Today we’d like to introduce you to Teresa Ramirez.
Teresa, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Like any healing journey, we must go through something that we have to actually HEAL from. While my Holistic Healing journey began when I moved to the San Francisco, CA at the age of 26–my root trauma happened at the young age of 3. I was sexually abused at this age + Bio father not in the picture–this set into motion a three-decade strong path of deeply seeded hurt, pain and fear which manifested themselves into anxiety, depression and addiction in my 20s. Little did I know these addictions were in fact textbook root/sacral chakra imbalances.
Numbing my way through my 20s, I was a certifiable ‘rock-n-roller’ by the age of 25 all the while trying to keep my anxiety and depression within a limit that I could work to afford said lifestyle. This all came to a head when I had a full-blown anxiety breakdown at work and was let go from my high-stress job in the startup work culture of SF. I like to say the universe fired me from my life that day. I was 29 at the time and knew I couldn’t live my life like this anymore. My doctor wanted to put me on a cocktail of mood meds when this happened. I studied the long-term effects of said mood meds and told my doctor I wanted to research natural options.
With the love and support of my family and close friends, I moved back home to SoCal and enrolled myself into a 1000hr Holistic Health program where my main priority was to learn, study, practice and heal myself during this year long program. I viewed my time at Healing Hands School of Holistic Health as life rehab, where I was forced to sit with and heal 30 years of pain I had avoided up until that point. I took becoming a CMT/HHP seriously and knew I needed to heal myself if I wanted to help/facilitate others’ healing.
It was in this healing journey that I learned about the Mind/Body connection with our physical anatomical structure. Being the curious, studious, straight-A student I am, I hit the books and I hit them hard that year. All the while ‘brain dumping’ in my Passion Planner, Notebooks, Google Drive, anywhere I had space to write my ideas of a business and brand centered around the same Body Education that saved my life.
Three years after enrolling in this program, I moved to my dream city and am learning, growing every day in my dream business! To say I am grateful to be sharing my story here in the SD Voyager is an understatement. It is my life’s mission and purpose to show others if I could do it–so can you.
Great, 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?
I had 30 years of healing to do in the last 3 years and in that space, I attracted some incredibly soul-crushing individuals that now being on the other side of it can say the universe sent me these individuals to show me the depths of my strength and courage. This ultimately led to my ability to understand and establish boundaries both in my personal and professional life.
During the 3 year deep dive into “doing the work” aka “Shadow Work,” I slipped into a deep depression that became suicidal at one point as I couldn’t comprehend how some of the obstacles put in my life during this time were ‘happening TO me.’ The pain was overwhelming but my heart and mind were broken open May 2019 when my SF “soul-family” lost a dear friend WAY too soon. Dave reminded me of something with his abrupt passing.
Our traumas, pain and hurt happen FOR us not TO us. I made a decision the weekend of his wake. I chose at that moment to graduate from my trauma story and to launch the business I had been dreaming of since 2017. I moved to San Diego 1 month after Dave’s passing and have been LIVING every day of my life for the life he didn’t get to live. With the help of podcasts, books, blog articles, google search bar and having a Rachel Hollis inspired business launch ‘Roadmap’ of allllll the necessary steps to launch a massage business–within three months of living here in beautiful San Diego, I launched Rooted Holistic Bodywork.
2016-2019 gave me some of the darkest, lowest and most challenging moments of my life outside of my childhood traumas and for the first time, I didn’t suffer in silence. I didn’t turn to my old ways of coping. I SAT with the reality of them and my advice to ANYONE going through a tough time, remember you are not alone. Reach out to a loved one, a friend, a therapist, ANYONE you think you can talk to and let them know you are having a tough time and need someone to lean on.
I hesitated on sharing some of the obstacles I faced since I began my Holistic Health journey due to their sensitive nature–but it’s my hope in being radically honest that anyone reading this knows they are not alone. We are built tough and the universe (God, source, spirit, whatever you connect with) places these obstacles in our path to not only test us, but to show us in real time just how strong we are. What we can LEARN from these obstacles is where the medicine lies.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
As a Holistic Health Practitioner and Bodywork Therapist/Coach, I utilize a multi-modality approach to facilitate healing the Mind/Body/Soul connection for my clients. I discovered during my studies to become an H.H.P that I am in fact an anatomy NERD! I am extremely passionate about Body Education with my clients/yoga students on their muscle to bone attachment sites, basic muscle+fascia anatomy & emotions held in the muscle tissues. I coach my clients on how to do their own self-massage + stretches + meditations to incorporate daily with a customized self-treatment protocol based on where they are at.
My sacred service offering that I have been feeling and growing into over the last three years and have become well known for here in San Diego that truly lights my soul on fire–Mind/Body Massage. I combine Reiki Energy Healing, my personal Therapeutic Massage flow (deep tissue sculpting, sports/stretching, Myofascial Release, Swedish/Relaxation), Breathwork and Guided Meditation to facilitate emotional release in the stuck muscle tissues for a complete mind/body/soul healing Bodywork experience!
What sets me apart? I would have to say my ability to hold space. As an empathic earth sign (Kapha Taurus) –yes I get down with the ‘Woo,’ my ability to hold safe, contained space for others has been a gift since a young age. I have always been the friend/person individuals could always pour their hearts out to. I pride myself on creating safe, contained spaces for individuals to simply BE and explore in. I feel this allows for the deeper healing my clients need and want to actually transpire during our sessions.
Often it feels as if the media, by and large, is only focused on the obstacles faced by women, but we feel it’s important to also look for the opportunities. In your view, are there opportunities that you see that women are particularly well positioned for?
2020, what a time to be alive! TRULY whatever you want to be, you CAN and WILL be with hard work and determination. While I did not go to school for business with the help of ALL the online resources: Books, podcasts, blog articles and Marie Forleo’s “Everything is Figureoutable” mindset– I’m living my dream! 40-50 years ago, this would not have been the case for women. Follow your passion and get ready to fall down and pick yourself back up again and to DO THE WORK.
Opportunities that women are well positioned for–SPEAKING YOUR TRUTH. There is SO much medicine in radical honesty on social media. We are inundated daily with “live your best life” as a form of marketing/sales, BUT in 2020 this paradigm is shifting. “Best” swapped for “better than yesterday” where social media is beginning to favor authenticity over perfection–thank goodness.
Women are incredibly resilient creatures and sharing our individual healing journey stories out loud for others to hear serves as medicine for the collective healing of our species. If speaking your truth takes the form of writing a book, a blog, a workshop series, a coaching program–whatever the creative outlet is, GO DO IT!
Pricing:
- Mind/Body Massage (90-120 Min): $180-$220
- Therapeutic Massage (75-120 Min): $100-$150
- Reiki: Hands on Energy Healing (60 Min): $100
- Prenatal Massage (75 Min): $110
- Chakra Balancing with Reiki (90 Min): $150
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rhbodywork.com
- Phone: (657) 229-3055
- Email: RHB@rhbodywork.com
- Instagram: @rhbodywork
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RootedHolisticBodywork/
- Other: https://rhbodywork.as.me/
Image Credit:
Beach Photos: Hap Leonard
Chair Massage Booth: Gaury Verma Photography
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