HEALING THROUGH MASSSAGE AND MOVNAT
By Steven Sheppard
Level 2 MovNat Certified Trainer
This was my back circa 2013.
Even to the untrained eye it’s obvious there were issues. These included; a curvature of the spine, a collapsing in on the left side and sloping, protracted shoulders. On top of this my body felt twisted, with particularly tight hips.
I was 35 but moved like someone much older. My posture was shocking and I had regular bouts of lower back pain. Not only that but I was unhappy in my recruitment job and living a generally unhealthy lifestyle.
I knew I had to do something about it but where to begin? I enjoyed running so started upping my mileage but that exacerbated the imbalances in my body, causing injuries. That led me down the path of bodywork with Sports Massage treatments proving the most effective in taking me out of pain.
Around the same time, I recall massaging some friends shoulders and backs whilst hanging out around a camp fire at a festival. I enjoyed releasing the ‘knots’ and relieving excess tension. I had an instinct for it and with some encouragement from them I signed up for a Part-Time course in Sports and Remedial Massage Therapy, with the LSSM.
The photo above was taken on the course. Over the year I received a lot of partial massages from tutors demonstrating techniques and my fellow students practicing them and over time, it started to make a difference. Enough for me to know I could use my newly acquired skills to help others, so shortly after qualifying I left recruitment and set up my own business – Shep Sports Massage.
Working from gyms and chiropractic clinics rather than in an office helped ensure I benefited from more regular exercise, but by now I knew that my fascial system was still restricting my movement. The next step was signing up for a programme of Rolfing, an intense form of massage that specifically aims to release restricted areas of fascia (connective tissue) to help them glide more easily.
Fascia adapts to how you use your body, making repeated movement patterns easier to perform. The trouble is, when these patterns are sub-optimal it becomes difficult to break the postural habits it encourages, in my case slouching and overly favouring one side of the body. These patterns were established in childhood, due to early emotional stress and the physical stress of having paper rounds from age thirteen, carrying bags far too heavy for my growing skeleton.
I began developing my own style of massage incorporating the techniques I’d found most effective and soon gained a loyal customer base, especially once I settled in a permanent location (Peckham, SE London). I was still feeling the need for regular treatments though to keep my body functioning.
Next, I started exploring different ways of moving in the hope of finding a lasting solution. Although they helped a bit; Capoeira was too difficult, Qi-Gong was too easy, Yoga wasn’t functional for the real world and various other fitness classes were too linear, lacking range of movement.
It was discovering MovNat that proved to be the game changer. Here was a dynamic practice that nourished my body. It was challenging, but I sensed that with practice my body would adapt to it.
I came away from my L1 and L2 certification weekend in 2022 exhausted and humbled with a new-found sense of purpose. This was not only what I needed but what many of my clients were missing too. I was convinced Natural Movement had the power to remedy lots of the recurring issues caused by our modern lifestyles.
Massage could be the window to take people out of pain and enable improved movement patterns and MovNat laid the blueprint for how to then move as we were supposed to. I still had some skills to practice to gain the L2 qualification, notably the front vault, which my hips initially refused to allow, but I got there eventually.
I’ve recently renewed my L2 and am hosting a weekly Natural Fitness class in a local nature reserve. It’s still early days but I have high hopes for growing it and helping lots more people discover how MovNat can help them too. Already those attending are seeing improvements which is great to see.
At 47, I may not be symmetrical, but I’m stronger, more capable and enjoying greater freedom of movement than ever before. From lifting heavy weights, to running ultra marathons, to climbing trees and doing front vaults with more still to come.
Now that I no longer depend on regular treatments, the occasional massage feels like a deserved treat rather than a necessity. My fascial system is now working for, rather than against me. MovNat was the key that unlocked my body, opening a new way of being in the world. I’m looking forward to seeing where it takes me next.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Steven Sheppard is a Sports & Remedial Massage Therapist and MovNat Trainer based in Peckham, London. Learn more at www.shepsportsmassage.co.uk and follow him on Instagram @shepsportsmassage
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