Allow me to Reintroduce Myself.
- missdanielakings
- Jun 24
- 3 min read
In 2022, I made the seemingly random and crazy decision to pursue a career in chiropractic. I had a dream - literally - that changed the trajectory of my life. The dream? A chiropractic office that smelled of essential oils and Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man was hanging on the wall. Turns out, it wasn’t a dream. It was a memory, the exact same chiropractic office my hard working parents cleaned when I was little. I had just prayed for God to redirect me the night before, He was quick to give me an answer. So, with nothing but an associates degree in Humanities and zero experience at a 4-year university, I took a huge leap of faith and trusted my heavenly father would carry me through.
As with any doctorate program, the blood, sweat, and tears were expected. The artsy, free-spirited procrastinator in me had to adapt, fast, to eight-hour days of lectures, labs, studying, midterms, finals, and the infamous national board exams (my Achilles’ heel). I kissed my social life goodbye, and even had to step down from some of my favorite things in the world, like being the worship leader at my church.
The sacrifices were plentiful, and there were many moments I wondered if I was cut out for this - especially as a woman in a profession that still skews male, and as a proud Mexican American joining the 1% of Latina women in the US with doctorate degrees. I could write an entire essay on joining a space where representation is still catching up (si se puede), but I’ll save that for another time.
What I didn’t expect was how much deeper in love I’d fall with our Creator. The first time I laid on a chiropractic table and was adjusted, something clicked (no, I’m not talking about the sound). Or when I heard a room full of students say, “The power that made the body heals the body,” my jaw dropped. I was absolutely shocked that 1) not every single chiropractor is a Bible-believing follower of Christ and 2) that nobody was talking about chiropractic out in the real world. In fact, the profession gets its fair share of skepticism (yes, I’ve heard “quack” more than once). But none of that dimmed what I was learning: God designed the body with extraordinary wisdom.
How is it that when I get a cut, over the next few days it’s scabbed over and completely healed? Why is our society so heavily reliant on pharmaceuticals and OTC drugs? We’ve
become so quick to reach for a bottle before we reach for understanding. When did we grow so severely disconnected from our bodies and from the earth God blessed us with?
These were all questions I had never thought about before embarking on this journey. Before I could tell you what the heck a neurotransmitter is, the difference between a migraine and cluster headache, or recognize hyperparathyroidism on an X-ray (shoutout Dr. Shortz). Now, my education has gifted me the knowledge to prove what I’ve always known to be true - since I was a young girl getting prayed over with anointing oil for a tummy ache: God’s design is perfect.
Three and a half years ago, when I told my Tío I was becoming a chiropractor, he said, “No mija, you can’t do that. You’re a woman! You’ve got to be strong for that.” Today, I’ve passed all of my national board exams, walked the stage with my doctorate, and am applying for my license. I realize my Tio was right about something: I did need to be strong. Strong enough to stand up for what I believe in, to pave the way for women who look like me, and - most of all - leaning on the power of the living God instead of my own.
If you’re here for wellness, creativity, honest faith, or just a gentle nudge of encouragement - you’re in the right place. Thanks for being here. I’m excited to serve my community in ways I never imagined. God has been so good to me.
Xoxo,
Doctor Daniela Reyes, DC
Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity. — 1 Timothy 4:12
