Today we’d like to introduce you to Leslie April Petasek

Hi Leslie April , it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?

My journey started when I went to massage school in 2010. What started off as a sidestep from the four year university path has turned into a 14 plus year career that I have completely fallen in love with. I never knew I would have such a passion and a talent for the world of massage.
I am still grateful to this day that I got into the health and wellness industry at such a young age. It has changed my life over and over again. I am lucky that I followed my heart into the path of healing.
I have been trained in many massage modalities over the years to add to my career. Some techniques include NMT (neuromuscular therapy), deep tissue, cupping, reiki, Lomi lomi, reflexology, cranial sacral, hot stones, cold stones, scrubs, wraps and so much more.

I truly love what I do. Bringing not only healing and comfort, but a sense of relief and relaxation to people especially when they have been living in pain is my greatest love. So many of us are living in chronic pain and have just accepted it to be a “new normal” for our quality or life. I believe the fact that I have been trained in so many diverse talents enables me to be able to offer my clients more than just a massage. It truly is an experience and it brings lasting results. I am grateful this journey has led me down the paths it has. I wouldn’t be the healer I am today without all of the amazing gifts I have acquired.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

In 2017 I was injured on the job and had to take a break from massage for 6 months. I was faced with many emotions. I felt a bit lost but found myself again with a college program that included advanced yoga teacher training, meditation, life coaching, nutrition and sound healing. This program allowed me to not only explore myself more but add even further to my tool belt in helping people.

Today I live and work in Lake Tahoe.
I have my own massage room at The Sanctuary in North Lake Tahoe on the Stateline in Kings Beach, CA. Clients can book online or through me and see me at my office. I also get the opportunity to teach yoga classes at The Sanctuary which I absolutely love because the space is just remarkable, You feel it as soon as you walk through the doors. It truly is a sanctuary and with two yoga spaces there are endless Opportunities to teach and hold classes. I am also pursuing private clients through my business, bringing healing to their homes, as well as working for local resorts and spas on call when needed.
I am still happily mixed employed but with my private client count going up I expect to be able to be fully self employed again soon.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Living Gaia Connection?

Living Gaia Connection is your connection to relaxation and more importantly-connection back to yourself. Gaia means Mother Earth and I feel like I am the Mother Earth connection. I help bridge the gap between where we are and where we want to be. To connect to the earth is to reconnect to self and with so many stressors in today’s world it’s easy to get lost in it all.

When you support living Gaia connection you are truly supporting yourself and your nervous system which is one of the most healing things you can do.

I specialize in massage, meditation, yoga and sound baths.

I truly have a talent for not only bringing a sense of calm and peace but also getting to the root of the problem. I love working on head/neck/shoulders and low back because it’s where most of us carry our tension. I also love giving hand and foot massages because our hands and feet carry us through our day to day and do so much for us.

Mediation, yoga and sound baths are a lovely way to bring balance back into the body and find the sense of peace and calm mind that a lot of us don’t get to experience often. Our world today is very stimulating and between families and jobs we have very little time for ourselves. Taking that time to reconnect to yourself and give yourself an hour to just BE is extremely powerful. It gives us space so all of the anxieties and have to’s don’t seem so daunting.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?

I see myself going fully self employed and doing retreats in the next 5-10 years.

The Sanctuary in North Lake Tahoe is absolutely helping me make this dream a reality. I am an independent therapist where I get to rent a room. My repeat clients can book with me at my office at The sanctuary or they can book with me privately to come to their homes.

I love having private clients and being able to Bring my talents into the comfort of their homes. To build relationships and become a consistent part of their lives is my absolute dream. Giving them the consistent healing and bodywork that they need is what I love most. Getting to work on other family members and help in anyway that I can makes my heart full.

I feel like retreats are a great way to unwind and take a break from our normal day to day. When space and relaxation are scheduled it makes it easier to truly let go of the lists and things we have to get done. Taking a few days to unwind and really have the opportunity to relax and let go of normal day to day worries really helps the body and nervous system in deep healing.
We all need something to look forward to and we all deserve a break from the responsibilities in our lives now and then. Taking time away for ourselves is one of the most necessary and selfless things we can do for ourselves and the people in our lives. We come back refreshed, rejuvenated and brighter, able to take on the same day to day life in a much more profound way.

Pricing:

• Massage booked at my office: $130/hour $180/90 minutes $245/120 minutes
• Private services booked via zoom (virtual): $75/hour $110/90 minutes $145/120 minutes
• Private services in the comfort of home: $200-260/hour $290-$350/90 minutes $400-$440/120 minutes
• Ask about having me meet you while you travel!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.livinggaiaconnection.com
• Instagram: @livinggaiaconnection
• Facebook: https://Facebook.com/livinggaiaconnection
• Other: https://thesanctuarytahoe.com/massage/#book

Image Credits

Keely Lattanzio