Ben is a massage therapist and an internationally touring musician, DJ and ceremonial space holder. He was trained in the 10-series of Structural Integration, a method pioneered by Ida Rolf which seeks to align and rebalance the body’s structures through targeting the fascia or connective tissue surrounding muscles and joints. He compliments this deep work with the dynamic stretching of Thai Yoga Massage and his unique approach to Lomi-Lomi, the Hawaiian full-body relaxation massage which he combines with his vast repertoire of healing songs and musical instruments.
Ben came to massage by way of a career in acting and music. While living in New York City he began offering massage at transformational festivals and conscious dance events and realized he had both an intuitive feel for the body and an instinctive love for exploring the connections between healing touch, sound and the psyche. This inquiry led him to study for his certification at Pacific College of Awareness and Bodywork in Kauai, Hawaii where he learned the ancient art of Lomi-Lomi, the 10-session Structural Integration series as well as various somatic psychotherapy techniques which can be applied during bodywork sessions.
Ben grew up in the cultural melting pot of California’s Bay Area but has traveled extensively throughout Latin America for the last 10 years, learning fluent Spanish and Portuguese. In 2014, he launched his current musical project “Yemanjo”, writing two albums worth of music and performing at numerous international festivals in the last three years. He discovered the healing power of sacred cacao while living in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala in 2015, and has since added Cacao Ceremony to his repertoire of offerings. Ben is very excited to begin his first season at Present Moment thanks to his friend and Present Moment’s Co-Founder CJ Ananda Page, with whom he has collaborated on yoga retreats in Guatemala.
Services provided by Ben:
- Connective Tissue Therapy (Structural Integration) 60min/90min – Deep, slow myofascial massage aimed at releasing stuck areas and bringing greater freedom of movement to joints
- Thai Yoga Massage 60min/90min/120min – Invigorating massage involving work along energetic meridians and yoga-style assisted stretching
- Lomi-Lomi 60min/90min/120min – Hawaiian-style full body relaxation massage with singing and shamanic sound healing
- Integrative Sessions (Lomi/Deep tissue) 60min/90min/120min – A Lomi-Lomi session with deeper work in problem areas
- Sound Healing (60 min) – A one-on-one sound healing session with Ben’s vast repertoire of healing chants, mantras and instruments
- Cacao Ceremony (10 people minimum, 2 hrs+) – An inward journey of healing sound, movement, and chocolate…Yemanjo’s cacao ceremony takes us through guided meditation, voice activation, partner exercises, conscious movement, and ecstatic dance to connect with self, other and divine source
- Ecstatic Dance (2hrs) – As a DJ, Yemanjo creates a sonic alchemy spanning the globe and takes the dancer on a rhythmic journey through multiple emotions, cultures and time periods. Ecstatic Dance is a sacred space for movement expression free of talking, alcohol/drugs and shoes.
Ben’s Website:
www.bencliftonharris.com
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