We’re constantly inspired by women who work to help others with bettering themselves from the inside out. From acupuncture to herbalism to Breathwork and more, Amy Kuretsky is one of these dedicated ladies who is constantly learning and growing in wellness. We first discovered her from her podcast, Health Fuels Hustle, all about self-care where she inspired us to up our wellness game. We were thrilled to pick her brain on her journey, habits and routines. Learn more about her on her website.
Have you always been into health? What inspired you to help people improve their health?
I was a fairly healthy child and didn’t really think about trying to be healthy ever when I was growing up. Then, in my senior year or college, I got very very sick. So sick, in fact, that I ended up at the Mayo Clinic where I was finally diagnosed with an autoimmune disease of the gut called Crohn’s Disease. It was a debilitating time of my life and completely shifted my whole perspective about my body and my health. It also opened my eyes to how broken our western medical system is and how food is no longer considered an integral part of recovery.
I had to dive in and do my own research about other ways to heal my gut (and my entire system) that were outside of the standard care of prescription medication. It was really exhausting to constantly have to advocate for myself and my health during that period. The experience left me with a bad taste in my mouth and inspired me to help others navigate the system in a more supportive and holistic way.
You talk all about self-care in your podcast “Health Fuels Hustle.” What is in your self-care toolkit?
Oh wow, my toolbox is overflowing! I have so many tools now that sometimes I feel like I’m rarely using the same tool twice! After my health crisis, I ended up going to graduate school for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and am now a licensed acupuncturist and board certified Chinese herbalist. The tools I acquired during that education are vast and always expanding through continued education.
During my time at school I also worked at a local natural foods store in the health and wellness section and learned a ton about western herbs, supplements, and essential oils. I’m also an avid meditator, tarot card reader, crystal healer, and Breathwork facilitator and use all of those things both in my self-care and with my clients. On top of all the things we can “add” to our toolbox, I also highly prioritize sleep, movement, food, and self-compassion as those are the basic building blocks to health.
What does your morning and evening routine look like?
My morning routine isn’t as routine as you might think. Two days out of the week I wake up early with an alarm clock since I have to be at the acupuncture clinic by 7am for my first patient at 8am. On those days my morning routine is a very short 5-min meditation, some hot tea while preparing breakfast and listening to NPR, and sometimes a quick walk with my dog if it’s warm enough out.
The rest of the week I’m grateful that I either work from home or don’t have to be at the clinic until later in the day and I can have a more in-depth self-care routine. On those days, my morning meditation is longer and I usually pull some tarot cards and do a bit of journaling too. Then I’ll eat breakfast and take my dog on a much longer walk while listening to one of my favorite podcasts. In the evening, I’lll usually go to bed no later than 10pm and one of the only “self-care” things I do nightly is put my phone away at least an hour before bedtime. I’ll usually read a book, sit in meditation for a bit, or spend time talking to my husband instead. It helps my body release melatonin more naturally before bed so I fall asleep more easily.
Honestly for me, when I was first working on balancing my hustle with my health it was really important for me to have a more structured morning and evening routine – because I knew that if I didn’t have one it would be all too easy for me to jump straight into work from my cell phone in bed and not stop until I was back in bed after dark. Now that I’ve really figured out what my body does and doesn’t need to feel aligned, I’m much more fluid and flexible with how I practice self-care. Sometime it might look like a longer morning routine, but other days it might look like being more compassionate with myself and saying “no” more to others expectations of me.
What lights you up or sparks creativity in the work that you do?
Lately, in the tarot coaching + Breathwork sessions I’ve been doing with my virtual clients, the intense and rapid transformations they experience has been incredibly inspiring. Every session is completely unique and pushes me to tune into my intuition and creativity more deeply than I’ve ever been pushed to before. This is the first offering that I’ve ever felt like it was as healing and life-giving for me and it is for my clients. I’m in love with them!
What are five things someone can do right now to improve their wellness?
1. Put down your phone more (and don’t sleep with it next to you!)
2. Get outside more. Put your bare feet on the ground and really connect to the earth.
3. Be more compassionate with yourself. Instead of berating yourself when you fall of the wagon, give yourself a bit of a hug and hello when you get back on.
4. Say “no” more often to others and “yes” more often to yourself.
5. Examine your current self-care routine and check-in with yourself to see what aspects are truly serving you and which might feel more like a “should” rather than a “want.”
You can learn more and connect with Amy through her website, podcast, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.