Therapists

Bill Kester

Bill’s Esalen® work is a relaxing oil massage with long strokes that smooth out the roughness of life, that attends to stretching, joint mobility, and focuses on any tight, tired or sore places that need special attention.

Visionary Craniosacral Work® nurtures and supports the nervous system of the brain and spine, facilitates the awareness of important body fluid states, and guides the client’s own self-optimizing ability to unwind unresolved conflicts and “archaic wounds.” The goal of this work is a clear mind, open heart and a body free from pain.

In his Structural Bodywork, Bill uses Trigger Point Therapy, Myofascial Release, Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) stretching, and other deep tissue approaches to augment his basic technique. Bill selects isolated techniques or integrates multiple approaches as needed in working with clients.

CERTIFICATIONS: Bill is certified as an Esalen® Massage Practitioner by Esalen Institute in Big Sur, as a Visionary Craniosacral Work Therapist by the Milne Institute and as an Advanced Massage & Bodywork Therapist by McKinnon BTC. He is certified by the statewide California Massage Therapist Certification Board (CAMTC) as a Certified Massage Therapist (#11256).

Are you feeling bombarded by stress and tension? Is your body sore? Perhaps, you’re in need of a little TLC. Lila Ann’s massage style is an agreeable combination of various modalities. She blends long flowing Swedish massage strokes to connect the body and ease away tension, with deep tissue sculpting to work out knots and restore muscle elasticity. To further encourage flexibility she incorporates expansive Thai massage stretches, which lengthen muscles and increase mobility. She also employs subtle acupressure flows to restore balance and harmony to the body systems. Lila Ann strives to create a supportive space for relaxation and restoration to occur. From her nonjudgmental attitude to her positive touch, clients enjoy the opportunity to put aside their worldly cares and to experience delightful moments in their bodies.

Lila Ann is a nationally certified massage therapist. She graduated from the National Holistic Institute in 1998 and was certified in Prenatal and Postpartum Massage Therapy in 2002 after training with Carole Osborne Sheets. To complement her massage therapy endeavors, Lila Ann has trained as a Doula, studied Jin Shin Acupressure for women’s health and stress relief and spent two years immersed in herbal medicine studies with Kami McBride.

Skyë (“Sky-uh”) Livingston

My goal is to provide clients with a nurturing experience that effectively stimulates their body’s healing process. Having personally experienced the effectiveness of natural therapies in healing my own injuries, reversing my scoliosis, and managing a chronic digestive disorder, I am eager to help others uncover this healing in themselves.

I’ve been fascinated with the human body since childhood and have followed this passion through training in dance, martial arts, cycling and yoga. I integrate these experiences into my approach to bodywork. Since my initial Swedish Massage Certification in 2001, I have continued to hone my skills and explore a variety of techniques with masterful teachers, providing me with a well-rounded toolbox. I find great satisfaction in helping people to address injuries old and new, chronic pain, digestive disorders, headaches, vertigo & dizziness, and a host of other ailments as well as the psycho-somatic issues which may lie underneath.

I am known by my clients for my listening and observation abilities, carefully tuning in to their bodies and energy as well as their words. Clients comment that I am “a talented and highly skilled therapist,” as well as “an incredibly kind and gentle person with positive and caring energy, even when doing deep, intense work.” As one client put it, “she’s genuinely interested in satisfying each client’s massage and wellness needs.”

I look forward to meeting and working with you, and guiding you on your path to wellness. Package discounts available.

CERTIFICATIONS: Nationally Certified Massage Therapist (NCTMB); Certified Shiatsu Practitioner; Certified Pre, Post, and Labor Massage Therapist; Registered Yoga Teacher (Yoga Alliance); BA in Language Studies (UCSC) – Phi Beta Kappa

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Elizabeth Cunningham Bossart schedule
Swedish, Ayurvedic Treatments, Ayurvedic Consultations, Theta Healing

Elizabeth Cunningham Bossart, MA, CMP is an Ayurvedic Practitioner from the Mt. Madonna Institute. Elizabeth focuses on supporting her clients through diet, lifestyle, herbs, thetahealing and massage. Her Ayurveda studies began in India where her path was indelibly altered by the desire to learn, teach and share Ayurveda. And with her background in education, she presents the concepts of Ayurveda in an accessible way.  Elizabeth emphasizes an individualized approach to each person’s path to wellness.

Certifications: 2002 Swedish Massage; 2007 ThetaHealing I, II, III; 2009 Ayurvedic Diet and Lifestyle Counselor, 2010 Ayurvedic Practitioner, 2011 Masters in Ayurveda

Lauri Smith

Lauri has been a massage therapist for the past eight years. She specializes in feet as well as neck and shoulder tension. Her massage has been called “sensitive and attuned” as well as “a wonderful extended cohesive meditation in motion.” Lauri asks for, listens to and responds to the client’s needs by connecting to the client’s breath and energy. Always very present and in the moment with her client, Lauri weaves together Swedish with some Chinese Tui Na and Deep Tissue addressing the client’s body where it’s at with a focus on helping clients to feel relaxed, centered, and present in their bodies.

Discounts for teachers and students with ID: 60 min. $50, 90 min. $95.”

Atibala Thorp

David “Atibala” Thorp first took an interest in natural medicine over a decade ago, starting with western herbalism and nutrition, and eventually finding his way to the healing science of Ayurveda. Atibala is a student of a guru kulam system of training, initially studying with his Guru Dharmanidhi Sarasvati in Berkeley, California. After a few years of training in the basic principles and practices of Ayurveda, he was advised to travel to India to complete his education. There he began an ongoing apprenticeship with his upaya Guru Vijith Sasidar, at the Sri Krishana Ayurveda Chikitsa Kendrum.

Though his practice keeps evolving, he is always impressed with the effect that daily bodily maintenance has on radiant health and healing. Currently he offers Ayurvedic consultations and classes on various topics at Yoga Mandala in Berkeley.

Ayurveda Consultation

Hrimati Fauman

Hrimati Fauman has been practicing yoga since 1996 began teaching in 2001. In 2001 and 2002, she lived in India where she continued her studies with yoga, massage and Ayurveda. Upon returning from that first trip to India she dove into a deeper study of Ayurveda traveling back to India in 2005, where she began studying with three of the few remaining practitioners of classical Ayurveda. She returned to India the following year, apprenticing for 5 months in an in-patient Ayurvedic clinic.

Hrimati’s emphasis when working with her clients is upon helping each person to experience their life through the lens of the 5 elements so that they are better able to make decisions that stimulate and support the body’s natural healing mechanisms. Her focus is upon diet and lifestyle, however, she often uses western, Chinese and Indian herbs to support the process of bringing the body towards balance. She brings her experience as a body-worker, her knowledge of yogic anatomy and her own experiences with illness and healing into her practice. She views herself as an educator, partner and cheerleader in the healing process. She is available for Ayurvedic consultations, private yoga sessions and some Ayurvedic treatments.

Ayurvedic Treatments/Abhyanga

Ayurveda Consultation

Yoga Therapy

Sumanasa Daren, M.A.

Ayurvedic Mind Counseling, Private Yoga Therapy

Sumanasa began studying psychology as a teenager, vowing to overcome her own suffering and then help others to do the same. Her own transformation eventually found traction when she deepened her studies of Hatha yoga by completing an intensive yoga teacher certification in 2001. Shortly thereafter she met her Guru, Dharmanidhi Sarasvati with whom she continues to study and practice yoga, Ayurveda and Tantrik approaches to mind/body therapies.

Sumanasa’s approach to Ayurvedic Mind Counseling is informed by her classical Tantrik view, Ayurvedic knowledge and dedicated practice of Hatha yoga. It is further blended with her ongoing study of Western Psychology and the more holistic theories that are emerging in the field. During a consultation the client will participate in a combination of talk therapy and ayurvedic/yogic practices that will illuminate the path of how to relax back into mental and emotional harmony.

Education: MA in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Transperosnal theory, BSc in Psychology and Religion, Certified Yoga Teacher.

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