still.point

In the Western world we're used to fragmenting the different aspects of a human being into separate areas, and to locating problems in either our bodies or our minds (and sometimes in our spirit). In reality, we are whole, and unique, persons.

And that's why there's no formula, no set way for a session to happen. Sessions are person-centred, not technique-centred. They unfold to suit you, your needs at that time, what we've talked about and what happens as I work with you. Hence I do massage with you, not to you, and it's a process, not a routine. In contrast to other approaches still.point massage doesn't seek to 'sort out' either you or your symptoms; it treats whole persons, not bodies, and in doing so can touch the whole being - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. The therapist is a co-traveller, not a detached expert, and starts from a place of deep trust in you, your body and your deep capacity for healing and growth - however well buried this might feel in the moment. Your body is viewed as a reflection of your self and of your lived experiences, all of which you bring - knowingly or unknowingly - to the session. And so you'll find that I'm interested not just in your body but also in you, your life, and the challenges and joys that you bring with you to the massage table. (Of course, you may just want to relax the tension in your back and shoulders. And that's fine too.)

every body tells a story ...

Our bodies form themselves around who, and how, we are inside. From birth (and before) they register all our thoughts, feelings, attitudes, traumas, joys: we literally embody everything we've ever experienced. Pain and suffering - physical and emotional - can become trapped in the body if we are unable to let it go.

what bodywork does, and what it doesn't

still.point bodywork starts from the understanding that we house within ourselves all the capabilities and resources that we need for balance and well-being and that we have a natural and innate tendency towards integration and wellness, however unlikely this might feel at times. The therapist is not the healer: we heal ourselves. My job as your therapist is simply to help create the conditions for your own healing tendency to express itself, and then support it in its unfolding.

healing from stillness

Over the years I've been in practice I've come to see that healing essentially emerges from stillness: being deeply at rest in ourselves, even for a moment or two, we naturally invite our own healing forces to come into play. You might think of it like rebooting a computer that's overloaded and running slowly, or has crashed: the momentary black screen between shutting down and restarting allows for the creation of space and more efficient operation.

A still.point massage session may include a wide number of different methods, for example long flowing strokes, deeper tissue work, work on particular energy points or channels (meridians in traditional Chinese medicine), holds, stretching, joint mobilisation, energy and breath work, and elements from various bodywork approaches such as craniosacral therapy, Lomi Lomi (Hawaiian bodywork), holistic pulsing, and more. However the session unfolds - and every one is different - we'll pay equal attention to the space between the movements as to the movements themselves.