Announcement: I will be out of town and without internet access Sep 15 - Oct 1. All appointment requests will be processed upon my return. If you have any questions, please send an email to nick@nwbodywork.com
ABOUT THE BODYWORK
Nick’s bodywork is based in the practice of Responsive Body and integrates a blend of deep tissue massage, vibrational massage therapy, craniosacral therapy techniques, and myofascial release techniques, with additional inspiration from Thai massage and dance contact improvisation.
Responsive Body is a holistic and adaptive manual therapy that aims to promote health through improved biomechanics, skeletal alignment, fibrous alignment, movement (re)education, and somatic integration. By working simultaneously with the musculoskeletal, fascial, and neurological systems, we can work regionally and holistically to connect the neural and mechanical pathways between related body parts, opening up options for effectively addressing complex and layered issues.
Using my background as a dancer, I am constantly reading bodies at a detailed level to evaluate kinematic chain efficiency, reflex response timing and quality, and to identify structural weak points. Manually, I open myofascial restrictions to allow for proper nutrient flow, elimination of waste, and fibrous alignment (which has been described as a feeling of muscle combing) for more efficient biomechanics during active movement. Neurologically, I repattern muscular firing sequences and dissolve unnecessary guarding induced by pain patterns, trauma, and acute and chronic injuries. Then, I integrate the changes through movement to help contextualize them in relation to gravity. When working with joints, my ultimate goal is to achieve a sense of frictionless glide within the joint capsule in both passive and active ranges of motion. Our aim is to improve physiological and social health as well as biomechanics.
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The effect I’ve observed over time is an increase in adaptability and responsiveness to changing conditions in my clients’ bodies. They are better equipped to self-regulate and find homeostasis, even through challenging conditions, and have a greater chance to resolve issues on their own with fewer medical and therapeutic interventions.
Bodywork sessions are typically done on a massage table, with clothing on for more freedom of movement while maintaining modesty. In spaces or contexts where a table is not viable, we may opt to use a yoga mat. Sessions typically start with a brief intake, then table work, and finish with a brief movement integration (most typically with mindful standing and walking). Clients are encouraged to maintain an open and flowing channel of communication, especially pertaining to their sensations so the manual work can be immediately adaptive to a shifting internal landscape.
Most importantly, each session is inspired by a primary Responsive Body principle: respond. The body is intelligent and is our best guide. These sessions are specifically tailored to both the daily and long-term needs of each individual to ensure you receive the approach that works best for you. Time after time I have seen the incredible healing power of this work.
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ABOUT NICK
After earning a BFA in Dance Performance and a minor in Kinesiology from Chapman University, I moved to the Bay Area and attended the World School of Massage & Holistic Healing Arts, earning my CMT in 2019. In 2021, I became a Responsive Body Level I Practitioner and am actively completing my certification as a Level II Specialist. My experiences and prior skills helped me more easily tap into the sensation and experiences of others on the table.
I’ve been interested in anatomy, kinesiology, and physiology from an early age and dance supported the cultivation of that interest even further. During my undergraduate education, I found my inspiration for bodywork and its transformative nature while working through a chronic injury. To my amazement, I learned how to effectively regulate my body beyond the point of recovery and into increased strength and malleability. I was also met with sensitivity around my passion for dance and my drive to continue, which was a different experience than I’d had with other physical practitioners. My experience reflected an understanding that my rehabilitation was not over when I could walk and perform everyday movements without discomfort, I needed to be able to run, leap, twist, fall, contort, and lift. This is what I strive to provide for my own clients: beginning with meeting you where you are with an understanding of where you want to go, and then bridging the gap.