Hi there! I'd like to introduce you to my friend Amy Kuretsky. Amy is a multi-faceted healer, wellness coach and my personal go-to resource for all things self-care! Enjoy:
Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your business.
Thanks for inviting me here! My name is Amy and I’m an acupuncturist, herbalist, breathwork healer, and wellness coach for mind, body, and business. I actually have two separate businesses: one is an acupuncture and Chinese medicine clinic I co-own in downtown Minneapolis and the other is an online healing practice for creatives. Both are in the business of serving others in their healing, they just go about it in slightly different ways. Whereas I try to stick within a more traditional business and medical framework at the in-person clinic, I have the flexibility to try out of the box ideas with my online business.
Not too long ago, you shifted the focus of your business in a pretty big way. Can you please share a little bit about this transition and the inspiration behind it?
Of course! It’s a bit of a long story so stick with me…
Five years ago, in the beginning of my entrepreneurship, I was a recent acupuncture school graduate running a clinical practice out of one room in an office building. Through a mixture of skill and luck I ended up filling my schedule incredibly fast and having a thriving practice. Fast forward a few years and I chose to go back to school and get trained and certified in wellness coaching as well. I was seeing some of my patients get better faster and stay healthier longer than others and I realized it had a lot to do with the fact that the patients who were getting better faster/longer were the same patients that were more able to tap into their inner motivation to make true and lasting change in their habits and daily life. In school we’re taught great medicine, but we’re not really taught the psychology behind why people change their habits. I knew that learning how to help people help themselves - through coaching - in addition to receiving acupuncture and herbs, would greatly increase their healing. At that point, I had brought my business partly online and was working with clients both in-person and online to help them define and reach their health goals. I loved the work I was doing, and also felt a bit limited by focusing so much on the physical aspects of health.
Fast forward again a few years and I tried a new-to-me healing modality called breathwork. In one session I felt like my life was drastically altered. I felt things move in my body that I had never felt in all my years of practicing and receiving acupuncture and other types of energy medicine. I had grown up in a household where we didn’t talk about our emotions much - leading me to be a fairly emotionally closed off person. Breathwork helped me process and move through emotions in a physical way that completely bypassed my brain and ego. I moved through years of anger, sadness, and shame with just my breath and it astounded me. I immediately knew that this was something I was meant to be sharing with my patients. Since then, I’ve been incorporating breathwork and the emotional side of healing work with all my clients.
Do you have any advice for business owners looking to shift gears in their own business?
Trust your gut. For me, I knew in my heart of hearts that helping people heal with breathwork was absolutely what I was meant to be doing in the world. And I knew that if I didn’t follow that thread I’d feel trapped in any other job - even if I was my own boss. I knew that my message wouldn’t resonate as much if I didn’t have 100% belief in it - and following my gut instinct was the only way I’d be able to walk my talk.
Practically, my advice is to bring your audience along for the ride. Share the transformations that are happening on the inside of YOU so that they don’t feel whiplash when the transformations quickly occur on the outside - through the direction of your work. I tried my hardest to share my discovery of breathwork - and how much it helped me - with my audience and client base so that they completely understood why I was shifting gears.
Let’s talk about breathwork! What is it? Why is it so powerful?
It’s a form of active meditation that stirs up our emotional pot and allows to access deeper levels of emotional, spiritual, and even physical healing. It’s so simple and yet so powerful! I’ve found that one breathwork session can move as much or more energy as a series of six acupuncture sessions! It’s powerful because it helps us get out of our heads for an hour and drop into our bodies. Our bodies hold way more wisdom than we give them credit for. And the hustle and bustle of modern life keeps us anxious and stressed and preoccupied with our brains 99.9% of our daily lives.In your Patreon group, all of your offerings are available to every supporter, regardless of their level of support. Why is this?
I’m a firm believer in healing as a human right. Everyone deserves healing in their life and yet so many people don’t have access - whether that’s due to finances, transportation, lack of safe spaces, etc. The work I share on Patreon is my way of putting my values into my practice. Offering a healing option that people can do from their home, at a time that works for their schedule, and is 100% financially accessible is hugely important to me.
My private coaching is on the more expensive side and I’m completely aware of that. It takes a lot of time and a lot of energy to do this work full time and I have no problem charging what I need to receive an equal exchange of energy. However, I’m also completely aware that a lot of folks can’t afford one-on-one work with me. By offering healing options with a true sliding scale on Patreon I’m able to reconcile my energetic and financial needs with my values.
All Photos by Eliesa Johnson
In one of your recent podcast mini-episodes, you shared an epic list of self-care practices for energetic clearing and protection. Aside from breathwork, could you share a couple of your favorites?
Absolutely. In no order or preference here’s a few faves: sweeping the body with selenite wands, putting my bare feet on the bare earth, using salt scrubs or salt baths, calling in the energy of black tourmaline, flower essences like yarrow, pine, and mountain pennyroyal, burning herbs like cedar and rosemary, purging excess clothes and household stuff! You can listen to the full list by becoming a Patreon supporter in any amount here.
Do you have any creative side projects or hobbies? How do you like to spend your down-time?
My constant loves are hiking in nature with my husband and my dog. We live close to the Mississippi River and we spend a lot of time traipsing through the woods to clear our heads and ground our energy. As for creative projects, I recently started taking a weekly pottery class at the park and rec center by my house and I’m loving it! I hadn’t made art with my hands in a long time and it’s been super fun to have a dedicated time and space to just play!
Do you have anything new and exciting that your working on now?
I’m changing up the way I work with clients for 2019 and that’s feeling really exciting to me right now. I’ve created a longer program that blends together some of the most important teachings and lessons from the tarot with the healing power of breathwork. It’s called “Connecting to Self” and it starts in early December. Folks who want to learn more about it can check it out here.
Thank you so much, Amy! To learn more about Amy Kuretsky, please visit her website.
Do you have any questions or commets for Amy? Add them to the comments below!