What do we strive to achieve each session?
- Listen and adapt to you as an individual with your unique physique to understand the nature of your condition, and energy you present with, so we can make an informed and intuitive decisions about the necessary actions that will be the most beneficial for your journey with us.
- We listen with the sensations in our fingers and hands to support you with all our attention to detail, awareness and ability.
What custom techniques would we use?
- Often use our spiny finger joints to strip away at muscles and that sometimes requires an elbow for firmer pressure.
- We customise throughout the treatment; we work out the table height, more or less pressure, timing, resistance, control, use of our breath to move energy, how much oil to use etc.
How do we incorporate holistic wellness into our treatments?
- Think of the body in a holistic framework, as we believe that physical imbalances are often linked to the mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of the person’s life that manifests on the physical plane.
- Understand there may be a possible reactivation of an underlying trauma that needs to come to the surface to heal e.g. it is normal to feel upset about a difficult situation that you are dealing with and to cry about it through a massage session.
- Encourage positive self-care rituals to do yourself like a yoga and meditation practice and regular maintenance massage treatments.
- We may use some therapeutic grade essential oils to aid in the massage treatment.
Our Story Tales ~ Bodywork Habitat by Frances Charisma
Frances Charisma
Creative Director & Professional Massage Therapist
Frances has a Diploma of Remedial Massage, Covid Infection control training, First Aid and CPR Certificates, and Working With Children Card.
I was a student at the conservatorium of music and through my performance degree, I discovered the need for self-care to help me meet the demands of my performance exams, concerts and studies. I discovered yoga through the local library yoga books and created a self-practice which I felt the benefits of immediately. It was a great journey of self-discovery as it launched me into my health and wellness journey that helped me beat my anxiety, physical stress and work through my mental challenges. I found a gym to join and from there I had a range of personal training to group yoga and fitness classes that made me increase my strength and flexibility. I went for my first remedial massage during that time and I can still remember how therapeutic it was for my fitness journey. Being curious about natural health and wellness, I decided to study natural therapies in Brisbane focusing on Kinesiology, Remedial Massage and Yoga.
I have been fortunate to have been taught by some of the best remedial therapists in Brisbane and have had many kinds of therapeutic massages in Australia and abroad. My own style is a culmination of my experiences receiving massages, as well as technical trainings in a natural therapies college which I graduated from in 2013. I sought out private mentorship after I studied to get more hands on sports massage training. I believe that I still have many more techniques I could learn and really love to use in my practice.
I believe in preventative treatments and natural wellness. I have bounced back from a serious illness after having a strong reflexology treatment in Thailand. In my worldview, massage is just as important as maintaining your car and taking it to service. I believe massage is an artform each person presents with a unique blueprint. No two massage treatments are identical because every person is indeed different. A quality massage takes time and years of experience to develop. I carefully select my next move and step of the way through the journey to master my craft. It is not only the hands that make this art, but the whole body is involved in mastering a detailed process. I endeavour to perfect my craft because it will make this world a better place, if we have more therapists that cared about delivering the best service possible.
When I worked in a luxury island resort as a spa therapist, I had a lot of my own tension build up in my feet, body and even my jaw, from the constant physical demands. I went to seek a professional massage therapist for deep tissue/sports massage on the mainland and I discovered his treatments were by far the best for my recovery, and he has since become a role model for my own style and studio within a gym.
I have practiced in wellness studios across Brisbane and also had a flexible work-life balance working as a mobile massage therapist. I have worked at a luxury resort as a spa therapist and I’ve been invited to work as a spa therapist in a luxury wellness centre when it opens. It’s often a great experience working in spas and I think all therapists should aim to work in a couple of different settings to give them a better chance of success when going out alone.
If you look on the service menu you will see ‘The Creative’; this is a treatment based on mixing the elements I know – remedial techniques including Shiatsu, Kahuna, Cross-Fibre Technique, Swedish Massage, Deep Tissue, Trigger Point Therapy and other elements of Sports Massage. I find that people respond better when I can be more creative, and they understand when I feel there is a need to spend more time in a certain area of tightness and congestion and tailor the treatment accordingly. I really enjoy feelings and seeing the transformation and change in the clients body from beginning to the middle and to the end of the treatment.
I love to support people’s journeys in life and encourage a balanced lifestyle and to make a commitment to have massage as part of their self-care ritual in life. I want you to experience what I love to receive in a massage. A lot of my techniques are forms of what I have experienced, so even though you may be receiving the massage from me, I work from my memory and I channel the experience back to you. Massage is a way of receiving healthy, revitalising touch.
‘Mentoring Future Generations’
by Charisma
Antonio is our dedicated apprentice and massage therapist. He is finalising his remedial massage diploma at Q Academy while building his experience here in studio.
Antonio is available to do the ’Express Therapeutic Massages’ and ’The Works’. He is enthusiastic to work with many people and we hope that you book in to see him! Once he has completed his diploma of remedial massage he will soon be able to give rebates for those who request it.
Antonio Bonomo
Massage Therapist & Apprentice
I have been a Track and Field athletes since 2007, competing at a State Level since 2010 and National Level since 2017 specifying in 110m Hurdles. I have a deep passion for helping others regain their optimal physical form and function, and recover from injuries and soreness including those acquired from sport to incidences developed from day to day movements.
My favourite thing about working in massage is developing rapport with clients to be able to create a better understanding of their needs and working as a team with them to achieve those results.
