Daobodymind

NEW SERIES!

Introducing a 3 part series built for incremental learning of the foundations of body literacy. Each month will build upon the last working to strengthen body awareness and body literacy. Together, we will work incrementally to strengthen participants’ ability to sense, feel, regulate, and stay present with bodily sensation.

This series is great for anyone who feels disconnected from their body’s needs, finds themselves acting from impulse rather than grounded decision-making, experiences dissociation, or simply wants to cultivate a deeper relationship with their internal experience.

Pulling from MABT framework, you will leave with a greater understanding of how to listen to sensation and intuition, a foundation for healthy living.

Link available @

TONIGHT! Dm for more info

Class description:

Participants will be guided to move through the body with an emphasis on noticing and describing sensation, allowing them to gather information about their embodied experience, including sensations that are often overlooked or ignored.

The class will begin with a brief educational talk introducing interoceptive awareness and its relevance to well-being. This will be followed by a period of journaling and a yin-style yoga practice, with emphasis on interoceptive cueing and discovery.

Goal: To build trust in oneself and in the process, while recognizing the body as a teacher.

More classes coming soon!

What if the pain you feel isn’t where the story begins.

For example: Have you ever gone into a massage convinced all of your tension was in your right leg, only to realize once the therapist started working that your left leg was actually far more restricted or “out of whack”?

This highlights something often overlooked but deeply important:

Pain is filtered through attention.

Like much of our experience, certain sensations, thoughts, or areas of the body receive disproportionate focus while others are ignored or pushed to the background.

This attentional bias can keep us stuck in chronic stress and tension, and can also fuel a constant need to fix or change what we think is wrong. Often times where we are naturally inclined to look isn’t the whole story.

With the support of a MABT or through deliberate cultivation of meta-awareness (awareness of awareness) — we can learn to observe sensation from a wider, more neutral perspective.
In that space, hidden layers of pain may emerge… and sometimes, they even begin to dissipate.

Pain is real. But your attention is the lens.

How you cultivate it might shift your entire experience of your self and your body.

Over the past week, I’ve been recovering from a surf accident. It’s given me so much insight into the importance of noticing the body’s response to trauma.

When something intense happens, where do you check first?

Initially feeling my face with a giant, bloody gash, I felt the pressure to panic, freak out, and get lost in the story of what was happening. Returning to my body, breathing, scanning, grounding, helped me cope. Feeling safe to tune in provided me the ability to return to the shore for safety.

At the hospital, looking in the mirror; blood, dizziness, a physically damaged face, I focused on my body again. As I felt myself spiraling down the “what if” rabbit hole, deep breaths and intentional regulation reminded me: this is temporary.

Even stuck inside with headaches and pain, I checked in with my anger and frustration not just mentally, but physically. Letting my self rest and move through the frustration has been so helpful with a fast recovery.

I’m constantly reminded of the power of every inch of myself to heal and regulate. Often, what creates the most pain is the story we tell ourselves about a situation, not the situation itself. Above all, I’m grateful that this was a minor accident and I see it as a powerful learning experience. It’s given me even more motivation to bring somatic practices to more people, because it’s in moments like this that they’re the most useful🌺❤️

Just a short message to share my gratitude to everyone who chose my services this year. It truly means a lot, and I appreciate each and every one of you.
Here’s to an abundant 2026, one filled with deep rest, self-trust, and love. 🌺

Why is touch so relevant in the new wave of healing modalities?

One reason is that touch deprivation has been linked to higher levels of anxiety, depression, and other mental-health challenges, along with physical effects such as weakened immunity and disrupted sleep.

However these effects are not permanent

Research shows that even gentle touch can elevate oxytocin, the hormone associated with trust, safety, and connection. A meta-analysis by Field (2014) reported an average 31% reduction in cortisol following massage therapy, offering a clear explanation for how touch can down-regulate stress and help modulate pain.

When we’re working to increase body awareness, touch serves as an anchor. It brings us back to the present moment and helps us re-inhabit our bodies with more clarity and ease.

The power of this readily available sensory experience is remarkable

So go ahead, hug a friend today.

And if that’s not available, simply place a hand on your heart and feel the impact of one of the simplest, most innate forms of healing.

🌺

Good luck to everyone running the Honolulu Marathon tomorrow! After crossing the finish line, take care of your body! I have openings this week for post-race relief. Check out my available times by following the link in my bio.

One pillar of my work is avoiding a passive experience while in a session. Today, we are constantly bombarded with passive entertainment and consumption, and that pattern can even show up on the table.

Relaxation and results amplify when you listen to your sensations, notice areas of comfort, and communicate when something does or doesn’t feel good.

My best sessions come from an attuned relationship and a trusting space where we can create lasting change together.

🌺