Urban Tool Massage & Bowen Therapy

06/04/2026

It's not often I get involved in posts I see on social media positing about this or that being 'woowoo' or false, or unproven etc. This one was 'pooh-pooing' the postulation that 'Fascia holds stuck emotions'.
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So I had to put my tuppence worth in... It's a bold tuppence to spend as it felt like going up against a giant. However I think debates are healthy, necessary infact, otherwise we run the risk of never broadening our thinking.

This was my response.. "Too much 'left brain' thinking perhaps?. I think it's important to keep open minded, the lay person just wants to be out of pain, I don't think it's helpful to 'funnel' treatment options. We didn't devise our CNS, we were born with it, just look at the remarkable intelligence of our trillions of cells 'knowing their role'. Man gets his 'ego' involved and we overlook the genius interconnection of our autonomic systems and their ability to function seamlessly every second of every minute of everyday. I think the issue is not with the 'therapy, treatment, modality etc' I think it's that we use 'human devised language' to describe it...That's where we get lost in translation, humans are notorious for misunderstanding each other with the 'spoken word'. Let the body do the talking, if someone experiences something beneficial, and someone else doesn't, then just move on and try something else. I can't think of anything worse than to be stuck in one place because I took as fact someone else's opinion.... 'This or that doesn't work'... OK, let me see for myself."🤔

We don't have a microscope or a chemical test that can "see" a molecule of sadness sitting in the connective tissue of someone's left thigh.
​​While the fiber itself might not have a "brain," the nervous system embedded within the fascia certainly does. Chronic stress keeps the fascia in a state of high tension (via myofibroblasts). When that tension is finally broken, the nervous system often "offloads" the stress it was holding to maintain that tension. To the person on the table, it feels like the tissue is crying; biologically, it's the nervous system finally exhaling.
Take away the words and focus on the feeling... I'm fully open to being challenged on my thought process, I'm forever in a state of learning!! 🙌🙌

05/04/2026

You are going to be hearing alot about CST from me in the coming months as I prepare to start my studies with The Upledger Institute, so here is a great article on . Enjoy!! 😊 https://www.iahe.com/storage/docs/articles/THIS-IS-HOW-CRANIOSACRAL-THERAPY-HELPS-LESSEN-PAIN-1.pdf?fbclid=IwY2xjawQ_Il1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwzNTA2ODU1MzE3MjgAAR6FAaoiVvn0di5x9NMz3NgbCbMkovSV8xMCHriS9TQfssVsShGLLUjnbwQC4Q_aem_OgVaI_2StomDP5h11XLUTg

04/04/2026

I can never end a session like a normal person... (Well now that I'm a CST Practioner in training, there's a method in my madness) I'm always offering up some wisdom, advice or maybe a challenge of some sort! 😆 After teaching this mornings session in I told everyone to give this a go.... What you do is lie down comfortably on your back, small pillow under head so that you don't force your head to much into either extension or flexion.
Place your left hand on the left front of your pelvis & your right on the right side. It's a bony protrusion called your ASIS (basically the boniest bit that you feel at your anterior pelvis. In CST it's called a 'Listening station - I love that 😊) The padded part of your palm will rest there and fingers will generally rest around the crease of leg/groin area.
Arms should be resting against the mattress, not held in a holding position or you won't be able to 'Listen'.
What you are listening for is your Cerebralspinal Fluid flow. It would feel like your pelvic bones are getting wider (laterally) and narrower (medially). It's subtle, you may also pick up the longitudinal direction. You need to be able to distinguish between your arterial pulse/heartbeat, your breath and your CSF flow. The CSF flow is the slowest at about 6 beats a minute... Fancy giving it a go?

02/04/2026

It takes two...." In my world what this usually means is two treatments and I'm hooked!
During my second CST session I had the most 'ethereal' experience of my life, where I felt completely 'translucent' as my therapists hands seemed to pass through my body. The follow on from this is a 'systemic breakthrough' including a lot of SomatoEmotional release. Even though it's been a week since the physical session, just the memory of that translucent feeling is enough to trigger further tears and giggles as I continue to ride the wave of returning to my blueprint.
As my brain tries to berate me for not using CST as a therapy option sooner, my body know's I've simply taken the scenic route, the only route that makes sense in actual fact. Here's why I 'feel' that Bowen followed by MFR and now CST are the perfect sequence. Bowen told my nervous system 'The emergency is over.' MFR further soothed my 'fractious fascial system' and finally CST peered into my 'Core' and kissed it better.
​I believe this is why some people don't get the outcomes that a particular therapy suggests they could.They are simply not ready to receive it.
This is where it gets intetesting for me as a therapist, I've done my decades long apprenticeship of being in pain and subsequently searching for the 'one thing' that would 'fix me.
It's living through this process, feeling the frustrations of getting better for a short time, only for the pain to manifest again and again. Investing in and learning professional skills and techniques that seemed to be the holy grail only to come to the realisation that it's not a one size fits all. It was never supposed to be, it's a journey and I feel as though I've not just read the map, I've walked the terrain, I've taken in the sights, stopped off at some significant travellers rests where I've been helpfully signposted forward, other times I've come to crossroads and went a few miles in the wrong direction before turning back.
In CST they talk about the therapist being the facilitator, and the real work is done by the clients 'inner physician'. I think it's only really now having experienced this 'breakthrough' that I can say I have a true understanding of what this feels like.
I'm not relying on my own therapists to 'fix me' now, I fully recognise the therapeitic input that my nervous system has received from this sequence of modalities, it was completely ready, the foundations had been laid, it's no longer muffled.... It's coherent, the defences are fully down, the safely guarding has been deactivated, had I tried CST first, I'd 100% have scoffed at it. Now I know 100% that I'd never have truly known peace without it.
We have a poweful diagnostic tool - Our body, and as therapists we have the humility of our hands which we use to perceive and subsequently treat the body.
What's important to me here is finally reaching the awareness within myself of what it feels like to experience touch without an agenda. Learning CST is going to humble me as a therapist and remove all sense of ego (and sometimes frustration) about personal expectations as to when, how or why a clent will respond to any therapeutic input.
When I lay down lay for my second CST treatment, my body didn't need the "rolling" of Bowen or the "stretching" of MFR to unravel it's deepest holding patterns. It was ready to drop straight into a deep, parasympathetic state. The "hands passing through" sensation happened because my Dura Mater (the tough membrane around your brain and spinal cord) completely relaxed It’s a level of release that is hard to reach with the more active moves of my previous therapies, although they set me up beautifully to be able to feel receptive enough to acknowledge this lightest of touch and the meeting of client - therapist energy that went right into my core.
I now see that I did indeed come to know of these therapies in the correct order, I wouldn't be the therapist I am today if I was simply learning manual therapies to apply to clients. Instead I'm really grateful to have experienced firsthand the profound changes they've all had on me personally... Just two treatments each time and it set me off on a path that is continually transforming and improving my life.
When I had the nudge out of nowhere to try Craniosacral Therapy back in February this year (despite my reservations) I followed the nudge... And thank goodness I did (Always listen to your gut).
I needed to know more, I read the books, I watched the videos, and now I'm starting my CST1 training in November, something tells me I'm.going to feel like I've come 'home'. 🙌

16/03/2026

This is a very serious post about introducing co-contraction during a standard shoulder bridge... 🤔🤣

12/03/2026

Why does the ball between the knees add a challenge? Basically, when the adductors fire, they send a signal to the deep core to join the party. It’s much harder for your abs to stay relaxed when your inner thighs are working. 💪

12/03/2026

Another reason to take up 💪👌

Your muscles send anti-inflammatory signals to your brain every time you lift something heavier than your cat. No, seriously. Muscle tissue, when it contracts under resistance, releases compounds called myokines. These proteins travel through your bloodstream and actively protect your brain, reduce systemic inflammation, and regulate blood sugar.

Muscle isn't just for strength. It's your body's largest anti-inflammatory organ. And here's the part most people miss: this process works at any age. I've seen patients in their 70s begin resistance training and within weeks report better energy, better sleep, and sharper thinking.

The research on aging well isn't complicated. It keeps pointing to the same things:
- Build and maintain muscle through resistance training
- Feed your brain with polyphenols, omega-3s, and fiber
- Protect purpose
- Automate the good habits so the brain can rest Aging well isn't about looking younger.

It's about functioning better, longer.

The wisdom years aren't automatic. But they are available to anyone willing to build toward them. What habit are you building for your future self?

12/03/2026

***COMING SOON***

Book yourself a Spine Care package, utilising the active benefits of the Reformer Tower and the nurturing benefits of Bowen Therapy.

Think of it as Spinal Software and Hardware: The Tower upgrades your frame, and Bowen reboots the operating system."

​The Reformer Tower provides the active decompression (creating space through movement), while Bowen Therapy provides the neurological pause (signaling the brain to let go of the holding patterns that caused the compression in the first place).

​1. Decompression and Length
​The Tower uses gravity and spring tension to create space between your vertebrae.
​The "Reach": Exercises like "Roll Back" or "Leg Springs" encourage you to reach away from your center.
​The Benefit: This creates a traction-like effect, which can help alleviate pressure on discs and nerve endings.
​2. Segmental Control (The "Articulated" Spine)
​Most back pain stems from the spine moving as one rigid block. The Tower’s Push-Through Bar is a game-changer here:
​Articulate, Don't Lift: It forces you to move bone-by-bone. Whether you are doing a "Tower Drive" or a seated "Spine Stretch," the bar guides you into a sequence where each vertebra has to do its own job.
​The Benefit: You regain mobility in "stuck" areas of the mid-back (thoracic) and lower back (lumbar).
​3. Deep Core Stabilization
​The Tower challenges your stability because the springs are often pulling from above or behind you, rather than just from your feet.
​The Benefit: A stronger "internal corset" means less strain on your spinal ligaments during daily movements like lifting groceries or sitting at a desk.
​4. Unilateral Correction
​Because the Tower allows you to work with independent springs for each arm or leg:
​Identify Imbalances: You’ll quickly notice if your right side is doing 70% of the work.
​The Benefit: Correcting these asymmetries prevents the "spiral" effect where one side of your back overcompensates, leading to chronic lopsided tension.

05/03/2026

Meet 'The Boss', it's 7 years old and taking over my flat. 💪🌱🌱
How do Snake Plants & Humans compare...? 🤔
One is a carbon-based bipedal mammal with existential dread, and the other is a succulent that thrives on being ignored. 😆
One inhales Co2 and exhales o2, the other inhales o2 and exhales Co2.
One requires a daily intake of water, the other will happily wait a month for a drink.
One's energy source is cheeseburgers (glucose & calories). The other's is sunlight (Photons).
One is highly mobile, the other is very sedentary.
One communicates with language and WiFi, the other with Chemical signals.
The Symbiotic Relationship.
​Me & 'The Boss' are actually perfect roommates. I produce the CO_2 it needs to build it's physical body, and it will filter toxins like benzene and formaldehyde from the air while giving me back fresh O_2.
​Basically, a snake plant is the silent, supportive friend who cleans up your mess while you sleep.

04/03/2026

👌👌👌

27/02/2026

Great podcast my client sent me lastnight. 👍
So you know that the body doesn't work in isolation, but that said, it's common sense to take care of the individual parts to assist the overall machine.
I unconsciously do calf raises at various points throughout my day, once I zoned into what I was feeling today as I was doing them, it struck me how much I treat them like a 'roll down' for my spinal mobility.

The eccentric phase—the controlled lengthening of the muscle under tension—which is exactly where the "magic" happens in both movements.
​While one is a targeted strength exercise and the other is a spinal mobility staple, they share a very specific mechanical "vibe."
​The "Control" Connection
​The Calf Raise (Eccentric): As you lower your heels below the level of the step, you are fighting gravity to prevent a "drop." Your gastrocnemius and soleus are lengthening while staying engaged. It feels like a slow, resisted stretch.
​The Roll Down: As you peel your spine down bone-by-bone, your hamstrings and spinal extensors are working eccentrically to keep you from simply flopping over.
​Why they feel similar
​Both movements rely on sequential control and lengthening under load.
​Decompression: In a roll down, you're looking for space between the vertebrae. At the bottom of a calf raise, you’re looking for space in the ankle joint and a deep stretch in the Achilles.
​The "Brakes": In both cases, if you "turn off" the muscles, you'll snap or thud into the end range. The "reflexive" urge is to just let go, but the benefit comes from the slow, deliberate resistance.
​Tension Lines: Both movements heavily involve the Posterior Chain. A tight calf can actually limit how far you can go in a roll down because the fascia is all connected from the bottom of your feet to the top of your head.
Movement such as Refomer Pilates sessions will improve fascial glide, treatments such as Bowen Therapy & MFR will further increase fascial glide. They are the ultimate package!! 😃

Podcast Episode · Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee · 25 February · 2h 16m