Who Is This For?
Breast Massage is a deeply nurturing and restorative practice that supports you in:
Caring for your breasts
Supporting your immune system
Connecting to yourself as a sexual being
Connecting to your heart centre
This guided Taoist self-massage works with the lymphatic system, fascia, and energetic pathways of the chest to release stagnation, promote circulation, and restore balance within your emotional and hormonal systems. Together, we’ll move through this practice as a group, each person connecting with their own body at their own pace.
Our breasts often hold unspoken emotions such as grief and shame, as well as the weight of old stories about our bodies. We will be releasing this as a practice, a moving meditation. Our breasts are closely connected to the heart and womb, and through this gentle practice, we invite self-acceptance, and love back into these spaces.
Benefits:
- Lymphatic drainage and breast health
- Hormonal balance
- Reduction in breast tenderness
- Emotional release and heart opening
- Reconnection with pleasure, self-love, and sensitivity
- Post-surgery, post-breastfeeding, or post-mastectomy healing
- (Re)connection to your body, increasing safety and self-trust
What to Expect
This is a guided self-massage for those that were born with a womb* that takes place in a safe, warm, and private space. As a group we go through the steps together, gently and connected to oneself. Clothing is optional; you may feel most comfortable either fully naked, in your knickers, fully covered from the waist down, or completely clothes. However you wish to come, and however you are feeling, you are completely welcome.
A natural oil blend is used to support circulation, nourishment for the hormones, and pleasurable sensation. Gentle, rhythmic movements support lymphatic flow, while deeper strokes may be used to release fascial restrictions and tension.
Each session is guided by your comfort and consent. I work slowly and intuitively, inviting you to stay connected to your breath and sensations. There is always space for emotional release (tears, laughter, or quiet stillness) and everything that arises is welcome.
People often find that this practice is a grounding and relaxing experience, and it can create all bring us into altered states as the nervous system settles and oxytocin is released. Self massaging sat amongst sisterhood/kin is a beautifully reconnecting experience to the feminine inside and outside. Equally, if you in a space where you don’t wish to connect with others (or are completely exhausted!) you are very welcome to come to the session, lie down straight away, and be with yourself the entire way through.
In reconnecting with yourself, you are guided back to trusting your body’s innate wisdom. You will be guided by me in word, but you will truly be guided by yourself, and that means that each individual’s participation in the space could look completely different.
We begin with some information about the massage, information about the choices of oil, and important health information. You will then be gently guided to get yourself comfortable and then through the massage-meditation steps. After the massage, there will be a little integration time, and some guidance for aftercare.
Some sessions will involve vocal sounding at the start, to unblock the throat centre (deeply connected to our sexuality and ability to name our boundaries), release shame, and reconnect the expression of pleasure. These sessions will be clearly marked, and the sounding will be led by a dear sister, Chiara Gilmore, who holds grounded, present, and releasing sound healing sessions. You are in good hands here.
This practice complements Chi Nei Tsang (CNT) beautifully, as both work through the body’s core and emotional centres including the heart, to restore flow, trust, and vitality. CNT is a separate offering, and something you receive in a one-to-one session.
A Personal Note
I began offering this Taoist breast massage after experiencing the growing connection with my own body and sexuality as I practiced this for myself. My breasts changed in appearance and fullness as I started regularly practicing breast massage.
One day, at a beautiful gathering to support reconnection to the earth and each other, following days of disconnection and rupture about whether the community accepted female bodies being topless or not, I realised what was needed was a space for the people most affected by this issue to gather in comfort and ease and give our bodies some real tenderness and care.
Witnessing how deeply this practice affected each person there, and how the energy completely changed in each of us from the start to the end of the practice (and how nobody really wanted to leave the space), I realised this is something that needs to be shared with as many people as possible.
Over time I have also found that I allow myself more time and space for the massage meditation when I’m doing it with a group, which is a beautiful gift to me too.
My experience is that our breasts are sacred, and we have become so disconnected from them through the twisted relationship to sexuality and the medicalisation of our bodies we have in this society. We are suffering on many levels as a result. As both a woman and a doctor interested in natural forms of healing, I feel strongly about the need for unlearning the patterns we have got ourselves into.
This practice is about reclaiming softness, sensitivity, and sovereignty, but it is also to support our bodies to heal themselves, something I am passionate about sharing.
You may be thinking “this sounds too simple to be real” or ‘why haven’t I heard of this before?’ as this is an ancient practice that’s been largely lost in Western culture. I encourage you to come along to experience for yourself the changes that are possible.
Preparation & Considerations
- Avoid alcohol and other mind altering substances beforehand.
- Wear loose, comfortable clothing that’s easy to change out of.
- Please inform me of any medical conditions, surgeries, or implants in the chest area prior to your appointment so that I can guide you individually.
These sessions are suitable for all those born with a womb who do not identify as men, except those with active breast cancer.
For the following situations, you will be offered an adjusted guidance from the original to suit your body at that time, whilst still receiving the benefits of the massage meditation and group setting:
Adjusted guidance provided if you:
- Are currently menstruating heavily
- Are pregnant or breastfeeding
- Have an active infection, inflammation, or skin irritation on the chest
- Have had breast cancer and have received treatment