Amanda Nube

I can't recommend Amanda highly enough. I began seeing Amanda about two months ago for tui-na massage at the Octagon North clinic in Oakland as an adjunct to acupuncture treatment. I quickly came to appreciate that her natural gifts as a healer, combined with her eclectic and in-depth training as a psycho-somatic practitioner, far exceeded the realm of "body work." She works empathically with her voice as well as her hands, and has a knack for honing in on the root causes of where I'm feeling ungrounded or seeking greater balance. My initial 20 minute session quickly turned into hour-long weekly sessions -- made possible by her extremely reasonable hourly fee.

I've heard it said that "the issue's in the tissue." I love that. And truly, I'm amazed at how skilled Amanda has been in honing in on several stubbornly held beliefs I've held that seem to lead directly to restrictive somatic patterning, aka stuck places, in my body. Within only a couple of weeks I noticed myself feeling less rigid in my posture, less anxious throughout the day, and more effortlessly relaxed and alert - basically, less in my head and more in my body. So nice!

I know this seems like a hyperbolic review, but as a psychologist with a long-standing interest in exploring Eastern and Western approaches to healing, I've come into contact with a wide variety of healing practitioners over the years, and come away underwhelmed by many. Amanda, whose sensitivity, humility, humor and intelligence are immediately apparent, is the real deal. I've come to think of her as a bona fide "shamama" :)

I've been seeing Amanda off and on for several years and I've always appreciated how thorough she-I always feel much better by the end of a treatment--aches and pains gone, and emotionally uplifted as well! As a massage therapist myself, I'm pretty picky when it comes to my massages!

A few months ago I started seeing her regularly again because despite several months of chiropractor treatments to support my pregnancy-related hip pain (which were very helpful up until that point) I was still in a lot of pain and needed more support. Amanda's massage was just the magic my body needed and I was feeling good again my last month of pregnancy and the months after the birth.

Also, if you haven't had Tui-na or you've had it but didn't like it, then you must see Amanda as she will show you the bliss of a Tui-na massage! I actually think it's nice to have a clothes-on treatment (though I love swedish massage as well) but it's also great for those who prefer not to disrobe.

Lastly, Amanda charges very reasonable rates as well!

I have had the privilege to experience Amanda's work both through acupressure/healing sessions and through private yoga instruction. Both were phenomenal and I look forward to more. Her healing work was gentle and deep. I think she has a skill for touch and an intuitive gift. The individual yoga instruction was also a pleasant surprise. I have an ambivalent relationship to yoga. I love yoga, but rarely enjoy a yoga class. I often feel more fatigued than invigorated after a class and sometimes feel less attuned to my body. I had a different experience with Amanda. She slowed things down and really helped me work with my form. In our first session, I think I learned more about posture--both conceptually and experientially--than I have from any yoga class I have ever taken. I also have a recent injury and surgery I am recovering from. Amanda worked with me with support and adjustments to help me regain a sense of stability, which I hadn't realized was missing. Good experience, great teacher.