ABOUT RACHEL
In Rachel’s Free time…
During Rachel’s free time you will find her mostly in the water. Since arriving in wellington 3 years ago she discovered Free-Diving and the depths of the Ocean!- a truly incredible place! When not here she be shooting around the city on her bike, trail running and practising yoga whilst also teaching with Mike Berghan at Te Aro Astanga.
A little background…
Rachel is British born and graduated with a First-Class Hons in Design from UWE Bristol. On completing her studies she moved to London to work for Product design brand Tom Dixon. After 9 years working in the product/interior design industry she decided to have a change in career.
Bodywork helped Rachel overcome chronic lower back and hip pain, alongside her daily practice of yoga. She learnt through her felt experience how the combination of manual therapy, movement and education can help alleviate & manage pain.
During her time in London Rachel found her movement, breathwork and mediation practice through yoga, which became her daily discipline and organically led to bodywork and massage therapy.
Rachel’s approach…
As a Clinical Remedial Massage Therapist, Rachel has trained in a number of manual and movement therapies over the years. Understanding our bodies through anatomy, physiology and the mind body connection completely fascinates and drives her practice.
Rachel uses manual therapy, dry needling, movement & breathing techniques, working with the nervous system to help facilitate her clients to recover, restore, repair, and relax to state of equilibrium and homeostasis. Along with guidance and education around their current condition, if necessary; Sometimes space just needs to be held for the individual.
Rachel’s approach is client lead considering and respecting the client’s own knowledge and experience of their injury or condition. She uses the Biopsychosocial model, that considers biological, psychological, and social factors.
She says ‘Our thoughts, environment, behaviours, and beliefs all interplay with how each of us experience life. This approach considers the mind-body connection. To put it super simply, within our bodies we have a peripheral nervous system, which literally connects every muscle fibre with the brain sending and receiving information- this helping us understand how our thoughts and emotions; essentially how our mind can affect our physical experience of our bodies, but also how our bodies can effect our mind’s experience of our environment.’
Rachel has a particular interest with working with people with chronic pain, stress, movement practices such as dance & yoga, to sports athletes; runners, netball, free divers, and swimmers . In her experience seeing how the effects of touch, breathing movement therapy can help aid performance, recovery, and overall well-being. She aims to create a space that can help nourish and support how we move, with the aim of helping each individual move with more ease, encouraging body positive awareness.
She is Currently working with the Central Pulse Netball
MANUAL THERAPY QAULIFICATIONS
NEW ZEALAND TRAINING
From the New Zealand College of Massage
- Dip.HSc. Clinical Massage Therapy (Level 6).
- Pain Management Course in Dry Needling, with Acupuncturist and Physiotherapist, Joannes Boele Van Hensbroek.
- Dip.HSc. Wellness and Relaxation Massage (Level 5).
- Myofascial Release Advanced upper body, with Beth Beucahmp.
- NOI Group Explain Pain Course. (Neuro Orthopaedic Institute Australia).
UK TRAINING
From the London School of Massage 2016:
- Certified Massage Therapist (Holistic Relaxing ITEC Level 3)
- Therapeutic Deep Tissue Massage BTEC Level 5 and CPD in Trigger Point Therapy)
Yoga training
- Certified 200hr, Multi Style Yoga Alliance Teacher Training, Trimurti Yoga School, 2014.
- Myofascial Release & Yoga Anatomy Training, Yoga Medicine, 2017.
- Yin Yoga, Norman Blair, London 2017.
- Ashtanga Yoga Studied at KPJAYI (ashtanga) intuited in Mysore India taught by his Grandson Sharath Jois. 2015.
-Ongoing Practice and study with teacher Mike Berghan at Te Aro Astanga, alongside continued study and workshops with Peter Sanson, Sharmila Desai and Yoga Medicine.
