Barbara Helynn Heard

Barbara has a true gift for teaching mana lomi. I took her 24 hour mana lomi level 1 training and am very pleased at how thorough, precise and knowledgeable she is on the technique/​practice. She taught the concept of massage «to the bones» physically and energetically. Tapping into the bones allows the Mana Lomi practitioner to communicate on a soul level so healing can take place. She is passionate about teaching and her practice. I can’t wait to take another one of her classes.

I was fortunate enough to experience Barbara’s Pure Pleasure (Deep Slow Flow Massage) and I have to say that it felt truly amazing! I am a massage therapist, and a picky one at that, and I was hovering right around cloud nine the entire time.
What made it so great? Well, there were actually a lot of things, some of which are really too hard to describe here. But here are a couple things that really stood out for me.
Barbara mixed her lotion/​balm specifically for me and my skin and adjusted it to get just the right texture for my massage. Her work was very slow and she used long, luxurious strokes that never seemed to end. They were calming and challenging at the same time, which I really loved. I think the bottom line is that I just felt completely taken care of and the work completely reset me physically, neurologically and emotionally.
10,000 thank yous Barbara, I can’t wait to get on your table again.
Joe Lavin
(206) 817‑5896

I had a wonderful nearly 2-​hour massage with Barbara on a Saturday morning. I walked up to her beautifully converted Victorian house, which seems to have a mix of personal and professional spaces (i.e. her massage room and some apartments?)
It was not a typical relaxing spa massage, but rather a cerebral and interesting massage that left me relaxed and revived, with some homework on how to walk to better support and settle my S-​I joint. Barbara doesn’t just rub your muscles, but rather works your muscles and skeleton together to make sure that everything is properly aligned and working as it should — she encourages mobility AND relaxation. So this means that sometimes there are some pretty weird things that happen — at one point, I ended up on the massage table with my knee up to my chest, twisting over to the side in what was more of a yoga pose than any massage experience I’d had up to that day. But what was neat about this is that I’m definitely better able to twist on one side than the other, and it’s due to some stiffness in the aforementioned S-​I joint. See what I mean about this being somewhat cerebral?
Anyhow, I have already recommended Barbara to a couple of my friends and plan on going back. I went in with some sports-​related aches and pains and came out refreshed, revived, and truly interested in learning more.

We got an Amazon Local Deal and it was the best online deal or massage experience I have had. It is a combination of multiple factors– both skill and good energy. We felt very comfortable with Barbara’s presence, as well as her ski level in both teaching and practicing massage. After one class, I can now give my partner a great massage! We are definitely coming back for more and want to spread the word about this hidden gem in Capitol Hill! :)