https://voyagemia.com/interview/life-values-legacy-our-chat-with-dr-jennifer-cruz-of-plantation-wilton-manors-highlight

We recently had the chance to connect with Dr. Jennifer Cruz and have shared our conversation below.

Jennifer, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately? One of the greatest sources of joy and renewal in my life is the simple yet profound ritual I’ve cultivated since July 20, 2024. Each morning, often before the world stirs, I light a single candle, crack open my daily affirmation journal, and begin to chant. Those few moments of focused breath and mantra set the tone for my day, reminding me of my intention to serve, heal, and remain centered no matter what challenges arise.

But the real magic happens in the evenings. After a twelve-hour marathon of patient care, meetings, and problem-solving, I race home, strip off my shoes, and step into a warm shower, shedding the physical and emotional debris of the day. Then, at exactly 8:15 PM, I roll out my yoga mat and enter my personal sanctuary. For the next 75 to 105 minutes, I flow through Raja Yoga, moving deliberately from one posture to the next, syncing breath with movement, and gradually peeling back layers of tension I didn’t even know I was holding.

By around 9:45 to 10:00 PM, I’m lying still in Savasana, body fully surrendered and mind quietly luminous. It’s in that space, between effort and ease, where I reconnect with my own energy, restore my spirit, and remember why I chose this path of healing. That daily practice isn’t just exercise or self-care; it’s my gift to myself, a sacred contract I keep so I can show up as my best self for every patient, every team member, and every new challenge that comes my way.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique? My name is Dr. Jennifer Cruz, and I’m a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, licensed acupuncture physician, and the sole owner of Eastern Acupuncture And Wellness, a multi-provider integrative health clinic with locations in Plantation and Wilton Manors, Florida. I’m also the founder of AcuMantras, a nonprofit organization committed to expanding access to community acupuncture and holistic care for underserved populations.

Eastern Acupuncture And Wellness is a place where modern wellness meets ancient medicine. What makes us unique is not just the wide range of therapies we offer, from acupuncture and herbal medicine to massage and functional nutrition, but our deep commitment to personalized, heart-centered care. We see each patient as a whole person, not a set of symptoms.

AcuMantras was born from that same philosophy, offering affordable, community-based acupuncture programs to populations like first responders, veterans, and those experiencing trauma. I believe healing should be a human right, not a luxury.

What makes this journey even more meaningful for me is that it’s deeply personal. I’ve navigated both personal and professional transformation, recently becoming the sole owner after separating from a 20-year partnership. Through that, I’ve redefined my voice as a woman, a physician, and a leader. Today, I’m not just growing a business, I’m building a movement rooted in equity, compassion, and the belief that ancient healing systems have a vital place in our modern world.

Right now, we’re working on expanding both clinic services and nonprofit partnerships, growing our team, and deepening our impact through research, community outreach, and wellness education. It’s an exciting time and I’m incredibly grateful to be doing work that aligns with both purpose and passion.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released? The part of me that has served its purpose and now needs to be released is the version of myself that felt she had to do it all to prove her worth, the one who equated busyness with value, who carried everyone else’s weight even when it depleted her own reserves.

She was powerful. She built clinics, supported others through healing, held it all together through transitions. But now, she can rest. Her season is complete.

What’s ready to emerge is a version of me that leads from alignment, not obligation. That creates spaciousness rather than hustle. That trusts in flow more than force. I honor the part of me that got me here, and lovingly let her go.

What did suffering teach you that success never could? Suffering taught me presence. It brought me to my knees in ways success never could. When everything felt heavy, uncertain, or broken, I had no choice but to be still, to feel it fully, and to listen to what life was really asking of me.

Suffering taught me discernment, to know the difference between what looks good and what feels true. It revealed who I was when no one was watching, when there were no achievements to validate me.

It stripped away ego and taught me humility, softness, and surrender. It reminded me that healing is not linear, and that grace is often born in the spaces where we think we are failing.

Success celebrates what we build. Suffering reveals who we become. And in the becoming, there is a quiet, unshakable strength that no external win can offer.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Where are smart people getting it totally wrong today? One place I believe smart people are getting it totally wrong is in over-intellectualizing healing while underestimating the body’s innate wisdom.

We have brilliant minds designing protocols, technologies, and systems, but in the process, we often bypass the human experience. We treat lab results, not people. We manage symptoms, not root causes. And we measure success by data points, not by whether someone feels whole again.

There’s also a misconception that more intervention equals better care. In reality, healing often happens in stillness, in consistency, in connection. It’s not always about doing more, it’s about doing what’s aligned.

Smart people also sometimes dismiss ancient systems like Traditional Chinese Medicine because they don’t fit neatly into Western clinical frameworks. But these systems have survived for thousands of years not because they’re alternative but because they’re foundational. When we bridge science with tradition, not as opponents but as partners, we begin to move toward truly integrative care.

The future of healthcare isn’t just smarter, it needs to be more soulful.

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone? I hope people will say that I was someone who showed up fully, with heart, with integrity, and with purpose. That I didn’t just build businesses or clinics, I built spaces where people felt seen, safe, and reconnected to their own healing power.

I hope they’ll say I lived in alignment with my values, even when it was hard. That I turned my pain into purpose, and used my voice not just to speak, but to lift others. That I was generous with my wisdom, fierce with my boundaries, and soft with my spirit.

I hope they remember me as a bridge between science and soul, tradition and innovation, intellect and intuition. That I honored the sacred in the everyday and made people believe in the possibility of their own transformation.

And more than anything, I hope people say: “Because of her, I remembered who I was.”