The Gift of Presence: Reflections on Acupuncture in Calgary, Yoga, and Life
The Gift of Presence: Reflections on Acupuncture in Calgary, Yoga, and Life
“Happiness is having a clear sense of the path that you are on, not being distracted by the paths that crisscross yours. Especially the footprints of those that are hopelessly lost.” — Seneca
The year 2025 has been a paradox of holding and releasing, of intensity and grace. As I sit down to reflect, my heart is full—not because everything was easy, but because I finally get to live the life I’ve been studying for. And that shift, from the theory of becoming to the reality of being, has changed everything.
But perhaps more than anything, this year taught me about boundaries. Not the harsh, rigid kind that shut people out, but the intentional, loving kind that allow you to show up fully for what truly matters. The kind that keep you on your own path, even when the world offers a thousand enticing detours.
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The First Half: Holding On Through the Threshold
The first half of 2025 was all about one word: perseverance. I was studying for my boards while navigating motherhood, managing a household, and trying to keep my own head above water. There’s no gentle way to describe that season—it was relentless.
And it required boundaries I’d never had to set before. Like saying no to social invitations. Turning down opportunities that would have scattered my focus. I protected my study time fiercely, even when it felt selfish. Because I knew—deep in my bones—that if I let myself be distracted by every path that crossed mine, I would lose sight of my own.
Seneca’s words became my compass during those months: Happiness is having a clear sense of the path that you are on. I had to trust that my path was worth the sacrifice, worth the tunnel vision, worth saying no to almost everything except the goal ahead of me.
But I didn’t do it alone. My husband was my anchor. He literally held me through the hardest moments—the late-night study sessions, the overwhelm, the doubt that crept in at 3 AM when I wasn’t sure I could do it all. He showed up with coffee, with patience, with unwavering belief that I would pass. My teachers had faith in me when I needed it most. My friends and family held space for me without asking for anything in return. To say I’m grateful feels insufficient—but I am. Profoundly, bone-deeply grateful.
I passed my boards. And almost immediately, I found myself at Encompass Sports Therapy in Bridgeland—a clinic that felt like coming home. For the first time in years, I was part of a team again. I was collaborating with physiotherapists, massage therapists, chiropractors and other practitioners who shared with me, taught me, and reminded me why I fell in love with healthcare. There’s something sacred about working alongside people who care as much as you do.
The Second Half: Practice, One Patient at a Time
The second half of 2025 wasn’t about grand gestures or massive patient loads. It was about the quiet miracle of showing up for one person, then the next, then the next.
And here, I discovered a different kind of boundary—not the protective walls I’d needed during my studies, but a more discerning clarity about where my energy wanted to go. I could have said yes to everything: every modality, every type of patient, every opportunity that came my way. But I would have spread myself thin. I would have diluted my medicine.
Instead, I chose to focus on what made my heart sing. What called to me. What felt aligned with my path, not someone else’s.
I’ve seen remarkable clinical results—sleep returning to insomniacs, digestive systems that finally work, necks and shoulders that remember how to move without pain.
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The bulk of my practice has been devoted to women moving through menopause. And this, I believe, is where my medicine has found its true calling. I’ve witnessed women reclaim their bodies, their energy, their sense of self during a transition that our culture has told them to endure in silence. I’ve seen hot flashes diminish, mood stabilize, and sleep feel restorative again. There’s something about holding space for a woman’s midlife transformation that feels sacred. It’s an honour I don’t take lightly.
I’ve also had the gift of supporting women on their conception journeys—witnessing the vulnerability and hope that comes with wanting to create life. And the facial acupuncture work has been joyful; there’s something special about helping women feel radiant from the inside out.
These are my people. This is my work. And knowing that—really knowing it—has been one of the greatest gifts of this year.
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Integration: Where Yoga and Acupuncture Calgary Meet
This year, I did something I hadn’t done since moving to Canada: I taught a live yoga class. It was a 4 week course – a mummy-baby class at Calgary Birth Essentials. For the first time, I’m not just teaching yoga or doing acupuncture. I’m beginning to weave them together, the way I’ve always envisioned.
The work at Ramsay Acupuncture and Wellness has been extraordinary for this reason. Being able to blend yoga and acupuncture in the same space, for the same clients, feels like finally bringing together the two languages my body has always spoken. More collaborations are coming next year, and I can feel the potential in that integration.
This, too, is about boundaries. About not letting myself be pulled in directions that don’t serve my vision. About trusting that my unique combination of skills and passions has value, even if it doesn’t look like anyone else’s path.
The Personal Practice: Walking the Walk
I’ve always believed that the best practitioners are those who take their own medicine—literally and figuratively. This year, I’ve been intentional about keeping my health at its best. I’m striving to maintain the energy and stamina I need for my family and my patients. Because they deserve a practitioner who isn’t just knowledgeable, but rooted in her own wellness practice.
It’s not always perfect. Some days, I’m tired. Some days, the balance feels impossible. But the commitment to my own healing remains non-negotiable. How can I ask my patients to invest in their wellbeing if I’m not doing the same?
And this, perhaps, is the ultimate boundary: the one between self-abandonment and self-care. Between martyrdom and sustainability. Between burning out and burning bright.
The Gift of Presence
If 2025 taught me anything, it’s this: presence is the most powerful medicine. Not the flashiest technique, not the most expensive supplement, not the perfectly curated social media post. Presence. Being fully there for one person. Listening not just with my ears, but with my whole body, my whole being and listening with my heart. Witnessing their pain and their potential in equal measure.
That’s what the gift of presence means to me—it’s the privilege of standing in the space between a patient’s suffering and their healing. It’s the honor of being part of their story, even for a moment.
But here’s what I’ve learned: true presence is only possible when you know your boundaries. When you’re not stretched so thin that you’re halfway out the door during every appointment. And you are not saying yes to paths that aren’t yours, leaving yourself depleted and resentful. When you’ve claimed your own path with enough clarity that you can stand firmly on it, fully available to the person in front of you.
Seneca was right. Happiness isn’t about having it all or being everything to everyone. It’s about knowing your path and walking it with intention. It’s about not letting the footprints of the lost—or even the well-meaning—pull you off course.
As I move into 2026, I carry with me the lessons of this beautiful, challenging, grace-filled year. A year that taught me that miracles happen not all at once, but one patient, one breath, one moment of presence at a time. This year taught me that boundaries aren’t walls. They are the containers that allow our medicine to deepen, our presence to matter, our path to unfold exactly as it should.
Thank you for being part of my story. Thank you for trusting me with yours.
With deep gratitude,
Dr. Sabina
