Journey to Healing and Balance – Exclusive Interview With Meghan Rose Nolan

There isn't a time Meghan can recall when she was not thinking about or actively exploring the profound transformation available to us through deeper means of healing. After being diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) at a young age, Meghan flipped her script from financial professional to licensed acupuncturist and board certified herbalist. She is proud to dedicate her life's work to helping others find resilience in mind, body and spirit through integrative medicine and hands-on care.

Meghan Rose Nolan, Acupuncturist + Board Certified Herbalist

Introduce yourself! Please tell us about you and your life, so we can get to know you better.

Hello! I’m Dr. Meghan Rose Nolan, LAc, and I live in Denver, Colorado, where I’m lucky enough to work, play, and soak in the beauty of the mountains. I’m a Doctor of Acupuncture with a specialization in Chinese Herbal Medicine, and I’m fully dedicated to my private practice. I treat everything from fertility, digestive, autoimmune, and hormonal concerns to orthopedic injuries, athletic recovery, and nervous system regulation. I also take pride in incorporating hands-on therapies like medical massage, cupping, and other East Asian modalities, hence my practice’s name: Meghan Rose Acupuncture | Massage | Integrative Medicine.

I honestly can’t remember a time when I wasn’t thinking about how we can feel most alive and powerful in our bodies. That curiosity took me on a coast-to-coast journey. I left a decade-long career in finance in Manhattan to go back to school in Portland, Oregon, at age 32. Today, I feel incredibly grateful that I often feel most present and connected to life when I’m working with my patients. Acupuncture and East Asian medicine are both a science and an art, and I find deep joy in thinking critically on my feet, working with my hands, and holding space for healing. It’s a passion I know I’ll continue to study and grow in for the rest of my life.

These days, I love being the first one at the park with my dog, Penny, it’s so peaceful to take in the sunrise together. In the winter, I joke that she gets “first chair” after a fresh snow, which she absolutely lives for. Early mornings are also when I journal and tend to my sourdough (I’ll never go back to store-bought bread!). I’m drawn to anything old or vintage and tend to lose myself in thoughts about the stories the charm, detail, and energy of older objects continue to carry, whether it’s a piece of jewelry, a home, or open land. I’m also quite handy and repurposed the desk I use in my office!

Whether it’s baking a loaf of bread, hosting a dinner party, or designing my office space, I love bringing a sense of beauty and harmony to everything I do. People often tell me that this creates a calming effect, and I love hearing that.

I feel deeply supported by the community around me, my family, friends, my boyfriend, and of course, Penny. Their love and encouragement have allowed me to grow, explore, and serve others in meaningful ways.

You blend acupuncture with spiritual wellness—how do the two complement each other?

Acupuncture and spiritual wellness are inseparable. This system of medicine was developed with an understanding that the mind, body, environment, and spirit are always intimately connected. It’s important to note, however, that while acupuncture holds space for the spiritual, it is not tied to any specific religious or political ideology. Its strength lies in its universality, offering a framework for healing that honors individual beliefs and experiences.

Acupuncture, as part of the East Asian medicine paradigm, is a therapeutic modality that influences the biochemical processes that regulate our nervous systems. This encourages patients to experience a higher degree of resilience and a deeper sense of self-trust to navigate the changes and inevitable stresses of life’s seasons. In this way, acupuncture offers a physical means to open our capacity to see and know ourselves in a way that allows our Dao, or ultimate life path, to unfold with greater ease and inner spiritual guidance.

What’s one common misconception people have about acupuncture?

There are a few misconceptions, and I’ll briefly cover the biggest ones here. First, many people fear needles and assume acupuncture must hurt, but that couldn’t be further from the truth! The reality is that acupuncture needles are no bigger than the width of a single strand of hair, and in the hands of an attuned practitioner, they are often barely felt. Most patients describe the sensation that takes over after a point has been inserted as relaxing or meditative, sometimes accompanied by a dull ache, warming, cooling, or tingling sensation, which signals that we’re activating the body’s biochemical response to heal both localized pain and systemic pathologies.

Another common misconception is around practitioner training and education. Acupuncture and herbal medicine cannot be taught over a weekend workshop, or even over a 200- to 500-hour certificate training. Acupuncturists receive a rigorous and highly regulated education, culminating in a Master’s and/or Doctoral degree that also meets Western medical standards in anatomy, physiology, and clean needle technique. Acupuncture is real medicine! Research continues to demonstrate its effects on the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems, offering measurable benefits for conditions like chronic pain, anxiety, insomnia, digestive issues, migraines, hormonal imbalances, and more.

How do you personally stay grounded and balanced as a healer?

A hard truth I’ve learned is that in order to have freedom, you need discipline. I stick to a routine that best supports my mental and physical acuity, meaning I get up early to write, meditate, move, and knock off something from my to-do list. I find this always sets me up for a day feeling more present, productive, and in an active state of gratitude. I also have to practice what I preach! Homemade food is non-negotiable, taking breaks for fresh air, getting quality sleep, and making time for fun, or relishing in the pleasure of doing nothing at all, are powerful practices. It’s why I often remind my patients that the best medicines are free. Of course, I also support myself with regular acupuncture and herbal medicine as needed.

I love to travel, and I’m actually getting ready to hike a portion of the Via di Francesco in Italy this year, something both physically and spiritually challenging that I’m truly looking forward to. Getting out into the expanse of the world, especially on foot, is where I can observe myself through the lens of a new horizon, which fuels a fresh life perspective that I can bring back into the treatment room.

Tell us about your greatest career achievement so far.

There are so many amazing moments that can quietly unfold in any given treatment, or over a longer period of time. Cases that touch my heart are the ones where we go beyond healing physical pain and mobility. Oftentimes, that’s just the first layer to resolve. Even after doing this for years, I’m still floored when a patient tells me how shifts in their body have opened their heart to new relationships, helped them process grief, sparked a bold career change, or lifted roadblocks to managing anxiety, depression, or stress.

One of the most meaningful aspects of my work has been supporting Veterans. To witness the trajectories of their lives shift, from being overshadowed by chronic pain, anger, and post-traumatic stress to experiencing ease, freedom of movement, connection, and self-compassion, is something I will never take for granted. These moments remind me why I do what I do, and how truly powerful this medicine can be.

Tell us about a pivotal moment in your life that brought you to where you are today.

In November 2008, when I was 24 years old, I had a 6cm dermoid ovarian cyst removed. The surgical recovery was more difficult and painful than anything I had ever experienced. While there may not have been anything I could have done to prevent that outcome, I vowed to take a deeper and more intentional look at how I was caring for and showing up for myself, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

A few years later, I found acupuncture, and it left a profound impact on what I thought was possible for my life. I still vividly remember walking into my acupuncturist’s office one day, looking around, and thinking: This is it. This is how I want to live, working with patients, creating healing spaces, running a business rooted in purpose. To me, that felt like owning life.

Today, I still pinch myself when I reflect on the path I’ve taken, every class, every board exam, every challenge overcome. I’m doing the work that once inspired me from the other side of the treatment table, and I’m so grateful to have answered the call to be an ambassador of this medicine.

Follow me on Instagram, and visit my website for more info!

Read more from Meghan Rose Nolan