My method
My Favourite Method — and Why It Might Change How You Think About Pain
People ask me this all the time.
I have studied and practised many techniques over thirty years: Shiatsu, Rakkenho, Reflexology, Indian Head Massage, Sports, Swedish, Hot Stone.
But if I had to choose, my top four techniques would be; Trigger Point Therapy, Myofascial Release, Vagus Nerve Reset and Lymphatic Drainage.
Yes, it can be uncomfortable. But it is the kind of discomfort that tells you something real is shifting.
Why Fascia?
Fascia is a remarkable material. It is polymorphic, viscoelastic, and bioelectrical. Essentially a liquid plasma running through the entire body.
Here is what most people do not know: as we move, fascia emits electricity. That electricity does not stay contained. It influences the body as a whole system.
What that means in practice is this: the pain you have been carrying in your shoulder, your lower back, your hips is rarely just physical. Trauma, chronic stress, negative thought patterns, imposter syndrome, a long season of giving without receiving. All of it gets stored beneath the skin. In the fascia. In the plasma.
The Vagus Nerve
No conversation about bodywork is complete without talking about the vagus nerve. It is the longest nerve in the autonomic nervous system, running from the brainstem through the neck, chest, and abdomen. It governs your heart rate, your digestion, your immune response, and perhaps most importantly, your ability to feel safe.
When the body is holding chronic stress or trauma, the vagus nerve is almost always dysregulated. That dysregulation shows up as anxiety, brain fog, poor sleep, digestive issues, and a nervous system stuck in fight or flight. Skilled bodywork, particularly Myofascial Release applied around the neck, throat, and diaphragm, can directly stimulate a vagal reset.
The shift people feel on the table is not just muscular. It is neurological. The body remembers what calm feels like and begins to return there.
Lymphatic drainage
The lymphatic system is the body's internal cleaning crew. It carries waste, toxins, and excess fluid away from the tissues and back into circulation. Unlike the cardiovascular system, it has no pump. It depends entirely on movement, breath, and touch to keep flowing.
When the lymph becomes sluggish, and it does under stress, illness, poor sleep, and a sedentary lifestyle, the body begins to feel heavy, swollen, and foggy. Immunity drops. Inflammation rises. Energy disappears.
Lymphatic drainage massage uses gentle, rhythmic techniques to manually encourage this flow. The results can be profound: reduced swelling, clearer skin, stronger immunity, and a lightness that people often describe as feeling like themselves again for the first time in months.
Together, vagal reset and lymphatic drainage are not add-ons. They are foundational to what real recovery looks and feels like.