Tovie Bentley, CMT - Embody Freedom Craniosacral

Tovie is a gifted, intuitive healer. I chose her over other East Bay practitioners because of her bodywork toolbox - a trio of intertwined services including reiki, craniosacral therapy, and massage. I scheduled the visit for relaxation and clarity.

She seems to be a woman of few words but shares more when prompted with the right questions (e.g. What did you observe about me or my body's response during the session?). Her hands do most of the communicating during the session.

I granted her autonomy to select the treatment(s) she deemed appropriate based on the information she extracted from my energy and my body's response. The session began with a perfectly intense shoulder and back massage. Once this part came to a close, I was asked to flip over and craniosacral therapy was next. I often have issues with people I don't know touching my hair, however, I experienced no discomfort when Tovie's hands moved toward my scalp. It was the complete opposite effect. I eased into the rest of the session, losing track of time and the order of therapies. I believe the session also included hands-on reiki.

The drive back to my apartment was interesting in that the sky looked more blue, trees were more green, and my breaths were deeper. I was incredibly relaxed and could not stop yawning.

Tovie definitely moved some things around in the best way. I highly recommend her and look forward to my next visit with her.

Entering Tovie's presence is like entering a sublime temple of feminine grace. She brings an artful depth to her practice and her mere presence is an invocation to heal!

Working with her feels like a sacred ritual weaving in and out of Reiki and process. During the Reiki Tovie's hands feel like a touch of divine magic as they gently but powerfully loosen blocked energy. Every encounter I have with Tovie is as if the sacred feminine is calling forth my wounded places for healing. Even in my most vulnerable places, I've only experienced being deeply met by her receptive spaciousness and compassion. Also, I am always moved by how Tovie speaks her accurate intuitions with strength and clarity.

One of the issue's that Tovie greatly helped me with was a pain that was radiating up my shoulders into my arms due to excessive typing. I was fearful that the pain was turning into a repetitive stress injury as it was not responding to stretching or other methods of healing. The morning after one Reiki session, the pain was gone.

Another healing I experienced was a great release of self judgment shame.It was followed with a feeling of being awash with a fresh clarity about my life purpose and gifts. After the session, I realized what was released was a root of much blocked life force that had been causing deep pain. I cried tears of gratitude upon the healing. I have continued to process what was unearthed during this profound session. Tovie explained that she felt feminine water as well as shame in the same area that I felt the release. It was as if she was seeing deeply into me with her great acceptance. What a great gift Tovie has brought to my life, again and again!

I highly recommend Tovie. Her Reiki is a rare gift for the world, as is her radiant heart and deep spiritual guidance.

Last week I had a cranio sacral session with Tovie Bentley. As I lay on the treatment table with her hands on me, suddenly I felt a jolt of energy. I didn't think anything of it, The whole session was so relaxing, so comforting, so blissful. As radically awake and intense as she is, her healing work was sensitive, gentle and so very conscious.

After the session, she asked me, did you feel that jolt? I had forgotten about it. The next day I noticed that I suddenly felt my body, especially my lower back and legs in a way I'd never felt them before. I had just had Consciousness drop deeply into my lower body. It is now six days later and my back/hips have a freedom of movement and spaciousness that feels great, feels alive.

I have had some less than positive experiences with body workers.

By contrast, I highly recommend Tovie Bentley as a conscious body-worker - she was intuitive, sensitive to subtle energies, and simply a joy to be with. My body felt relaxed and at peace in her hands, and I look forward to going back soon.

I am a bodyworker myself and it's very important for me to receive a good body work as often as I can. Tovie is the talent intuitive bodyworker that I fully trust and appreciate to take care of my body-mind healing I need.

I received a meaningful craniosacral work mixed with full body massage from her. It felt a very deep and profound experience. I drafted into a deep sleep during the treatment and and woke up like a new person.

I scheduled a treatment for next month when I'll be back from a month long vacation in Israel and Italy. And I already can't wait to be back :). Hope to make it a regular monthly treatment with her.

I continue to be amazed by Tovie's healing abilities. I have experienced both Reiki and Craniosacral therapy with her, and have left the treatments feeling psychically and physically nourished down to the cellular level. I have tried sessions with many healers in the SF Bay Area, and personally feel Tovie is one of the best practitioners I have worked with.

From her energy alone, it is apparent she is doing her own spiritual inner work and the results show. She is sunny, positive, nurturing, grounded, receptive, compassionate, and many more things. It is truly a delight to talk with her and get feedback about my experience.

Working with her has been a really great experience all-around. I am so grateful for having met her!

Tovie's careful use of craniosacral, massage, and acupressure, tailored to my unique bodily and energetic needs, has had a deep effect on my day to day experience and functioning. After just our first session a deep release of energy through my sacrum has allowed for greater comfort in and as my body, a deeper and more stable integration of mind, heart, and body, and more free energy with which to live this demanding life. She is herself deeply caring, trustworthy and profoundly embodied, and I would highly recommend her services to anyone looking alleviate pain or imbalance in their lives in favor of more comfort, balance, and bodily joy.

My husband and I go see Tovie. She is absolutely amazing! She listens well to your words, but mroe importantly her hands listen to your body. She finds all the kinks and works them out with amazing skill. It truly is a healing experience to see Tovie.

I have had many sessions of massage over the years. Tovie tops the list! She has a great quality of touch, calming presence and knowledgeable when it comes to her craft. I saw Tovie for a fully body with upper back and neck session. She took care of my trouble areas! Highly recommended!

I received a bodywork session from Tovie at the Mckinnon Institute in Oakland a few weeks ago, and cannot overemphasize how amazing she is. The session was a mixture of craniosacral therapy and relaxation-based swedish/deep tissue massage. When I met Tovie right before the session I immediately felt that I could deeply entrust myself to her care, and my intuition proved itself to be true. I have received A LOT of bodywork in my life and this was one of the most profound and healing experiences I have had. During the session itself I felt not only relaxation and pleasure, but also a deep sort of 'unwinding' that went far below the level of my muscles & tissues. ...It was like a healing for my psyche and nervous system. Following the session, I felt a dramatic reduction in my pain and discomfort (ongoing for the past year) and that effect lasted for some time. More importantly, I felt like the session with Tovie gave me new hope about the possibilities for healing through bodywork. This was truly illuminating and life changing. I can't recommend Tovie enough!