The navel is our first scar.
A quiet reminder that before we breathed for ourselves, before we knew who we were, we were connected.
Many traditions regard the belly as a centre of vitality, intuition and feeling. Yet for many of us, it is also a place we have learned to ignore, tighten, protect or disconnect from.
What happens when we bring our attention back to this centre of ourselves?
What might the belly have to say?
— Loulou James
A whole-body approach to softening, release and ease
The back doesn't exist in isolation. The abdomen and pelvis are also areas where the body often holds deep patterns of tension, restriction and stress. I sometimes describe the abdomen as “the front of the back” — an area that can easily be overlooked when we're experiencing back or pelvic discomfort.
Depending on your individual needs, a session may include gentle hands-on work with the back, abdomen, pelvis and hips, supporting softening and release in these regions and encouraging greater comfort, mobility and internal awareness.
Therapeutic massage may be helpful for:
Low back, pelvic and hip ease
Works with tension patterns through the lower back, abdomen, pelvis and hips, encouraging a greater sense of space, comfort and ease.
Digestive ease
Supports comfort and movement in the abdominal region, helping to ease patterns such as bloating or sluggish digestion.
Cycle and reproductive awareness
Supports awareness of menstrual and pelvic rhythms and general reproductive wellbeing.
Circulation and internal flow
Encourages movement of blood and lymph through the abdominal and pelvic regions, supporting natural function.
Rest and relaxation
Gentle hands-on work can offer an opportunity to slow down, soften and experience a deeper sense of rest.
Embodiment and connection
Often supports a deeper sense of internal awareness and connection to the body’s centre.
Working with me
Therapeutic massage may be combined with the Buttafly Technique, where appropriate, to support release, breath and whole-body integration.
Each session is responsive and tailored to you, rather than following a fixed sequence. You don't need to decide in advance whether you need work with your back, abdomen, pelvis or hips — we begin with what you're experiencing and explore what may best support you.
Self-care and ongoing support
If you’re interested in learning simple abdominal self-massage techniques, a short series of sessions allows time to combine hands-on work with guided practices you can use at home.
Many people first encounter abdominal massage because of digestive or pelvic concerns. Yet the abdomen is also intimately connected with the back, pelvis and the way we organise ourselves through the centre of the body. Working with the “front of the back” can offer a very different way of exploring where we hold tension and how we find a greater sense of grounding, stability and connection.
— Loulou James MCSP
