Jul 28, 2020
We have the pleasure of meeting Tesia Love to today's podcast. She is an Ayurvedic Practitioner and a Licensed Massage and Bodywork Therapist who specializes in Ayurvedic body therapies. She describes Ayurveda as Indian traditional medicine that is a cousin to traditional Chinese medicine. The main principle of Ayurveda is living in harmony with nature; your own constitution and outside. She recommends an Ayurveda consultation as a first step but some of her clients come to massage first. Ayurveda massage uses lots of warm oil which is very grounding. The focus of the work is with energy and the lymphatic system which is purifying and detoxifying. These massages can be customized to your own constitution. These massages differ from other massages in that they are deeply relaxing and grounding. So much so that Tesia recommends taking it easy for the rest of the day after. An Abhyanga massage will work on the subtle body and use lots of oil rubbed over the entire body. A Shirodhara massage will have a constant stream of oil poured over the forehead.
"That treatment {Shirodhara}, you are laying on the table, the oil is streaming down consistently. It's almost like a mother gently rubbing her hand over a child's head."
Tesia's journey to her current work started as a life-long passion and curiosity of all things health and wellness. She found out about Ayurveda in 2000 and was interested in it for it's ability to getting to the root cause of ailments. In 2010, she completed her 200-hour Yoga teacher training and started studying with the California College of Ayurveda in 2011. A Charlotte native, Tesia moved back in 2014 and completed Massage Therapy School at TMTI. Currently, she is finishing up her 300-hour Yoga teacher training with Lisa Moore, focused on Ayurveda Therapeutic Yoga.
Tesia describes Ayurveda as comprehensive. It takes in account what you eat, your lifestyle, how you eat, what time you go to bed and wake up, herbs, bodywork, and yogic practices. Ayurveda comes from nature and considers the 5 elements(ether, air, fire, water, and earth) the building blocks of life. Each Dosha(vata, pitta, kapha) are made up of 2 elements. Vata is the quality of movement; dryness, coldness, circulation, elimination, thoughts. Pitta is the quality of transformation; metabolism, digestion. Kapha is the quality of heaviness; cohesion, growth, building. She describes the process of Doshas getting into excess and that is where imbalances are formed and using opposites to heal. For example, warm oil and slow strokes with a massage can counteract a Vata imbalance.
"That's a huge motivation behind my work is helping to empower people to be well so they can do what it is they are here to do."
Tesia is one of the few people in Charlotte who do this work. She is passionate about working with women and their health; fertility, postpartum, perimenopause). She has specialized training in Pregnancy and Postpartum massage. Many practitioners have been influential in her work over the years including: Dr. Andrew Weil, an Integrative Medical Doctor, Dr. Lad, an Ayurveda Doctor in New Mexico, Deepak Chopra, Maya Tiwari, focused on women's health, and KP Khalsa, an herbalist. In the Charlotte community, Tesia is inspired by Gracienne Jean Pierre who is a Nurse Practioner and Integrative Health Consultant, Lisa Moore who is a therapeutic Yoga teacher and Ayurveda Practioner, and The Sanctuary in the City organization who make wellness resources available to the Black and Indigenous populations.
Connect with Tesia on her website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Insight Timer.