Natalia believes that she should always be learning, from books to real bodies. She truly wants to help her clients feel their best. When she took anatomy way back in her early days of training, she could barely remember the terminology. Now she says you could quiz her 24 hours a day and she would be spot on. She has studied diverse areas like cardiology, neurology, orthopaedics, psychotherapy and autoimmune diseases. She wants to be fully prepared for every challenge she meets. Some of her clients definitely rely on her knowledge having conditions like rheumatoid arthritis that need a sensitive touch. Other clients delight in saying they are coming in to get beaten up, but she assures me that she will find even the smallest knot in a muscle to get them fully mobile.
She also believes in “no pain, no gain”, but not in an exercising way. She volunteers her time managing a team of therapists at the Ride London event and also work at the London Marathon as well. People of all shapes, sizes and backgrounds have pushed themselves so hard they are barely able to move by the time they get to see her. The pain Natalia was speaking of though is to herself, having given a record 16 treatments to participants in one day. That was “a proper workout”! She finds the athletes’ energy inspiring, and is motivated to help them recover after such an intense workout.
Natalia also proclaims herself to be a perfect example of how massage can improve your life. She is such a vibrant and dynamic person, I raise my eyebrows at her and make her laugh. She was not always so healthy. Starting as a teenager, she suffered from chronic shoulder pain, which led to weight gain and frustration. While watching a paediatrician treat a small girl who was covered in scar tissue, she immediately needed to know more about soft tissue work, myofascial release and massage therapy. The benefits she saw with massage struck a deep cord. After she started working at TMC, the team started treating her shoulder. She now tells everyone how massage and self-care truly work. She has been pain-free ever since and completely energised. Natalia has confidence that everyone, keeping balance between healthy food, working out, resting and performing self-care, can have a vibrant and fulfilling life. I say she leads by a strong example.