Somato Emotional Release – Amber Joy Young

Gentle Touch To Soothe Pain with a diagnosis of Cancer; Physically and Emotionally

1st January 20265th February 2026Amber_Young

Compassionate touch is one of the many sacred ways we can connect as beings; it is a true honour to be welcomed into a person’s circle of care and to hold healing space.

As the number of cases of cancer, and other manifestations of illness steadily increases in our world, there also exists an increased need to connect with eachother in ways that bring us physically together as humans and support one another.

Touch given with a therapeutic and compassionate intention has the potential to affect an individual physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Gentle massage can soothe physical pain and create space for the mind to come to a place of stillness and greater acceptance of challenges we may be facing in our lives. By being fully present with an individual and honouring pain that may exist, an environment for a deeper level of healing is fostered, and we are reminded that we are not alone.

When I began giving massage therapy to individuals with cancer, through complex care and at end of life; it increased my understanding of human suffering and the ways in which it is a shared suffering. I have witnessed the incredible impact touch can have on an individual when we meet one another in this place.

It’s important to balance all of the unknowns of a cancer diagnosis and the stressful effects of medical appointments with supports and care that; anchor us in our wholeness, support us to integrate the whirlwind of appointments, information, tests and treatments, and help to continually build our resources so we can cope.

Massage therapy is one of many complementary therapies that offers the potential to soothe pain, on a physical and an emotional level, balancing the effects of many medical treatments.

Massage is a safe and supportive therapy to receive when you have a diagnosis of cancer. It is important to understand that there are considerations when receiving treatment, to ensure you receive the best care possible. You want to find a therapist who understands and is open to learning about the disease process in your body and your changing needs. A trained, respectful and educated therapist can provide massage during diagnosis, medical treatments (ie. chemotherapy, radiation, surgery), when in remission, and through palliative care with a terminal diagnosis.

Massage therapy is also a profound support in “the after”. This is a time when cancer did not take a person’s life (they have survived), intensive treatments are over, sometimes supports fall away, there is no evidence of disease, and some folks are adjusting to living with a chronic cancer and a changed body. In this phase, the nervous system is often in a state of dysregulation and needs support that works directly with establishing a sense of safety in the body, and specific care to the brain and spinal nerves. This is often the time a person is processing the lived experience of cancer and is in a dance with acceptance as there is often a lot of change; in a person’s physical body and in the way they navigate and perceive the world. This is a time of deep integration.

Reflecting on my clinical experience over the past 20 years, as well as reference to the reputable studies that have been done, massage therapy has helped people with; pain management, anxiety, depression, disconnection from the body and/or from people, decreased self esteem, body image, muscular tension, sleep issues, stiffness and pain, swelling, nausea, fatigue and feelings of isolation or loneliness. Massage therapy and other forms of bodywork also help to create space to release the accumulation of emotional trauma from our body tissues.

When I enter a therapeutic relationship I often find that a primary goal of our time together is to support the reintegration of a person, reminding them that they are so much more than a diagnosis. Often what is needed most is a safe place to rest, to offer comfort and compassionate care, and to help with symptom relief specific to the individual.

Every person is unique, as is their story, and this requires deep reverence in treatment. The experiences and the stories I have been privileged to share with people through my hands and my heart have shaped me as a massage therapist, as a yoga teacher and how I experience life.

Some general guidelines of important concerns to discuss with your therapist would be:

(adapted from Tracy Walton’s “Massage therapy for people with cancer: Fear and Healing”)

Where is the specific issue you are presently dealing with, and naming how it feels
Current or past treatments (surgery/radiation/chemo/bone marrow transplant/etc.), side effects, complications, and discuss how this will be considered in the massage treatment
Discuss lymph node involvement and risk of lymphedema
Discuss medications and their effects
Blood counts if known, and any clotting considerations
Discuss if dialogue with your Medical Doctor, Oncologist, Naturopathic Doctor would be appropriate and necessary, based on your health history, status, and stage of progression.
A continued update to any changes in your health is essential, and it is also necessary to chart your response to every massage treatment to ensure you are always getting the best possible care.
Most importantly, how YOU are – not just physically, but emotionally as well

This is a simplification and a general look at some key areas that need to be covered when you have a more complex condition and you’re seeing a massage therapist. Not all areas noted above will be relevant to everyone, and in some people there will be a need to expand on the complexity of the above. When these concerns are discussed openly and honestly between you and your therapist, the treatment can proceed with more confidence and a greater depth of trust for everyone involved.

Connecting in this way can pave the path for true compassion and healing, finding our way to wholeness. It is my hope that we as a society can have more conversations about existing fears of the unknown and the fear many have of illness. Perhaps it is possible that we can begin to move to a place where we’re able to embrace the mystery and humanness of life. There is a sacredness in sharing this journey with others through touch, bridging the science, the necessary education of the body and its systems, and the intuitive understanding of massage and hands on healing.

With a deep respect for the human body, and the safe spaces where we can put ourselves back together again.

Amber Young

I teach weekly online yoga classes Thursday mornings from 10:30 – 11:35 am EST, you can join from anywhere (live or with the recording). These classes are suitable for anyone needing to slow down and reconnect with their breath, I offer chair and mat options through the practice.

Consider upgrading to a paid membership, created with the intention to offer guidance whenever you need a little extra support. Enjoy a weekly email, free access to my monthly bedtime yoga class and special practice recordings.

If you’re interested in booking massage therapy with me check out my website for more information

References:

Medicine Hands, Massage Therapy for people with Cancer, Gayle MacDonald (2014)

Course work and Training Manuals, Tracy Walton, LMT, 2003 – 2005

Massage Therapy and Cancer, Debra Curties (1999)

Massage therapy for cancer patients: a reciprocal relationship between body and mind (Sagar/Dryden/Wong, 2007) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1891200/

The body keeps the score; brain, mind and body in the healing of trauma, Bessel Van Der Kolk (2015 )

Somatoemotional Release and Beyond, John Upledger (1990)

Gentle Spaces For Self Exploration

19th August 202427th September 2024Amber_Young

I love this sacred window of time, as I close my eyes and imagine all of us, sitting together in circle, honouring the evolution and unfurling of who you are, who we are – moment to moment.

Thank you for inviting me into your inbox, you give me inspiration to keep doing this work, and I am grateful.

Earlier this month I celebrated 20 years as a Registered Massage Therapist, I can’t believe it’s been over 20 years since I started doing this work. My first experience was a training at the Mueller College of Holistic Studies in San Diego in 1999, later becoming Registered in British Colombia in 2004. That feels like a lifetime ago. I guess in many ways it was, thinking about how much I’ve changed over the years, and also how much we are continually learning about how we heal.

As I reflect on all of the care, the trust and the stories I’ve been honoured to hold for people, I am in awe. It is an honour and a privilege to do this work in the world, spiraling deeper and exploring different ways to hold healing space for folks.

We are a complex interconnection woven from our anatomy, the DNA we carry, our families history, our ancestral lineage lines, the experiences we carry in our hearts, our energetic bodies, the health of the Earth and the elements, spirit, the ways we are affected by the collective, our individual beliefs – and so much more. I’m curious how people are able to focus their attention on a presenting lesion or pathology, becoming trapped within a diagnosis and forgetting to consider all the factors that contribute to our wholeness.

In my heart I feel how much we need gentle and accepting places to explore ourselves, now more than ever.

I was having a conversation the other day about pain cycles, specifically the cycles of anxiety and stress many are presently living with. These states bring our body into a sympathetic state – which is indicative of energy expenditure; rapid breathing, increased heart rate, muscular contraction – often referred to as the “fight or flight” response. We can become overwhelmed by our thoughts which can manifest as physical tension and disharmony in our bodies and our minds. Thanks to the work of Stephen Porges, Deb Dana and many others, we are also learning more about our nervous system’s survival response of freeze, a dorsal vagal response, where we can feel stopped and shut down out of a visceral reaction where our bodies are in actuality trying to keep us safe – our bodies are always trying to keep us safe. This response is like pushing a pause button and is our nervous system’s attempt to conserve energy. These reactions, both a result of stress, live in our bodies and require somatic explorations to support our unique pathways to healing, releasing, and integrating. We need to cultivate and nourish our bodies and our minds with experiences and practices that help us to feel safe, daily.

It’s important to take time to move the heaviness we’re carrying through us, not needing to cognitively understand or be required to explain ourselves, but rather to have the space to feel – to be quietly witnessed.

May we all have places and people where we can put down our defenses, allow tears to flow, honour our cracks, and explore who we are under all the layers we often carry.

In service to the sacred threads of life

Love Amber

As I celebrate my 20 year massage anniversary, I have welcomed in some supportive spaces to offer care:

Monday’s: at the Centre For Health Innovation located in the city of Ottawa at 429 MacLaren Street. To see me at this location you can book directly through the Centre.

Tuesdays, Thursday and Friday’s I practice massage therapy and sound therapy in my private forest studio, nestled amongst the white pines, cedar and birch trees.

Send me an email if you’d like to book in my private forest location. Booking is directly through me. amber@suryadaya.ca

I teach weekly online zoom yoga classes Thursday mornings from 11:00 – 12:00 am EST, you can join from anywhere (live or with the recording).

Let me know if you’d like more information amber@suryadaya.ca

The Wisdom Within

13th April 2022Amber_Young

Sometimes we come to yoga simply for the physical benefits, let’s be honest the physical potential within our practice is amazing. We flush our organs, stretch our muscles, lubricate our joints, increase our thoracic capacity, support our full body oxygenation, we strengthen and lengthen, support our hormone health and our lymphatic system – this is only a small list of the potentiality of your practice.

Over time we may get to know our bodies better, by listening to the sensations our bodies send us as we move through our practice. When we really tune in, we realize our practice also has the potential to positively affect our mental and emotional health. We may start to feel more at home inside of ourselves, and more responsive to life rather than reactionary. Yoga, and mindful movement, can offer us another way to experience ourselves in the context of our lives.

As we come to our mats, part of what we may begin to seek is this beautiful invitation for transformation, as we notice the limiting memories and stories we often tend to carry and the ability to learn from them, honour them, perhaps put some down, and create new imprints that instead serve our inner growth.

Our lives consist of a constant series of integrating, taking in, letting go, learning and evolution – well, if we give ourselves permission.

With greater awareness and practice, we are able to begin to recognize and discern past associations that we hold in our bodies as constriction, but we also begin to notice the stories our bodies hold that are in fact expansive and empowering. When we feel safe and supported, our bodies hold such potential as we learn to follow our inherent wisdom and the guidance we’re offered through our physical knowing.

This reflection brings to mind the work of; Candace Pert and her pivotal work in Molecules of Emotion, Peter Levine and his groundbreaking work with Trauma and the Body, Jon Kabat-Zin who changed my life with his work with mindfulness and the body, and Bessel Van Der Kolk in his incredible gift to us The Body Keeps The Score. I am grateful for these works, and countless others, the list is endless.

In yoga, mindful movement, and hands on therapy, we understand that memory isn’t only in the mind. Our bodies, like our minds, hold the imprints of past physical, emotional and psychological experiences – both positive and negative, joyful and traumatic.

The body, when guided with compassion and kindness, also has the intelligence and wisdom to free us from the stories and the experiences we don’t need to carry anymore. Through gentle asana, movement, and compassionate hands on healing work, we have the potential to create space inside of ourselves and welcome in new imprints that support us, rather than hold us back.

Take some time this week to come to your mat, or find a quiet place outside. Perhaps move a little slower, breathe a little deeper, and listen a little more closely to what the wisdom of your body has to offer you. You may want to take some time to write in your journal.

I offer you this reflection with the hopes that you will become more aware of the parts of you that perhaps need some extra compassion and love. I also hope you’re able to become more aware of those places inside of you where you do feel expansive, where your breath flows easefully unobstructed, and where you carry the sacred seeds of potentiality within.

May you move with a gentle heart, and kindness, not only on your mat – but also as you travel through your days.

Love Amber

Do you want to practice together? You can see my schedule (and find our more details) here.

Learn more about Because You Matter, a beautiful 6 week journey into your breast health and whole body wellness. Click here for more information. My next offering starts in October, 2022.

Soul Wisdom Self Reflection cards, a little extra support on your journey.