Photograph by Harryet Candee
TERREL BROUSSARD Herbalogist | Body Worker Interview by Harryet Candee Terrel Broussard, Ayurvedic practitioner, herbalist and body worker and I are about to unravel and introduce some interesting ideas and thoughts in the Healing Arts realm that many people may not be aware of but have had an interest in knowing more about. Not to dis traditional medicine, by any means but rather to take this opportunity to satisfy our curiosity and learn more about what Terrel offers. It is another venue in Art. Meshing studies in Ayurvedic principles and physical applications such as body work, Terrel explores deeper ways in which we can naturally heal what ails us keeps us feeling good so we can carry on and enjoy the best of what life offers. Harryet Candee: Is healing arts that much of a mystery to Americans? Terrel Broussard: can only speak from my own personal experience, which is one of a person raised in south Louisiana in the 60’s and 70’s. My education was in the public school system, with a limited exposure to anything alternative. So, with that as a backdrop, the closest I came to healing arts was an eccentric uncle who was a traiteur, a faith healer in the Cajun culture. I was a pretty healthy kid, but when I had a rare issue we’d usually pay him a visit. In hindsight, I guess I shouldn’t be that surprised that I ended up doing this work. I think it’s in my blood. As I wrote in my first column of your publication, my mom used home remedies for things that didn’t really need a doctor’s visit. To come back to your question, yes, healing arts is a mystery to Americans. It shouldn’t be. I think healing arts or some form of basic health care should be in the core curriculum of every school system. The visual arts are very accessible to students, and I think more and more, the healing arts are being sought after not 20 • JULY 2022 THE ARTFUL MIND
only as a necessity to receive, but more people are becoming healing arts therapists. I also believe that there is a relationship between the two – healing arts and visual arts. The creativity and focus that I used in writing scripts, shooting and editing when I was a video producer, easily transferred to my herbal profession in our home, in what we refer to as my “mad scientist lab”, the place where I create formulas. Regarding my therapy sessions, I frequently find myself working on visual artists who are completely drawn to the work I do, and when I tell them of my R/TV/Film background this whole conversation about “the arts” begins. Terrel, where do we begin to unravel what you do? Maybe its best to explain to us your connection to medicine and the natural world? I know there are a few roles you play in the healing arts that extend from a working relationship between the physical and mental. TB: I guess it’s best to start chronologically. I remember being fascinated with psychology since high school. And when I began searching for an-
swers to emotional issues I was having a little late, I began exploring meditation. When that didn’t completely satisfy me, I explored yoga. When broken down, yoga is about self-study – so this was mind candy for me. The science of yoga and Ayurveda, yoga’s sister science, answered questions regarding my physical and mental worlds, and also addressed the energetic parts of me. I feel that the energetic world is left out of the equation in the west. Until western medicine brings this part in, it will never have a complete answer the maladies of the human condition. Back to your question, upon finishing my studies in yoga, it was obvious that my R/TV/Film degree was not going to be of service anymore. I began training in bodywork, and continued on with Thai Massage training, Herbal Medicine School, and then Ayurvedic studies. I was an effective massage therapist in the beginning, but it wasn't until I studied Ayurveda that all of these modalities that I was doing came together and made sense. Ayurveda literally means the science of life. It was in these studies that a clearer understanding of the
