Today we’d like to introduce you to Nesha Woodhouse.
Hi Nesha, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Lifehouse Performing Arts Academy
My husband and I purchased our first home 24 years ago in Elk Ridge, Utah. I was expecting our first baby. A few neighbors became aware that I was a dancer and started talking to me about offering dance classes from my home for convenience for the neighborhood. Some neighbor girls started showing up at my house asking me to teach them dance. My husband and I talked it over and thought it would be fun for me to offer a few classes a week. We had recently finished the basement. We pulled up brand new carpet, put a wood floor down and made a little basement studio. My plan was to have 20 students.
Two years later, I had 90 students. We decided to build a new home in Elk Ridge with a large studio under the garage with a separate waiting area and bathroom. A year after we moved into this home, I was having to rent space at Peeteneet Academy in Payson. We expanded two more times into bigger commercial spaces. Ten years ago, we built a 18,000 square foot building in Salem. Six years ago, we opened a second location in Saratoga Springs. After outgrowing the original space in Saratoga, two years ago we built out a larger commercial space up the road in Herriman.
Lifehouse Body & Soul
Nesha’s first experience with body trauma happened at age 4. Several traumatic experiences throughout her childhood and early adolescence contributed to her developing Anorexia in an effort to feel in control of her worthiness for love and acceptance by controlling her body size. Although this has been a difficult challenge, journeying with her body and healing her trauma has also been her greatest teacher. It is in grappling with this challenge that Nesha has discovered truth, wisdom and the gift in the human experience.
In seeking for her own healing, Nesha sought out many resources. She has attended workshops, done therapy, participated in various fitness programs, read countless books and worked with many wonderful mentors. She has learned the power of aligning herself with truth and the importance of healing trauma, which is universal to the human condition.
In seeking for her own healing, Nesha struggled to find answers for her body trauma. She found that most programs tied feeling good about yourself and health strictly to weight, size and following a strict routine of diet and exercise. She knew from her own experience that looking to an outcome of being a certain size or of behaving “perfectly” were not the answer. She also recognized that most people, especially women, have significant shame and trauma around their body. A vision for a program that would teach that true power comes in being aligned with truth, the need for a higher power, and the integration of the mind, body, heart and soul began to form.
Nesha’s vision is to create a space that she was always searching for, but could never find. A space for honoring the body as a glorious instrument to learn, experience and love.
Nesha’s business partner Becky Moller had her girls enrolled in dance at Nesha’s Studio for several years. They became friends four years ago. Nesha quickly realized that Becky was the right person to partner with to bring forth this vision.
Becky had been running the fitness programs and teaching fitness classes at BYU and UVU for several years. In her early adult life, Becky struggled with anorexia, perfectionism, and body distortion that led to fertility challenges. In 2014 she was faced with her greatest spiritual teacher: betrayal trauma. Ironically, it was this life-shattering experience that ultimately led her to uncover the many limiting beliefs and self-defeating behaviors that caused her body trauma and anxiety among other challenges. She continues on a lifetime pathway to heal these beliefs through applying 12-Step principles, practicing mindfulness, and finding the divine power of meditation. She has not weighed herself nor counted a calorie since 2015, and feels truly grateful each day to be free of body hatred and stress.
Through the rock bottom of betrayal trauma, she became deeply involved in addiction and trauma recovery work, serving as the Executive Director of S.A.Lifeline Foundation (a 12-Step Non-Profit) for 3 years, where she led Women’s retreats, spoke publicly, and developed online curriculums and educational materials.
Becky feels overwhelmed with gratitude at how such an ugly beginning has become such a beautiful part of her life–and has learned to approach life with an open mind and trust in the creativity of a Higher Power at work. She finds joy and meaning in paying forward the universal message of compassion, trauma-healing, self-awareness, empowerment, and essential identity to a world in need.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Lifehouse Performing Arts Academy
Yes, there have been many challenges and obstacles along the way. I have learned that a lot of life is learning to solve problems and navigate obstacles beyond my control and offering myself grace for my imperfections and mistakes–giving myself space to continually learn and grow.
Although the external challenges have been significant at times, I have found the greatest challenges and opportunities have come from within myself. Learning that I can’t please everyone and to focus on being a person and running a business that I respect instead of trying to make everyone happy has helped me to have a healthy relationship with the business. Trusting in the value that I offer, defining a clear vision for the culture and training I want to offer and being open to feedback without taking it personally have been key. I have also had to surrender that I will never do everything perfectly, no matter how hard I work, I cannot make everyone happy and accepting that sometimes I will disappoint people have been powerful life lessons.
Lifehouse Body & Soul
The biggest challenge in running Lifehouse Body & Soul has been creating something from the ground up that I have never seen modeled. It has also been challenging defining for people what we do. It is easy to sell weight-loss and things that have an external marker of success. That is also what human beings are more drawn to. Fixing the outside feels initially more important and pressing than creating more awareness of what is actually going on inside of our minds, hearts and bodies. This is about learning to live from the inside out–that type of growth is always messy and challenging. We like the quick fix so much more. I also feel like most people don’t have a frame of reference for what we offer. Finding our target audience has been challenging.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Lifehouse Performing Arts Academy
My participation in the arts was transformational. I learned so much about myself and the ability to connect my mind, body and heart and to have a physical outlet for self-expression expanded and blessed me. I made the decision from the outset that the studio would focus more on meaningful performance opportunities and personal development instead of participating in competitions that were becoming the norm in the dance world. The studio produces 10 performances every year between its two locations. These productions include original ballets, original plays, a fireside production that presents an uplifting idea or theme through dance, music, video and the spoken word along with classical stories. We strive to make the performances meaningful, professional and a growing experience for our students.
Lifehouse strives to create a culture the embodies the following values. These values are shared with the students in seminars, can be found on the walls of our studios and a referenced as a code of conduct for employees and students. It is my hope that these are the things we can strive to emulate as a community.
Lifehouse Values:
• This is a safe haven, in these walls we treat each other with kindness and respect. As part of the Lifehouse community, we feel a responsibility to create a safe environment for everyone. As employees, parents and students, we work as a team to make sure that our thoughts, words and behavior are welcoming, honest and kind. We avoid drama, competing and gossip. We recognize the value of each individual and see each other’s humanity. We understand that we have a responsibility to make decisions in our words and actions that facilitate an environment of friendship, support and learning for all.
• Who I am is more important than what I can do. Being a master at your craft is a wonderful pursuit. We strive for excellence. But we understand that the most important endeavor in life is developing into a person of integrity, kindness and pure intent. Who we are is manifest in what we create. We can have amazing gifts to share with the world, but if who we are on the inside is corrupt, we will lack the ability do anything of significance that creates goodness for others.
• I will not fear the truth, for that is how I become all that I am meant to be. The only way we can grow is to be completely aware and honest about our personal limitations and the choices we make that hurt instead of benefit our personal development. We see ourselves with honesty, clarity and compassion maintaining a belief in our ability to change and expand our weaknesses into strengths. Recognition of what we are not yet, is the first step to positive change. The need to feel good about ourselves all of the time and the need to be seen as “perfect” opens the door for self deception.
• I will focus on my own potential and not worry how I compare to others. Every dancer’s body is different and unique. We all have different strengths and weaknesses. What we all have in common is the ability to choose. We will strive to spend our energy and efforts in making the best possible choices for our personal expansion and growth instead of worrying about how we compare to another person. We are all on our own individual journey. We will cheer each other on in our efforts to grow and focus on the only thing we can control, which is our personal choices and individual development.
• My body is a gift. I will use it as an instrument to uplift and inspire others. Our bodies are amazing! We strive to be grateful for our bodies, for the way that they function and allows us to express and share stories and ideas. We work to develop truth in our technique to enable us to better inspire through the art we create.
• I understand if it doesn’t challenge me, it doesn’t change me. The only way to increase our capacities and overcome our limitations is to metabolize the anxiety of reaching past what it is comfortable for us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. At Lifehouse, we embrace discomfort and welcome the opportunity it gives us to grow.
• It is not the critic who counts. It is the person brave enough to share a part of themselves on the stage, under the spotlight that truly matters. It is easy to be a critic. It is hard to be the one engaged in a creative endeavor, putting themselves out there and sharing themselves with others. We celebrate the bravery of our students who are striving and sharing and hope to help them to develop the strength to not let their side-lined critics (including their inner critic) stop them from striving for the best that’s within them. When we receive feedback, we have to hold it up against our most honest self…and ultimately decide if it is true.
• I do not seek the praise of others, I seek the power within me. I do not live my life or dance for the validation of others. I recognize that my power comes in my ability to make choices and becoming a person and dancer that I respect.
I have tried to focus the studio on the development of the child, not the outcome:
The reason why children engage in extra-curricular activities should be for the overall development of the child. Sometimes it is easy to get focused on outcomes and forget that these are growing, developing humans and that the goal is how their development is nurtured through an activity. What do they learn about themselves that will help them to function and engage with life in a healthier, more productive way is the most important part of their training. This is one of the main reasons I chose not to participate in dance competitions where the trophy and the win easily become the priority and not the actual development of the dancer as an artist and individual.
LIFEHOUSE BODY & SOUL
At Lifehouse Body & Soul, we believe that our fullest and most joyful life happens when we connect body, mind, and spirit on a regular basis. We use mindfulness, movement, and supportive community to help people heal their hidden traumas, live from integrity and power, and make peace with their body and their lives.
Lifehouse Body & Soul offers a daily practice that includes cardio movement to release negative energy and connect to the breath and flow movement in the form of Pilates or yoga to help participants center themselves. All daily practices end with meditation.
The LBS Mindful Living program is a 36-week curriculum supported by weekly Group meetings.
Mindful Living introduces you to a one-day-at-a-time lifestyle of self-compassion, presence, accountability, and supportive community.
The program represents a unique blend of mindfulness practice, yoga philosophy, modern therapies, and traditional 12-Step.
The 36-week session length is a solid base to help you establish long-term behavior change, inner peace, and wellness in every way. We can promise you that if you commit to the program, you will experience life-changing results.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I have really appreciated the work of Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife, Brene Brown, Eckart Tolle, Jack Cornfield, and Tara Brach.
Contact Info:
- Website: lifehouseacademy.com and lifehousefit.com
- Instagram: lifehousedance and lifehousefit
- Facebook:lifehousedance and lifehousefit
Image Credits
Samantha Little
Mary Hansen
