Hi! I’m Helena and I’m the palms behind Calming Palms.

Back in November 2022, I was midway through a slightly soul-destroying chemistry degree and booked myself a massage in the hopes of making myself feel a bit more alive. Turns out it did a lot more than that: it opened my eyes to a whole new career trajectory (one that didn’t involve moles, at least not Avogadro’s). I dropped out of uni the next day and trained in Ayurvedic Yoga Massage the following week. Literally a life-changing massage!

I’d never considered being a massage therapist before, but there’s something about AYM that really got me. It seems to cover every base and work every angle - it’s expansive yet grounding, firm yet precise, deep, slow, meditative, nurturing, co-regulating. And it feels like the best job in the world to be able to share that with people.

I’m forever fascinated by the body-mind, how consciousness interacts with somatic sensation and vice-versa. Tuning in to the physical body seems foreign by default, let alone communicating the experience to another person. Ever tried to describe (with real English words) how that ache in your shoulders feels? Not easy… But I believe it’s an invaluable practice: sensing inward, understanding your internal experience, sharing that with someone else, working together to move through it and alleviate tension. Basically, it’s cool to connect and it’s cool to feel!

While I’m no expert, I’m a big advocate for mental health and will always offer a space to listen. The body can not and should not be treated separate from the mind, so if there’s something you feel needs holding during the session, it’s always welcome.