Living in the Body

Personal Bodywork: Barry Kapke offers private bodywork sessions to motivated men and women who want to be active participants in their physical, emotional and spiritual wellness. Barry is committed to exploring, and supporting others to explore, what it is to live in one's body, to be fully present in lived experience, and to cultivate a personal practice of being in balance. "Practice" is a keyword in Barry's approach.

Barry draws from various bodywork modalities in working with individuals, allowing an intuitive and mutually-response-able "dance" to develop, listening to what is happening in the present moment. He is certified in Shiatsu, Breema, Swedish Massage, and Pregnancy and Infant Massage, and has additional training in Ortho-Bionomy, CranioSacral Therapy, Reflexology, Polarity Therapy, Traditional Thai Massage, and other forms. His work begins from either of two bases: work that is done on padded mats on the floor, fully clothed, without oils or lubricants; or, work that is done with the recipient unclothed on a padded massage table, draped with sheets or towels, using oils, lotions, and occasionally botanical essences. Barry's work is effective in supporting the body's own process of self-repair and self- balancing, and can be an important adjunctive tool to recovery from injuries or physical/emotional distress, but the focus of this work is holistic and preventive, seeking to assist the body to maintain balance and wellness rather than waiting to "fix" things that are out-of-whack.

Barry bills by the session (anywhere from 60-90 minutes) rather than by a fixed segment of time, and works on a sliding scale. Low-income and student rates are also available. All sessions are by appointment only. Ask about gift certificates and block discounts.

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Classes/Workshops: Barry has been a respected bodywork instructor in the Bay Area for many years. As an American Oriental Bodywork Therapy Association (AOBTA) Certified Instructor, he teaches and coordinates the Shiatsu Therapist certification program at San Francisco School of Massage and is on the teaching staffs at Oakland's Institute for Health Improvement and San Francisco's The Mindful Body. He is also a frequent guest lecturer in San Francisco State University's Holistic Health Department and has presented bodywork in the high school. He is currently developing a "Communication and Touch" program for teenagers, and is completing a book on Breema Bodywork and Movement.

Barry teaches a variety of workshops, some geared towards the bodywork professional and some geared towards the non-professional who would like to learn basic skills for working with, and living in, the body. These classes and workshops include Swedish/Esalen Massage, Shiatsu, Breema Bodywork and Movement, Pregnancy Massage, Anatomy and Palpation, Stretching & Movement for Self-Care, Massage for Couples, "Movement, Meditation and Massage", and other topics, and are offered as half-day, one-day, and two-day workshops, and as an 8-week series of classes that meet 2-3 hours a week. If you are interested in being notified of upcoming classes, please ask to be added to Barry's mailing list and specify what your interests are.

Barry does travel! If you'd like to see a class in your area and are willing to host or coordinate such a class, Barry is happy to bring these teachings anywhere there is interest - locally or internationally.

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Tutorials/Explorations: Barry is available for one-on-one tutorials for bodyworkers and students who want to refine their skills through individual attention, as well as for small group tutorials.

During summer months, Barry conducts "Bodywork in Nature" outings, where bodyworkers spend a day or weekend at some outdoor site (beach, forest, desert, mountainside, etc.), exploring the relationships between environment and being in the body. These outings are usually by invitation, seeking to develop a small community of individuals who work well together and who are committed to an evolving exploration of bodywork and a practice of living in the body. Please contact Barry if you might be interested in such a group.

For more information, please contact:

Barry Kapke, PO Box 4951, Berkeley CA 94704-4951.

Telephone: (510) 620-0936. E-Mail: dharma@netcom.com

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