Beyond the Mat: Reinventing Yourself with Acupuncturist, Theresa Moodie
- Sarah Drews
- Dec 5, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: May 7
Welcome to our interview series, where I warmly invite you to explore the remarkable stories of entrepreneurs reshaping the wellbeing landscape in South Africa.
Guest: Theresa Moodie
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For this segment of The Interview Series, I am joyful to introduce Theresa Moodie, a dedicated acupuncture practitioner, yoga teacher, and teacher trainer, whose work reflects her belief that a healthy mind is the cornerstone of a healthy body. With years of experience in the health and wellness industry, Theresa weaves together the wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine, principles of exercise science, and the transformative philosophy of yoga. Her holistic and compassionate approach inspires others to cultivate lifelong habits that promote vitality, balance, and inner peace.
Sarah: What sparked your passion for acupuncture, and how did that ignite your journey into entrepreneurship?
Theresa: I have always had a deep fascination with Eastern philosophies, having practiced marital arts, shiatsu, Yoga and especially Yin yoga, coming full circle to the practice of acupuncture made complete sense. Throughout my entire career I have been self employed, navigating the dynamic and ever evolving wellness industry. This field continuously reinvents itself, driven by emerging trends and the growing awareness of and increasingly informed public. It has always been very important to me to keep learning, layering and integrating practices that serve health and well being and move with the times.
Flowing Into Balance
Sarah: For those unfamiliar, can you explain the principles behind acupuncture and how it works to promote wellness?
Theresa: Acupuncture is a key component of Traditional Chinese Medicine that has been practised for 1000's of years. The principles are rooted in the concept of balancing the body's energy, QI (pronounced "chee") and maintaining harmony between the body, mind and environment.
"Acupuncture encourages the body to heal itself
by enhancing circulation, calming the nervous system and
modulating the immune response."
It is able to promote a sense of wellness when it comes to assisting stress reduction, pain relief, hormonal balance, immune system support, nervous system regulation and enhanced circulation. Working from a perspective of treating the root cause rather than just the symptoms, combining both physical and emotional well being, this holistic approach can help people to achieve optimal health and vitality.
The Art of Acupuncture
Sarah: What is one surprising thing most people don’t know about acupuncture that could change their perception of it?
Theresa: Acupuncture needles are very thin - as thin as a strand of hair. A common misperception is that acupuncture needles are painful. You might experience slight discomfort on the insertion of the needle but many people report feeling relaxed or even euphoric during a session. It is also important to highlight that acupuncture is different to dry needling - the needles are the same but the treatment approach and sensation of the needles on insertion is very different.
Sarah: You are also a professional yoga teacher and teacher trainer! If you had to choose your favourite theme, style, and pose to incorporate into your yoga sessions, what would they be?
Theresa: I love to teach Yin Yoga that weaves acupressure points, auricular acupuncture and breath work into the practice. Some of my most popular themes include those around the Five elements, the six divisions and the three treasures. If you don't recognise these phrases and it spikes your curiosity, please look out for my training courses and workshops. Two of my favourite yoga poses include butterfly pose and banana pose.
Sarah: What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs looking to carve their own path in the wellness industry?
Theresa: Keep reinventing yourself while aligning to a similar theme or foundation of knowledge. That way you are growing your offering while creating a niche, unique skill set. More importantly, try as many different modalities, styles of exercise, healing practices as possible.
In doing so, you stay connected to the sense of trust and vulnerability that is required of your patients and students when they attend your classes or treatments.
Yoga Sessions with Theresa
MY PASSION IS TO FIND A BALANCE BETWEEN
LIVING A FULL PRODUCTIVE, HEALTHY LIFE AS A WOMAN, AS A WIFE AND AS A FRIEND.
It is my mission to help you do the same.
Sarah: What are some of your desired activities to spend your time away from work?
Theresa: I love to be by the water, my favourite is the ocean. Living in Johannesburg can make this a little bit tricky but I do love simple pleasures like walking the Jacaranda lined streets at this time of year, attending Yoga classes when I can and my weekly tai chi classes.
Exploring new cultures, cities or natural landscapes is an absolute must!
Sarah: Before we wrap up, could you kindly tell us about any exciting initiatives, events, retreats, or projects that are on the horizon?
Theresa: 2025 is going to be another exciting year of unique holistic offerings and collaborations!
I will be running my online 20hr fundamentals in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) applied to Yin Yoga, this six part module is ideal for existing Yin teachers or practitioners that would like to deepen their understanding and further their knowledge of TCM. We will be exploring some of my favourite themes such as the three treasures and the Five elements.
From the 4th February myself and Ma Akash of Shakti Yoga will be co hosting an 8 week Chakra immersion course, each week we delve into the chakra system, starting with the root chakra and working upwards towards the crown chakra.
My first Yoga and acupuncture based retreat of 2025 will be hosted over the long weekend in March 21st–23rd.
Please be sure to visit my events page on my website for more information or subscribe to my newsletter.
Unity in Wellness
Take a step towards your next adventure with Theresa's retreats and courses by visiting her events page.
Let’s Get You Booked for a Class!
Ready to roll out your mat and book a yoga session?
Looking to take your fitness to the next level?
For more uplifting stories about entrepreneurs who are making an impact in the wellbeing community, stay tuned.
We can’t wait to share more inspiring insights with you!
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