**"I Was Sceptical — But the Results Lasted All Week"**

*Audrey, 50s, Southwell — client since 2014*

*Treatment: Rockpod Cupping combined with myofascial release massage, early 2020*

TESTIMONIAL

"Other than one small patch above my left wrist, I didn't have any red marks on my skin — and that one faded after a couple of days. My lateral thighs were pretty sore and tender for a couple of days afterwards, but I think that may have been because I'd already been quite vigorous with the Yoga Tune Up balls, and it was the day after my first Kettlercise session in a couple of months — so many reasons for sore legs!

What I did notice was that the cupping seemed to really enhance the benefits of the usual myofascial release massage on my problem tight areas — my back and shoulders. I always feel better immediately afterwards, but that 'freshly freed up' sensation lasted all week, despite three rounds of golf and all the usual housework and gardening.

In summary — although I was probably a bit sceptical beforehand, I was pleasantly surprised by how effective the cupping was as a supplement to Susannah's excellent hands. I was also relieved I wasn't left covered in ugly red marks! I'd certainly ask for it to be included in my future treatments."

TEACHER'S NOTE

Audrey has been part of my practice since 2014, progressing through deep tissue massage, yoga, Yoga Tune Up and fascial fitness — so she knows her body well and comes with a well-trained awareness of how it responds to treatment. That makes her feedback particularly valuable.

What she describes here is exactly what cupping is designed to do when combined with myofascial release: not just provide immediate relief, but extend and deepen the results so they hold beyond the treatment room. The suction created by the cups lifts and separates the fascial layers rather than compressing them, which complements the hands-on myofascial work beautifully. Together they create more space, better glide between tissue layers, and a longer-lasting sense of freedom in the body.

Since this session — and particularly since Covid — my practice has moved significantly further towards working through a nervous system lens. I still do hands-on work, but the priority now is always downregulation first: helping the body shift out of a state of tension or low-grade threat before anything else. The diaphragm and breathing musculature sit at the heart of this. When we're stressed, guarded, or simply running too fast, the diaphragm tightens and accessory breathing muscles in the neck, chest and ribcage become overworked. Releasing that tension — through breathwork, myofascial release around the thorax, and creating genuine rest in the session — is often what allows the rest of the body to let go too.

Audrey's experience of that "freshly freed up" sensation lasting all week tells me the session landed at a deeper level than surface tissue — her nervous system had genuinely downregulated, which is what makes the results hold.

Audrey's concern about marking is one I hear often. Cupping does sometimes leave temporary discolouration — this is a normal physiological response, not bruising — but as Audrey found, it is very individual and often minimal, particularly when cupping is used as part of an integrated session rather than in isolation.

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nervous system downregulation, breathwork, diaphragm release, breathing musculature, tension release, stress and the body, somatic relaxation, myofascial release for breathing, thoracic release, rest and recovery, parasympathetic nervous system

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**"You Never Feel She's Just Booking You In For Her Own Ends"**

*Lynn G, Newark — client since 2004 (in person and online)

Fitness instructor | Treatment: sports massage, myofascial release, Yoga Tune Up, Roll Model Therapy Balls, breathwork*

TESTIMONIAL

"I first went to Susannah for a sports massage around 22years ago. As a fitness instructor, I had a variety of muscle and joint problems — ranging from niggly to serious — caused by teaching exercise, general overuse, or sometimes misuse!

She is extremely professional and knowledgeable, having invested in her own development over the years and progressively gaining additional qualifications and areas of expertise. Having started with body massage work, she moved into Yoga Tune Up and teaching, and is now qualified in myofascial release, working with therapy balls and offering workshops for people to explore self-care and long-term injury avoidance.

Susannah has a wonderful knack of finding resources, approaches and other people to help you help yourself reduce the risk of recurring problems. Her overall aim is prevention and guidance. I've always admired her willingness to refer to others if appropriate — you never feel she is just booking you in for another appointment for her own ends!

She always takes time to fully understand and investigate the symptoms and issues before treating and/or recommending action. Her ability to pinpoint and focus in on the problem, and draw from her wealth of knowledge to treat it appropriately — be that massage, muscle release, exercise or breathwork — is commendable and always effective. Though be warned: never superficial, always getting to the root of the problem, even if that does mean some discomfort!

Finally, Susannah is truly a warm, caring and considerate professional. She has a lively, bubbly personality, tons of energy and a real passion for what she does. You know you are in safe hands, and you know she will do her utmost to help you resolve or manage your pain and discomfort.

I would have no hesitation in recommending Susannah to you for treatment."

*— Lynn G, September 2018*

TEACHER'S NOTE

Lynn was a fitness instructor who has been coming to me since around 2004 — which means she's seen my practice evolve through almost every stage. That long-term view makes her perspective particularly meaningful, because she's not describing a single treatment but a sustained therapeutic relationship across two decades.

What Lynn touches on here is something I feel strongly about: the difference between managing symptoms and actually getting to the root of a problem. For someone like Lynn, who puts her body through a lot professionally, that distinction matters enormously. Surface-level work might provide short-term relief, but it won't change the patterns that keep creating the problem in the first place.

Over the years I introduced Lynn to Yoga Tune Up and the Roll Model Therapy Balls Method — which she first explored in workshops around 2015 — giving her practical self-care tools she could use independently between sessions. This sits at the heart of how I work: I want clients to leave with more understanding of their own body, not just less pain in the short term.

Since this testimonial was written my practice has evolved further, with a much stronger focus on the nervous system and increrasing capacity in a dysregulated world helping my clinets deal with their Hig stress states to help them down regulate and increasing capacity for Breathwork and diaphragm release — which Lynn also mentions — are now central to almost everything I do, whether that's in person in Newark or working online. Chronic tension in the breathing musculature is one of the most overlooked contributors to persistent muscle and joint problems, particularly in active people who are used to pushing through discomfort. Addressing that layer, alongside the structural work, is often what makes results stick.

nervous system downregulation, breathwork, diaphragm release, breathing musculature, tension release, somatic relaxation, parasympathetic nervous system, nervous system therapy Nottinghamshire

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**"My Ageing Former Sporting Body — Massively Changed"**

*"My regular weekly visits to Susannah over the last two years have massively changed the life of this ageing former sporting body."* *"Now an essential in my weekly routine — I strongly recommend Body Mind Unwind."* ---

Trevor Killick, 85, Nottinghamshire — client since 2023* *Former sportsman | Treatment: weekly one-to-one sessions, myofascial release, head and neck work, balance and mobility* Be Activated Zone 1 work, Diaphragm Activation .

TESTIMONIAL My regular weekly visits to Susannah over the last two years have massively changed the life of this ageing former sporting body. The work on my head and neck is particularly beneficial in helping my balance. All this in a very relaxing, friendly and professional environment means I can freely chat about any problems and we can work together on them. Now an essential in my weekly routine — I strongly recommend Body Mind Unwind. Thanks Susannah." *— Trevor Killick, Nottinghamshire, 2024* ---

4. TEACHER'S NOTE Trevor is 85 and comes to see me every week. He is a business man working in a high pressure Finance Environment I want to let that sink in for a moment — because if you're reading this in your sixties or seventies and wondering whether it's too late to start, Trevor is your answer. He arrived carrying the accumulated load of a lifetime of sport and physical activity — the wear and tear, the postural habits, the compensations the body quietly builds up over decades. That's not unusual. What is remarkable is the commitment Trevor brings to doing something about it, week in, week out. The head, neck and upper thoracic work Trevor mentions is something I place enormous importance on, particularly for older clients. And especially as he need clarity and clear head space to run his business as a high stakes level . This region is densely connected to the nervous system's regulation of balance, spatial awareness and proprioception — our sense of where we are in space. When the tissue here is compressed, restricted or held in habitual tension, it affects far more than just neck comfort. Releasing it carefully and consistently, as part of a broader approach to whole-body mobility, can make a meaningful difference to steadiness, confidence in movement and quality of daily life. Trevor's sessions are a good example of how my work has shifted increasingly towards a nervous system lens. The goal isn't just to ease the physical discomfort of the week — it's to keep the whole system regulated, mobile and responsive. At any age, that matters. At 85, it's everything. -

**Tags healthy ageing, mobility in your 80s, massage for older adults, wear and tear treatment, posture correction, head and neck massage, balance and mobility, weekly massage Nottinghamshire, former sportsman recovery, active ageing Nottinghamshire, it's never too late ,nervous system downregulation, proprioception, balance and nervous system, head and neck nervous system, somatic self-care, parasympathetic nervous system, nervous system therapy Nottinghamshire, upper thoracic release,holistic therapy Newark, Susannah Nelson bodywork Newark, wellness Newark, Yoga Tune Up Newark, fascia therapy, somatic therapy Nottinghamshire, nervous system therapy Nottinghamshire, healthy ageing Nottinghamshire

"Transformational — It Completely Changed My Attitude to the Aches and Pains I'd Accepted as Normal"

Peter Brown, 65 at time of writing, Southwell — client since 2020 Retired professional, returning runner | Treatment: online one-to-one sessions, Yoga Tune Up, Roll Model Therapy Balls, breathing and Be activated techniques, Fascial fitness classes face to face and online .

TESTIMONIAL (Peter's own words — combined from three emails, June–July 2020)

"Having recently retired, I wanted to go back to running after a 15-year break. I was a club runner and had run at a relatively good standard — 3hr 18min marathon PB, 38min 10K. Unfortunately I found that I had effectively seized up, with greatly reduced flexibility and sore joints. I was feeling very old and stiff and quite dispirited.

A friend recommended Susannah and in our first Zoom meeting she immediately gave me confidence that with her help and some effort on my part, I could enjoy running again — and I didn't have to accept the pain.

What has surprised me is my growing understanding of how things are interconnected. If I'm going to ease the pain in my knees and run fluidly again, I have to work on all areas of my body, including my arms and shoulders. I am beginning to understand for myself which areas I need to work on, so I am learning how to be independent without Susannah's direct intervention.

My running has progressed well. I can feel at least the beginnings of rhythm and looseness returning and I am gradually lengthening my stride. I can feel that I am beginning to enjoy the physical aspect of running again — planting my heel with more confidence and breathing, not just gasping. Not bad for a stiff old git!

After completing my six online one-to-one induction sessions and joining the weekly classes, I have a fairly good grasp of the main techniques. This is very empowering — when I feel a niggle in my hamstring, I am able to self-manage my own recovery to some extent. I also use the techniques as part of my warm up and warm down, something I'd hardly bothered with before.

When I started working with Susannah I wanted to improve my flexibility and run pain free. The benefits have in fact been far greater than I expected. It has been transformational in completely changing my attitude to the aches and pains I had accepted as normal. I can now do something about it.

I have to be realistic about my age and I have always accepted that my PBs are a thing of the past. However, becoming stiff and unfit was debilitating physically and emotionally. I had begun to entertain the thought of accepting the inevitable — that my running time was up. Too much pain, not enough motivation. However, I decided to give it one more go.

Using Yoga Tune Up as a complementary programme to support my running was my initial goal. But the programme has very quickly become equally, if not more important than the running itself. The yoga and ball work has transformed my thinking — increasing my confidence in my ability to do the activity and to support everything else I do.

My goals are now more realistic and achievable, which is a result of understanding the interconnectedness of my joints, muscles, breathing and well-being all working together.

Susannah is a superb teacher. She is engaging, incredibly knowledgeable and very responsive to individual requirements. It's good to learn new skills at 65!

Later, reflecting further on the work:

"I was introduced to innovative and interesting ways to re-engage with physical activity based on breathing and activation techniques. What I value most, as well as the group sessions with great people, is Susannah's dedication to me as a person. She has great knowledge of the techniques she practises but she also knows how to give me the means to support myself to maintain fitness, flexibility and improved well-being. I really value her commitment to me even though I am just one of her many clients."

— Peter Brown, Southwell, 2020–2024

4. TEACHER'S NOTE

Peter came to me at a point many people will recognise — retired, with time and motivation to be active again, but confronted by a body that felt like it had aged faster than expected. The frustration of that gap between who you feel you are and what your body will currently let you do is real, and it affects confidence and self-esteem in ways that go well beyond the physical.

What Peter's testimonial captures beautifully is the shift from passive suffering to active understanding. That's the goal — not just to fix the immediate problem, but to give people a framework for understanding their own body so they can continue to manage it independently. Peter arrived not knowing why his knees hurt when he ran; he left understanding the relationship between hip mobility, thoracic rotation, breathing pattern and stride mechanics. That knowledge is his, permanently.

The breathing piece is particularly significant in Peter's case. As an asthmatic, he had a complicated relationship with breathwork — something many people with respiratory conditions share. Working with the Yoga Tune Up balls around the ribcage, intercostal muscles and diaphragm helped him develop a more conscious, functional breathing pattern without the anxiety that breath-focused practices can sometimes trigger. The physical, athletic quality of the ball work gave him an entry point that pure breathwork might not have.

The online format was essential here — Peter joined during Covid lockdown when face-to-face wasn't possible, but the one-to-one Zoom sessions, combined with short video demonstrations he could refer back to, meant progress was fast and the learning stuck. He's now been attending weekly classes for five years, which is the best possible evidence that the approach works.

What Peter is describing here is the result of working across three distinct but complementary modalities. Without needing to know the science, he experienced the results of Be Activated (Douglas Heel Method) — resetting the nervous system and switching on muscles that had effectively gone offline; Yoga Tune Up® with Roll Model Method® balls — targeted myofascial release and self-massage to release deep tissue tension; and Yoga — bringing movement, breath and integration together.

This is multimodality work. There are very few practitioners in the UK combining all three approaches, and each client's programme is individually tailored to their needs. Peter came as a runner — but the work, and the results, went far beyond running.