Loulou James
Welcome!
My mission is to help people lead a happy, healthy life by virtue of a healthy spine.
We are at a point in history when, for many people, the spine has become synonymous with back pain. Several factors have conspired to create a detrimental diversion away from understanding that the spine is an instrument of health.
At the same time, the global burden of back pain continues to escalate. Many people are suffering in silence with no clue as to how to help themselves and living in fear of their prognosis.
In 2020, low back pain affected 619 million people globally – it is the single leading cause of disability worldwide.
Once someone understands what constitutes a healthy spine and how its health impacts their entire existence, they are well poised - and, hopefully, motivated - to learn how to achieve this for themselves.
“In working with such clients, the Buttafly Technique has proven more consistently effective than anything I used in my 30-year career as a physio. As well as providing pain relief, it gives them an invaluable sense of hope and something positive they can do for themselves, as and when they need it.
Further, anecdotal evidence shows that the Technique reduces chronicity and the incidence of recurrent episodes.”
— Loulou James, the designer of the Buttafly
The Miracle of Self-Healing
Having originally designed the Buttafly as a yoga block and meditation seat, the Buttafly Technique stemmed from a random idea that cured my chronic back pain (see below, The Buttafly for Back Pain Relief).
After doing the Technique for the first time, I felt an immediate change in the alignment of my spine and, through the teachings of Yoga, was also able to appreciate the more subtle aspects of the Buttafly Effect.
Classically, the term “butterfly effect” is used to portray how a minute change on a small scale results in a more significant consequence on a large scale. This aptly describes my first experience. In time, I came to understand it as an embodied sense of the wisdom in the body as it pertains to the spine.
After my experience, it was only natural that I should start to try out the Buttafly Technique on others, first friends and family then my clients. As a former very experienced, hands-on physio, I was able to observe and interpret the commonalities shared by them. The benefits for chronic low back pain were more consistently effective than any modality I have used in 30 years of working in the NHS, private hospitals and the MoD.
All the while, a growing fascination with subtle anatomy and how emotions are held in the body and a basic understanding of Craniosacral Therapy enabled me to develop the Buttafly Technique as a healing modality that is endorsed by the Complementary Medical Association.
We truly are capable of healing in the most wondrous of ways.
It’s my pleasure to share my knowledge with you and help you experience miracles for yourself.
May you be happy and healthy,
Member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
The Origins of the Buttafly
The creation of the Buttafly began early in my training as a Yoga Teacher as I sat in meditation, fidgeting and struggling to get comfortable.
I hadn’t planned to design anything, but as I sought to empty my mind, thoughts of what would make the meditation experience easier and more enjoyable compelled me to pick up paper and pencil.
As a physiotherapist, I knew how important it is for the spine to be well-aligned. Poor posture is known to be a contributing factor in back pain. Moreover, good spine alignment is fundamental to the optimal functioning of the whole body.
It is also necessary to reap the rewards of movement and breathwork practices, especially Pranayama, which works with our subtle energy systems.
Public Speaking
The creation of the Buttafly began early in my training as a Yoga Teacher as I sat in meditation, fidgeting and struggling to get comfortable.
I hadn’t planned to design anything, but as I sought to empty my mind, thoughts of what would make the meditation experience easier and more enjoyable compelled me to pick up paper and pencil.
As a physiotherapist, I knew how important it is for the spine to be well-aligned. Poor posture is known to be a contributing factor in back pain. Moreover, good spine alignment is fundamental to the optimal functioning of the whole body.
It is also necessary to reap the rewards of movement and breathwork practices, especially Pranayama, which works with our subtle energy systems.