Holistic Healing Through Traditions and Technology
Dr. Lidia Gomez, owner of Gomez Chiropractic LLC and Mi Casa Wellness Center. Photo by Wezz De La Rosa, JEFAS Magazine
By Christina Fernández-Morrow, JEFAS MAGAZINE
Dr. Lidia Gomez designed Mi Casa, her new wellness center in Bettendorf, Iowa to be a safe, welcoming space where people can heal. “I wanted a place where somebody could go and work on whatever they were ready to work on without feeling judged or criticized, without feeling awkward or out of place,” she shares. Inspired by the feeling of home, it is an extension of herself, someone who has wanted to help others for as long as she can remember.
From Patient to Practitioner
Her path toward holistic health began unexpectedly. “I wanted to be a doctor,” she laughs. “An OBGYN or pediatrician.” An injury when she was fifteen years old changed all that. “I hurt my back when I was very young, and tried everything to find relief,” she recalls. When medication and physical therapy failed, her boyfriend took her to see a chiropractor at Palmer College of Chiropractic. The adjustment not only freed her from debilitating pain, it opened her eyes to a new career option. She enrolled at Palmer and has been practicing chiropractic care for twenty-five years.
Through her work, Dr. Gomez discovered the power of the mind-body connection and how it impacts every aspect of life. “For somebody to heal emotionally, you have to be physically free of pain,” she says. She believes that releasing people from pain allows them to focus on the other parts that need healing. This philosophy guides her approach at Mi Casa.
The Mind-Body Connection in Holistic Health
The center offers a range of holistic services from meditation groups to chakra balancing, sound baths and fitness classes for all levels, Dr. Gomez strives to meet patients and clients where they are and allow them to lead their own path towards becoming their strongest and healthiest selves. “The center incorporates a lot of different aspects of healing. You can start with the physical, mental or spiritual side,” she explains.
While she’s excited for all the services and loves that so many people have been open to the classes and services, she realizes it’s not how most people approach health. “It’s a matter of people knowing we’re here and wanting to try something new.” For example, the infrared sauna is unfamiliar to most of her Hispanic clients, even though it provides benefits like improved circulation and immunity, detoxification, muscle and joint pain relief, and stress reduction. These benefits complement the energy work she’s incorporated into the center.
Energy work is gaining popularity because of platforms like TikTok, but it is rooted in her culture. She references her sister, a curandera who has a business in Texas, and serves clients from all backgrounds. “But we’re in the Midwest where energy work like limpias isn’t common,” she says. “But if I explain it as somatic energy healing, people understand that because of the internet.” This careful balance of cultures has been part of how she managed her business long before she opened Mi Casa.
Dr. Lidia Gomez, owner of Gomez Chiropractic LLC and Mi Casa Wellness Center, with fitness instructor Anni Loop Esparza. Photo by Wezz De La Rosa, JEFAS Magazine
Bilingual and Culturally Inclusive Women-Led Care
This is why all classes are offered in English and Spanish, following the bilingual nature of her chiropractic clinic. All the practitioners speak and understand both languages, which is one of the requirements of practicing at Mi Casa, to ensure language is not a barrier to care. Something else that makes this center unique is that while the classes are open to everyone, all the sessions are led by women. “Most of my clients are women and come to me because I am a bilingual female. There aren’t many in the area,” says Dr. Gomez. “When you’re going to someone who is going to touch your body, there is a level of intimacy. Knowing there is a female builds trust and is more comfortable and I think that has helped.”
No matter her patients’ backgrounds, Dr. Gomez’s goal remains steadfast. She wants everyone who walks through Mi Casa’s door to feel like they are exactly where they belong and feel better than when they arrived. “If you work with the community and you make them feel comfortable the community will react and take care of that business,” she advises. So the next time you feel out of balance or low on energy and think about reaching for an energy drink, Dr. Gomez hopes you’ll look for holistic ways to take care of your entire being from the inside out.
