Today we’d like to introduce you to Angela Rauter.
Hi Angela, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have spent my life mastering integration. I have been practicing life’s dualities/dichotomies since I was a child. At the age four I saw Swan Lake on TV and was smitten with the fairy like wonder of ballet. On the other hand, I loved spending time in the garden, digging my hands into the nit and grit of the dirt, and watching the scientific magic of plants growing. Before I could call it by its name, I knew and revered the law of our universe, Yin and Yang, negative and positive, the polarity of the physical and the ephemeral.
I have enjoyed a rewarding career in dance. Having exceptional promise as a young dancer, I was accepted to Julliard, TISCH school of the Arts at NYU, Boston Conservatory, and my alma mater: SUNY Purchase. These institutions were and are the pinnacle of Dance education. Eventually my career brought me to Sarasota, where I joined the acclaimed Sarasota Contemporary Dance for 6 seasons. Although dance brought me much joy with its ability to integrate physicality and spirituality through expression, I had always felt a greater need to serve my fellow humans, and the planet. Although Art is a human need for connection and higher awareness, for me, it was somewhat self-serving. The joy of expression was felt by me and the audience, but separately. I longed for a vocation in which I could directly cooperate, guide, and share the experience of transformation in an intimate and profound way.
Health on all levels, proved to be my answer.
In spite of my optimal health, being raised by hippies eating “health food” long before it was a fad, and dancing almost every day, I have battled my own health challenge since the age of 12. At the most important time in a young woman’s life to explore and find my individual voice, I lost mine. Repetitive Respiratory Papillomatosis is a rare disease in which papilloma growths reoccur, most commonly on the vocal folds, impeding phonation or the ability to make sound with the larynx. During the first 3 years of onset, my mother explored every alternative treatment she could find. Eventually I elected to have the growths surgically removed. The first surgery took 6 hours and had to be finished at another date. 95% of my airway was covered by growths. This left scar tissue on 90% of my vocal folds. Since then, I have sustained 17 surgeries. Although that appears to be a lot, the average of RRP patients undergoes 1-2 surgeries per year. I know that my diligence in maintaining my overall health, and my wealth of knowledge in nutrition and herbs, is what keeps me out of the surgery room longer than normal. One of my mentors, Kahlina Shannon, taught me that “In every situation there is INSPIRATION, INFORMATION, and TOOLS. This health challenge is no different, a true gift in learning the value of integrating Modern Medicine with Traditional medicine, for the greatest good and best outcome, not to mention the symbolism of “finding my voice.”
While studying dance in New York I attended the esteemed Swedish Institute of Allied Health Sciences, attaining my associate degree in health sciences. I passed the New York State board exam to practice massage therapy in 2004. While attending this 2-year college, I became fascinated with eastern healing modalities, including Shiatsu. Although the curriculum includes over 500 hours alone for eastern studies, I knew it just scratched the surface of this ancient and powerful medicine.
Desiring a change from the face paced, assertive energy of New York, I moved to one of my favorite places in the world: Sarasota, FL. The beach has always been a respite for my soul, having spent many summers vacationing on Crescent beach since childhood. When I found out I could receive my Bachelor of Health Science and a Master of Oriental Medicine from East West College of Natural Medicine right here in Sarasota, the move was final. Upon graduating and passing all of my Florida State board exams, I opened my practice in downtown Sarasota. I quickly gained a reputation for relieving pain with my integrative approach using acupuncture pain relief techniques and manual therapy. Although this brought me and my patients much joy, my true passion was working with those intent on the whole picture: body, mind, and spirit wellness. My favorite style of Chinese medicine was, and is, Wu Xing, meaing the five elements, five movements, or five cycles. This “theory” or rather, understanding, conveys the wisdom of our intrinsically intertwined existence of the physical and ephemeral. This is symbolized in humans, as the conduit between Heaven (the ephemeral) and Earth (the physical). Here is the dichotomy represented in us and our relation to the world. As I made the shift away from a musculoskeletal focus towards holistic medicine for female reproductive health, I found the crux of my many talents: The Arvigo Techniques of Mayan Abdominal Therapy® or ATMAT®. This ancient technique, passed down through generations of Shamans in Belize, was tenderly endowed to Rosita Arvigo by the renowned rainforest medicine man, Don Elijio Ponti. Infused with Rosita’s more scientific naprapathic approach, the bridge between Ancient Traditional Medicine, and Modern Medicine was finally complete for me. I quickly finished all four levels of intense training. Since then I have strengthen my understanding of the human body and it’s holistic health with continuing education in woman’s health on a yearly basis.
I never stop learning. I am currently finishing my Functional Medicine training through the Functional Medicine University and continuing my never-ending education of both Chinese, and medicinal herbs. I innately integrate my training, expertise, and experience in both Biomedicine, and Chinese Medicine as well as my wisdom and knowledge of the human body as a dancer and certified Pilates instructor. I am proud to honor my role as a Primary Care Physician and use modern medicine tools and knowledge in order to identify dis-ease in my patients. This includes blood tests, hormone testing, imaging, and saliva tests to name a few. I then take this information and balance it with my practiced techniques of Traditional or Alternative medicine through acupuncture, herbs, food therapy, meditation, therapeutic movement, and visceral manual therapy. My specialty is assisting women along their holistic healing pathway, treating the mind, physical body, and the spirit. I utilizes the Five Petals of Health approach with each patient. One cannot heal the body without addressing the mind and spirit, and vice versa.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My vocal challenges have been, and continue to be a rewarding and frustrating challenge. As a holistic physician and doctor of Oriental medicine, I feel I am held to a very a high standard. I’m supposed to be perfect in my healthy lifestyle and when I sound “sick” I often feel an immediate judgement. The gift within this is to be an example of excellence within imperfection. All of us have challenges, and to share mine with my patients, and the world, gives an unspoken message that I understand the journey and have committed to sharing my wisdom, experience, and expertise in the healing process.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My business is based on the Five Pillars of health as seen through the lens of Chinese Medicine. I changed it to Five Petal to honor the medicinal power of plants. This was important to me because I want to support optimal health through all five of these “petals.” Those are: movement, food, herbs, acupuncture and hands-on healing, and feng shui or harmonious environment which I approach as our internal landscape or mental well-being. I offer an array of treatment protocols, primarily acupuncture augmented with lifestyle guidance and functional medicine testing and protocols, Arvigo therapy, pilates and Qi Gong, food therapy through food supplementation, herbal blends and tinctures, meditation and daily practices, and more. I specialize in women’s health, the Arvigo Therapy or Mayan abdominal therapy is a unique technique of visceral manual therapy, profound in its ability to support balance in the digestive and reproductive systems. What sets me apart is my ability to integrate a body, mind, and spirit approach interweaving all of my wonderful modalities to meet my patients where they are as well as evolve and grow with their process. I am very proud of my brand as a strong but gentle physician, my logo has a lotus in it, which I find to be a fitting symbol of this. I would love to convey the truth that I, as a physician and medicine, do not have to be one thing. Holistic healing is a diverse and multi-layered experience. I can address the emotional aspect, the physical symptoms, the take home healing, daily practices, the herbal healing, all of it.
What were you like growing up?
I was very active, always wanting to move, dance, connect, play, and be active. I loved dance, and nature.
Pricing:
- 45-255
Contact Info:
- Website: https://five-petal.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fivepetalhealing/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FivePetalHolisticHealingCenter/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-angela-rauter-ap-dom-lmt-pilates-instructor-b73b8515/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@fivepetalhealing
Image Credits
Sorcha Augustine Photography
