Sundara Wellness aims to promote internal beauty and address imbalances from the inside out by approaching wellness from a whole-body perspective.
Candace Billings, the owner of Sundara Wellness, is a Memphis native and National College of Natural Medicine graduate. As a board-certified and licensed acupuncturist, Candace performs acupuncture to treat various conditions, though her specialties are women’s health, fertility, prenatal and postpartum care, digestive and endocrine disorders, fatigue, and emotional health.
Acupuncture originates from traditional Chinese medicine and has been practiced for over 2,500 years. The goal is to balance the flow of energy through the body using precisely placed needles, which can lead to alleviating pain and treating a wide range of symptoms. “No matter what we are treating with acupuncture, we are balancing the nervous system and inducing a parasympathetic response in the body,” Candace explains.
In addition to standard acupuncture, Sundara also offers cosmetic acupuncture, which uses acupuncture needles in the face and body to stimulate blood flow and redirect energy within the body to provide a more youthful, healthy appearance of the skin. Jessica Puckett is also a native Memphian and certified acupuncturist at Sundara but specializes in cosmetic acupuncture and the treatment of pain, orthopedic injury, and sports performance. “People think that you have to choose between Eastern or Western medicine. I think both should be used together to receive the most beneficial results,” Jessica says.
Before a cosmetic acupuncture appointment, patients fill out an intake form detailing any symptoms experienced throughout the body, both physical and mental. The acupuncturist then spends time consulting with the patient about any physical or mental ailments listed and discusses the goals for the procedure.
During the cosmetic acupuncture procedure, needles are placed on the feet and legs, as well as on the hands, face, and scalp, as determined by the acupuncturist. They may also feel for any tension in specific facial muscles and can add more needles to that area as necessary. After all the needles are inserted, the acupuncturist covers the patient’s eyes and treats the face with an infrared red light, known to improve the appearance of the skin. The cosmetic acupuncture procedure concludes with facial cupping, using a hyaluronic acid serum to further reduce fine lines and skin discoloration.
In addition to acupuncture, Sundara also offers massage therapy, nutrition coaching, physical therapy, holistic primary care, pilates, and yoga classes. Each of these practices aims to prevent unwellness — by paying attention to your body, and how you feel, you can solve problems before they become unmanageable. “We look at treatment like the leaves of a plant,” says Candace. “Any symptoms are the leaves — what are they telling me about the roots and the soil?”
Services offered by Sundara Wellness can be found on
By Zoe Harrison
Photo by Tindall Stephens
their website at Sundarawellness.com. Contact Sundara at [email protected] or by calling 901.321.5803.
