Nesha started Lifehouse Performing Arts Academy in her basement in 1999. Because of her own personal struggles with feeling like her worth was determined by her accomplishments, Nesha has sought to create an environment at Lifehouse that strives to instill values of personal integrity and strength in its students rather than competition, seeking for external validation and ego. The studio, under her leadership, has grown to be one of the largest in Utah.
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.