Shannon Sahaja

I met Shannon a long time ago at a restorative yoga class that she was teaching. After a fully relaxing hour, she shared that she also did dance classes and body work. I took her card and kept it.
and kept it
and even through spring cleaning and desk clearing,
I kept it.
Until finally this weekend I decided that I wanted something restorative and nurturing, so I went to see Shannon. She has a welcoming home studio in a residential part of Berkeley, which I liked because I could feel the vibes of her home. I always prefer this to manicured offices, even though it takes a certain vulnerability and bravery for massage therapists to open up a glimpse into their lives this way.
During the initial check in, she was very attentive and listened to how I was feeling very closely. She was encouraging, and also relatable.
I asked for a shiatsu massage, which is done fully clothed on two soft sheepskin rugs in the middle of the floor. After some sound therapy and chanting, she very thoughtfully stretched and cradled each limb. It was very cool to see how patiently she worked, how relaxed and rhythmic the pace was, and how she seemed very attuned to what as going on with me. At one point, I was beginning to get cold, and just as I was about to mention it, I felt a blanket being draped over me.
She talks about how the music and the eye pillow help one to «drop down» into the space, but a lot of the time I felt like I was flying, as she waved my feet and made full circles with each arm, stretching my back and neck.
It was a very special massage, and I am happy that she is still teaching restorative yoga, now in my neighborhood, so I can drop in for this kind of supported, guided resting more often!