Today we’d like to introduce you to Syvanna Purnima Siew.
Hi Syvanna, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I was introduced to East Asian medicine when I was 19 and living in an ashram in India. I always knew I wanted to become a doctor and focus on preventing and treating chronic disease and reproductive conditions. I also knew I wanted to work with first-generation Americans and the South Asian and Caribbean diaspora by providing root cause treatments and empowering educational services and resources.
Growing up in Miami, I watched my hard-working and loving grandparents and parents, who immigrated from Trinidad and Tobago, work so hard to provide a better life for us while struggling with health conditions like heart disease and type II diabetes, which were new to our family lineage. I observed how the health systems available to them in the US were limited. I wished for the medical system to include space for more curiosity about their histories and to encourage them to embrace even slight shifts in lifestyle, diet, and stress management to help prevent worsening symptoms.
I thought I would become an endocrinologist and knew that if I were going to start my academic and professional career in medicine, the only time I could offer seva, the Sanskrit term for selfless service, would be right after graduating high school. So, from ages 18 to 20, I lived in two ashrams, one in upstate New York and another in a rural village in Maharashtra, India.
When I returned home I moved to Boston, where I started premed and was also diagnosed with PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder), a severe and debilitating form of premenstrual syndrome. I went to several physicians, sought out multiple second opinions, and each option left me with the same answer, “there’s nothing you can do, try hormonal birth control.”
Then, I recalled my first acupuncture treatment, which I’d been gifted during my time in India, and thought, why not try Chinese medicine? I quickly searched nearby clinics and saw a reproductive acupuncture clinic, Yintuition Wellness, right down the street from where I lived. I booked an initial appointment, and after that, my life changed.
Not only did my PMDD resolve within months of treatment, but I also experienced feeling empowered, informed, and valued by my practitioner, and aligned with this ancient, comprehensive, and nature-based medicine. I strive to be there for my patients like my doctor was there for me.
One of my goals as a doctor of acupuncture and Chinese medicine is to support my clients to tune into their bodies, pay attention to the symptoms that arise, and be of service when something doesn’t seem quite right. Too often, people experience feeling unheard in a healthcare setting, especially those of us with female bodies and or who identify as a person of color. As a practitioner, I want each interaction and experience with me to be empowering.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Medical school is challenging. Each term of school felt like an initiation. Every new semester was an invitation to look inward, identify where there was stagnation in my own life, body, and way of being, and address that with as much grace, strength, and compassion as I could.
In Chinese medicine, we learn that where there is stagnation, there is pain, and I knew that if I wanted to be the best practitioner I could be, I had to address the stagnation and unresolved traumas in my own life to better show up for my patients fully.
Opening this door offered me the opportunities to come back home to myself, embrace myself fully, prioritize my mental health and fitness, connect with incredible practitioners and mentors, and dive deep into the ins and out of holistic reproductive health from both a Chinese and Western medicine point of view.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Purnima Acupuncture?
I am studying for my board and licensing exams and plan to open Purnima Acupuncture in North County, San Diego Fall of 2023.
Purnima is my Indian name and translates to “full moon, whole, and complete” in Sanskrit. This name invites us to view ourselves and our bodies as integrated wholes, inseparable from nature. It calls us to embrace and honor the practices that deeply nourish us and restore a natural state of harmony.
Traditional Chinese medicine has been used for thousands of years to regulate the menstrual cycle, enhance fertility, and overall well-being. At Purnima Acupuncture, I aim to support patients in their reproductive health during all life stages, from puberty to menopause.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
As an acupuncturist, I love to focus on holistic reproductive health and treat menstruation conditions, fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum well-being. I am also participating in a few additional certifications and specialized trainings to best serve my clients.
One certification I’m participating in is Dr. Deb Davies’ PUSH professional mentorship program to deepen my knowledge and skillset in supporting pregnant couples to have safe and healthy pregnancies, births, and recoveries. I believe that when birthing people are supported, our communities at large will flourish.
I’m also participating in the Oh Baby School of Holistic Nutrition Master’s program, which is the only school that specializes in naturally nourishing pregnancy, postpartum, breastfeeding, birth, and babies.
Lastly, I’m completing training and certification in advanced cosmetic acupuncture for holistic facial rejuvenation in the most comprehensive program offered in the US, led by Dr. Shellie Goldstein and Dr. Carrie Hart. Cosmetic acupuncture is rooted in East Asian medicine where we treat the mind, body, and spirit to achieve radiant health and appearance with lasting results naturally. One of my goals with cosmetic acupuncture is to shift the narrative around aging to one of strength, wisdom, insight, and profound respect for our bodies.
I am proud of the representation and specialization that my brand offers. Purnima Acupuncture is intended to be a restorative space where patients feel connected, empowered, and nourished from the inside out. I look forward to serving people of all ages and cultural backgrounds who might feel unseen in their medical experiences.
I often hear people say, “I’ve tried acupuncture a couple of times, and it didn’t work for me.” One thing that I like to share with patients is that Traditional Chinese Medicine is similar to going to the gym in that you can’t go once or twice and expect to see the results you want. This medicine treats the root cause of disharmony in the body, and consistency with your individualized treatment plan (including lifestyle recommendations outside of the clinic) is essential to seeing the transformation you desire.
Our services at Purnima Acupuncture will include reproductive acupuncture, herbal medicine, cosmetic acupuncture, holistic microneedling, facial gua sha, LED light therapy, facial cupping, glass fire cupping, moxibustion, and holistic nutrition programs for prenatal, pregnancy, postpartum, and baby nourishment.
There’s so much that can be done for people who feel like there is no hope for them or that they need to invest in invasive, expensive, and often unsuccessful treatments for their reproductive health. I love helping people recognize their agency in their health journeys and equip them with the resources from ancient wisdom to reach their health goals.
Contact Info:
- Website: vannapurnima.com
- Instagram:@dr.vannapurnima
Image Credits
Arielle Levy
