Custom Body Work

What is Tui Na?

Tui Na (推拿) is one of the oldest healing arts in the world - a branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine practised for over 2,000 years. Its name translates as "push and grasp", though in practice it draws on a rich vocabulary of techniques: pressing, rolling, kneading, stretching, and rhythmic percussion applied along the body's meridian channels.

Where Western massage primarily addresses muscles and soft tissue, Tui Na works on a deeper level - influencing the flow of Qi (vital energy), the life force that travels through the meridians to nourish every organ, tissue and cell. When Qi flows freely, the body heals itself. When it stagnates or becomes blocked - through stress, injury, emotion or lifestyle - pain, tension and illness follow.

Modern research supports what Chinese medicine has known for millennia. Studies have shown Tui Na to be effective in reducing chronic musculoskeletal pain, improving range of motion, lowering cortisol levels, and supporting the parasympathetic nervous system - the body's rest-and-repair state. A 2020 review published in the Journal of Pain Research found Tui Na significantly more effective than conventional massage for chronic lower back pain. Further research points to its benefits for cervical pain, digestive disorders, insomnia, and anxiety.

The Session

Drawing from over 15 years of practice, I weave Tui Na with deep-tissue work and somatic bodywork into one fluid, intuitive treatment - tailored entirely to what your body needs on the day.

Together we work to:

• Release chronic muscular tension and joint restriction
• Restore circulation of blood and vital energy
• Rebalance the emotional body held stress, anxiety, or emotional fatigue
• Regulate the nervous system, moving from fight-or-flight into deep rest
• Optimise the functioning of the internal organs through meridian work
• Improve skin tone, lymphatic flow, and overall vitality

This is not a standard massage. It is a conversation between my hands and your body responsive, present, and wholly personalised.