Before pivoting to a career in wellness, Kirsten Manges, DAOM, L.Ac., worked as a literary agent. Today, she is the owner of Wellspring Health (New York City), a clinic offering acupuncture and integrative medicine. Manges is NCCAOM certified and holds an acupuncture license in both New York and California. She completed both her master’s and Doctoral Studies at Pacific College of Health and Sciences in New York. During her master’s program, she completed a clinical rotation at New York University (NYU) Hospital for Joint Diseases – Initiative for Women with Disabilities and spent two years post-grad at NYU as an acupuncturist in both labor and delivery and in the Neurologic and Orthopedic Rehabilitation Clinic.
Inspired by the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Manges focuses on treating the root causes of health issues rather than just alleviating symptoms. Her comprehensive approach includes acupuncture, herbal medicine, dietary guidance, and lifestyle recommendations tailored to each patient’s unique needs. Manges has extensive experience working with a diverse range of conditions, including pain management, stress and anxiety, digestive disorders, and hormonal imbalances. She also specializes in fertility and pregnancy support. Known for her compassionate care and attention to detail, Manges fosters a calm, welcoming environment where patients feel heard, supported, and empowered on their wellness journey. Here, she shares some of the ways she maintains her own health and wellbeing.
What does wellness mean to you?
Wellness to me is being in control of your health care. This idea of active self-care is what drew me to the work I do. Making decisions and putting in the effort to care for what you have by regular maintenance, rather than losing and regaining health is the essence of self-care. I equate self-care with self-love. So, ultimately, valuing wellness is affirming that you are worthy to invest in yourself. It doesn’t have to be a service; it could be closing your eyes for three minutes and resetting. But it must be a deliberate choice to check in with yourself, identify your needs, and make the effort to support your own care.
What are your favorite things to do to maintain your personal wellbeing?
I journal every day, which allows me to vent about what isn’t serving me and also acknowledge all that I am grateful for. I also try to move my body every day in some way that connects me to it, such as swimming, walking, or stretching.
Is there a specific fitness activity that you love and why?
Swimming. It uses all of my muscles, is non-impact, and helps me avoid injury. I also love the psychological benefits of being able to zone out in a way that both deeply relaxes and energizes me at the same time.
What is your favorite healthy food, and do you have a favorite way of preparing it?
My favorite healthy food is also my favorite comfort food. I make pea soup with very dense bone broth. It has chunks of celery root and parsley in it, which gives it lots of texture and tons of flavor. It’s also loaded with protein, collagen, and antioxidants. I love it simple or with a slice of sourdough. And I try to make a lot of it when I cook it, so I can freeze it in individual servings and provide myself with quick, re-heatable lunches and dinners in the future.
What is your favorite healthy beverage (alcoholic or non-alcoholic), and do you have any insider tips for preparing it?
A ginger shot mixed in with 16 ounces of water. I drink this first thing in the morning, and it sets my digestion and immunity up for the day. On days when I feel like I might not be feeling optimal, I do another around 11am.
What is your greatest wellness achievement?
For me, spending all of these years learning and practicing to become a healthcare provider so I can help others with their self-care is a real gift to myself and my patients.
What is the best piece of wellness advice you have ever received and from whom?
“Ninety percent of success is showing up.” I think Woody Allen might have said this, but making a list of your priority wellness routines and sticking to them consistently is the secret to seeing long-term results.
What do you think is the most exciting wellness innovation you have recently discovered?
Red light therapy. I use an FDA-approved red light and near-infrared device several times a week on my body or face. I feel the effects immediately on both my mood and my skin.
What is your idea of balanced healthy happiness?
When you feel nourished by health not defined by it.
What do you think is the most overused word or words in wellness?
I would say the word “clean,” especially as it relates to food. The implication is that there is also “dirty” food. Assigning judgment to categories of food can lead to really limited ranges of eating. A long-term strategy for making healthy choices with your diet will include a wide range of foods.
Do you have a secret health or wellness tip you would like to share?
Bone broth. It’s good for the inside and the outside, including gut, hair, nails, and skin.
What is your favorite place for a healthy vacation or escape?
I love snorkel vacations and have been to Curacao and Mexico to enjoy their wide range of fish. Spending the day moving through water and connecting with life under the ocean makes you feel great and gives you a wider sense of the world as a land walker.
Is there a particular wellness company or brand that truly impresses you with their efforts and why?
Savor Beauty is a cruelty-free, natural products, women-owned business. It offers amazing facials, and the products are very high quality. I have used the line for years.
What is your favorite self-care routine?
I make sure to drink a lot of water with one 16-ounce electrolyte powder with high vitamin C. I really like Electrolytes Synergy. I also regularly enjoy herbal foot soak therapy. This can be substituted with Epsom salts along with five minutes of facial gua sha and then laying on my far infrared heated mat while reading a fun book.
What is your go-to for de-stressing?
When I’m stressed, it’s all in my head, so I try to get into my body. Swimming for 20 minutes resets me. If I don’t have time for that, I just put on my sneakers and take a 15-minute walk with some music. Just the act of moving my body tends to reset me quickly. When I have time, I go to the ocean. There is something about sitting close to the ocean that just pulls the stress right out of me.
What aspect of your wellbeing do you struggle with the most, or would most like to improve?
Full transparency, it’s consistency. I tend to get very hot and heavy with one thing and do it for a month and then struggle to keep it up. My efforts to improve this is to be much more realistic about my wellness routine. There are some things I do daily, but many have shifted to several times a week, so that I can alternate and avoid being inconsistent.
What wellness-related books or authors do you recommend, and why?
The Period Repair Manual: Natural Treatment for Better Hormones and Better Periods by Lara Briden is just such an interesting book on how our cycle works and the role of hormones in the body. I also love Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear, because it underscores for me that wellness is a choice to align with yourself and that our choices on how we spend our time matters.
How do you celebrate small victories?
This is new for me. I never used to count the small victories. My husband really taught me the value of this. It’s important to reward the ways in which you achieve even the smallest goals. I usually give myself the gift of time. I take time off from responsibility, take myself to lunch, or connect with a friend. Sometimes, I block out a few hours to read a book.
What brings you joy?
Spending time with my family. This includes my best friend and her family. Spending time with them brings out laughter and smiles for me more than anything else I have experienced.
