Marina Gan- Acupuncturist, Yogi, Mother, Maker, Homesteader
We recently sat down with long-time Ruscombe practitioner Marina Gan for an update on her practice, and what’s going on in her world. Ruscombe has so many creative individuals practicing their healing craft in our lovely mansion, and it’s inspiring to learn how they incorporate a healing presence into their daily lives.
Ruscombe: Hi Marina, let’s start with a little background about yourself and your practice.
Marina Gan: I received my Master of Acupuncture training at the Tai Sophia Institute (Now Maryland University of Integrative Health) and have been licensed in Maryland and in practice for 15 years. My acupuncture practice is informed by nearly 20 years of yoga teaching and practice, as well as study in meditation. I also have a deep personal interest in nutrition and the ways in which we nourish our bodies as well as the deeper less tangible aspects of our ourselves. I am passionate about empowering my clients to understand and learn from their bodies, and I am devoted to helping the people I work with experience greater ease, purpose, and awareness.
R: How did you come to your specific practice?
MG: I like to say that I experienced the closest thing I can imagine to a “calling”. I had just received a handful of acupuncture treatments from a friend who at the time was a student at the Tai Sophia Institute, in the clinical phase. It was my first experience with five element acupuncture. We had a family friend while I was growing up who was an acupuncturist, so it was not foreign to me, but I had never received anything other than acute one-off treatments. During the time I was receiving weekly acupuncture treatment at Tai Sophia, I was completing my final pre-requisites for an entirely different graduate program, which I was to begin in a couple of months. We planned a short break from my acupuncture treatments while we both did some traveling, and, a series of completely serendipitous and unexpected events led me to feel an unwavering conviction that I needed to change course, and study acupuncture. Within weeks I unenrolled from the program I was about to begin, and applied to acupuncture school.
R: Why do you choose to practice at Ruscombe?
MG:I have been receiving acupuncture at Ruscombe since about 2007. As a client I came to experience it as a really special, healing place. When I was setting up my private practice, I was grateful that Ruscombe had a room available. I have been practicing here happily ever since!
R: When you’re not healing others, what lights you up? How do you recharge yourself?
MG:My family and I have a homestead and a side business related to the chickens we keep. When I’m not practicing acupuncture, I’m homeschooling our son, cooking, fermenting, baking sourdough, working in the garden, tending to our chickens, or creating artwork for our chicken-themed textile business. I feel like all of the activities, disciplines, and practices that I commit myself to are interrelated and inform one another. There is a continuous thread of cultivation of self, developing of skills and using my hands, tending to others, creating rather than consuming, and weaving all of those together into the rich tapestry of ways in which I get to spend my time.
R: Tell us more about your homestead! Thats really cool, what does that look like on a daily basis?
MG: On our homestead, my husband primarily tends to the land and big outdoor jobs, we all share the chicken duties, and I primarily tend to the kitchen and garden and to homeschooling. Every year I try a couple new things in the garden or take on a learning a new skill or leveling up an existing practice. This year will be our first time raising baby chicks, I’ve planted potatoes for the first time, and, I’ve finally invested in a proper indoor seed-starting setup and learning and implementing the next level of best practices.
R: In addition to your healing and homesteading practices, you create textiles and other goods. What are they like, and how we can check out your work?
MG: We have a chicken-themed textile business. All of the images are my original artwork. My background in what feels like another life is in fine art, and I have been really enjoying dusting off those skills, putting them to use in this fun way! All of the design and production is done by my husband. My son has been getting into it, too, and making some of his own designs! Our product line includes adults and kids T-shirts and hoodies, tote bags, tea towels, aprons, stickers, and more.
We don’t yet have an e-commerce platform set up, for the time being you can contact us directly to order or find us in person at local markets and maker events! Coming up we will be at Frederick Fiber Fest, Parkton Artisan Festival, Big Truck Brewery Maker Market, and Hereford Farmers Market.
R: Do you have any specials or seasonal offerings for new clients that we can share?
MG: Now through the month of June I’m offering three treatments for $200 — that’s a $145 savings for new clients!
R: How can folks learn more about your services?
MG: You can find my acupuncture practice and online at:
Or contact me directly at ganmarina@gmail.com.
Find and follow our homesteading adventures and chicken business on Facebook and Instagram at Hands and Heart Homestead or reach us at handsandhearthome@gmail.com
R: Thank you for your work, and for taking the time to share. We definitely want to place an order for some chicken tote bags and look forward to seeing your son’s new designs!