jennifer kelly

Back in Europe!

2012-01-26T08:31:00.000-08:00

I am back in Europe, currently in Vienna till Sunday night 1/29 and then back in Berlin on Monday 1/30.

Rates in euros: 50 for 1 hr/65 for 1.5 hrs.

Please write jennthaiyoga@gmail.com to book a session.

Thai Massage

2011-10-07T07:57:00.000-07:00

is also known as lazyperson's yoga.

It is the assisted way to the bliss you feel at the end of a yoga class, lying in sivasana sweaty and content. This is the non-sweaty, non-strenuous and perfectly restorative variety.

This ancient form was developed in India by the doctor of the Buddha and passed along trade routes to Thailand where it was practiced in temples in the Buddhist tradition. Thai is a dynamic massage that works along the major energy lines of the body, stimulating circulation, relaxation and overall physical, emotional and mental harmony.

The receiver wears loose clothing like pajamas and the massage is given on a thin mat or yoga mat and blankets on the floor. I use my hands, feet, knees and elbows and the weight of my own body with the assistance of gravity to give a powerful massage that will wake you up and at the same time chill you out.

I also use tools I have picked up from studying dance and movement, Chi Kung, yoga, and my own intuition to give you a massage suited exactly for you.

To schedule a session in New York City

between the dates of October 10th and Nov 5th, write to jennthaiyoga@gmail.com. With metta (lovingkindness) -J

How I came to be a Pregnancy Massage Therapist

2011-09-16T09:14:00.000-07:00

The following was written for Carriage House Collective in early 2011:

I was trained first at Lotus Palm School in 2006, then studied intensively with Ananda Apfelbaum and was certified in Traditional Thai Massage in 2007. I named my original practice "every buddha body" because of my belief that everyone deserves to receive lovingkindness and because every person's face shone like a buddha after they received a treatment. Being witness to the body's transformation from pain or tension to relief and wholeness was so gratifying and I was happy to connect with others on this very basic level, through touch.

In 2009 I began massaging a pregnant friend regularly, from the first month till just before her labor and in the months following her child's birth. It was amazing to witness the changes she went through physically and to be a supportive presence throughout her pregnancy and after. An ongoing dialogue began about what she was experiencing and where she wanted me to focus in a session. I became aware of how important massage during pregnancy is for reducing anxiety and stress and how it facilitates an overall more relaxed environment for an expectant mother and child. Each massage was individualized and centered around her needs and where she was in the moment. Through these regular massages I learned about the particular needs and vulnerabilities of women who are preparing to give birth, how the hips and pelvis open and change and how to improvise, intuit and listen with greater sensitivity than usual. It was a magical process to be part of and very gratifying to see how much the work nurtured her overall well-being during pregnancy. After she gave birth I continued to be sensitive as her body changed and was flexible to the immediate needs of her newborn during a session. Creating a relaxed and comfortable environment was my goal throughout our process together. From this experience I developed a heightened sensitivity and my practice was transformed to specialize in meeting the needs of pregnancy and after birth.

In 2010 I was given another opportunity to massage a woman during pregnancy right up to the days before she gave birth. Then I massaged another woman just after the birth of her child and another whose baby was present during the session. It became clear that my practice had taken a turn toward specializing in pre- and post-natal massage. It is humbling and powerful to give a massage to someone who is about to bring a new being into this world or who has just given birth. I find great joy in helping expectant and new mothers to feel healthy and relaxed and to facilitate a smooth transition into parenthood. It is an honor to be invited to share and be of support during one of life's most intimate and significant experiences.

Notes/addendum:

Some observations and thoughts I have had about the benefits of receiving bodywork during and after pregnancy:

Learning how to relax through massage over the course of pregnancy means that you will be more sensitive to your own body, connected with your breath and able to be more present and relaxed during labor. Your body will store the memory of knowing how to relax and breathe through things so when you are in the midst of the hardest pushes you can get through it with greater ease.

When you take the time to care for yourself and be touched then you will feel greater joy taking the time to care for your infant and probably give them more nurturing touch than if you had not received massage. Being supported during this transition can ease symptoms of stress and depression and give you a calmer outlook even when you are frazzled from sleepless nights. It can also be that one and a half hours when you actually get some rest.

In India and Bangladesh women are massaged DAILY after birth. In Indonesia the term for a midwife is literally "someone who knows how to massage." This shows just how important it is to be supported through touch during pregnancy, labor and in the weeks and months after.

on specializing: pre- and post-natal massage

2011-09-04T20:16:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe it has been over a year since I last wrote here in this little box on this screen.

Current location: at the kitchen table in Brooklyn, NY off the G train with wilting flowers from the local CSA. I have been in New York now for nearly eight months and three seasons.

It was bitterly cold in January and almost exactly the moment of my return when a friend asked for a session in the very last leg of her pregnancy. She needed to relax and she was ready for the birthing process to begin. I couldn't exactly instigate labor but I pushed some points and worked whatever magic I could conjure with the support of pillows and blankets and my warm hands.

I had just shifted gears and come back to the States from Berlin, and I was very open to questions about what else was shifting. One of those things was clearly my Thai Massage practice. I was becoming less and less interested in giving the traditionally acrobatic "lazyman's yoga" massage and getting more in touch with the quiet, still, listening and improvising that is required when massaging a woman during pregnancy. It is subtle and intuitive and gives me great joy to be present for the occasion of a new life about to enter this world - and after, to be able to provide mothers who are exhausted and stressed with a quiet space to relax and get back in touch with themselves. Though at times the baby wakes up or their toddler needs to be very close by or held, we work with whatever happens. There is always relief from tension and letting go of the stress of the every day even for just one hour in the 24/7 life of mothering.

Through a little bit of serendipity I became connected with Carriage House Collective, a collective of doulas and healing arts practitioners based in and around Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I am very thankful to be part of this group of women who offer support to women during one of the most important of life transitions.

Receiving a continuity of support throughout pregnancy and after birth is beneficial to both mother and baby because it provides:

(pre-natally)

-relaxation and reduced stress (which equals a healthier pregnancy)
-relief from muscle cramps, spasms, pain, especially in the lower back, neck, hips and legs
-increase in circulation and reduction of swelling
-reduction of stress on weight-bearing joints
-improved outcome of labor, easing of pain
-greater pliability of skin and underlying tissues, avoiding stretch marks when massage is done regularly
-stabilization of hormones and emotional balance
-space to tune into her changing body, to be more aware of her baby, supports prenatal bonding
-promotes shorter labor, less difficult and painful labor

(post-natally)

-support for new mothers with the physical and emotional strains of caring for an infant
-decreased symptoms of post-partum depression, improved self-esteem, sensitivity to her child's needs because her own physical and emotional needs are also being met
-eases fatigue, allowing space to rest, promoting relaxation and sleep
-support in making the transition into motherhood and life as a new family unit

What else do you need to know?

I make house calls. All that is needed are lots of pillows, some blankets and a yoga mat and you don't need to leave the comfort of your home. I am also available to give sessions at Caribou Baby in Williamsburg/Greenpoint.

While a single session is of course beneficial, I recommend purchasing a 3- or 6-session package for the sake of continuity. You will develop a deeper relationship with your body as it changes and you'll find comfort in the continuity of support that regular sessions provide. Personally I give a much more effective massage when we have developed a relationship over time, creating an on-going dialogue based around your own specific needs.

Rates:

A single 90-minute session is $130; 3-massage cards are $330 (saving $60) and 6 are $650 (saving $130). Massage cards are valid for a year and a half so you can use them anytime from the beginning of pregnancy up to 6 months after birth. I also offer sliding scale and donation rates based on need and income.

I do still give Traditional Thai Massage sessions upon request; men by referral only.

Contact:

jennthaiyoga@gmail.com
347 549 1807

thai massage in new york

2010-07-12T10:02:00.000-07:00

hello east coasters,

hope you have been getting plenty of H2O in every form: bottles of the spring variety, sea, rain, etc during these waves of heat.

i am in philly but head back to brooklyn in a couple of hours. i am around for massages so please contact me if you would like to book a house call. i have availability tomorrow (7/13) and wednesday, plus the 19th of july through the 23rd or so. i might make a beach getaway.

my special summer rates are:

1 hr -$75
90 min - $100

**sliding scale: pay what you can, between $50-65 for 1 hr and $75-90 for a 90-minute session to dancers and artists.

be well, or as they say in german: mach's gut! (make good)

j

now offering three styles of mat work...

2010-05-04T09:41:00.000-07:00

hello, it's another incredibly grey day in berlin. you would think it's winter still - but there is a lot to be grateful for and a lot of good changes. i am sitting next to rebecca rainey, who flew from new york to berlin exactly a year after me. it's one of those serendipitous things in life: we met at erika bloom pilates, where i was giving thai massages. i talked about moving to berlin and then i did it. then i got an email from rebecca, and then she did it. yeah!

now we are sitting in kreuzberg at a cafe called pfeiffers. we have been brainstorming a new zine idea for the last three hours or so. and now it is time for the business of blogging. she is wearing an orange scarf, kind of like the orange icon on this blogger. she is an amazing human being and teaches a mean pilates mat. so, this is real-time introduction folks: meet rebecca.

hallo! thank you jenn for the lovely introduction. i'm very excited to join jenn and every buddha body. berlin has been good to me so far and with my new bike rainbow i'm discovering more and more. so fun. without further ado i'll share my bio with you.

Rebecca Rainey is a certified Pilates mat instructor and professional dancer. She is certified through Erika Bloom Pilates Plus in NYC, an internationally recognized certification. After studying Pilates since 1999, working as an assistant manager at Erika Bloom and from a curiosity to learn more about the mechanics of the body Rebecca was compelled to become certified. Using her kinesthetic awareness of the body from her dance background, a regular yoga practice, and her Pilates knowledge, she guides clients to a new level of fitness - in mind and body.

Initially from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Rebecca moved to Berlin in January 2010 after living in NYC for seven years.

jenn and i have been talking a lot recently about expanding every buddha body and clarifying its vision. this is the first step towards making every buddha body a broader collective - we hope that more practitioners and explorers of the body-mind-spirit connection will join us in the future.

we are very excited to share our latest thoughts and ever-evolving vision - (check it! hot off the press!) (ich habe das gehört! - rebecca's latest favorite german phrase).

every buddha body is a collective of bodywork and yoga practitioners built on the idea that everyone is a buddha - an "awakened one" - and every body deserves to feel like one. we believe that you - no matter your background or body type - have the potential to experience health and balance in your body and mind. through the mediums of traditional thai massage, yoga, movement, pilates and conscious nutrition, we have created a space where you can reclaim your body and receive guidance in the realization of your optimal physical and mental manifestation of self - simply a state of bliss.

if you would like to schedule a thai massage, pilates or yoga session with one of us, you can find us on these days. we love to ride our bikes, especially to your house (of course within reason, within AB zones).

rebecca for pilates: tuesday, thursday, saturday 10-19 h

pilates rates: 60 min - 40€ (sliding scale 25-35€)

jenn for thai massage & yoga: tuesday, wednesday, saturday 10-19 h

thai massage rates: 60 min - 50€ (sliding scale for artists and low incomes: 35-45€) ; 90 min - 65€ (sliding scale: 50-60€)
yoga rates: 60 min - 40€ (sliding scale 25-35€)

if you are interested in small group yoga or pilates classes, we are taking steps towards finding a space for this - in the meantime we are always happy to teach if you have a space to offer us. we are also taking names for a community dance/movement class - stay tuned... it's in the works! (think flashdance...)

once again, thanks for all of the love you've given every buddha body this past year. we hope you will enjoy the newest modality on the mat.

happy finally almost kinda sorta springtime. stay warm berliners.

xo jenn and rebecca

goodbye frankfurt (for now) ... hello (again) berlin

2010-01-22T06:49:00.000-08:00

it is my last day in frankfurt. since the trip to new york i spent about ten days in berlin and then hopped in a car (on my very first autobahn ride) to frankfurt. the drive was mostly white fields of snow, six hours of fields of snow and a stop at mcdonald´s where all i got was a mediocre cappucino. not so bad hurtling across germany at a rate of 120 km/h (once i got used to the speed, which at first made my stomach lurch like on a rollercoaster).

my visit to frankfurt has been very good. i gave a massage (or several) every day but sunday. so many backs transformed. so many tight hamstrings loosened. i watched so many chests exhale and release, so many faces and tight jaws relax and open. most of the feedback i got was that people felt "new." what a nice start to their new year. it has been lovely and i look forward to next time. i also celebrated my friend´s birthday with her and made a super rich dark chocolate flourless cake. and a lot of khichari (mung beans and rice with vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes, an ayurvedic staple and my favorite dish on earth). it has been a full couple of weeks, very full of work and also relaxation, some good wine in the evenings and great company. i feel very blessed.

now i go back to berlin and live a bit of the nomad life until my next trip back to frankfurt. what i enjoy about work and life is that it is so mobile, that i don´t need so much to have a good existence and to have good exchanges with people. i am looking forward to having a temporary home in march though, and also to searching for a flat of my own in berlin, though a new york trip is also in the works... so who knows. i am flowing with life right now, enjoying the work, enjoying the practice of thai massage and all of the things i am learning both about the bodywork itself and about myself through the practice. today i really understood the idea behind working on the legs first, as if i were squeezing the sap, the life force of a tree back up from the roots to the center. transforming a stiff body into a fluid body from the bottom up. i am able to make quicker connections about how things work because i have given so many massages in a row. my work is clarifying itself and my energy is growing too. it is good, i like what i do and the opportunities for learning and being present that i am presented with through it.

new contact number

2009-12-11T15:36:00.000-08:00

hello everyone, you can now reach me at 917-215-0825.

the sounds of the BQE

2009-12-08T05:57:00.000-08:00

good morning brooklyn.

i arrived from berlin last night and slept a good amount of hours, from 5 am till 1:30 pm berlin time. its not so bad going backwards, because getting up early is not a problem. the other way around, one year ago, was difficult. i am settling in here, typing to the sounds of traffic on the BQE, which i can see outside this greenpoint window.

today and tomorrow i have scheduled Jetlag Recovery, Walking Around, Meetings and Seeing Faces i havent seen in almost a year.

i also hope to see some new faces through the work that i do. thursday i start giving treatments at greenhouse holistic in williamsburg. to book a 90-minute session you can call 718-599-3113. the rate is $125. this is the schedule:

Thursday, Dec. 10 from 9-3
Sunday, Dec. 13 from 12-8
Thursday, Dec. 17 from 9-3
Sunday, Dec. 20 from 12-8

on saturday i begin working out of panetta movement center on 29th st, manhattan. the schedule follows:

Saturday, Dec. 12 from 2-6
Monday, Dec. 14 from 2-6
Saturday, Dec. 19 from 2-6
Monday, Dec. 21 from 2-6
Monday, Dec. 28 from 2-6

please contact me at 718-866-6181 to book a session. the times are slightly flexible, by an hour forward or backwards. at panetta i am offering a sliding scale rate of $75 for 60 minutes and $100 for a 90-minute session to dancers and artists. the regular rate is $100 for an hour and $125 for 90 minutes.

longer treatments (2-hr sessions) are possible. house calls can be made to lower manhattan and anywhere in brooklyn, $135 for 90-minutes or $250 if you book two hour-long sessions in the same location. i also offer couples massages given along with my friend kaia wong.

here is some info on thai for the curious:

Thai Massage, or Nuad Bo Rarn as it called in Thailand, is performed on a mat on the floor. The receiver wears loose clothing like pyjamas. The massage includes stretching, rocking, acupressure and energy work. I use tools such as blood-stopping, organ massage, inversions and a lot of work on the legs. I use my entire body including elbows, knees, feet, and hands. Some other modalities you might find in a session include Skinner releasing and influences from contact improvisational dance.

As you are moved and stretched in a session, your breath begins to join your body and your mind wanders off or becomes more clear. As the session comes to an end you might feel a sense of peace similar to what the Buddha must have felt under the bodhi tree. Thai Massage works along the major lines and energy centers of the body, based on ancient traditions of yogic knowledge along with the influences of Chinese medicine and traditional Thai healing.

I specialize in tight lower backs, hips and sacrums, stiff necks and shoulders and powerful foot massages. I also have experience giving treatments to women during pregnancy. I use extra pillows and blankets to give a completely safe and comfortable massage which is actually beneficial for both of you. You will find some extra space in your lungs and relief for your hardworking back.

Thai Massage not only transforms your tight muscles, it also unblocks mental and emotional stagnation, increases circulation, eases anxiety and depression, relieves stress and nervous tension, and restores balance where it is lacking. It is part of a tradition that goes all the way back to the Buddha's physician, Jivaka Kumarbhacca. He created this form of massage with the practice of metta, or lovingkindness, at its core. Thai Massage is bodywork from the heart: a shared meditation and an offering.

For the full benefits of Thai Massage, I suggest receiving a 90-minute session. This will give your body time to let go of its everyday armor, allowing you to soften and more deeply relax. This also gives me ample space to discover the parts which need extra attention and to spend the time that is necessary to work through the stuck or held places. Of course a 60-minute massage is also very beneficial. Any and all metta is good. Sometimes less is more but in this case more is better.

Jenn Kelly is a dancer, writer, multimedia artist - and an explorer of the mind-body-spirit connection. She is certified in Traditional Thai Massage by Ananda Apfelbaum, in the style of Pichest Boonthumme. She also studied at Lotus Palm School in Montreal with Kam Thye Chow and Mia Blackwell, in the lineage of Ashokananda. Her own practice is a blend of these two schools with a dancer's sensitivity and a natural intuition for the needs of each individual body.

As a dedicated student of yoga since 2000, Jenn has studied Iyengar, Vinyasa, and practiced Mysore style Ashtanga five days a week for three years with Eddie Stern and Sarah Plumer in New York. She also studied Chi Kung intensively with choreographer Daria Fain and worked two years as an intern for Movement Research, studying contemporary dance, Skinner Releasing and improvisation.

After over five years living and working in New York, Jenn moved to Berlin in January 2009.

Jennifer Kelly is one hundred hands and feet all at once. How this acrobatic act of massage is done, I do not know. I had my eyes closed. Her joyful nature is in all that she does and she is wonderfully contaigous. Here's to her magic of untying knots and listening to funny sounds between the bones.

– Josepha Conrad

contact:

jenn kelly
traditional thai massage
brooklyn mobile: 718.866.6181
email: jenn@everybuddhabody.com

www.everybuddhabody.com

new york, here i come with my two hands and feet

2009-12-02T11:36:00.000-08:00

next week i get on a plane and head back to new york for three weeks. i will be giving thai massage sessions at panetta movement center in manhattan and greenhouse holistic in williamsburg, brooklyn. i will also make house calls by appointment.

here is the schedule so far for thai massage on tour: dec 7-29

you can see where i will be and when i will be there and make an appointment. i will also be in the philadelphia area from dec 22-27 if you would like to book a session there.

november special: 3 massage card at moveo

2009-11-02T08:49:00.000-08:00

post-trick or treat, give yourself some good treatment. even if you aren´t recovering from saturday night´s halloween party, november is still pretty brutal. it´s getting cold, and dark, and we need all the extra heat and light we can get. now you can try your first thai massage at moveo for only 38€. then you can go directly to the in-studio sauna for another 5.

and in NOVEMBER ONLY i am offering 3 massage cards (each one hour) for 115€ at moveo yoga - that´s three sessions for the same rate as the introductory special. these massages must be used within two months from the date of purchase. these are also great as gifts.

be well,
jenn.

photo by stephan roehl, stephan-roehl.de

herzlich wilkommen - to every buddha body

2009-10-07T03:04:00.000-07:00

funny, i never realized that to welcome you "to every buddha body" is to simultaneously address everyone as a buddha body and to include you in the subject of "every buddha body."

i guess that was the original idea anyway: to create a space through the work that i do where everyone is acknowledged as a being of light and made to feel even more like one. the moment of eureka for me was giving a massage to my 94-year old grandma, just a year before her death. i gave her a treatment in her big, full-sized bed. she had never received a massage, let alone one connected to the spiritual traditions of buddhism. she was amazed that her limbs could be moved in the way i moved them and said it was so special to feel her body energized by my warm hands. at the end of my time with her, while i worked on her face, i watched her expression soften into the look of a buddha, shining in a state of complete bliss.

so massage is for everyone who has a body, and thai massage is for "every buddha body." it is meant to be somewhat funny yet it is also completely serious. thai massage began as a buddhist temple practice and i give each treatment with a full awareness of that lineage. it is a moving meditation shared by two.

now that i have introduced you to my ideas, i would like to introduce you to the actual massage (this is the angebot (!) section): for just two weeks (till october 21st) i am offering first-time clients one 60 minute massage (eine probestunde) for 25€. also during this time a single 90 minute session is 40€. and if you are an artist, student or have a low income, one ninety minute session is 30€. this is half the price of my regular rate. please tell your friends! these specials are good at both reichenberger str. 72 and at the moveo yoga studio*, berlin-kreuzberg.

*note: at moveo you can use the sauna for 5€ in combination with receiving a massage.

"To keep the body in good health is a duty... otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear."
-Buddha

hope you have a good, healthy fall. enjoy all the orange food and warm sweaters.

x jenn