We were lucky to catch up with Lily Wilson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Lily, thanks for joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

The moment I decided to go back to school for massage therapy and yoga, I knew I was taking a risk. My bank account was comfortable, had just found a wonderful relationship, and overall life was good. But I wasn’t fully satisfied and something deep in myself wanted more, or just knew that life had more to offer for me. I always knew that I wanted to eventually become my own boss, but didn’t know how or what that would look like. After I started to sell my herbal balms and salves to my community, I knew that I wanted to make holistic healthcare my path and passion in life. Due to my remote location in northern Minnesota, I knew that I would need to travel to do my massage training, so I decided to have a true adventure — truly life altering and deeply fulfilling — by journeying to Maui for six months of training. This venture depleted my bank account and tested my relationship, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything! Throwing all my resources into training on a tropical paradise, I grew in more ways than one. I gained great skill and wisdom in the healing arts, found and deepened parts of myself, and strengthened my relationship with my partner. Now on the other side of my massage and yoga training, back in Minnesota building my practice, I know that great growth can only come through great risk. It asks a lot of a person — and still is as I am building my own business as a novice entrepreneur in a rural community, but I do not regret a moment of the journey. By taking a risk to follow my heart and dreams, I am making the life that I yearn for and sharing my gifts with the world.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Lily Wilson, of Earth Body Healing in Grand Marais, MN. I am a massage therapist, yoga instructor (RYT 200), and herbalist. My love and passion for the healing arts began in college when herbal medicine started me onto the journey of healing, where conventional medicine had failed me repeatedly. Although I grew up around chiropractors and massage therapists, this healing with the plants is what really started me on my own journey of becoming a holistic healthcare practitioner. For the next several years, I began teaching myself herbal medicine from books and online resources. When I moved to Grand Marais, I started to take herbalism courses when available at North House Folk School. After years of practice and experimentation, I started to sell my herbal balms and salves to my community under the name of Little Fox Botanicals. I still make and sell my botanicals at craft markets, in local stores, and I use them in my own massage practice at Earth Body Healing. For my herbalism, I am particularly interested in bioregional herbalism, which focuses on using the plant medicines that grow in your own region. Plants of the Boreal Forest region are my primary focus and I plan to do more training in the coming year with an herbalist that focuses on this region. After I began Little Fox Botanicals, I knew that I wanted to make holistic healing be my passion and life. This led to six months of massage and yoga training on the north coast of Maui. Now back in Minnesota, I offer an array of offerings with massage, yoga, and my botanicals. My primary massage modality is the Hawaiian Lomi Lomi massage, which is just as therapeutic as it is relaxing. My clients often leave feeling as if they have been transported and like their aches have been washed away. I offer one hour or ninety minute massages, and fifteen minute mini-massages on Saturdays. My primary style of yoga is Vinyasa Flow, greatly inspired by the Maui Yoga Flow of Maui Yoga Shala focusing on mind body awareness. I offer public and private yoga classes.
My main goal is to provide space for my clients to find healing. This was my biggest realization in my training, that space is a huge component to the healing process. This space can be physical in the body, by creating space in the joints and tissues through massage or yoga. The space can also be bigger than the body, literally providing an environment in which a person can relax and find some peace. With Earth Body Healing, I aim to connect people with their own innate healing and the healing of the Earth.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Word of mouth and referrals have been the most effective strategy for growing my clientele. This might not work in all communities, but in a small rural community, it is key. People want someone they know they can trust, so hearing it from friends and family aids in building the client-practitioner relationship. I do advertise and get some clients that way, but the bulk of my clients have been from referrals. The growth is slow but steady, and although there might be more effective strategies I have yet to try, growing through referrals is the most fulfilling for me as a practitioner as well. The trust is a two-way street, especially for a health practitioner. Both massage therapy and yoga can be vulnerable settings for practitioner and client. Having the trust built a little prior to the first session can lead to a more successful and more enjoyable session.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

Aside from good training, being in tune with your own authentic self is extremely helpful for succeeding in massage therapy, yoga, and any holistic healthcare profession. There are different viewpoints, but in my own practice I believe that in this profession we are working not only with the physical body, but also the more subtle energy bodies. This could be thought of as spirit, the mind, your core being — insert whatever term works best for you — but it remains that through bodywork sessions the emotions and mindset of the client can be greatly impacted. For this reason, the practitioner must also have an understanding of their own self. Where do your motivations truly lie? How much do you leach or spill onto others? Being grounded in yourself and knowing how to center yourself when you are in a session is key.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.earthbodyhealingllc.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/earth_body_healing/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550530231231
• Other: https://earthbodyhealing3.substack.com/

Image Credits
Lily Wilson