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Together, we seek long-term solutions for your unique health and wellness concerns.
At Alive and Well, we believe in empowering individuals to have more control over their healthcare journey. We understand that true healing comes from understanding the underlying factors contributing to your health concerns. Our dedicated practitioners are committed to getting to the root cause of your health issues and providing you with personalized options for long-term solutions.
By offering a range of options and personalized treatment plans, we strive to provide you with the knowledge and tools to make informed decisions about your well-being. Together, we work towards achieving long-term, sustainable solutions that address your unique health needs.
Acupuncture is a type of traditional Chinese medicine that’s been around for about 2,500 years. It’s used to support wellness and improve overall mental and physical well-being. The acupuncturist places needles into specific points on the skin to help activate an energy in the body, called qi. According to traditional Chinese medicine, qi is the lifeforce energy in the body — it helps regulate and move things in the body to keep us well. Stress, environmental factors, lifestyle behaviors, and genetics are some of the things that can block qi in the body. The needles help to unblock or move qi to other areas in the body to help support wellness.
Acupuncture needles are solid, stainless steel needles that are usually not much larger than a strand of hair. Acupuncture needles are placed at a very shallow depth and go between tissues, making them less painful than a typical injection.
You might be more sensitive in certain areas, but acupuncture shouldn’t hurt. If you feel pain, tell your acupuncturist. They’ll adjust the needles or choose other points. Their goal is not to make you feel pain. They do a lot of work to position you properly and make sure you feel comfortable.
Indeed you can do acupuncture or massage while pregnant. It is safe and our practitioners are very well versed in how to treat pregnant women. Please let us know when you book a treatment if you are pregnant and how far along you are.
From spa treatments to functional medicine, Alive and Well offers a holistic health ecosystem at each of our three locations.
Meet Michael Swail, a true Texas native who hails from the vibrant city of Austin, renowned for its thriving health and wellness culture. His journey into the world of wellness began in his childhood, deeply influenced by his father, the founder of Peoples Rx – a pioneering independent pharmacy known for its holistic approach. This early exposure to alternative health perspectives shaped Michael’s understanding and appreciation of integrative healthcare.
Shannon has felt nothing but gratitude for the diverse professional opportunities she has experienced throughout her career – including and especially Alive + Well. Shannon has been dedicated to Alive + Well since its beginnings 5 years ago, when many of the original staff wrote their intentions / vision for this incredible space on paper and buried it on the land. She considers the center to be a place where your heart, soul and body can feel cared for, rejuvenated and healed.
Shannon started out her career in Clinical Counseling. She graduated from the University of Victoria, BC in 1998 and for the next 6 years embraced the joy and intricacies of working in counseling centers, non-profits and adult mental health. Her clients dealt with issues such as eating disorders, homelessness, teenage pregnancy, trauma related to abuse, etc. and she considers herself truly blessed for having worked with such resilient individuals through their life challenges.
After working for Mental Health, Shannon took a break from non-profit work and worked at People’s Pharmacy in Austin as a Wellness Consultant and continued to do that for 8 years. People’s Pharmacy has always been a spring board for many to deepen their savvy in health and wellness. As a result of her interest and passion in wellness she became a nutritionist.
While working at People’s Pharmacy, Shannon wanted to continue her professional journey in counselling and coaching and decided to do post graduate work for 2 years through Coaches Training Institute to become a Professional Life Coach.
Shortly after her post grad work, through many amazing “synchronicities”, she became a Law of Attraction Coach for many of the authors and speakers in the movie “The Secret”. For 4 years Shannon was one of 8 Life Coaches that supported clients all around the world on topics such as health, relationships, self-awareness, financial matters, life purpose, inner healing and much more. Unfortunately, in 2008 with the economic downturn, all of the coaches were laid off. To this day Shannon is eternally grateful for the experience. It shaped her lens on life and her coaching style.
Shannon’s next professional venture was in the world of Corporate Wellness where she became the Wellness Coach and Counselor for Intel, Austin TX. She was amazed by this work! Corporate wellness typically looks like discussing nutrition, exercise and biometrics. But Shannon had the freedom to mold her wellness program into a more holistic offering that included spiritual, mental and emotional support, which is what had it be successful. Clients could discuss what mattered most to them on their wellness journey. While at Intel she facilitated group work and one on one sessions.
During her time at Intel she also trained for one year to become a Health and Wellness Coach which was enriching work that complemented all of her other education and training.
In 2016 Shannon had the good fortune of meeting some of the original team members at Hill Country Apothecary in Lakeway. She discovered that they were seeking a consultant / Director of Operations for the future Alive + Well Integrative Wellness Center. Well, she gladly accepted the position and 2 years she worked alongside the original owner and her team to create Alive + Well and Drip Drop IV. In addition to enjoying her work as the Director of Operations, she has been a consultant for individuals and groups around the country that want to open up their own IV Vitamin Therapy business.
If you ask Shannon what has made her diverse positions truly inspiring? She would say that it’s always about building strong relationships based on values that promote healing, understanding, compassion, creativity and deeper consciousness. Her life philosophy is about being in service to what’s present in front of you. She believes that Life is truly a curriculum on how to love ourselves and others more deeply in the world, which is in her eyes vital to overall well-being. Shannon trusts that if her focus is on love and being in service, that her life will continue to flourish just as its meant to both personally and professionally.
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Cindy Nilson is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Full Mesa Carrier, Reiki Master and Intuitive advisor. Utilizing acupuncture, energy-infused acupressure massage therapy and body psychology, she integrates teachings from eastern medicine, shamanism, energy/chakra healing and archetypal patterns to provide a unique diagnostic perspective and treatment experience. Specializing in how stress, our thoughts and emotions affect the physical body, and resourcing from the 10,000 hours spent honing her work, Cindy creates new and exciting collaboratives to her foundations in acupuncture therapy. She believes joining Alive + Well is the joyous culmination of her work and is excited to share this beautiful environment and healing space with her clients.
Cindy holds a B.A. from Texas A&M University and a Masters degree from the International Institute of Chinese Medicine. In 1999 she received her Doctor of Oriental Medicine from the New Mexico State Board of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. A native of Central Texas, she has been in private practice in Lakeway, where she lives happily married, raising kids.