Boosting Immunity With Tetyana Probyy-Holova
When it comes to immunity-boosting treatments, Tetyana Probyy-Holova is West London’s secret weapon. Well, perhaps not so secret anymore, because from January Tetyana will be lending her signature lymphatic drainage massages to our Browns Brook Street menu, offering clients the chance to enjoy the benefits of her expert techniques. As many of us look to focus on our health and wellbeing in the New Year, we spoke to Tetyana about her practice and tips to try at home.
If someone asked you where you’d be most likely to meet a national Judo champion, chances are your answer wouldn’t be on a massage table in Browns Brook Street’s treatment room. Well, that’s all about to change, because Tetyana Probyy-Holova is taking up Residence in our Parlour, adding her unique treatments to our luxury lifestyle offering. So where does the national Judo champion part come in? Prior to beginning her career in physiotherapy and body work, Tetyana devoted her life to Judo, rising through the ranks of her Ukrainian hometown to become the country’s national champion. It was only after suffering an injury that Tetyana took a step back, “I was almost at Olympic level when I had an injury, so I went to study physiotherapy at university. I didn’t particularly want to be a physio, so instead decided to specialise in beauty.”
Still, the word “beauty” does a disservice to Tetyana’s wealth of expertise. Alongside being trained in physio rehabilitation, human health and sport, Tetyana also holds certificates in Yoga, Life Coaching, Feng Shui and Tarot. “I went to the Himalayas to become a yoga teacher, which is where my passion for healing and massage comes from,” Tetyana tells us. “I was always interested in the connections between emotions, stress, anxiety and the body.”
Speaking about her route into therapy, Tetyana cites memories of massaging her grandmother as a teenager. “I always knew I had something healing in my hands,” she says. Despite her impressive roster of clientele (ever discreet, Tetyana admits that yes, she has many celebrity clients, but no, she won’t disclose who they are), her success has been a long time coming. She tells us that it’s only recently that her style of treatment has gained notoriety, where previously her techniques were seen as a niche, new-fangled procedure. “All these years it’s been like: “Oh, this new machine!”” She jokes. “Imagine how difficult it was 17 years ago to explain to people how this lymphatic massage actually works. It’s therapists like me, who stuck with it and believed in it for long enough to actually experience that feeling of: “Ahh! Now people get it!””
Hardly surprising, given that the results speak for themselves - clients report that both the mind and body benefits of the massage are immediately evident. She tells us that the most common query she gets is about how many sessions clients need to see results. “It’s all about maintenance over time,” she explains. “When you go to the hairdresser you don’t say: “How many haircuts will I need?””
At Browns Brook Street, Tetyana will offer three types of massage. The first, Immunity-Boosting, is a gentle lymphatic treatment, which reduces inflammation to banish tiredness (or a protracted hangover from the festive season…) This treatment also targets water retention, something Tetyana says is often mistaken for cellulite. “People come to me with what they think is cellulite, but in fact it’s water retention.”
The second massage on offer, the Detox treatment, is a deeper, more intense therapy, incorporating deep tissue techniques and cupping therapy. It’s here that Tetyana’s Judo training becomes apparent - using her strength to work deep into the muscles for a release that’s both rigorous and rejuvenating. For those wanting more help with their gut, Tetyana’s third treatment on offer will be the Abdominal Healing massage, which is designed to specifically reduce tension in the stomach, heal the digestive system and reduce bloating.
For those of us who can’t make it to London to meet Tetyana’s healing hands, she recommends a few practices to try at home. “We have all these creams and treatments for the face, but then we neglect the body. The skin is the largest organ in the body and yet we put all the focus on the skin of our face.” She recommends self massage techniques as a way to boost blood flow and improve circulation, something that helps improve the appearance and vitality of the skin. “My routine is that I moisturise, I self massage, and I get my team to give me a massage every week. I also do infrared saunas which I swear by - I love them so much.”
In terms of New Year’s Resolutions, Tetyana’s all about a realistic approach. “Don’t go to extremes, as that's not sustainable. Choose a lifestyle you are happy to live, not a quick fix. I advise that people stick to one thing they know they can live by, for example removing alcohol from your diet.” As for reducing inflammation more specifically, “alongside immunity-boosting massages, reducing processed foods and increasing consumption of turmeric and ginger can help.”
Tetyana also recommends a renewed focus on mind-body connection. “I think spirituality is important here. Just finding five minutes a day of self-awareness is incredibly beneficial.”
Tetyana will be in Residence at Browns Brook Street every Wednesday and Saturday from 8th January - 26th January 2022.
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