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About SheilaRegistered Massage Therapist
Yoga Teacher Holisitic Practitioner Spiritual Warrioress Healing work is my passion, and I have been studying various therapeutic modalities and philosophies, including massage therapy, Hatha Yoga and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), for the past 10 years. These ancient teachings and ways have helped me, immensely, in the continuous dance of balancing my life. It is my belief that when we are entirely embodied, in connection with our truest soul Self, we are in our most powerful state. When we have pain, or get caught up in our emotions, thoughts and stories of identity, we can easily lose connection with our greater Self. It is my goal to invite your consciousness entirely back into your physical body, so you can feel yourSelf pulsating through your veins again. Your spirit resides in the vessels and it this life force energy - qi (aka. Chi, in TCM) or pran (aka. prana, in Ayurveda and yoga) that moves through us and within us to sustain life. In yoga we use the metaphor of the body as the science lab, the yogi is the scientist. Each experiment will be different considering the balance of the five elements in the body, and the quaility of pran flow through the nadis, or energy channels. Similarily, TCM discusses energy meridians and the flow of qi and blood.
It is with great conviction and deep reverence that I share this knowledge with my clients. I love creating an environment in the body for us to access their own inner resources for healing. HANDS ON THERAPY With a balanced blend of relaxation and therapeutic techniques, you can expect a unique treatment experience. With a combination of techniques drawn from Swedish, Chinese (tui na and acupressure), Indian (ayurvedic) and modern fascial techniques, no two treatments are created the same. Your constitution, chief complaint and associated symptoms will guide the massage "prescription". The nature of your spiritual, mental and physical needs will guide the treatment approach. Many clients express that my gentle yet effective approach feels like intuitive deep tissue release. I assure you, there is method to the magic and I welcome any questions or sharing post-treatment. Included with each session are recommended self-care practices to explore at home, and are meant to support the movement of energy blocks up to the surface and out of the body. The treatments are deeply healing to the emotional and spiritual levels, in addition to relieving physical dis-ease. I hope you enjoy! |
LEARN more about sheila's journey...
I grew up in the country with animals all around me. Dogs, cats, cows, horses, frogs, birds, crickets.... you name it, I spent time observing them all. Being so fortunate to the freedom to explore the land and space around me from such a young age played an integral role in my development as a self-assured young person. As a teenager, my interests changed and I grew so curious of human social interaction and all I wanted was to travel the world. At 21 I took off with my backpack on my first solo journey. What was to be three months in Europe turned into eight months of both challenging and blissful soul-expanding experiences. I took a few more trips throughout my twenties, particularly to the lush forests of British Columbia but spent most of that time period in school. It was after completing to diplomas that I was longing to hit the road again. I had burnt out learning so intently how to help others, but had not taken time to integrate the vast wisdom I'd taken in. I was guided to where the jungle meets the beach in beautiful Costa Rica and I've never looked back. Done are the days studying in stark classrooms with lab coats. I had remembered, that all along, I was a child of nature. The teachings of the East, the five elements, the microcosm/macrocosm, all settled into my being on my yoga mat. Fast forward 6 years and I still cannot get enough heart-filling experiences in the jungle, or in Mother India. I no longer associate with the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncturists, as I can serve my clients best with balancing methods of acupuncture, yoga and massage knowledge, as Registered Massage Therapist and yoga teacher of the Nath lineage.
The longer version...
Why the path of massage therapy and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)?
Some therapists had a strong inclination that they wanted to help people right from the gate. This was not me. When I enrolled in massage therapy school, I was in a very self-centered and self-identifying phase and I was "just" looking for a skilled trade that would allow me to work abroad. I had no idea of the transformation that would ensue once I started studying health and wellness. I was still incredibly self-destructive in my lifestyle habits and as I began to work full-time, my body was always tired, sore and I felt anxious going to work. It was TCM that changed my perspective, and saved my life. All the stress in my body was taking its toll and there was nothing modern medicine had to offer me for relief. When TCM treatments came onto my radar, the changes in my body and mind were so radical, so profound, I had to study it and share it with others. The ancient philosophies and modern practices of TCM unveiled so much healing potential it was overwhelming at times. Not only were we taught the practices for clinical application, we were taught about the power of energy (or Qi aka Chi, prana, life-force...) to heal and to destroy. The most basic concepts of yin-yang discuss the ideas of modern physics in that energy is not created, nor destroyed. The practice is in the transformation, transmutation and manipulation of these energies for creating a harmonious and balanced state. Modern medicine refers to this state as 'homeostasis'.
At the conclusion of the three year, full time program, my personal life was still a mess. I had all of this incredible knowledge, and yet, my personal life was overwhelmed with personal struggle and repressed emotional baggage I had pushed aside while in working student survival mode. I was drained, living in a karmic cycle, making choices that always had the same undesired conclusion. I went from one extreme to the other living like a marble on a string, swinging from extreme health to complete self-destruction. My inability to integrate the knowledge into my own life left me feeling completely disconnected and lacking in passion for ....anything. Instead, I went for instant love. Depending on the day that meant excess coffee, cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, and any kind of attention that would nurture my ego. My vibration was so low I was dragging trash along with me and I was tired of carrying the weight. As with all addictive behaviours, I was not only hurting myself, but the ripple effects of my behaviour were ruining my relationships. I knew I needed to get off the track I was on and face myself if I was going to feel any peace and ease in my life. How would I inspire great change in anyone or be successful as a practitioner if I wasn't living this knowledge? I got on a plane to Costa Rica when I was tipped off by a friend I had met in Italy years earlier. It was time to save myself.
The moment I submerged in the warm ocean waters, the stories, the bullsh*t and the baggage floated away. I was reborn.
...to be continued...
The longer version...
Why the path of massage therapy and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)?
Some therapists had a strong inclination that they wanted to help people right from the gate. This was not me. When I enrolled in massage therapy school, I was in a very self-centered and self-identifying phase and I was "just" looking for a skilled trade that would allow me to work abroad. I had no idea of the transformation that would ensue once I started studying health and wellness. I was still incredibly self-destructive in my lifestyle habits and as I began to work full-time, my body was always tired, sore and I felt anxious going to work. It was TCM that changed my perspective, and saved my life. All the stress in my body was taking its toll and there was nothing modern medicine had to offer me for relief. When TCM treatments came onto my radar, the changes in my body and mind were so radical, so profound, I had to study it and share it with others. The ancient philosophies and modern practices of TCM unveiled so much healing potential it was overwhelming at times. Not only were we taught the practices for clinical application, we were taught about the power of energy (or Qi aka Chi, prana, life-force...) to heal and to destroy. The most basic concepts of yin-yang discuss the ideas of modern physics in that energy is not created, nor destroyed. The practice is in the transformation, transmutation and manipulation of these energies for creating a harmonious and balanced state. Modern medicine refers to this state as 'homeostasis'.
At the conclusion of the three year, full time program, my personal life was still a mess. I had all of this incredible knowledge, and yet, my personal life was overwhelmed with personal struggle and repressed emotional baggage I had pushed aside while in working student survival mode. I was drained, living in a karmic cycle, making choices that always had the same undesired conclusion. I went from one extreme to the other living like a marble on a string, swinging from extreme health to complete self-destruction. My inability to integrate the knowledge into my own life left me feeling completely disconnected and lacking in passion for ....anything. Instead, I went for instant love. Depending on the day that meant excess coffee, cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, and any kind of attention that would nurture my ego. My vibration was so low I was dragging trash along with me and I was tired of carrying the weight. As with all addictive behaviours, I was not only hurting myself, but the ripple effects of my behaviour were ruining my relationships. I knew I needed to get off the track I was on and face myself if I was going to feel any peace and ease in my life. How would I inspire great change in anyone or be successful as a practitioner if I wasn't living this knowledge? I got on a plane to Costa Rica when I was tipped off by a friend I had met in Italy years earlier. It was time to save myself.
The moment I submerged in the warm ocean waters, the stories, the bullsh*t and the baggage floated away. I was reborn.
...to be continued...
my teachers
The day I met Vishva-ji at a workshop in Toronto, Canada. Seeds were planted that day! This man is usually smiling :D
Our international teaching team - France, Canada, South Africa are all represented here!
Angela Boltz
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La Loba, Teresa Campbell, founder of La Lupa Via "The Wolf Way", held myself and 12 other women through an immersive journey to connect with the most intuitive, fertile, creative and mystic aspects of selves in our 85 hour Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training. With her roots in Kundalini yoga, Andean Shamanism and trauma informed yoga therapy, we experienced transformation in the deepest aspects of ourselves. Re-sacralizing, re-wilding, and re-claiming our bodies and inner power are central themes to her work.
Sat Daram Kaur
Dr. Richard Tan
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