Acupuncture + Yoga = Reset
Yoga Followed by Acupuncture Might Be the Reset You Didn’t Know You Needed
In our fast-paced, overstimulated world, practices that support nervous system regulation, emotional balance, and physical wellbeing have never been more essential. Among the many healing modalities available today, yoga and acupuncture stand out—not just for their individual benefits, but for the powerful synergy they create when paired together.
On the surface, they may seem like separate traditions. Yoga comes from ancient India, while acupuncture is rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine. But at their core, both systems are designed to support energy flow, reduce stagnation, and restore balance—physically, mentally, and emotionally.
So what actually happens when you bring these two together in one intentional practice?
The Energetic Flow: Yoga as Preparation
Yoga, particularly gentle flow or yin-based practices, begins the process of mobilizing the body’s energy (qi in Chinese medicine terms). Through deliberate movement, breath, and stretching, it opens meridians (energy channels), improves circulation, and releases areas of physical or emotional holding.
But it’s not just about flexibility or strength—it’s about creating space. As the body begins to unwind and the breath deepens, the mind naturally starts to settle. This transition into a parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) state lays the groundwork for deeper healing.
The Deepening: Acupuncture as Integration
Where yoga initiates the flow of qi, acupuncture helps guide and harmonize it.
By inserting ultra-fine needles at specific acupuncture points during a moment of stillness during savasana, the final resting pose in yoga. Our practitioners can address imbalances in the body. Whether it's an overactive nervous system, digestive sluggishness, chronic tension, or emotional unrest, this quiet moment creates the ideal environment for the body to receive the full therapeutic benefit of acupuncture without distraction.
In this space, the body isn’t just still—it’s receptive. The combination allows the effects of acupuncture to land more deeply, while yoga ensures the pathways are open and ready.
What Science Says
Modern research backs up what many practitioners and participants intuitively feel:
Yoga has been shown to reduce cortisol (a primary stress hormone), improve mood, and support vagal tone—a key marker of nervous system health.
Acupuncture is widely used to reduce pain, regulate sleep, support hormone balance, and ease anxiety, in part by influencing the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and increasing endorphin release.
Together, these modalities offer dual access points—top-down (through the nervous system and breath) and bottom-up (through meridians, fascia, and tissue). The result is a layered experience of rest and reset.
Why This Combination Works for Our Modern Lives
For many of us, chronic stress has become so normalized that we don’t even recognize the signs: poor sleep, tight shoulders, racing thoughts, digestive issues, emotional burnout. Yoga and acupuncture both help unwind these patterns—but together, they create a more potent reset.
Instead of jumping from one wellness appointment to another, combining both allows for seamless integration. Yoga opens the door; acupuncture helps you walk through it.
Why Every Vancouverite Needs a Reset Like This
Living here often means trying to balance it all: the push of productivity with the pull of nature. We want to hike the Chief, crush our work goals, shop at the farmer’s market and eat local, and somehow still find time for self-care.
But beneath the surface of wellness culture, many Vancouverites are secretly running on empty.
Chronic neck and shoulder tension from remote work setups or long days at JJ Bean.
Anxiety or sleep issues made worse by grey weather and months of low sunlight.
Digestive issues from stress-eating your way through Commercial Drive.
The silent pressure to “keep up” in one of Canada’s most expensive cities.
Yoga and acupuncture both help unwind these patterns—but together, they offer a more potent, embodied reset. Instead of bouncing from class to treatment to appointment, this combination is designed to flow seamlessly. Yoga opens the door; acupuncture helps you walk through it.
A Space to Try It Yourself
In Vancouver, Canada, at Unplug Hour Wellness in, we’ve created a session that brings the best of both practices together. Our 70-minute Yoga & Acupuncture experience at Stretch Yoga begins with a grounding, all-levels yoga flow, and ends in a deeply restorative savasana where targeted acupuncture supports deeper nervous system reset.
It’s designed for anyone needing a moment of peace, healing, or reconnection—no prior yoga or acupuncture experience required.
Why It Matters
We live in a world that constantly demands more from us. More productivity, more presence, more performance. Choosing rest—intentional, therapeutic rest—is a radical act of self-care.
As a yoga teacher of over 20 years and a Registered Acupuncturist and Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine, I’ve seen firsthand how this combined approach can help people feel more grounded, spacious, and clear.
When you make space for your energy to move freely, your whole system begins to come back into balance. It’s not about escaping life—it’s about having the resources to meet it fully.
Curious to experience it for yourself? Check out our up coming events here.
Your body—and your nervous system—just might thank you.
Dr. Agni Larsen, Dr. TCM, R.Ac, RYT
Testimonial:
I didn’t realize how much stress I was holding until this event helped me let it go. The blend of restorative yoga and acupuncture with Agni and Sherry created such a powerful release—I could literally feel the tension melt away. Agni’s grounding yoga flow helped me reconnect to my breath and body, and the acupuncture brought a deep sense of calm I hadn’t felt in weeks. I came in feeling overwhelmed and scattered, and left feeling clear, relaxed, and recharged. If you’re carrying stress, this experience is a must. — Gavin