The inspirational quote “Be the change you wish to see in the world” welcomes patrons into My Acu Spa, a recently renovated all-inclusive spa in Pacific Beach. While Gandhi adorns the entrance, owners Jamie Wemette and Jamie Kornsweig are truly the inspirations behind such a rare healing experience. The company is built on the backbone of Wemette, who has a master’s degree in traditional oriental medicine from Pacific College. It was merely a year ago that Wemette was thrown into unfamiliar territory when she became a single mother overnight, struggling to put food on the table. “That was very humiliating, and in that humility I prayed a lot … and all I kept hearing was ‘The Lord will move mountains for you.’” The chant triggered a move to San Diego County, where she switched from standing in lines at emergency shelters to checking out commercial real estate. With the help of friends, family and strangers My Acu Spa opened in December. “I don’t want to take any credit,” said the mother of 2 ½ year old Sofia, “because I feel a really small part of this. I feel very humbled to be part of this. I don’t feel like it’s anything I did. I just feel like I was moved in this direction, and I had a lot of great people in my life.” Now, two months since the addition of Kornsweig, the extensive spa fills a unique niche in San Diego, celebrating its updated accoutrements with a re-grand opening. The community healing center features acupuncturists, massage therapists, a chiropractor, an aesthetician and an herbal pharmacy that serves an untouched aesthetic in the beach community. Wemette said the goal is to “use My Acu Spa as a source for people to come to, whether it’s for health, for healing or companionship … We want to give back to the community.” Plans are already in the works for charity, along with community acupuncture at a discounted rate. “I love this community,” said Kornsweig, who is dean of students at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine. “I love bringing the community from the school and around me …and I want to take this little community and open it up to all of Pacific Beach and La Jolla, and give people a place that they can go to see practitioners who care about them from the inside out.” My Acu Spa not only celebrates its close proximity to the beach but also the community of holistic treatment. With several shared spaces, each independent contractor has the freedom often associated with traditional therapeutic services while still being part of the Acu Spa family. “We’re all part of one unit and our motto here is, ‘We rise by lifting others, growing independently but growing together as a team,’” said Wemette. Kornsweig agreed. “It’s less isolating,” she said. Offering a variety of services, the co-owners share the task of promoting each contractor under the Acu Spa goal, diagnosing on a personal basis rather than a promotional one. “We’ve all pooled our talents [and] there’s so many people working under one roof with different specialties,” everyone is bound to find someone that can help, said Wemette. “The beauty of what we do is that it is so personal,” she said. The women, both of whom hail from the state of New York, want people to heal, move on and spread the word. “Ultimately it’s not about keeping people here. It’s about getting people better,” said Wemette. “The goal is a little different in Western medicine … to get people well and then maybe we get a referral.” The re-grand opening showcased the shop’s new design, with a performance from Rock of Ages in the courtyard, a book signing by legendary surf photographer Art Brewer and local owner Chris Rule. “It was a huge success,” said Wemette. For more information, visit www.myacuspa.com/index.html online, or in person at 4747 Mission Blvd. #7.