My bodywork journey

I began massaging as a young girl, my father was disabled and used to suffer with tight muscles and sore shoulders, I would rub his shoulders at the breakfast table and I learned early on, that I could use my hands to ease some of his discomfort and I never looked back.

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I started my healing career, in 1989 working with Bach Flower Remedies,  spending a week at Mount Vernon studying for  their practitioners Diploma in 1995 and have continued to use remedies from my own personal growth and emotional literacy ever since. The premise of this complete healing system, being that our emotional state causes our physical dis-ease. Working with others solely using flower remedies, I soon found, that while I loved being able to help people with their emotional discomfort, I wanted to be able to help on the physical level as well. The Flower Remedies remain esoteric and I wanted evidence based, empirical and grounded ways to help people, so I began my bodywork journey.

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I studied Anatomy, Physiology and Holistic Swedish Massage, back in the day (1995) , with ITEC.  Then, thirsty for more understanding of the physiology of pain and injury, I studied Sports Injury Massage, with wonderful Katie Whitehouse via APNT passing with distinction in 2004.

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I have since studied Lymphatic drainage, with the lovely Stacy Faulkner in 2002 ish, Touch For Health Kinesiology level 1 with the outstanding Merlys Aitchison and Karina Gracia in Hereford in 2006, at the same time as working alongside Cullompton Rugby club as club physio, running on the pitch with the magic sponge and taping up rugby boys before games and rubbing them down afterwards.. tough times. (not)

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I studied with John Gibbons on his Advanced Therapy course in Oxford, looking at spinal mechanics and the pelvis. I did a Taping and Strapping diploma with Peak Sporting Performance.  At the same time, I was teaching the ITEC sports Injury Massage Diploma at Bridgwater college, I had a wonderful cohort of students who I am happy and proud to say, all passed with  credit or distinction. I then went on to teach the APNT Sports Injury Massage syllabus at Exeter College of Natural health, again, all students achieving credit or distinction.

I was also at this time acting as an examiner for the APNT assessing both practical and written examinations.

In 2009 I successfully completed an advanced massage training with Jing for Temporo mandibular and joint pain protocols. Including working intra aurally - inside the mouth ! which is profound !

In 2011 I attended the excellent College of Body Science Know Your Nerves  course, helping me have a deeper understanding of our nervous system.  

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All the while my insatiable thirst for knowledge was leading me to read many brilliant books and search the internet for more body nerdery,  loving the work of  Ida Rolf, Moshe Feldenkrais,  Thomas Hanna and Somatics, Leon Chaitow, Thomas Myers, Katy Bowman, Lauren O Hayon, John Barnes myofascial release, Alexander technique,  Gil Hedley and many other somanauts.

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I have been lucky enough to attend CPD workshops with the inimitable Leon Chaitow on Recognising and Treating Breathing Pattern Disorders, (2014) and Manual Fascial Assessment & Treatment Methods (2014).  I studied with James Earls on Fascial Release for Shoulders and Arms (2011).  I spent a memorable few days in the company of the truly magnificent Robert Schleip, studying his Fascia in Sports Medicine course in 2015. I have  a certificate of competence in Ultrasound therapy too.

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In 2019 I attended a Rehabilitation Principles and their Applications for the Soft Tissue Therapist day with the  spectacularly wonderful Anna Maria Mazzieri of The School and learned so much about the latest evidence based research into how collagen responds to loading and how best to support my clients as they heal.

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I am still an avid learner, I am always reading the latest research and keeping up with industry developments. I love following movement thinkers on line, listening and integrating current thinking into my healing work. My current passions are breathwork, menopause coaching, the pelvic floor, and feet. 

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My work is still underpinned by all of my studies, and my ability to picture the muscles under skin, knowing their attachments and holistic connections, tying in with meridians (energetic and myofascial), knowing the skeleton and analysing postural habits etc.. But, my work today is more than ever about the whole person, with an awareness of the interconnectedness of seemingly separate systems.  How does our movement or lack of it, nourish us on a cellular level and influence the hormonal cascade or the release of neuro transmitters?  How does our posture or tension pattern, influence our body's ability to manage our stress response? How does our breathing influence our resilience, anxiety and ability to sleep well? 

 

My work aims to bring about a deep and profound relaxation throughout mind an body, returning the body to rest and digest (tend and befriend). Thus allowing the body's own healing response to be activated, and for our stress response to get out of the way of healing.  We create the environment for injury and pain with our posture, our habits and choices, how can I best help you create an environment for full and lasting recovery? How can I help you to thrive?

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I studied Pilates with OCR in 2008, so that I would have the tools to help people understand how best to recover from injury, but therapeutic movement is so much more than just exercising.

For me, a  movement practice is as much about improving mental health, as it is for building strength and mobility.  If I'm feeling blue,  I know that movement will always make me feel better. 

 I take to the floor and move my body, listening to its call for stretch or softening, feeling and accepting its sensations,  trusting and allowing release,  I feel restored. 

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Health and wellness are terms much banded around, what does wellness mean? For me, as a sensitive, deep thinking soul, I find the world not a particularly comfortable place to be. I get easily overwhelmed by all the shit fuckery and gloom. I can be prone to melancholia and depression,  unable to control what the people in charge are doing to our world,  I have had to find ways to keep the darkness at bay.   Feeling well in my body is something I have (some) control over, and starting my day with some mindful movement and breathing, is my way of countering, what at times, can be a gloomy old world. It is a passion of mine to share these techniques, so we can all continue to thrive even in an increasingly challenging world.

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I love to teach movement. It gives me joy to share what I have learned, and helping people find ways to thrive is what I am all about.

Motion is lotion

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Taking a moment to express my gratitude and appreciation for all of my students, teachers  and clients, past and present for everything they and their body's have taught me.

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