Community Highlights: Meet Livia Hall of Livia Hall Acupuncture

Today we’d like to introduce you to Livia Hall.

Hi Livia, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My life has ultimately been enriched by a variety of moves, a variety of careers, and changes of life directions dictated by communism, health scares, divorces, and a love of the arts.

I was born in what is now Slovakia. I was a young girl when my family quickly picked up and left in 1968 as Russian tanks were rolling in and occupying Czechoslovakia. We were granted asylum in Ontario, Canada and arrived just before Christmas with only suitcases in hand to a massive culture shock. As a 5 year old girl I remember the comraderie and the struggle of other Czechs and Slovaks who were in the same situation. Somehow this run away and struggle mentality attached itself to my psyche and has been a part of my journey.

We settled in the suburbs of Cleveland where I went to school and grew up. In grade school I discovered a love of the arts and the community of other art-loving friends. I attended Ohio University studying theater, dance, and French. After graduation I moved to Los Angeles in pursuit of an acting career.

By a twist of fate one of my college professors connected me with his buddy Larry, who turned out to be Lawrence Olivier. I worked for him and his family as a private cook for a summer on the beach in Malibu.
This fun job launched me into a career as a private chef and caterer in Los Angeles. I did this work for over 15 years. In the meantime I got married and had 2 children, Baxter and Ariana.

The fast pace of Los Angeles, long and late work hours, homeschooling my children, and an eroding marriage took a toll on me and I developed some health problems. As a remnant of the “old country” I was a devotee of natural, non invasive health care. That was when I was introduced to the powerful and positive approach of Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture.
My first session with Dr Mao was life altering for me. His positive, certain, and soft spoken style effectively got me to make changes in my diet, and ultimately in my life.

Cutting to the chase, I got well and eventually went to Yo San University to study Eastern Medicine and be able to share with others the same positive and natural healthcare that made me well. After finishing acupuncture school I moved to Boulder Colorado to seek a quieter, mellower life and begin a new life as an acupuncturist. During this time of change I divorced and remarried. 20 years later the marriage did not last but the career did. I love practicing acupuncture and am passionate about this continual journey of keeping up to date with constantly evolving natural health research and development.

Beside my acupuncture practice I have augmented my income with other work. What began as part time work as an activity planner at retirement communities has grown into another love and passion. Not unlike my natural health practice I now strive to improve the lives of seniors by creating opportunities for them to explore, learn, stay active, enjoy the arts, and go out of their comfort zone to remain vibrant and inspired.

In my acupuncture practice, which I continue to work part time, I realize more and more that our spirits, our curiosity, our time in nature, our love of learning and appreciating beauty, and our relationships and friendships are the lifeblood of healthy and fulfilling lives. These days, I work at Frasier Retirement Community doing event planning. I am taking 12 residents on a hot air balloon ride in a few days. It makes me happy to witness how excited these seniors are to go on adventures and be exposed to new things.

I see my acupuncture clients part time. I prioritize time with my adult children, my aging mother, and my brother. I stay inspired and healthy by training for extended hiking and cycling vacations around the world, and I try by best at keeping up with my small farm in Boulder County. I teach qi gong classes, dance, go to hear live music, and still enjoy cooking for family, friends, and myself.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Early in life struggles involved family stress of immigrating to a new country where we knew no one, learning a new language, having parents too busy trying to put food on the table and not really having time for leisure. I remember lots of solitude and loneliness as a little girl. No extended family and often feeling like an outsider. Then when I was 10 years old my father, while walking home from work, was struck my a car and died.
More recent struggles were from 2 divorces and seeing my children, now 36 and 34, still reckoning with those difficult times.
Taking care of my 89 year old mom, who moved close to me after her 2nd husband passed away, is a constant worry and concern.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I have been practicing acupuncture for 22 years. I specialize in offering my patients a variety of tools to improve their health or heal from illness. My philosophy is that it is always a combination of factors that have led to a person’s illness and health struggles. In turn, one must create a combination of changes to turn his health picture around.

In addition to offering acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, massage, and Chinese herbal formulas, I always give my patients “homework”. This might be spending time in nature, doing regular breathing exercises for anxiety relief. I often recommend dietary changes or teach a client specific qi gong exercises for their specific condition. I am proud that I can offer this attentive and widely informed perspective to my patients.

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Most acupuncturists, myself included, are creatives and idealists. We have a vision of helping others and making the world a better place. Something that is often lacking is business savvy. It is challenging to run an acupuncture practice when our western medically oriented health insurance system rarely reimburses for acupuncture treatments and TCM modalities. Learning to run a business is critical to success.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://liviahall.com
• Instagram: livialivia8