice you consume.

So throughout the year, our tribe gets together for healthy lunch outings, book discussions, or just a group walk along a wooded trail. This past year was a bit few and far between on our get togethers and as each month ticked by without our tribe connecting in some way, the guilt grew. I vowed to get 2018 started out right so when I came across a really cool idea I saw on Instagram, I knew it would be a great way to get the band back together.

I saw a post by a local busin (think it was a yoga studio?) and they had a group acupuncture party. I've only done acupuncture one time and it was for a pain issue. That happened in a cold chiropractor's office which didn't compel me to do over and over again. But the picture I saw on my feed was the opposite. There were yoga mats, big fuzzy blankets, essential oils diffusers, soft lights, eye pillows, and some very serene faces. SOLD!

I reached out to Dr. Abby Reed, who performs the acupuncture, to let her know about my tribe and asked her to share the details of these private parties. My tribe was all over it and one of our members actually had the perfect yoga room (I know, right?!) in her basement for us to use.

Dr. Abby Reed and her assistant came a few minutes early to set up everything up. They had all the cozy things I mentioned above and all we needed to provide were yoga mats (which they had extra just in case). There were four acupuncture treatment options for each of us to choose from: Metabolism Boost, Pain Management, Cosmetic, and Relaxation. The diffuser was set up with lavender and rose essential oils (lavender is calming and rose is like the mother of high vibes.) We laid down on our mats, got our selves cozied up in our blankets and put on our eye pillows while some quiet meditation music began playing. That alone would have been enough for me!

Dr. Abby then went around to each mat and began applying the first needle. She made round after round, applying needle after needle according to the treatment we selected. In between needles, her assistant traveled the room bringing the essential oil goodness into our breathing space. You know I'm in love with essential oils so it was like icing on the cake.

When it was over, I initially felt super relaxed. Then within a few minutes, I was totally awake and ready to roll. After the ladies from Haven left, our wellness tribe hung out as we dove into some healthy snacks and deep conversation. We all agreed we needed to do it again, perhaps making this type of party a quarterly event! When I went home to my family, my daughter commented on my high energy at 9:30 at night so I guess my metabolism boost acupuncture sesh was a success. I'm sure doing this on a regular basis would warrant the best results but it was such a fun way to spend a Friday night.

I highly recommend booking a party for yourself with your besties. It's a great way to spend time with those you care about while also caring for yourself. If you don't have this type of service in your area, definitely bring it up to your own chiropractor to see if they would be game. Here are some other party ideas for you as well!

Downing the wine with girlfriends just isn't my thing these days but that doesn't mean I don't want my girl time. We all need to make self-care a priority and doing it with friends makes it all the better. If you can't find this type of service in your area, I'd suggest it to your favorite acupuncturist.

Let me know if you give it a try and what you think!