Shae Pastrana

I’m not a healer but an artist. My medium is the space I facilitate for a client to reconnect with their body's own innate power to heal. From a trauma-informed approach, I work with a unique flow of myofascial and neuromuscular techniques. My specialties include Eastern fusion, trigger point therapy, deep tissue, abdominal work and aromatherapy.

 

One of my greatest lessons from the healing arts was taught by poet and curandera María Sabina: “You are the medicine.” From physical labor to mutual aid, I’ve experienced the impact on our bodies from the world's demands. Between being influenced by family in the spa and wellness industry, and exploring land-based practices, I eventually discovered that health and responsibility are inseparable from one another and useless without compassion. Bodywork as self-care is not about being pampered – it’s a synthesis of the stories living in your body; and, as stories are told from one person to another, healing does not take place in isolation.

 

Our bodies carry stories where messages of pain and tension can be heard loud and clear. I’m here to help you deepen that conversation with your body. Together, we’ll collaborate in creating the safe space you need to embody your own unique healing journey, whether you live the grind, need basic maintenance, deal with the pain of stress stuck in your body, or want to restore your confidence in being more active.

 

As a licensed massage therapist and health educator, I completed 800 hours of training through National Holistic Institute and am further studying neuromuscular therapy. I currently volunteer at Charlotte Maxwell Clinic in Oakland, a center for holistic health services offered to low-income women diagnosed with cancer. I’ve helped clients with restricted movement find more freedom to move, people with chronic anxiety get a full night’s sleep, and those with medical trauma find peace in their bodies again. Pain reduction is not the end-all success in my sessions, because the benefits of massage expand far beyond.

 

My other passions include gardening, hiking, reading books, dancing and crafting herbal medicine. In the past, I’ve worked on farms, in kitchens, with animals, and in the world of gems and minerals.

 

Book a session with me if you’re ready to strengthen your mind-body connection, restore trust in your physical abilities and learn more about the patterns of tension you may carry without even knowing.