Lumi Loves Sophie Atkinson

Sophie is a fantastic massage therapist and is offering NO HANDS® Massage at Lumi in October. You may have seen Sophie at the studio before practicing next to you. To find out more about Sophie and her treatments, read on…

We usually see you on the mat in our Lumi classes. What came first, yoga or massage?

Oh Yoga most definitely. I was in my early twenties and had just moved to London and a friend took me to beginner’s course at the Sivananda Centre in Putney. I had spent my childhood being terrible at “sports” so loved the fact that the class wasn’t about being competitive and I got to lie down at the end! However, it probably wasn’t until about 10 years later when I began my massage journey, that Yoga became such an important part of my life. I soon realized that if I was going to be afforded the privilege of working with other people’s bodies, I needed to be much more aware of, and fully inhabit, my own.

What made you decide to qualify as a massage therapist?

I’m embarrassed to say that there was nothing enlightened or altruistic about it, I just really hated working in an office and the whole fighting for trains; sitting down all day; eating sandwiches in boring meetings “life” that I had inadvertently fallen into. At the time I was having regular massage with a yoga teacher I had met, and thought ‘she’s got a pretty cool life, I’d like to do what she does’, so I signed up with a local Adult Education college and began this incredible journey that I’m still loving today.

What is a NO HANDS® Massage?

NO HANDS was created and developed by Gerry Pyves about 25 years ago after he damaged both his wrists as a Deep Tissue Massage practitioner. He wanted to create a way of working that didn’t harm the therapist (most Massage practitioners quit within 5 years due to injury), but that also felt really powerful and deep for the client – NO HANDS was the result. Working with my breath, my movement and the soft surfaces of my forearms I use my bodyweight to apply an incredibly deep, but super-soft massage that is far more relaxing and powerful than conventional massage.

What are the specific benefits of the NO HANDS® Massage?

Every body is different. Every massage is different. I can’t tell you that having a NO HANDS Massage will make you feel this particular way or get that specific outcome. You can get anything you want from a NO HANDS Massage, but over the years Gerry realized that there are 6 main reasons why people come (and keep coming back) for massage and NO HANDS benefits them all:

Released – to feel your body realigned, free, loose and balanced

Connected – to have greater body-awareness, be grounded and calm

Nurtured – to feel soft, stretched, cosseted and nourished

Energised – to experience a joyous sense of vitality and rejuvenation

Repleted – to have a quiet stillness, feel re-charged and uplifted

Transformed – to take control and change your life

Massage before or after yoga?

As far as I’m concerned, whether I am on a massage table or a yoga mat, the main purpose is to create a space where I can connect to myself: the real me. Through focused breathing, movement, physical compression and expansion a massage can prepare you for your yoga as beautifully as your yoga can prepare you for your massage. Whether you choose before or after, they are both simply different routes to the same outcome: a connection with your body, your breath and ultimately your life. But a word of warning – an oily practice is definitely more of a challenge

Sophie will be at Lumi on 9th, 16th and 30th October offering 75 minutes NO HANDS® Massage for £45 as a special introductory offer. If you would like to book a slot with her, please contact reception on 0208 8468504 or email info@lumipoweryoga.com.