James Girard BodyWerks

About

“Pain is the body’s way of saying, ‘something is wrong, please pay attention.’” This calling into massage therapy has taken me on a tour of disciplines. Each of my career path choices, from service, to my hours of pre-chiropractic study in Biological Sciences, to a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology has helped shape my understanding of health and wellness. And each choice has brought me into alignment with the strong, intuitive healer that I have always been. My style of bodywork can integrate elements from several traditions, including Swedish, Thai, shiatsu, deep tissue, and myofascial release. The goal in our session is to find the right balance that will offer you therapeutic and restorative relaxation. From my own personal experience, past injuries or subconscious stress/irritation can keep the body from its normal, free-working range of motion. A release of those tensions can restore the body to its natural, joyful, pain-free balance. I believe that an alternative solution to pharmaceutical or even surgical remedies is to view pain as a symptom; and go looking for the underlying condition. By unlocking areas of both physical and emotional trauma, we allow the body to heal and transform itself. One of the most frequently asked questions I get asked is: How long have you been doing this? The simple truth is there are two answers to that question. I was formally trained at the National Holistic Institute in San Francisco and have been practicing massage since 2009. I have also been giving massages my whole life; my mother still tells the stories of the backrubs I was giving at the age of 7, and my college friends fondly remember our study breaks with shoulder rubs and hand massages. There is something compelling about being able to put my hands on people, bringing them into better awareness of their bodies, and guiding them through touch and breath to release what is holding them back in life. It is something I have always chosen to do and to make it my career seems pretty magical. I get to spend my day helping people feel better and live healthier, more authentic lives. How could I not love what I do? That is the work; that is the journey. Namaste!

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