#27: Tess Manhattan
"It was a snowy day and I was the only person who showed up. The room was full of Buddhas."
#27: Tess Manhattan
Tess Manhattan is a New York-based artist, vlogger and podcaster. After an invitation to be a part of an event she hosted last summer at Princess, we hung out for the first time over dinner at Souen. Shortly after, she submitted these responses.
Location: NYC
Astrology: Cancer/Leo/Capricorn
What does health, or being healthy, mean to you?
Health is about moving through life and feeling good in my body and mind. Sometimes I want go for a run. Other times, I want to watch YouTube and eat candy. I ate pretty much only white foods until I was 25 and smoked a lot of questionable weed, so anything “good” I do for myself is a win. The human body is amazing. I am learning to trust the knowledge of it and go with the flow.
How would you describe your current lifestyle?
Art is always the certain of everything for me. Making it or looking at it, I don't know what I would do without it. I am super ambitious with my lifestyle. One day I want to be an animal reiki healer, the next day a K-pop trainee. I hope to land somewhere in the middle.
A lot of change has happened in my life in the past year. I quit my corporate job, started dog walking, stopped dog walking, and now I work at a high-end stationery store. Between May and September, my partner, Jeff and I, put on 5 art shows and started our own gallery, Princess. In the aftermath of that, I have been trying to pick up the pieces of myself and get back into a healthy self-care routine.
How do you start and end your days?
We usually wake up around 7 and have breakfast. We either have yogurt or oatmeal. I like drinking black tea in the morning, either English breakfast or Earl Gray. One of our favorite morning rituals is having breakfast in bed and watching “breakfast” shows on Jeff's iPad. A breakfast show is a light-hearted, low-stakes reality TV show, i.e. baking competitions and anything where people are looking for antiques. Think: Say Yes to the Dress, American Pickers, and Great British Bake-Off. My deep-cut favorites are Sugar Rush, Shipping Wars, Kid's Baking Championship, and Choccywoccydoodah.
I was going to kickboxing at 9 around 2-3 times a week, but I fell off after two of the ladies in my class got into a screaming match. I hope to return soon, though, because practicing martial arts has been one of the greatest joys of my adult life. Thank you Jake Paul for inspiring me!
While in the studio in the mornings, I always need to listen to something. Recently I have been layering healing frequencies and my favorite YouTuber podcasts. I will have two tabs on my computer, one playing each video and I will change the volumes to find the right mix. My favorite YouTuber podcasts are Just Trish and Cancelled. My favorite healing frequency is 963 Hz, which is the frequency of God.
One of my favorite nighttime rituals is a hot bath with at least 2 cups of Epsom salt. There was a point when I was going through 20 pounds of Epsom salt every few months. If I don't have time for a bath, I spray myself with Magnesium Oil from Ancient Minerals. A new thing for night-time is my jade Yoni egg. I got it to help with my period cramps, but the practice has been much more meditative than I was expecting. I am excited to see where it takes me.
Something I do before my period at night is a castor oil pack. Here is a little video of going through how I do that. Enjoy :)
Was there a specific moment in life that made you change your approach to health, or become more conscious generally?
I grew up in a health-conscious home. My mom has been practicing Iyengar Yoga for over 30 years. My dad biked to work every day. We weren't allowed to have candy or soda in the house. My way of rebelling was by sneaking sweets and only eating carbs.
I started having severe period cramps a few years ago and it led me to discover Eastern medicine. I started doing acupuncture and taking tinctures to regulate my cycle. I also began attending sound meditations.
I did one sound bath that changed a lot for me. It was a snowy day and I was the only person who showed up. The room was full of Buddhas. She worked with a lot of different bowls on and around my body at once. I relived some traumatic moments from my childhood as my child self. I saw earth from the perspective of space. It was covered with rings of beings of light holding hands.
What’s your relationship to self-healing?
Making art and DBT Therapy have helped me the most in healing myself. When I'm not making art or going to therapy weekly, everything always goes down hill a bit, especially since I went off my antidepressants. Also, I like to journal and take care of my plants.
For medical matters, I love doctoring myself, but I have to remind myself that Dr. Tess doesn't have all the answers. I do what I can with natural remedies. I take Elderberry syrup whenever I start to have a cold. I try to move my energy around as much as possible, whether that's through exercise, breathwork, or massage.
Where do you look to for information or advice?
God bless Trisha Paytas. I have followed her 10 years on Youtube and her vulnerability has made me feel less alone in dark times. This recent interview she did for Rain Wilson's podcast, Soul Boom is a shining example of why I love her. She talks about her spiritual journey and how it led her to motherhood. For Astrology, I am obsessed with Heather Ensworth.
Do you have any guiding principles?
Stuck and unprocessed emotions are what lead to disease. Whatever you can do to get your feelings out is so important. For me, journaling, exercise and talking on the phone to a friend always help.
What interventions have changed your health for the better? For the worse?
One of the best interventions I have made was stopping drinking Diet Coke and starting to drink tea instead. Now, I am a tea addict. I do one cup of caffeinated in the morning and maybe an afternoon Yerb if I didn't sleep good. Then I drink at least 2-5 cups of herbal tea. If I am at work I drink bagged tea, but at home I love making loose leaf. Loose leaf is the best for getting all the medicinal properties. For bags, my favorite tea right now is Pau d'Arco from Buddha Teas, Tulsi Rose from Organic India, and Lion's Mane Rhodiola Rose from Teeccino. For loose leaf, I have been drinking a mix of Greek Mountain tea, Moringa and Spearmint. One day, I would love to have my own tea garden.
It's so boring, but I feel my best when getting 8 hours of sleep, eating a diverse balanced diet, and exercising 3-5 times a week. I try and start there, but sometimes I can't. Also, I try to get massage and acupuncture as often as I can. I broke up with my acupuncturist last year because my insurance changed and I deeply miss that time with myself. I started going to a super cheap acupuncturist and he would play solitaire and eat lunch while my needles were in. This was a mistake! Be careful with who you see.
Sound healing and breathwork have been wonderful additions to my life. I try not lean too heavy into any one modality because I am easily influenced and prone to spiritual psychosis. Same goes with herbs, I try not to take too many supplements at once. Right now, I am taking Vitex from Gaia Herbs. I also love the Garden of Life Women's Multivitamin, but they were recently bought by Nestle, so I am worried the formula changed.
What’s your perfect meal? What foods do you find yourself returning to?
If I could only eat steak and marshmallows, I would. My perfect meal is going out to hotpot. I love Haidilao in Flushing.
My favorite thing to make is bone broth. I have a massive pot that I fill with chicken feet and old bones from roasted chickens. I top it with reverse osmosis water and let it simmer all day. I use the broth to make my signature tomato soup, which is a slight variation of this recipe.
I am pretty particular with how I make food as a former picky eater. I don't like things to be mushy. I pretty much eat a lot of the same meals over and over again. We joined our local CSA this year and I have been loving eating seasonal fruits and vegetables.
What advice would you give to your past self?
Don't resell your ticket for Trisha Paytas's Heartbreak Tour on December 1st, 2018. Go to Philly and see her, so you don't spend years regretting it.
What advice would you give to the person reading this?
Be mindful of where your awareness is living. Be in nature and in water whenever you can. Notice the animals around you.
What would you like to see or create more of in the world?
Love and kindness. Being kind to others isn't always easy, but then you get kindness back, so it is a win-win. Also everyone should make art! Through drawing, painting, writing, dance or music. You don't need to show anyone, it is so healing as a practice.
Note: This Q&A was originally published via Mailchimp. Read the full issue here.