Hey, I’m Dana Carruth!
I offer relaxing and invigorating acupuncture and Oriental medicine therapies at Awaken Acupuncture here in Ithaca.
I’ve been a licensed acupuncturist in New York State since 2010, and nationally certified through the National Commission on Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) after completing a four-year Master of Science graduate program in Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine.
I was lucky to travel to China during graduate school to study at the Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Hangzhou.
Licensed practitioners of acupuncture and Oriental medicine maintain their licensure and national board certification through postgraduate trainings over the longevity of their careers. Continuing our education is also what keeps things interesting and fun!
My intention is to help you get better and feel your best, so you can do your life the best you can.
It’s fulfilling to help lead the way in socially conscious healthcare for people like you.
By that I mean, you need more than bandaids to get and stay better. You need therapies and support that are going to help transform your physiology to work better, settle your mind and feel connected to yourself and the world around you.
I love my work and helping people like you get healthy in body, mind and spirit, (yeah, I said it) so you’re empowered to live your best life.
Why am I for you?
Because you know that getting healthy is a process, and continuing feeling your best means taking good care of yourself. There’s no one-size-fits-all for health and happiness, but I offer you some pretty great options.
Because you know that scheduling in some for-me-time where there are no emails to respond to, checklists to get done or needs of your kids to tend to is essential to refuel and recharge so you can get back to your busy, amazing life and do all those things like it ain’t no thang.
I’m not for you if you’re looking for a quick fix where you’re a passive bystander in the whole process of getting better. That’s not how this works.
And me? That’s why I love doing what I do.
I help set the restart button and cultivate healthy bodies and minds to function better and feel great.
From aches and pains to menstrual disorders, from pregnancy ailments to menopause, from respiratory problems to anxiety I can help you have less pain and inflammation, build a stronger immune system, feel more centered emotionally and get those whacked out hormones in check.
I use the all-natural, work with the systems of your body therapies of acupuncture, herbal medicine, cupping, gua sha and food therapy.
Want to know what people think about me?
Check out what my fantastic patients have to say, here.
What are my qualifications?
I’ve been a licensed acupuncturist in New York State since 2010, and nationally certified through the National Commission on Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) after completing a four-year Master of Science graduate program in Acupuncture & Oriental medicine.
I was really lucky to travel to China during graduate school to study at the Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Hangzhou.
Licensed practitioners in acupuncture & Oriental medicine maintain their licensure and national certification with postgraduate training over the longevity of their careers. Which is what also keeps things interesting and fun!
Want to know more about me?
I’ll keep it simple and random, with these eight facts…
1. I got into acupuncture and Oriental medicine through Macrobiotic cooking.
Macrobiotics is super whole foods deliciousness! That is, if it’s done in the right way, like here at Macro Mama’s, where I used to cook a lifetime ago before heading off to grad school for four years to get a Masters of Science in Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine.
Macrobiotics takes the most basic principles of Oriental medicine to understand food in a way to both help people recover from illnesses and keep people healthy throughout the seasons.
I was lucky enough to study at both the Vega Center in California and the Kushi Institute in Massachusetts, started by Japanese couples Herman & Cornelia Ahira and Michio & Aveline Kushi respectively.
2. My second favorite job after practicing acupuncture and Oriental medicine, was running a kitchen and cooking for week-long art workshops in Taos, NM, where I lived for three years.
3. I managed a Chinese medicinal garden for eight years and I absolutely LOVE gardening!
4. I got pretty sick in my mid-20’s. Like whole-body systemic fatigue, pain, allergies I’d never had before sick. I remember wondering if I would ever get better. I did!
After doing the doctor shuffle for a while, and only getting worse, I took matters into my own hands. I used food, herbs (which I knew nothing about at the time), yoga, acupuncture, meditation and being in nature to heal the systems of my body and get healthy again.
I’m grateful for that time because it taught me so much about myself, my body and my mind. It’s also why I decided to go into acupuncture & Oriental medicine.
5. I LOVE being an entrepreneur and business owner! And doing what I do.
I absolutely did NOT go to school thinking about being a business owner. No, I was still in my I’ma save the world phase. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE helping people! That’s why I love doing what I do. But I feel like the intention of helping people feel empowered versus saving the world is pretty different. Know what I mean?
6. I have traveled around the world. Yes! Through every single time zone over the surface of the earth. And I do feel pretty cool when I say that.
In 1999, I was super fortunate to spend a semester of college in Madrid, Spain and another semester going around the world on Semester at Sea. The summer in between, I drove cross country with one of my sisters and some friends and rounding out the summer following a band around for a couple weeks.
It’s funny how you can look back on your life once you have kids and kinda scare yourself. I now have a son and recently asked my mom, “hey, were you kind of worried about me when I was in college?” She said, “yes, but it seems things have a way of working out.”
Awww, thanks mom!
7. I have two amazing sisters. My older sister Erin is a kick ass mortgage broker, who knows her stuff. You can find her podcast here.
I also have a twin sister, Catherine. She is also an acupuncturist. I know what you’re thinking, that’s some weird twin thing. But whatever. To be honest, I now believe in free will a lot less. On the other hand, it’s really awesome that we can talk about Oriental medicine together!
8. I LOVE my work!! I love acupuncture, the herbs, cupping, gua sha, hearing people’s stories, untangling the issues, peeling back the layers, helping people feel better.
Wanna know one of my favorite things about my work? Seeing people rest.
No, seriously. Having a space where you can’t really do anything else but rest with the needles and listen to music (if you want), is pretty amazing stuff.
Are you ready to feel better by transforming your body’s functional physiology to reduce pain and inflammation, improve immunity and hormonal balance, and reduce stress and anxiety?
If you’re ready to work with me to live your best life? Click here.