Padma Gordon

Padma is a Spiritual Counselor, Movement Educator, women’s group facilitator, writer, mother, and a lover of life. Padma has been assisting people on their evolutionary journeys for over 25 years.

She teaches people the physical, mental, and energetic mechanics of being present through a mindfulness-based movement practice. Padma currently facilitates movement classes at Ecstatic Dance in Fairfax, has her private practice in San Rafael where she assists both individuals and couples and is a Teacher on the Insight Timer App. She is currently writing a book about how to have a thriving long-term relationship.

Padma lives her life in service of deep transformation. She supports people to shift old patterns and create movement where they are stuck. Her vision is for everyone to live their most awesome life possible, step in and offer their unique gifts to the world.

At this first Forum of the New Year, Padma will share techniques for being present and connected to yourself so that you don't take on energy from your clients and feel exhausted at the end of the day. Learn how to let go of energy that is not yours if you do. 

When you are steadily connected to yourself, you can access foundational energy. This is sustainable. Come and learn practices for staying energized. We will meditate and move together. Please wear clothing suitable for movement. Let's gather together and set ourselves up for a powerful year of engaging with life in ways that create flow. I look forward to being in the sacred space of connection with you.

Leader: Elizabeth Davidman

Topic: A dynamic Forum about body tools, self-care, burnout prevention and how to have fun in your practice. 

Date: Thursday, Dec 19 

Time: 6:30 - 8:30pm 

Location: 2200 Marinship Way - Harmonia Wellness Club 

Our next Forum is being led by Elizabeth, who's passion for helping others has taken her from over 15 years as a Nanny and Baby whisperer, to IBCLC, to CMT, to RYT, to this moment. Her passion for Holistic Healing includes Massage, Yoga, Meditation and Aromatherapy. Elizabeth teaches yoga at Cavallo Point in Sausalito and owns a private Massage Therapy Practice in San Anselmo. She is active in the community hosting workshops and local marketing events to promote her business.

At this Forum, we will learn self care techniques using body tools and how to add retail to our practices. When our clients take better care of themselves, it makes our jobs easier and more impactful.

Learn to help clients improve mobility and decrease pain by using body tools. Even if you have no plans to sell retail in your practice, you will benefit from this Forum by getting ideas for taking care of yourself and reducing time spent on injury rehab, burnout, and other issues that prevent us from living fully.

Date: Nov 21, 2019
Time: 6:30 - 8:30pm

Location: Harmonia Wellness Club at 2200 Marinship Way, Sausalito 
Leader: Steven Haight 

Topic: Trigger Point Therapy and referral points 

Steven Haight will lead us in a Trigger Point Forum on Thursday, November 21 from 6:30 - 8:30pm. 

Janet Travell, a pioneer in pain management, discovered trigger points and created a technique that exploits muscular imbalances and referral pains. 

If you are trained in trigger point work, come to this forum to learn a few more moves. 

If you aren't trained in it, come to witness the 'magic' that is a result of working with referral pain and pain points.

OCTOBER Date:Thursday, October 10th
Time: 6:30 - 8:30pm

Leader: Ulrika Brattemark

Topic: Finding your Action in Body Work Location: Harmonia @ 2200 Marinship Way, Sausalito

Our October Forum will be led by Ulrika Brattemark, the incredibly gifted and passionate time management expert and personal coach. Learn a little about Ulrika: From Overwhelm to Focused Action Do you wish for more progress in some area of your work, or life? Would you like to move forward at a sustainable pace, yet accomplish more of what is truly important to you? Although we keep working hard, most of us feel like we are spread too thin and easily get distracted by the next "shiny object". Can you relate?

Most people I speak with feel some level of overwhelm by all the demands on their time. In this interactive and engaging 60-minute workshop you will learn an effective way to move from overwhelm to a more focused, sane and fulfilling daily life.

At the end of the workshop, you'll have a detailed action plan for one of your initiatives as well as tools that'll help you stay focused and implement.

This dynamic approach will set you up for success in getting more of the RIGHT things done.

You'll learn:

• How to apply dynamic principles to your personal task prioritization

• How to structure your to-do's into visually accessible and focused format

• How to stay focused and accomplish what you have committed to

• Where to find more support for implementing these tools and principles

September 19 - NEXT FORUM

630-830 @ Harmonia

So what’s in a modality? This is a resounding question many of us have.

Is my work deep? What’s the difference between PNF stretching and neuromuscular work? Can’t I be intuitive and still offer therapeutic work? Do I really have to know anatomy to understand what I’m feeling? I sort of do reflexology but am not certified in it. Can I practice, in good conscious, massage that has a long lineage even if I am not part of that ancestral line? Should I integrate essential oils in session while still being sensitive to people with scent/fragrance sensitivities? I don’t like being fit into a box, but clients want to know what style I offfer, how do I explain? And should I HAVE to?

These and SOOOO many more questions and struggles come up for us, as body workers, and this next Forum is about all of us grappling with them together. Join in conversation and connection as we discuss how we identify our work with certain modalities; or how we don’t. Join to share ideas, questions, and answers.

Our August forum was led by Alco Chan on Glute massage. In the gorgeous Harmonia co-working space we walked through the garden and fountains on a cool evening to enter a cozy space with wooden chairs, comfy cushions to sit on, and nice lighting. It is in this atmosphere we engaged with learning, together.

We discovered some techniques that included working with attachments and utilizing ROM (range of motion). By understanding the posterior kinetic chain and how the glutes are integral to low back pain and how we walk, as a group we uncovered some important aspects to massaging all fibers of the glutes.

“How many of you automotically massage the glutes,” Alco asked the group. Half of the hands raised and others gave explanations as to when they did, when they didn’t, and how they decided.

How about YOU? Do you automatically do glute massage in sessions? It’s a good question to consider.

If you have any questions about best practices when doing glute massage, check out Al’s website and see if there are any classes you may benefit from.

Functional Movement System (FMS)
Led by Kam Leitner @ Harmonia in Sausalito

The Functional Movement Screen is a simple, quick method to assess strength imbalances and flexibility deficits which are likely to develop into athletic injuries. The system focuses on fundamental movements, motor control and basic movement competence unrelated to specific physical skills. Evaluating a client prior to injury and instructing the client in exercises to specifically address any imbalances and deficits can significantly reduce the likelihood of injury. This type of analysis and advice can complement massage, particularly of the “Weekend Warrior” type athlete (although FMS has been vetted in the professional and collegiate athletic environments).

In this Massage Forum, we will demonstrate each of the movement screens, and discuss some of the remedial exercises. We should have time for several individuals to try some of the screening movements, in addition to having them described and demonstrate.

June 2019

Massage Trade: Tips & Tricks led by Hilary Riddle at Soulstice Spa

May 2019

Case study/Live demo & massage research led by Tobi at Soulstice Spa

April 2019

Kinesiotaping and orthopedic tests led by Tobi at the Bodysong

The Kinesio Taping® Method is a definitive rehabilitative taping technique that is designed to facilitate the body’s natural healing process while providing support and stability to muscles and joints without restricting the body’s range of motion as well as providing extended soft tissue manipulation to prolong the benefits of manual therapy.

Evaluation and assessment are key in the treatment of any condition. This assessment should include manual muscle testing, range of motion testing, gait assessment, and any other orthopedic special tests that you deem necessary. The information gained from these assessments will allow for the proper treatment protocol to be laid out.

February 2019

The functional movement system (FMS) led by Tobi at Soulstice Spa

Developed by Lee Burton, the Functional Movement Screen has become a popular way to identify basic movement dysfunction. It's currently used in a wide variety of sports medicine, strength and conditioning and fitness environments around the world.

The FMS measures seven fundamental movement patterns that are key to functional movement quality in individuals with no current pain or known musculoskeletal injury.

February 2019

Visceral Manipulation led by Bee Uyteipo at Soulstice Spa

Visceral Manipulation (VM) was developed by French Osteopath, Jean-Pierre Barral.

VM assists functional and structural imbalances throughout the body including musculoskeletal, vascular, nervous, urogenital, respiratory, digestive and lymphatic dysfunction. It evaluates and treats the dynamics of motion and suspension in relation to organs, membranes, fascia and ligaments. VM increases proprioceptive communication within the body, thereby revitalizing a person and relieving symptoms of pain, dysfunction, and poor posture.

An integrative approach to evaluation and treatment of a patient requires assessment of the structural relationships between the viscera, and their fascial or ligamentous attachments to the musculoskeletal system. Strains in the connective tissue of the viscera can result from surgical scars, adhesions, illness, posture or injury. Tension patterns form through the fascial network deep within the body, creating a cascade of effects far from their sources for which the body will have to compensate. This creates fixed, abnormal points of tension that the body must move around, and this chronic irritation gives way to functional and structural problems.

January 24th from 6 - 8 pm for our first Forum of 2019.

This Forum will be all about giving and receiving. We will be trying new moves, explaining our favorites, sharing all those strokes that have proven effective and indulging in an exchange of technique and presence.

Jesse Spencer will lead us in a discussion of important things we've discovered in our massage practices. Then, we'll take turns giving 20 minutes of our favorite massage strokes. We will then swap spots and our partner will attempt to give us a similar massage so we can essentially FEEL our OWN work.

We'll supply the tables. You should bring oil/creme and a set of sheets and a snack to share if you'd like. Forum Location: 100 Professional Center Drive, Suite 112, Novato.

Come ready with new eyes and a freshness of spirit to explore body work from new angles.

Energetic Hygiene led by Christopher Mayer at Soulstice Spa

We gathered to learn about Energetic Hygiene practices.

We began with a "chi ball", got into some energetic boundary exercises, felt in our bodies how to experience both pure presence and connection to other, and ended with some ancient Tao healing sounds.

Viracocha was explained to us as a spiritual chakra of sorts, holding a golden, divine energy which we could open up to and retrieve our divine "gloves" when working with clients to maintain our energetic health.

November 2019 led by Elizabeth Mantia 

Acupressure and Essential Oils 

At the Forum we did a fun activity where we applied a succession of oils to remedy emotional blockages. Using melaleuca, oregano, ginger, cinnamon, douglas fir, frankincence, and a few others, we went through a sequence of applications on certain chakras and acupressure points. Everyone had heightened energy by the end of the nite! 

October 25

Ayurvedic Massage led by Kam Leitner at Bodywise Massage, Inc

Enter Ayurvedic massage is a treatment based on Ayurveda, a system of alternative medicine developed in India nearly 3,000 years ago. Ayurveda followers believe the body is comprised of five basic universal elements: space, air, fire, water and earth.

Ayurvedic massages borrow from the principles of Ayurveda to create a unique experience that focuses on relaxation, stress relief and releasing emotional blockages. The goal is to "manipulate these points to manually adjust the energy in your body so that you feel maximally relaxed."

The Completion Technique works with the Chinese meridians which nd at the fingers and toes. Activating the meridian will help patterns in the musculature to dissipate easier. The chi in the meridians will run long after the massage is over, allowing your client to have longer lasting results. 

When we complete something it is honoring and nurturing -- this is felt in a session and is comforting to the client.

This is a great technique o utilize hen you only have time to, just say "hello" to a body part. 

t's great for an opening move or a final move on any area.

And mostly, the completion technique feels incredible.

What we’ll cover: discuss completion, when to use the completion technique, why is it more effective than less complete strokes, the four parts to a completion stroke, and how to execute.

CE units for national licence.

Tonia Lach, The BodySong Novato

Essential Oils for Healing: Self Care & Integrating into Massage Therapy

Natural Health Solutions with a focus on healing ourselves and others physically and energetically.

Take your healing to the next level utilizing the high vibration gifts of the earth essential oils.  With this lifestyle education workshop, you will be empowered with the resources to reach wellness goals holistically and learn techniques for self-care and preventative care.

Essential Oils are 50-70 times more concentrated than herbs and a powerful healing source for you and your family Aromatically, Topically and Internally. 

Incorporate essential oils into your daily lives and practice for improved energy, elevated mood, sleep, relaxation and stress reduction, immune system support, detoxification, hormonal balance, muscle and joint aches, healthy skin and hair, digestive support and other unlimited health benefits. Come on a journey to harmonize our body's rhythms for profound healing.

Led by Elizabeth Mantia, Soulstice Spa, Sausalito

Forum by Maria Alfaro, TRE and Neurogenic Yoga Certification Trainer & Provider. 

TRE - Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises - is a simple, gentle, and profound technique that facilitates lengthening and relaxation of the psoas and release of physical and emotional tension and stress. TRE tires the legs which triggers an involuntary shaking and trembling response. This natural response is the nervous system's way of discharging long-held tension and unconscious body contraction in order to restore the body to wholeness.

Soulstice Spa, Sausalito

Art Therapy

Jackie Tabb will be taking us down a self-reflective and creative path into the world of Art Therapy. It will be specially focused on embodiment and through the lense of the artist as a bodyworker. Wear comfy clothes and the rest of the supplies (pencils, charcoal, pastels and such - no paint), will be provided. 

Soulstice Spa, Sausalito