Meet Tara Hedges of Body Sattva Therapies

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tara Hedges.

Tara, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I felt called to bodywork in my early 20s. There was no specific aha moment, more a certainty that this is what I needed to do. I was an artist (still am) but knew my nature was such that trying to do it for a living would take all the joy away. Though I don’t know if I would have put it this way at the time, being of some good in the world was very important to me.

It took a decade to organize my work life and finances to allow me to attend the American Institute of Alternative Medicine. In that time I worked in offices from reception to accounting to management. In essence, I was gaining everything I needed to know about running my own business. It was also during this time that I found cranial sacral therapy as a treatment for my chronic migraines. I can’t over state how revelatory this was. Not only did I find sweet relief for the first time, I was also introduced to a way of being with energy, with the subtle anatomy of the body which brought me home to myself in an entirely new way.

I took this imprint into my education. I think all bodyworkers give the work they need to receive and I am no exception.

Fate is funny and I ended up giving a massage for what turned out to be a job interview before I did my full body practical. This was one of the best things that could have happened to me because I landed in an environment where I could express my curiosity and pursue learning about the techniques that genuinely called to me. It brought me into community with a variety of therapists were are also interested in growing and learning and sharing with each other.

24 years later I am still part of that community and still growing. I’ve been able to weave together so many of my loves to make the tapestry of my practice. Yoga, herbalism, quantum physics, all of it relevant. All of it fascinating and exciting. Most importantly, all of it going in to being of service.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Smooth is relative! I was fortunate to find myself in the right environment from the moment I began practice. Had I been forced to go the spa route, I would have struggled. As it was, I immediately landed at a wellness center where I had the independence to grow my own practice. I was able to focus on the kind of care I wanted to offer without having to worry about anyone taking a percentage or dictating the services I had to provide. That being said, all of the responsibility for my success or failure was (and still is) on me alone. It can be a scary thing not having a guaranteed income. I am everything in my practice: therapist, accountant, researcher, marketing director. Not all of these hats are comfortable ones. The pandemic was a particularly terrifying time to be touching people for a living. I felt an enormous obligation to keep everyone safe especially because I have many immune compromised clients. It took a long time to get my practice back to pre-pandemic levels. Thankfully I did but the worries were real.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Body Sattva Therapies is the culmination of my evolution as a somatic therapist and intuitive bodyworker. I am an LMT, Reiki Master and Yoga Instructor who began with a focus on finesse over force. As I grew over these 24 years, adding new skill sets, modalities and gaining experience, the purpose of what I wanted to offer became more defined. It became important not only to help people through their trauma and pain, but to teach them ways in which they can help themselves. Understanding how our bodies and nervous systems function can do a lot to mitigate fear and increase empowerment.

Soma means of the body. As a somatic therapist I am not only working with the musculature but with the entirety of the person. The energetics, if you will. By which I mean not only your physical/mental/emotional self but also your present and past. All of your unique lived experience is relevant. When I use the word Intuitive, I am talking about the act of intently listening. I follow the cues from the body that the conscious mind might not be aware of. This allows feelings locked into an area be heard and thereby released of their story. An old injury might be healed but still “holding” the trauma from the experience. What might be an anecdote in our life could still be very different emotionally for the body.

To put it simply, I would say I specialize in injury and trauma recovery, chronic pain and stress management and postural re-patterning. I am committed to being a person of trust for those in chronic pain. I will listen to you and I will believe you.

Treatments are made to meet your specific needs and draw from such modalities as cranial sacral therapy, Reiki, fascia release, cupping and gua sha. Movement and breath work can be included to help provide coping mechanisms and continued relief. Aromatherapy is a wonderfully direct way to access your nervous system and I offer essential oils as well as the more subtle hydrolsols for those who are smell sensitive. Many of the therapeutic oils I use are infused with herbs from my own organic garden that have analgesic or skin soothing properties. Wherever you are in your life story, I am here to support you.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success to me means being able to make a living doing something I genuinely love that benefits others. My time and well being are my most valuable resources. Being self employed can be scary but it is wonderful not to have to deal with arbitrary hours, cruel bosses and unforgiving schedules. It is more important to me to have that agency than to have monetary wealth. The freedom I have is precious beyond rubies.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.bodysattvatherapies.net
• Facebook: @bodysattvatherapies