**"An Essential Part of My Self-Care Routine"**

*Wendy C, 40s, Newark — Paramedic*

*Class: Yoga Tune Up (online via Zoom), 2020*

TESTIMONIAL

"As a paramedic working shifts on the frontline, I work in challenging circumstances — even more so now due to Covid-19. My weekly Yoga Tune Up class with Susannah is an essential part of my self-care routine.

The Zoom classes work really well for me and I try to join the group session when shifts allow, as I feel more connected that way. Having access to the replay if I miss my usual class is also really helpful.

The sessions not only help with the physical aches and strains but with the emotional stress too. After class I feel relaxed, refreshed and more able to cope with the week ahead.

Susannah's experience, knowledge and skills — combining yoga, self-massage, relaxation breathing and the Tune Up balls — are exceptional. I find it particularly useful working with the Coregeous ball on the thoracic spine, chest and abdomen. It eases my back, opens up the intercostal muscles and ribs to help me breathe better, and helps me manage stress and genuinely relax — and it can be done in a short five-minute session when I'm tired before or after a shift.

I would greatly recommend joining one of Susannah's sessions. I guarantee you will not look back and you will feel better in yourself — both physically and mentally. Susannah is very friendly, supportive and will always go out of her way to make you welcome, whatever your circumstances."

*— Wendy C, Paramedic, 2020*

## 4. TEACHER'S NOTE

Wendy wrote this during the first year of the Covid pandemic, when she was working on the frontline as a paramedic. The context matters: this is someone whose nervous system was under sustained, serious pressure — shift work, physical demands, emotional exposure, and the particular strain of frontline healthcare during a crisis. That's not everyday stress. That's a body and mind running on high alert for extended periods.

What Wendy describes is exactly what Yoga Tune Up is designed to address at that level. The Coregeous ball work she mentions — on the thoracic spine, chest, abdomen and intercostal muscles — directly targets the breathing musculature that tightens under chronic stress and threat. When we're in a prolonged stress response, the diaphragm and the muscles between the ribs become restricted, which keeps the body locked in a shallow, guarded breathing pattern. Releasing that tissue is one of the most direct routes into the parasympathetic nervous system — the rest and recover state — which is why five minutes with the Coregeous ball before or after a shift can have such a noticeable effect.

The fact that Wendy could access this online, fit it around unpredictable shift patterns, and use the replay when she missed a live session speaks to something I feel strongly about: self-care tools need to be accessible and realistic for the life you're actually living, not the life you wish you had. For shift workers, carers, parents and anyone whose schedule doesn't follow a neat routine, that flexibility is everything.

Since this testimonial was written, online classes and the nervous system focus at the heart of this work have become even more central to my practice. Working with the breath and the body's stress response — whether in person in Newark or online — is now the thread running through everything I do.

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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.

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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

"Nothing Else Has Come Close"

"I've learned how to activate my diaphragm, breathe properly, and connect breath, brain and body."

Clare Roberts, early 50s, Nottingham — client since 2024 Treatment: Body Mind Unwind group classes, one-to-one sessions, diaphragm activation, breathwork YOGA TUNE UP

"Susannah's Body Mind Unwind approach has completely changed how I move, breathe and feel — nothing else has come close.

Finding Susannah has been a complete game-changer.

Her small-group Body Mind Unwind classes gave me simple, practical tools I could use every day. Then the one-to-one sessions took things further with focused hands-on work and a personalised approach. Together, they've made the biggest difference.

I've learned how to activate my diaphragm, breathe properly, and connect breath, brain and body — which has improved not just my movement but also my mood and energy.

In just a few treatments I feel less restricted, more mobile, and most importantly, I now have the knowledge and tools to help myself.

If you want more than a temporary fix and you're ready to invest in really understanding your body, I couldn't recommend Susannah more highly."

— Clare Roberts, Nottingham, 2024

4. TEACHER'S NOTE

Clare came to me relatively recently but her review captures something it sometimes takes clients years to articulate — the difference between being treated and being educated. That shift, from passive recipient to active participant in your own health, is what everything I do is built around.

What Clare describes — learning to activate the diaphragm, connect breath to brain to body, and leave with tools she can use independently — sits at the very heart of how my practice has evolved, particularly since Covid. The diaphragm is not just a breathing muscle. It is the body's primary pressure regulator, a key player in spinal stability, and one of the most direct access points to the autonomic nervous system. When it isn't functioning well — which is extremely common in people who carry stress, sit for long periods, or have learned shallow chest breathing as their default — the effects ripple outward into movement, mood, energy and pain.

Clare noticed improvements not just in how she moves but in her mood and energy levels too. That's not a coincidence. When the nervous system is able to downregulate — to shift from a state of low-grade alert into genuine rest — the whole system functions better. Sleep improves, inflammation reduces, movement becomes easier and more fluid.

The combination of small group classes and personalised one-to-one work that Clare mentions is something I've found particularly effective. The classes build body awareness and community; the individual sessions allow us to go deeper into the specific patterns and restrictions that are unique to each person. Together they create a much richer and more lasting result than either alone.

Clare travels from Nottingham, and sessions are available both in person in Newark and online.