“Just like the moon, life goes through phases”

Learn more about us:

The name “Manipura” correlates to the solar plexus , which is bridge between the upper and lower halves of the body. As the center, the Manipura chakra acts as the pivot for transformation and manifestation, allowing the integration of thoughts, ideas, and food to be digested and put into action. When in harmony, we are in balance, and our health prevails.

The transitions our bodies undergo at any given period, both physical and emotional, are like the waxing and waning of the seasons. Natures ebbs and flows serve as a gentle reminder that no matter what “phase” of life you are in, you are always whole.

These are a few of the core beliefs that Manipura Acupuncture + Holistic Healthcare was built upon: balance of the mind, body & environment. Through Eastern Medicine, herbs, yoga, and lifestyle support, Acupuncture Physician Marisa Leal empowers her patients to understand, improve, and maintain holistic health.

Meet the Practitioner:

Marisa Leal, LAc, Dipl. OM

Certifications:

Marisa Leal is a licensed acupuncturist in the state of Florida (License #: 4130), Nationally Certified Diplomat of Oriental Medicine and teacher at the Yoga Joint. Some of her other certifications include Injection Therapy, Board Certified Herbalist, and Yoga Alliance RYT® 200 Instructor. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Science and a Master’s Degree in Oriental Medicine as a graduate of The Atlantic Institute of Oriental Medicine.

Marisa is an NSEV (Non Somatic Extraordinary Vessels) graduate, which takes “a holistic modern adaptation of the ancient Chinese Medicine/acupuncture healing systems, AND their essential life affirming functioning” (nsevhealing.com). Marisa currently apprentice’s under Dr. Kevin Clark, Professor and Director of Admissions at ATOM, as well as Dr. Leslie Mcknight, Senior NSEV Practitioner.

What Inspires Me:

In 2013 Marisa lost her younger sister to suicide. A prominent soccer star in South Florida, her sisters passing sent shockwaves through the community. This event was the catalyst for re-awakening Marisa’s self- healing capacity through Chinese Medicine and Yoga. Today Marisa is a mental health advocate, working with athletes and teens to develop healthy ways to express their emotions and break the stigma around mental health. She is the Director of Yoga4b, 501(c) nonprofit organization created out of her sisters legacy, that promotes knowledge of the therapeutic benefits of yoga through teaching and mindfulness to the community including schools.

In the summer of 2019, Marisa lead a retreat In Costa Rica with her mom, Pamela Leal, and Ivonne Lizarazo, that offered support and hope for those in mourning. Through guided meditation combined with NADA, she assisted parents dealing with the hardship that comes from losing a child. NADA is a form of auricular therapy that targets certain reflex zones to discharge the fight/flight/freeze response of PTSD and grief.

Also in the summer of 2019, Marisa traveled to Guatemala with the Wu Project, a nonprofit that aims to bring safe and effective Chinese traditional health care to medically underserved communities by providing free education and training. Marisa aligns herself with the Wu vision:

“ We believe that access to safe and effective health care is a basic, unalienable human right and not the privilege of a select minority.”

How I can help:

Human health has multiple sources, physical, social, cultural, and spiritual. Marisa’s approach to patient health incorporates Traditional Chinese Medicine philosophy; that health is not just a list of rootless symptoms but rather a wheel of different internal and environmental factors in a patient’s life. Each treatment is tailored to each individual as Marisa believes in helping her patients become active participants to discover, balance, and cultivate their inner and outer health.