Mount Sunny Connects What Goes On In Your Body & Mind
Shelby Ramirez, co-founder and acupuncturist
INTRODUCTION WRITTEN BY SARAH JAMES
Honestly, Shelby is my healer. The wife of a great friend Spencer Ramirez, I was so anxious and excited to meet Shelby after years of hearing about her, then even more intrigued when she shared that she was an acupuncturist.
I wouldn’t call myself a skeptic but when you move from New York to LA it’s hard to not feel like everything is a bit of a gimmick or a little woo woo or just, maybe it’s that things needs time and a deeper dive, and need to prove themselves. So I put acupuncture to the test.
I started seeing her to help, in search of help for my lack of energy (I was sleeping eight hours and still feeling groggy in the morning) and stress. And over the course of almost a year, with some of her Mount Sunny herbs, my energy and life (yes, bold, I know) changed.
Now living in Phoenix, their hometown, with their newly opened store/wellness center, Mount Sunny is visiting us in LA for our market and sharing not only cupping, but their medicinally dyed clothing and herbs.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your brand so we can get to know you better?
Mount Sunny is an acupuncture & wellness studio based in Phoenix, AZ. Rooted in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), we offer personalized healthcare services, proprietary herbal medicine, complete with an in-house line of medicinally-dyed clothing. Acupuncture is rich in history, yet still newer to the West, so we're trying to find relevant and exciting ways to bring new life and interest towards this method of healing.
What's the inspiration behind Mount Sunny, and what aspirations do you have for your company moving forward?
The connectivity of everything around us deeply inspires us, and we work daily to do our part in bringing awareness to the gift of life through healing, intention, and compassion. Looking ahead, we hope to continue introducing people to a different branch of wellness and hope to bring everyone one step closer to their true and present self.
Do you practice a sustainable/low impact/zero-waste lifestyle? If so, how do you practice it, and what are your motivators?
Since I was young, I've always tried to lead a sustainable lifestyle, which is something I'm consistently refining as the years go on. My favorite practices include gardening (what I can in the desert), eating locally through weekly trips to the farmer's market, and not supporting fast fashion by buying and tailoring gently used clothing. Acupuncture, cupping, and herbal medicine all have very minimal impact on the environment. Sterile, stainless steel needles and a few cotton swabs are typically the only waste I generate during treatments. My biggest motivator is to continue adding to the world more than I am taking from it, whether that is through our practice or through everyday living.
What's one small change humans can do to show a little love Mother Earth that they may not realize?
To see themselves in everyone and everything around them and to practice unconditional love for everything in the universe. Although we all have our own opinions on how we entered this moment, we're all here together. Leading with empathy can do wonders for the world around you.
What's the best piece of advice you've ever received? What's the greatest piece of encouragement?
In the middle of challenging poses, a yoga instructor of mine would tell the class to "do your best, not your most." I find myself calling on that during times when I'm feeling spread thin or run down or just having an "off" day. It allows me to release any judgment of expecting my mind, body, or spirit to perform a certain way and opens me up to appreciate the moment.
The encouragement that I seek as often as I can is "Be Here Now" from one of my favorite spiritual mentors, Ram Dass. These three words have shaped who I am today and encourage me to show up and be present for myself, my patients, and everyone else I come into contact with. These three words allow me to slow down enough to enjoy the magic of life that Mother Earth provides.
What are you excited about? Is there anything fun coming up for you?
Being a new business that is multi-faceted, I am anxious to see what people connect with and are receptive to. The challenge of bringing Eastern medicine and philosophies to the Western thinking mind is what fuels my every day, and bringing these ideas to the masses is what excites me.