Suka Lang is a Registered Acupuncturist and the owner of Acupoint Wellness. She is one of those wellness practitioners that you wish you could bring everywhere with you. She is a born healer: intuitive, knowledgeable and strong. You feel instantly calmed in her presence. Her compassion, empathy and continual strive for excellence are what makes Acupoint Wellness a go-to place for acupuncture in downtown Vancouver.
Get to know Suka…
What is your morning ritual?
I’ve never been a morning person. I avoid making appointments in the morning as much as I can. I need to take my time in the morning and start my day off real slow. I find I am able to stay grounded and more intentional this way. I’m getting back to doing meditative rituals for myself which include making time for self reflection, brewing herbal elixirs targeting what ever is going on with my health at the moment, and then catching up on yesterday’s news. Then I answer emails, make my lunch then head off to work.
What made you decide to open up your own clinic straight out of school?
A: I worked at a couple of clinics before I started my own. Unfortunately I didn’t feel the environment to be very warm or supportive. I felt uninspired and I couldn’t see myself growing there so I decided to build my own practice. I wanted to create a healing space that was warm and supportive while creating a sense of community with all the practitioners and our patients.
What song gets your going for the day?
Almost anything from the ’80s or the Motown era.
What was the moment that led to your decision to become an acupuncturist?
I had been a dancer for years with lots of injuries and knew my career was coming to an end. I felt a tremendous amount of stress to figure out what I “should” be doing with my life — I wasn’t happy anymore. I knew I didn’t want to go back to school and that was the part I really struggled with because I already had two degrees under my belt. But after three years of reading books and career counseling, I knew helping people feel better was what I was meant to be doing.
What is your philosophy on health?
Keep things simple. Reduce stress as much as possible. Don’t overdo “health”. Just choose a couple of things to focus on such as eating a whole foods diet, breathing/yoga/meditation, and some form of manual therapy. And stay consistent. You’d be amazed at how well your body responds and heals if you continue working at it. Remember it may have taken years to develop a state of imbalance so you have to be patient when you are trying to correct it.
What is the most common reason people come in to see you for an acupuncture session?
Most people come in to see me for sports injuries or any kind of body pain.
How do people say they feel after they’ve had a treatment with you?
They often say that they feel taller. Relaxed. Better.
What type of health issues do you especially enjoy treating?
Musculoskeletal injuries. As an ex-dancer, I am no stranger to muscle strains, ligament tears and stress fractures. I can empathize with people’s pain when they come in. And it feels so satisfying to be able to make a difference.
Share a random fact about yourself.
I’m extremely shy.
What is your favourite healthy food that you make for yourself? Or comfort food.
Lately I’ve been making a spicy Morrocan stew or a mushroom bourguignon. I enjoy the alchemy of making food and herbal elixirs. Cooking is my love language. If I bring you food you know that I love you. Almost everything is homemade at my house — down to the sauces, spice blends, and teas. Soups and stews are my favourite because they’re so nourishing for the heart and belly. Having control in the ingredients you use and being able to fine-tune your recipes is incredibly empowering, nourishing and healing.
What do you do to relieve stress?
When I’m feeling stressed I really need to find a quiet space by myself to get centred again.
Do you see your practice changing in the future?
Right before COVID, I received my training to become a breathwork facilitator. I’ve found the experience of breathwork to be very intense, unearthing, and extremely healing. And the best thing about it is that it’s natural — and we all have access to do it. I can see myself wanting to work with people on a deeper emotional level to help heal old trauma that might be getting in the way of one’s being at peace.
Click here to book an appointment with Suka today.
Curious about the Acupoint team? Read more about us here.
