Meet your Acupuncturist!  

Heidi Vanderpool, LAc, LMT

I’ve always been drawn toward the connection and interplay of different factors related to well-being.  When I was 15 years old, I wrote a research paper about the mind/body connection (not easy to do in the days before the internet in Smalltown, OH).  Little did I know what my life-path would bring. Fast forward to 2007: I became a student at The American Institute of Alternative Medicine studying massage therapy.  I fell in love with the academic study of the body and of using touch as a healing modality. During that time period, I began receiving regular acupuncture treatments.  I was astonished at the effects!

After a few years of practicing as a licensed massage therapist full-time, I decided to further my studies and return to AIAM for my Masters in Acupuncture.  I found that the more I studied this medicine, the more I was in awe of the simplicity and sophistication of Traditional Chinese Medicine. After a few years of school and a stint of interning at the Beijing Hospital of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, I graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2014.  

Aside from my love for medicine, my interests include growing the garden of my dreams, DIY everything, cooking, adventures big and small, voraciously reading, meditation of many forms, and soaking up some Vitamin O (vitamin outside).  

Meet your Meditation TeacheR!

Kirsten Carroll

For the last 20 years, I have been curious about Buddhism and meditation. I began my studies in high school at the same time as I began receiving reiki attunements. After quite the wild ride of life, I began more formal training and practice in 2013

I have studied meditation with Kelly Morris of the Conquering Lion Yoga Teacher Training program and also completed Yoga on High’s 2014 Ashtanga Immersion. I draw much of my meditation teaching from the late Michael Stone, with inspiration from Ram Dass, Roshi Joan Halifax, and Sharon Salzburg. I have also sought out further training in reiki and pranayama.

In June of 2015, I started Equanimity Unlimited, teaching meditation classes and coaching individuals in mindfulness practices in Columbus and online. I am currently furthering my study of Buddhism and meditation practice. I started the Upaya Zen Center’s Buddhist Chaplaincy training in March of 2021.

I believe whole-heartedly in the ability of meditation and mindfulness to change lives for the better. Because wellness is not just about the mind, but about the connection of mind-body, I have continued to also share reiki and have embarked on my acupuncture education and licensure.