Jaz is a Black, gender-queer femme that has been practicing massage and bodywork since becoming New York State and nationally licensed in March 2022. Like many, they were brought to the world of somatics through their own healing process. Driven to participate in local justice efforts, they realized they could engage more sustainability in movement work as back end support— supporting the nervous systems of those on the front lines.

Being in private practice, they are able to provide sliding scale and mutual aid options, and much-needed healing resources are made accessible to folks who otherwise would not be able to enjoy them.

THEIR APPROACH:

Jaz’s approach varies from what is typically viewed as “deep tissue”. The goal is to work within the boundaries of your unique body and brain. Using more pressure or speed than is tolerable not only hurts, but creates a stress response that can counteract the benefits of a restorative massage (and often leaves you feeling pretty beat up).

Jaz understands that a heightened nervous system needs to feel safe to enter a parasympathetic state, so they focus on effectively relieving deep pain points using gradual pressure and slow, gentle approaches like myofascial and lymphatic therapies. 

Their hope is that you leave feeling lighter, pain-free, and connected to yourself on a deeper level. When our capacity is freed up from the exhaustion of chronic pain, we can live more fully in our communities and resist in joy!