Theresa Moodie is a Johannesburg-based, 500-level yoga teacher and lecturer with a special interest in Traditional Chinese Medicine, more specifically combining the practice of Yin yoga with acupuncture stimulation. Apart from being aligned with Yoga Alliance International and Shakti Yoga, Theresa has qualifications in Acupuncture and Biomedical Sciences (specialising in Anatomy, Physiology & Pathology) through the Athens College of East Asian Medicine. Theresa is also an Acudetox practitioner. Theresa has hosted multiple retreats from here in South Africa, to Corsica, Greece and Croatia. In this blog post, Theresa shares a summary of her journey and – if you’re interested in learning more (like “what should I expect in an acupuncture session?”) scroll down for some useful links to further reading on Theresa’s website.
My journey into the world of wellness began with fitness and then yoga. Starting out as a personal trainer I was drawn to the profound connection between body, mind, and spirit that yoga was able to facilitate.
Yoga wasn’t just about movement; it was about healing, mindfulness, and discovering one’s inner strength.
Over the years, I witnessed how powerful the practice was for my students and myself.
However, as much as yoga offered, I felt there were deeper layers of healing I wanted to explore. As I deepened my own practice, I began to notice areas where some of my clients needed more than what yoga could provide. Some struggled with chronic pain, stress, anxiety or imbalances that movement alone couldn’t address.
I had always been fascinated by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and its holistic view of the body. Its understanding of energy flow, balance, and natural healing resonated deeply with me and mirrored many of the Ayurvedic health principles I was already familiar with.
The more I experienced acupuncture, the more I was drawn to it as a complementary modality to my yoga teachings. The decision to become an acupuncturist was both exciting and intimidating. Acupuncture seemed like a natural extension of what I was already doing—helping people find balance and harmony in their lives—but it also involved more years of study and practice in an entirely new discipline.
I knew it would require a deep commitment, but the thought of being able to help people in such a profound way pushed me forward. The training was rigorous, but it reignited the same passion I had felt when I first started teaching yoga.
Acupuncture opened my eyes to a new way of seeing the body and its systems, beyond just the musculoskeletal framework. I learned to understand the subtle flow of Qi (energy), the energy pathways that exist as a tapestry under the skin and how its blockages could manifest in physical or emotional pain.
One of the most rewarding aspects of my journey has been discovering how yoga and acupuncture complement each other. In both, the focus is on restoring balance, whether it’s through movement, breath, or the insertion of needles to activate energy channels.
Yoga prepares the body and mind for deeper healing, while acupuncture taps into the body’s energy systems, helping to address issues from within.
Today, I feel more equipped than ever to support my clients on their wellness journeys. Whether someone comes to me for yoga, acupuncture, or a combination of both, I have a wider range of tools to help them achieve their goals. What began as a desire to deepen my understanding of the body has transformed into a lifelong pursuit of holistic healing. Becoming an acupuncturist has allowed me to expand my vision of wellness, and I’m excited to continue integrating these practices to help others live healthier, more balanced lives.
