About Ortho-Bionomy®
Ortho-Bionomy® is incredibly hard to create an elevator pitch for; I’ve tried countless times...
Most people that receive “Ortho” simply say, “you just have to try it”, and I tend to agree with them. In essence, Ortho-Bionomy® is a gentle body working system that works WITH the body and reminds it of its natural ability to restore balance. The work allows the body to correct itself, which encourages natural alignment, pain relief, and nervous system relaxation.
Anyone can receive benefits from Ortho-Bionomy®: someone with joint issues, a “bad back”, injury, fresh out of surgery, wanting to get pregnant or is post-pardum, someone with autoimmune disease, nervous system dysregulation, organ pain, the list really does go on. And it’s for anyone at any stage of their lives. Most people that leave in pain after a massage or chiropractic session find the relief they're looking for from Ortho-Bionomy®.
Ortho-Bionomy® was developed in the 1970s by Dr. Arthur Lincoln Pauls, a British-trained Canadian osteopath and judo instructor. Ortho-Bionomy® combines osteopathic principles with the philosophy of judo to utilize ease and redirection in each session rather than physical force. The practice is built upon the belief that every body has the innate ability to self-correct.
The name Ortho-Bionomy® comes from Greek roots meaning “the correct application of the laws of life.” In practice, I’ve been trained to recognize and support your body’s natural reflexes and preferred patterns, inviting it to release tension, re-align, and return to balance without force or manipulation.
During an Ortho-Bionomy® session, expect gentle movements and comfortable positioning engage your body’s proprioceptive reflexes, allowing bones, joints, muscles, fascia, and even organs to shift into more ease. At its core, Ortho-Bionomy® is about honoring your body’s wisdom and supporting its natural capacity to heal.
What to Expect in a Session
In each session, I listen deeply to your body and let it guide the process. Together, we move bones, joints, muscles, fascia, and even organs into their preferred positions, which feels incredible, then I monitor the shifts and facilitate your body to make a new choice away from pain and into balance.
Although each session is truly a collaboration between me and your body, your only job is to come wearing comfy “lounge” clothes (and socks!) and simply allow yourself to receive.
You’ll usually leave feeling deeply relaxed, sometimes ready for a nap, and always in a body that feels completely different. After your session, drink plenty of water and go easy for the rest of the day to let your body integrate the work. Most integrations happen within 24 hours, but sometimes your body may take a bit longer to fully take in the session.
You may get exactly what your body needs in just one session, or you may find this work becomes a regular support for your well-being – that choice is up to your body.
My Ortho-Bionomy® Journey
During one of my first one-on-one sessions with my meditation teacher several years ago, I remember my teacher looking at my hands before I got up to leave and saying, “You have healer’s hands.”At the time, I had no idea what that meant and simply went on with my life.
A couple of years later, I felt an energetic nudge to book a session with a local Ortho-Bionomy® practitioner in the town I had recently moved to. It was during COVID, so she set up her table under a willow tree on her flower farm. The breeze was soft and warm, clearing the space as the willow branches danced above us. It was idyllic.
As she worked on me, I noticed my mind trying to track what she was doing, trying to figure it out, while my body was having a completely different experience: it actually felt safe – for the first time ever receiving bodywork. Memories of massages that “hurt so good” came flashing back, and I realized that while my mind wanted the pain, my body never actually did. Turns out, the mind and body aren’t always on the same page… I’m sure you can relate.
After that first session, I dove straight into Ortho-Bionomy® training. I completed my Associate program and all the coursework required to begin practicing, finishing in 2023. I still have paperwork to submit for my Practitioner certificate (I’m working on it!) and even more training and paperwork ahead for my Advanced Practitionership (also in progress). But for now, my doors are open, and I am absolutely loving this professional path.
The “intuitive bodywork” piece comes in through my work with a teacher who shares an alternative, energetic, nature-based bodywork technique. From her wisdom, I’ve learned how to keep my energy steady and separate from yours, allowing the conversation between me and your body to unfold with clarity and respect.
As my Ortho teacher often said “clear as mud”?
Please feel free to reach out to me to get to know me and what I have to offer.
With much gratitude,
Morgan