Today we’d like to introduce you to Diana Seva.
Diana, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was born in Moscow, Russia in the midst of the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Opportunities for growth and life betterment were sparse, so my family hired translators and filled out dizzying amounts of paperwork so we could get granted refugee status, landing in Los Angeles, California. But before I say more, my story would be amiss if I didn’t share a little bit about my mother – she was my first home and I am forever in gratitude for her wisdom, strength, and deep love for people. My mother’s grandmother on her father’s side was a talented intuitive healer, and as a child, my mother spent summers helping her with tasks such as realigning the spine of a man who has been hunchbacked his entire life or picking special herbs in the forest to help women give birth with more ease. My mother also became clairvoyant later in life after a couple of near-death experiences (one of which included giving birth to me), and to this day, I glean valuable insight from visions that she shares with me.
My father spent his life studying different philosophies and religions and was interested in yoga and energy healing for a large chunk of my childhood. I became familiar with Reiki, sutras, chakras, and kundalini yoga by the age of 10… it didn’t take long for me to realize that my family was unusual, to say the least! As an Aquarian, I love all things off the beaten path, though it took me a while before I began to see myself as a healer.
I studied art history at UCLA, and my love of interpreting images led me to study tarot, which was one of those things that I felt at home doing even as a novice. I started reading at art events and parties, and my heart began to grow in a particularly magical, expansive way. I love holding space and connecting with people. Around the same time, I rekindled my yoga practice to relieve back pain and noticed how much kinder I became towards myself in the process. Yoga gave me space to cultivate self-love and compassion in a way I hadn’t experienced before. This life-changing realization inspired me to complete my 200-hour teacher training, so I could share the mental and physical benefits of this beloved practice with my community. And because I’m the kind of person who fully immerses myself into everything I feel passionate about – especially, if it allows me to help others – I became a meditation guide, Reiki practitioner, and sound healer, too!
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?
It wouldn’t be a human experience if it didn’t come with obstacles and challenges. Unlike Hermoine Granger, I do not have a Time-Turner and I am constantly racing against the clock to fit in as much book-reading, traveling, laughing, learning, healing, dancing, bonding, discovering, cooking, being, seeing, sharing, unwinding, working, and so many more -ings. Alan Watts said we need to stop measuring days by a degree of productivity and to start experiencing them by a degree of presence. We live in a yang-focused, doing-centered, work hard and party harder culture. I struggle to say no to things that spark my interest and have run into situations where I operate from a place of deep exhaustion because I’ve stretched myself too thin and/or didn’t advocate for myself and what my expertise and time is worth.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak to women directly: regardless of whether or not you are on a path towards becoming a healer, I feel it is important to develop strong boundaries and not accept anything less than you deserve. Notice what lifts the corners of your mouth and do more of that. We live on a blue planet that circles around a ball of fire next to a moon that moves the sea. It is so wild to be alive. It is so special to experience life, especially knowing how fleeting it is. Do the thing that terrifies you. Be firm but kind. Do your best. Tell people you love them. Look in the mirror and tell the person you see you love them too.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about your business – what should we know?
When I had my palms read, I was told that I have the hands of both a monk and a warrior–an uncommon combination. I’m a social introvert – I value my alone time, which I use to recharge and get through my stacks of books, indulging my myriad of curiosities in topics such as human anatomy, soul music, Russian poetry, tarot symbology, and meditation techniques. I am an avid learner and I take what I read and begin to practice, feel, and understand it for myself first. People have lauded me for being the real deal because I very much practice what I preach. I then use my platform as a healer to share what I study with my students, private clients, and the community at large.
I’m grateful to help people feel good about themselves through my offerings. I specialize in teaching yin and restorative yoga; read tarot for clients, events, and companies; share Reiki treatments; lead soundbaths and full moon ceremonies; and most recently, I’ve been studying earth medicine and shamanism with my mentor Pixie Lighthorse.
Finding a mentor and building a network are often cited in studies as a major factor impacting one’s success. Do you have any advice or lessons to share regarding finding a mentor or networking in general?
I’ve come across my mentors when I wasn’t actively looking for them. There’s a poem by yung pueblo that says the forces of the universe support those who work on healing themselves. I believe that. When I meditate regularly, stretch and move my body, spend more time in nature and less time on my phone, I attract like-minded people who raise my vibration. I suggest going to events where people are doing what you want to be doing. Talk to them. Ask questions. Collaborate. Operate from a place of gratitude and the world will be a softer, more tender place to exist in.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/dianaseva
- Other: www.yelp.com/biz/diana-seva-los-angeles-4
Image Credit:
Izzo Images, Megan McIsaac
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