For Irma Van Andel, a chiropractor who founded Kinnect Studio in Bradford, ON, it started with an anatomy course in her first year. “Throughout my education, and to this day, kinesiology has made me marvel at God’s creation,” she reflects. After that first class, she switched her major from business to kinesiology.
During her third year, working with Professor Al Brown as a teacher’s assistant in his anatomy and physiology classes, Van Andel started exploring her career options. With Brown’s help, Van Andel went on to do a placement at a chiropractic office. “From my first day,” she says, “seeing the doctor patient relationship and the positive changes in patients, I knew this was for me.”
Connecting with patients is still one of the best parts of her job. “I spend quality time with my patients, often while they are struggling with something physical but even mental as well. It has been a real blessing to provide empathetic and personal care to those who need it.”
It was God’s timing, Van Andel says, that brought together the combination of yoga and chiro in her practice, which she established in June 2015. “I had always envisioned having a wellness-based practice that focused on integrating movement into daily life, rather than just passively healing acute injuries. I was offered to take over a wonderful space that functioned as a yoga studio. It was an opportunity I couldn’t say no to.”
“I had always envisioned having a wellness-based practice that focused on integrating movement into daily life, rather than just passively healing acute injuries.”
Founding her practice has had its share of ups and downs. “Rewarding moments happen all the time—like a mom being able to put her baby in the crib without back pain. At the same time, it can feel like I am the one factor that determines my business’s success. It’s challenging to remember that God is in charge, and not me. But, through the ups and downs, I am excited to see how God will use my place and position in Bradford to further His Kingdom.“