Meet Sonya Patel of Mirvana Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs in Sugar Land

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sonya Patel.

Sonya, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I had an early introduction to acupuncture. I went with my parents to their regular acupuncture appointments when I was about 7 years old. My mother is now a retired pharmacist and she did not want to take harsh medications for her allergies. Around the age of 13, I started suffering with migraines and started to receive acupuncture treatments for myself. It was a positive change after a few months of regular acupuncture treatments. I no longer had the constant pain.

When I was in college and about to complete my nutrition degree, I attended an event. At the event, a car crashed through a wall and ran over me. I was pinned beneath the car and sustained severe injuries and I had to learn to walk again. The pain was unbearable but I was determined to return to University of Houston to complete my degree on time. I turned to acupuncture once again for pain relief and was amazed that I was able to sit in classes and study with minimal pain. If I had taken pain medications, I would have been sleepy and unable to concentrate. I graduated valedictorian of my class with a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition. I was inspired to then seek a 4-year Master of Science degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

I now help patients at my private practice and also work at Memorial Hermann in Memorial City. In addition, I collaborate with MD Anderson, researching acupuncture for the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation. I have been practicing for 15 years, and certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental medicine. I am also a fellow of the American Board of Oriental Reproductive Medicine. I specialize in fertility, gynecology, pain management, allergies, stress, addictions, oncology, and sleep disorders. I am currently pursuing a doctorate degree at the California Institute of Integral Studies. I travel to San Francisco once a month to attend modules and do clinical rotations in Houston and will be traveling to Nairobi, Kenya for another rotation. I will be graduating with this degree in August 2018. This degree will allow me to present and research acupuncture benefits in order to break walls for complementary medicine to be more accepted within our healthcare system. We need a collaboration of eastern and western medicine in our hospitals and private care. Patients should be offered other modalities other than simply medication and surgery. I hope to be able to collaborate with medical doctors, government healthcare systems, and world health organizations to be able to offer the valuable resource of TCM (traditional Chinese medicine).

Has it been a smooth road?
I am also a single mother, so starting a business in Sugar Land and working 6 days a week is sometimes overwhelming, but my daughter, Mira, makes it easy. Mirvana was named after my daughter. Mira + Nirvana (state of tranquility) = Mirvana. Mira is now 9 years old and I have been a single mom since she was 12 months old. Mira has her own line of natural bath & body products for kids, Mirvana’s Little Lotus. She creates and oversees the manufacturing of her products. She also does marketing for the Little Lotus line.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Mirvana Acupuncture is the first acupuncture business in the Houston area to earn the coveted A rating by the Better Business Bureau. The Feng shui interior is enhanced with relaxing music and spa chic décor. Each treatment room features soothing colors, calming wall art, naturally inspired materials and aromatherapy herbal pillows along with a call button for your peace of mind. With the ease of on-line appointment scheduling, electronic receipts, and email reminders Mirvana Acupuncture marries the art of Traditional Chinese Medicine with the functionality of modern technology. Mirvana won the 2013 BBB Pinnacle Award for Healthcare & 2014-2016 Readers Choice Award for BEST OF Pain Management & Acupuncture (Living Magazine).

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I love our city. I grew up in Fort Bend County and love Sugar Land. I wish our city was a little more open minded about complementary medicine. There is a myth that all complementary medicine practitioners hate western medicine and that’s not true. We wouldn’t be alive if it was not for western medicine, however we need to find a way to integrate the 2 in order to serve our community better.

Contact Info:

• Address: 736 Highway 6, Ste 103
  Sugar Land, TX 77478
• Website: www.mirvacu.com
• Phone: 281-491-0110
• Email: info@mirvacu.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=mirvana%20acupuncture%20%26%20chinese%20herbs
• Twitter: @mirvacu
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/mirvana-acupuncture-and-chinese-herbs-sugar-land-2
• Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-patel-bb321633/

Image Credit:
The photo of Sonya & Mira- Elizabeth Trenery Photography
Sonya’s headshot- CTMcghee Photography

Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.