Meet Lesha Nelson | Coach & Somatic Practitioner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lesha Nelson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lesha, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Most people think A LOT about taking that “leap of faith” to start their own business. But like most things in my life, it just happened as I listened to my own inner knowing and slowly took the steps that felt right at the time. I was doing a lot of training in craniosacral therapy with the Upledger Institute and traveling all over the Unites Sates to take courses. After some time I realized if I had my own business I could be writing off a lot of my expenses. That was the first nudge I needed to create a business and find a small studio rental to start offering hands on bodywork.

I was slowly growing my business, taking trainings, and working my “real” job as an occupational therapist. Eventually I started to get busy at my bodywork practice and I started to toy with the idea that maybe it was time to let my hospital job go. I was sitting with that idea for quite some time when I had my yearly review meeting with my manager. I remember like it was yesterday, I was sitting in her office and she asked me what my goals were for the year and the next five years. She was explaining the hospital’s and organization’s goals and deep down I knew it was time to be done. I realized that my personal goals were not aligned with that of the organization. I knew I wanted be running my own practice in five years and that I was wasting time doing both.

Instead of responding with goals I responded with, “I’m feeling my time here is done. I’d like to be running my own business in five years and I need to put my energy towards that.” I was so surprised as it came out of my mouth but I trusted myself and that I could be happier working for myself.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What makes me unique is the blend of modalities and trainings that I use in my coaching and somatic processing. I started out with a Masters in Occupational therapy and worked in adult and pediatric nerurorehabilitation. This gave me so much love and understanding of the brain, nervous system, body, and recovery. It also gave me a thorough understanding of the traditional “Western” perspectives of healing.

As I was working in the hospital I was learning Craniosacral Therapy, which is a hands on modality that works with the membranes and movement of the fluids in and around the central nervous system. It relieves tension in the central nervous system to promote a feeling of well-being, eliminates pain, and regulates the nervous system in general. I did a lot of training and education which included classes on pregnancy, newborns, and pediatrics. It was during those classes that started a love of working with newborns and pregnant mothers. It was also through craniosacral therapy that I mentored and learned somatic practices and trauma informed care.

Even after my bodywork practice was established I continued my training to include Family Constellations, Integral Facilitation, Psychosomatics, Yoga Teacher Training, Emotional Clearing, Somatic Womb practices, Pre and Perinatal Healing, and energy work. I use all of these trainings in my practice with clients depending on what they need. I blend science with energy and am open to both Eastern and Western approaches with a deep understanding in both.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I grew up camping with my grandpa in the beautiful Wasatch Mountains in his old VW camper van. When my parents got divorced when I was 12 my mom decided to buy a VW camper van ass well and take my sister and me camping on the weekends down in the deserts of Southern Utah. We jokingly called her van MLC for “mid-life crisis” but we had some amazing trips. Both my grandpa and mother instilled a love of nature and the importance of connection to the Earth for healing and mental well being.

I remember being 14 sitting on the warm desert rocks outside of Moab, Utah watching the setting sun, releasing all of my worries and stress into the Earth knowing that she would know what to do with it. I remember watching the yellow aspen leaves fall, the stars would appear as it turned night, and my grandfather pointing out constellations in the star filled sky. We cannot be separated from this Earth, the plants, or animals and time in nature in imperative to remembering that.

If I had a week I would rent a van and take my friend to the desert, away from society, away from social media, away from the hustle and grind of everyday life, and into the quiet landscapes that make up so much of Utah. We would hike for miles in Arches, Zion, Moab, Dead Horse Point, and Escalate. We would light fires and stay up late staring at the stars, sing off key to music blasting as we drive, and laugh and cry as we remember how much bliss simplicity brings.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I couldn’t be where I am today without my husband, Ty. When I stopped working at the hospital we were depending upon his job financially and his insurance until I could grow my business to be more stable. He has been there countless times as I have traveled to take courses and education, helped me problem solve when I hit difficult patches, and has always cheered me on as a solopreneur.

Website: leshaneslon.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lesha__nelson/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lesha.nelson11

Other: Substack: https://lesha.substack.com/

Image Credits
https://alexisfoustphoto.com/ https://cedarrapidsiowaphotographer.com/