Emily BannerJul 23, 20203 minBodywork in the Pandemic AgeAfter over three months with my practice shut down, I have returned to work with joy and relief – which my clients seem to share. My...
Emily BannerOct 8, 20194 minOn Bicycles, Muscle Memory, and Making Changes that LastI taught my son how to ride a bike last month, a week before his eleventh birthday. He got the hang of it quickly, perhaps because he...
Emily BannerMay 28, 20193 minNo ApologiesA couple weeks ago, a client apologized to me for not having shaved her legs prior to her appointment. This sort of thing happens a lot —...
Emily BannerAug 8, 201810 minSpiritfireRecently I had the opportunity to provide bodywork at Spiritfire, an annual four-day event that’s like a cross between a spiritual...
Emily BannerJun 27, 20185 minEven Here: On Learning Oncology MassageIn early June I went to Boston for a 4-day intensive course in oncology massage – that is, massage specially tuned to the particular...
Emily BannerApr 25, 20183 minA Sticky Situation (or, We Just Weren't Built for These Times, part two)In my last essay, I posited that evolution shaped the human body and mind so that we are beautifully adapted to the world of 5000 years...
Emily BannerMar 20, 20183 minToo Much Information (or, We Just Weren't Built for These Times, part one)We humans evolved over millions of years, via an almost unimaginably slow process. Anatomically modern humans have been around for...
Emily BannerFeb 23, 20183 minPathfindingIt’s February, and the media is full of headlines like, “Your New Year’s Resolution Didn’t Work, Now What?” The emphasis of these pieces...
Emily BannerJan 18, 20184 minWhat is Fascia?I spend a lot of time these days talking about fascia. I study fascia, I work with fascia, I am a big ol’ fascia geek, and I could make...
Emily BannerNov 3, 20172 minFrom the Mouths of BabesNot long ago, my nine-year-old son tried roller-blading for the first time, with some friends. He had a blast, and although he did fall...
Emily BannerOct 24, 20174 minVictims and Criminals: Decoding Chronic Pain"Find the pain and look elsewhere for the cause." - John F. Barnes I’ll set the scene: a client comes to see me, complaining of chronic...
Emily BannerSep 8, 20173 minWhat's Normal? One of the questions I hear most often from my clients is, “Is this normal?” They come to the question by many routes. Popular lead-ins...
Emily BannerJul 12, 20173 minParasympathy (or, Self-Care in Interesting Times) The term may not be familiar to you, but you already know about your sympathetic nervous system. At its most basic, it’s what causes your...
Emily BannerMar 15, 20172 minWhy 'Embodywork'?Well, to start with, I’ve always been a sucker for wordplay. But more importantly, that one (made-up) word encapsulates the journey I’ve...