I met Eden through one of my best friends and couldn’t be more grateful I got introduced to her. Eden is an acupuncturist, herbalist, yoga teacher and has a vast knowledge about holistic health and wellness. Our weekly acupuncture sessions are my little islands of calm during busy weeks and the one thing that has helped me so much throughout pregnancy so far. In our interview she shares about her work, daily routines and practices that keep her grounded and balanced while juggling her TCM practice, being a mom of two and raising a puppy, the newest addition to her family.
What inspired you to get into Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture?
When I was 17 I suffered from varied health issues. My digestion was horrible, my skin was full of acne, I was overweight, depressed, and exhausted. A friend gave me a book about alternative health, and I realized if I wanted to feel better I would need to take action and make some major changes. So I read every book I could about health and healing and I then realized I wanted to help others. I was first lead to India to study Ayurvedic medicine, and then to polarity therapy, and then to Chinese Medicine. I found Chinese Medicine to be the most thorough and complete form of therapy and it felt clear that this would be the style I would practice.
You recently started the project Happy Hormones. Can you tell us more about that?
Happy Hormones was developed by a client/yoga colleague of mine asking me continually about hormones and how they worked and how to balance them. These weekly talks turned into planning sessions as we realized how many women had these issues , and how many women wanted to learn how to understand and balance them for themselves. We both shared the love of yoga and essential oils and DIY mentality. From there we developed classes, products, and visual guides to help women have a better understanding of how hormones work and how they can influence them naturally.
You work with essential oils a lot. How can they be beneficial for women’s health?
For me essential oils are very much a part of high vibrational medicine . They can help alleviate painful periods, help stimulate circulation, help lower stress levels, and they can help to balance moods and can when inhaled especially impact the Amygdala, which is the emotional center of the brain. For me essential oils can have a quick affect on womens hormones as they work not only on a physical level, but also on an emotional one .
What was your journey into entrepreneurship?
I actually never set out with a business plan. I just started practicing with the intention of helping others. From there my business grew, mainly by word of mouth.
How do you balance being a mom and an entrepreneur?
I’m actually quite blessed with being able to be self employed. Like this I can manage my own hours and work around my childrens needs and schedules. I also raised my children with the mindset that we are working together as a team, that we share a household, and therefore a responsibility to contribute and help out.
Where do you find inspiration?
I find a lot of inspiration in nature, spirituality, movement, breath work, friends, my children, and in the work I do .
What does self-care mean to you?
Self-care for me has a lot to do with balance. Eating fresh nutrient dense food, getting enough movement, breath work and having enough free time to enjoy my surroundings and not having to rush. Self-care is watching my thought patterns and when I find myself in a negative spiral then applying any of the above techniques as soon as possible .
What does your morning routine look like?
My morning routine is actually less of a routine and more of a process. I don’t like to rush in the morning. So I allow myself enough time to gently emerge into my day. I usually begin by doing facial gua sha to stimulate and wake up my face. Then I drink a glass of warm lemon water to get my body started. Ideally I then move on to celery juice, and once that has settled I drink a matcha tea or a coffee. Here I like to sit staring into my forest outside and watch nature for at least 10 minutes. After this depending on time, I may do 30-60 min of Naam yoga , which is a combination of breathing, movements, and mantras.
What is your evening routine?
Well after Ive finished work, and making dinner, my son and I usually watch some sort of series together and play with the dog. When my kids are asleep, I often do a breathwork practice I learned from a tantric teacher in the Himalayas, after this I might do a 20 min silent meditation. In between I probably check social media a couple of times, return text messages, and answer clients. Then I do facial gua sha again, apply my essential oil happy hormone mixes, and get into bed to once again most likely, check my social media one last time. sigh… Not my most honourable nor recommended bedtime routine!
What kind of exercise do you do?
I do various styles of yoga . I practice and I am a certified yoga teacher. So I have done a lot of vinyasa flow style. Since the beginning of the lockdown I began doing more Naam kundalini style yoga and I became a huge fan, so now I tend to do more of this style yoga.
What is your approach to nutrition?
After years of doing strict Ayurvedic diet, vegetarian, vegan, paleo etc I have settled on eating in a less strict way. I order most of my food from farmy (as I do not own a car , and don’t find so much time for shopping), so I tend to order seasonal, fresh, and local produce. I would say 70 percent of the groceries I buy is produce. From there I construct my meals. My family eats gluten free as I stopped eating gluten when I was 18. We also eat very little dairy or meat products. I also never buy snack stuff or junk food and my kids laugh because we don’t even have a bag of sugar in the house. I wouldn’t say im as strict anymore about having to eat super super clean , but I do focus on eating vibrant nutrient dense food.
How do you bring mindfulness into your day?
I think as I mentioned before, being aware of my thought patterns. Knowing my energy effects others. Being aware, my personality creates my personal reality.
What are you grateful for?
Honestly, what am I not grateful for… Im kinda in this place at the moment, where even my challenges are opportunities for growth. Of course I’m grateful for my children and family, my friends, my dog, my environment, my work, my clients, and the abundance I receive.
What brings you joy?
As cheesy as it sounds: The sun, the moon, and the stars… The universe at large, and seeing miracles in motion, and people experiencing the gift of love and happiness. Oh, and at the moment my puppy and how happy she makes my kids.
What little things do you do in your life in order to make a difference in the world in terms of sustainability?
This is an area I can only get better at. I don’t own a car for starters, I walk as many places as I can. I am not a big shopper and I have never encouraged consumerism in my children. I try to support local business and also purchase organic local products. I would love a shop in Zürich that we could purchase food plastic free.
What was the last book you have read?
Spell Bound: Quantum Science, Magick and the Matrix by Laura Leigh
Favorite podcast to listen to?
Jordan B. Peterson
Favorite app?
Uber
Favorite clean beauty product?
I love the Happy Hormone Absolute beauty blend
Favorite dish to cook?
At the moment I’m all about butternut squash coconut curry soup and gluten free garlic bread
Favorite indulgence?
My indulgences tend to vary and as I tend to get bored quickly they rarely stay the same. Food wise im not big a big indulger. From time to time its wine or espresso martinis. At the moment its buying plants and filling my house with so much green, my son says it’s a jungle.
Find out more about Eden and her work here:
Golden Acupuncture
Happy Hormones
