Listening to the body in all its dimensions
My somato-emotional bodywork approach begins with a simple principle: the body is more than the place where it hurts. It adapts, compensates, protects and sometimes retains traces of what we have been through.
My work combines precise hands-on techniques, movement, attention to the nervous system and space for the emotional dimension.
We always begin with what is concrete and perceptible in your body, without forcing anything or imposing an interpretation.
Looking beyond the painful area
Pain may appear in one specific place, while what maintains it may be located elsewhere. Restricted shoulder movement may be influenced by breathing, the pelvis or the way you bear weight. Lower-back tension may be connected with the hips, abdomen or diaphragm.
I therefore observe how the body organises itself as a whole: posture, compensatory patterns and the areas that seem to be holding back movement.
I am interested not only in the painful area itself, but also in the relationships that may be maintaining the difficulty.
Read the clues provided by the way you walk, your posture, pain, weight-bearing, breathing and range of movement.
Identify distant influences and compensatory patterns that may be contributing to the discomfort.
Restore mobility and range of movement where they are lacking, allowing greater freedom.
Precise touch. Nothing forced.
I draw on two different qualities of touch, alternating between them according to the needs of the session. One focuses on specific areas of tension, while the other gently restores movement throughout the body.
The aim is never to cause pain for its own sake. I do not use joint cracking or forced manipulation. The intensity of every movement is adjusted to your sensitivity.
The Precision of Traditional Reboutement
I locate sensitive points and areas of resistance, then apply steady, firm and progressive pressure.
Some areas may be more sensitive, particularly beneath the feet, around the rib cage or in the abdomen. The intensity always remains manageable and can be adjusted at any time.
The Gentleness of Wuo Taï
Through gentle tensioning, suspension and slow mobilisations, I may hold one area while guiding the rest of the body into a soft movement.
These movements invite the tissues and fascia to regain elasticity, range and greater freedom.
Body, nervous system and emotions
Tension does not always arise from a single mechanism. It may be connected with breathing, visceral function, the state of the nervous system or what a person is currently going through.
I therefore do not approach these dimensions as separate compartments. I explore one or another according to what emerges, while maintaining concrete points of reference.
These are not three separate techniques, but three possible ways of approaching the same person.
I work with the joints, muscles and fascia to restore more stable support and freer movement. Localised discomfort is therefore considered within the body’s overall balance.
The abdomen, diaphragm and breath may contribute to certain tensions or reflect a prolonged state of alert. Touch in these areas can encourage a more global release.
Life experiences and emotions are taken into account when they play a part in what you are feeling. They can be approached through bodily sensations as much as through conversation.
Same pain. Different support.
I do not follow a predetermined protocol. The starting point depends on your reason for coming, your posture, your mobility and what I perceive through my hands.
I may begin with the feet to examine the way you bear weight, with the diaphragm if your breathing appears restricted, or directly with an area that has limited mobility.
As the session unfolds, I test, compare and adjust my touch according to the responses I observe. An area located far from the pain may then prove to be important.
The guiding principle remains simple: responding to what is present today rather than following a ready-made method.
When emotions are held in the body
Life experiences, stress and certain protective strategies can influence the way we hold ourselves, our muscle tone and our automatic reactions.
Emotions are not separate from the body. They may be expressed through persistent tension, a knotted stomach, held breathing, restricted movement or difficulty letting go.
When an emotion emerges during the session, I make space for it without trying to provoke it. Talking can accompany the work, but it is not essential.
I rely first on bodily sensations and the changes I can feel beneath my hands, without immediately assigning them a cause or meaning.
Beyond technique, a way of being
Empathic listening begins with something essential: being truly present with another person. Present to what they say, what they feel and what their body expresses, but also to what cannot yet be put into words.
This presence is not about analysing, interpreting or claiming to know on someone else’s behalf. It requires listening without judgement or haste, and offering enough space for each person to experience what is there in their own way.
I have cultivated this presence through meditation, prayer and, above all, through encounters with others. Other people have taught me how to be present because I have allowed myself to be fully present too: present in my body, my emotions, my thoughts and all their complexity.
This means not looking away from what feels uncomfortable, from what we would prefer to avoid or not to feel. It also means recognising what we may sometimes hold onto, continue to feed or allow to take up too much space.
This is not about reaching a final truth. It is about becoming more open and available — listening with greater accuracy and adapting my support to what you are going through.
There is technical skill in the gesture. But beyond that skill, what I offer is a way of being: a quality of presence, listening and connection.
Making space for the unseen
Not everything experienced during a session can always be observed from the outside, explained or immediately put into words.
A sudden emotion, an image, an unusual sensation or an intuition may emerge. I meet these experiences with simplicity and discernment, without trying to provoke them or decide what they mean.
The body remains our point of reference: freer breathing, a changing sensation or an inner shift can simply be acknowledged without needing to understand its meaning immediately.
Some experiences first need to be felt. Words, when they come, may arrive later.
What if we simply started with what you are feeling today?
A specific pain, reduced mobility, persistent tension, emotional strain or discomfort that is difficult to name already provides a starting point.
You do not need to know its exact cause before booking an appointment.
I offer these sessions in Chambéry and Domessin, in Savoie.
This support is complementary. It is not a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment.
If your symptoms are unusual, persistent or worsening, seek advice from a qualified healthcare professional.