Today we have Katya Mosely on The Mag. Katya is an acupuncturist, herbalist and founder of Spirit Gate Wellness in Los Angeles. Read all about Katya’s wellness journey, her business and focus on women’s health, her favorite modalities to use on stressed out parents and more!

Introduce yourself and your practice.

Thanks for finding me! I'm Katya Mosely, an acupuncturist and herbalist in Los Angeles with deep respect for Traditional Chinese Medicine and modern self-care rituals. I founded Spirit Gate Wellness after my own healing journey - one that presented as low back pain, but was, at its core, internal dis-ease, led me to acupuncture in 2004. I always knew I wanted to work in Women's Health, but after having a wide variety of heartbreaking and heart opening experiences with fertility, I shifted my focus onto mothers and motherhood. I define the arc of motherhood as the 'zero to fourth trimesters' and my greatest purpose is in supporting women through each of those monumental shifts.

How did you start this business? And why the soft spot for mamas in particular?

I started Spirit Gate Wellness in 2010 as a recent graduate of Yo San University. After various fellowships at the Children's Hospital LA, Premier Oncology Santa Monica, and Being Alive HIV Clinic, I traveled to Chengdu, China to pursue an internship in Integrated Gynecology. My experience working in the hospital-setting was a beautiful example of how effective an integrated model of medicine can be. I came back eager and inspired to support patients holistically in tandem with the benefits they had access to with modern medicine. Around the same time I got pregnant, and so began my endlessly winding road through motherhood. For me and for so many other mothers, motherhood is the single most defining, challenging, joyous voyage of a lifetime and it is an incredible honor to support parents along each stage of that adventure.

What are some of your favorite modalities to use on stressed out parents?

I'm actually surprised that my first instinct was not to reply with 'acupuncture' as my favorite modality. Instead what comes to mind is listening. Listening to women who are passionate about living their best lives, or fearful that they may not be able to actualize their dreams, or nervous that they may not have the outcomes they desire, or struggling to accept that their new reality is different from what they imagined. Listening, and offering support through acupuncture, ear seeds, moxibustion, cupping therapy, herbal medicine, and nutritional guidance are all extensions of my heart and my hands.

What is one thing/aspect that makes your practice so memorable?

My patients generally come through the doors to intensely look at themselves, ready to confront the root of their imbalances. While I can improve a swollen shoulder or a case of stubborn eczema, that is not the extent of the work I do. Instead, I attract patients that are longing for more balance, health, and stillness from life. The conversations we have and the bonds that form connect me to patients far beyond the treatment room.

Name up to three other small businesses/brands that you love.

I love Mother the Mother. Mclean McGown is an exceptional Motherhood Coach and postpartum doula. Her podcast offers the truest, most vulnerable look at the challenges of motherhood and I recommend it to everyone.

I love every single person and offering at LOOM. Erica Chidi and Quinn Lindberg have created the most nurturing and forward-thinking pathways for all things menstrual, fertile, maternal in a loving, educational, inclusive space.

I adore C and the Moon body scrubs, though the company, and founder, Carson Meyer, do so much more than make the greatest sugar scrub. She is a social justice defender, advocates for a cleaner, greener environment, a loud speaker for women's rights, a compassionate and skilled doula, and all around wonderful gal.

And finally, where can we find you?

Website: www.SpiritGateLA.com

Instagram/social: @spiritgate.la