Today we’d like to introduce you to Warren Cargal.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I am an Acupuncturist and when I arrived in Atlanta in 1995, Acupuncture was not legal in the State. For the next five years, several local Acupuncturist and I spent time down at the State capital education legislatures about the benefits of acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. This work cumulated with the passage of the 2001 Georgia Acupuncture Act which made Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine available to Georgia residents.
In 2001, I opened my Acupuncture practice in Atlanta with myself as the sole practitioner. Actually, I was the sole everything, I booked patients, checked people out, and filled herbal orders. Today, I am the Clinic Director with four acupuncturists, two Chiropractors, a front desk person, as well as an affordable community acupuncture-based service.
The Acupuncture Atlanta online store www.acuatlanta.net was created in September 2005, initially offering 15 lines for sale to the clinic practice. As the clinic and store expanded, the office was relocated to accommodate additional clinic practitioners and inventory.
Today, the store includes over 100 manufacturers, including doctor-trusted brands, as well as the addition of homeopathics, functional foods, beauty care, and pet products. We now provide supplement and herbs to both patients and practitioners across the U.S. and internationally.
I am still actively involved in the Clinic and my current research interests include the role of mitochondria in aging and disease, how the mind can affect healing, and the influence of the gut microbiome on both the mind and body. I has written several books including “Your Mitochondria: Key to Health and Longevity” and “The Reality We Create.” Both books are available Amazon.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In high school, I had a transformational experience. I was a runner on the track team and was ranked in the top 10 in the State of Texas. During a regional track meet, I fell and ruptured a disc in my lower back. For the next six months, I experienced sciatic pain running down my leg and was walking stooped over as it was difficult to stand straight. During that time period, I tried physical therapy and was on pain medications while completing my senior year.
I was not making much progress in recovering and my doctor referred me to a surgeon. The surgeon informed me that, based on my injury, I needed surgery to fuse two discs in my lower back. He also said if I didn’t have this surgery I would end up losing bowel control and would need a colostomy. This was a serious prognosis.
My mother, bless her heart, was a nurse and was the one who had been scheduling my doctor and therapy appointments. Outside this surgeon’s office, she informed me we were going to see a chiropractor. This was definitely “outside the box” thinking for my mother.
After one treatment, I was able to stand straight again and, after 10 treatments, my sciatic pain was gone. The realization I had after my first chiropractic treatment was how decisions we make can have profound consequences on us for the rest of our life. My mother saved me from surgery. I am sure the surgeon was a well-intentioned individual, however, his training and his point of view were that surgery was the only way I was going to get better. I walked away from that experience with the understanding that my health is my responsibility. I can defer to someone to make a health decision for me or I can be actively involved in my health and wellbeing which means questioning and sometimes challenging entrenched positions about health.
Today, there are many ways people can be actively involved in taking their health back into their own hands … What is your choice?
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Acupuncture Atlanta – what should we know?
I believe that all of us deserve a healthy, vital life and that we have the potential to create that for ourselves.
My fundamental approach for helping one achieve a healthy creative life is to support you in questioning long-held beliefs about the root causes of chronic disease or aging. There is ample evidence which shows that the greatest health transformations unfold when you address the root cause. What one may not realize is how vital a role we play in our health and in improving it.
At my clinic, Acupuncture Atlanta, my team and I work every day to empower people who are dealing with chronic disease conditions. Over and over again we find that healing can sometimes be as simple as lifestyle interventions that are often ignored by mainstream medicine.
If you’re a practitioner or health coach, my books offer you the latest research on the driving forces of a chronic disease condition, aging and how our consciousness creates our health and creativity.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
There are two qualities that have been important to me:
-continuously questioning my own beliefs and judgment about life and specifically about what success is.
-an understanding of the interrelatedness and interdependence of all life, which means that my actions have effects on those around me, in addition to the environment and all life on the planet. That does require a level of mindfulness in my daily interactions.
Contact Info:
- Address: Acupuncture Atlanta, Inc
455 E. Paces Ferry Rd., Ste 222
Atlanta, GA 30305 - Website: www.acuatlanta.net
- Phone: 4042335080
- Email: wcargal9@acuatlanta.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acuatlanta/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/acuatlanta
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/warrencargal/
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
