Cultural customs of the Far East have made their way to the Midwest.
Some Traverse City residents are using Asian traditions such as yoga, acupuncture and herbal medicine to better their lives.
Jenna Doherty and fiance Brandon Kietzman opened a Bikram Yoga studio in Traverse City more than three years ago.
"A lot of people think yoga is bunny foo foo," Kietzman said. "They think we have scented candles and are chanting 'chakra, chakra.'"
The couple has instructed more than 3,500 patrons on the myriad body-contorting poses taught in Bikram Yoga. Bikram Yoga, established in the 1970s by Californian Bikram Choudhury, is 90 minutes of stretches and balanced poses in a room with 50 percent humidity and a temperature hovering around 105 degrees.
"We have had people ranging in age from 8 to 80," Doherty said. "We have doctors, lawyers, other professionals, students and stay-at-home moms."
"Anyone can do it," Doherty added.
Acupuncture is a medical practice originating from China that uses a thin disposable stainless steel needle to treat pain. The medical effectiveness of acupuncture is still unclear, despite being used in several Asian countries for thousands of years to treat a host of health problems.
Traverse City native Jennifer Payne, an acupuncturist for seven years, sees a dozen-plus clients each week.
"I treat a lot of patients for herniated disks, shoulder and knee pain or even hormonal treatment," Payne said.
Clients like Linda Franklin of Traverse City uses acupuncture holistically and sees the procedure as preventative health.
"To me, it assists the body to what it's supposed to be doing," said Franklin, who's used acupuncture for four years.
"There's just a little itty-bitty prick and then it quickly dissipates," she said. "And then you feel awesome, you feel great."
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