The Priestess Ruminates

Allow me to introduce myself! My name is Alicia Le Van (aleesha la van) I was born and raised in New England, let’s just say a few decades ago now;) As I child I was very sensitive to my environment and often felt more of a connection to animals than people. I could feel the healing power of nature at a very early age, and found solace from my pain in the forest. I could see aura’s around plants and trees, and felt the presence of woodland spirits. My fascination with the natural world and need to be enveloped in it’s mystical forces has always propelled me to go deeper into the wild… and still does to this day.

Working with the energy of chrystals and stones was the first modality from nature to enter my awareness… but over time, when i was ready to receive, the complexity of plant medicine has come to be the forefront of my work. working with our plant allies, from herbs, to flowers, to trees… these living conscious organisms with so much to offer. they are a trues gift from spirit.

interest in Ayurveda began when I was a teenager, a picked up a book on kundalini energy…. it took years before i dsocvered what ayurveda was… and it was just happenstance, when it was a program offered at my massage school. and years later, it came back around again, and again, until finally my eyes opened and i was ready to embrace this wisdom and start incorporating it into my own life.

The Priestess is my practice. it is my path. my philosophy. perspective. it is a choice- to step into my power. and to help others do the same. Wiht the magic and medicine of plants and the ancients, I brings this path of self healing, through balance and self awareness to my beloved clients and students.

The Priestess Spa, is a sanctuary, a sacred space exclusively for women. IT is where the Body Temple and The Beauty Temple are pure feminine energy, protected in sancitty.

This is where we can be real, an release ourselves. this is where we lift the veil, peel off the mask and become authentic.

After severla years of solitude, and much silence, I have followed my calling to share my truth with others and offer up my wisdom to help others find their path. Holistic health is an all encompassing approach to health, happiness and beauty.

A holistic health spa is where we can release and indulge. luxuriate and illuminate. let go and find freedom. mend our relationship with ourselves, nd mend it with others. and we do this with the most sovereign power that is- the power of nature. mother earth. the source. it is greater, stronger and more beautiful than anything that is artificial. it is what we sick to mimick, unconsciously.

a holistic health spa, in portsmouth, new hampshire. a special, exclusive, private, and cozy. full of heart. something you won’t find in corporate luxury resorts and that is why i left them behind me….

Why is Ayurveda so special? First of ll, it is not that common in the West… yet. Second, becuase it is all about being especially about you! what does that mean? it means that the number one to listen to is you- you are your own truth, and medicine must be tailored to you to treat you effectively. and that is what make The Priestess so special, at the Priestess in portsmouth, nh, your herbal remedies are customized. your treatments, your teas. it is not a one size fits all or even most. you are a complex entity, interwovesn of many qualities, elements, constituants and so should your medicine.

a greater trust in the inherent wisdom of your body, learning to become more aware, be your own healer with support from The Ayurvedic
 herbal pharmacopeia.

during seasons of life… changes, “Herbal allies like shatavari, ashwagandha, brahmi, and ashoka help bring balance to the reproductive system and support greater comfort through perimenopausal challenges.

have maintained a close observational relationship with one’s body throughout life. incorporating nourishing practices like abhyanga, meditation, and gentle exercise, or anything that helps you maintain a loving, compassionate relationship with your body. ”

Ayurveda, physical and emotional experience is unified, as an Ayurvedic therapist to help people heal their physical and emotional lives. 

As a teenager, I would hang out in health food & New Age book stores, oh and of course any where there was cool vinyl to be had;) Eating wholesome and healthy just felt good… and I loved to feed my mind with the feel good messages from self help books and fill my thoughts with new ideas about consciousness and spiritual awareness.

I gravitated towards chrystals and gemstones, using stones and their unique effect on energy was the first modalities from nature to enter my awareness. It wasn’t until much later that I was ready to receive the vast complex messages about plant medicine; how to cultivate, harvest and use plants, trees and flowers for health.

In art school I dove deep into art therapy and working through traumatic experiences with visual art and expressive arts therapy. Over time, I needed the physical expression of dance to work through my body and sexuality issues- having been a survivor of sexual abuse and rape. Studying, performing and teaching women’s sacred dance became my primary medium, for around 20 years.

In the 90’s, I was blessed to live near a unique bodywork school in Salem Massachusetts, called the Palmer Institute. They offered a body and energy work curriculum, in addition to Ayurvedic health courses. After graduating from there I moved to California, to pursue my career as a body and energy therapist, in a place where that kind of profession was more accepted and as a result, advanced.

As a therapist and a teacher, I worked in world class luxury resorts and Ayurvedic day spas, gaining new knowledge and skills along the way, including skin care techniques and treatments which flowed naturally into my career in body work, a profession where I was already in close contact with peoples skin.

Where I lived people were growing cannibis, I would help out here and there, eventually learning how to grow, harvest and preserve medicinal plants. Before it was widely accepted, we made CBD extracts to help with pain or stress.

I developed my own practice, called Embody- incorporating Ayurvedic perspectives and products into my treatments. I developed a ritual program for my clients who wanted to experience the sacred and a personal transformation. My day spa was in the heart of historic Santa Barbara, California.

Helping people with a day time retreat was great, but I really wanted to do something more immersive, and

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