Meet, again, Rahel Kima!
Some of you might remember my post about my beloved prenatal yoga teacher, which was written back in 2016. Since then, b”h, I have passed two more pregnancies with Rahel’s calming and centering classes, which I finally understood are, as she quotes, “An eclectic mix of everything I love, and that feels good to my body and my soul and I try to bring that to women and give them that support during pregnancy which is a really hard time. And women deserve that support. Just that hour of self love and group love.”
Besides yoga, Rahel has studied dance, Qigong, Pilates, the Ilan Lev movement, among others. And as she quotes above, that is what her classes are, an eclectic mix of all of these. I have understood over time that I really connect with the balancing energy of Qigong, which she incorporates through various self massages and pressure points. This specific face massage, based on Qigong, is one of my favorite parts of her class, and usually done towards the end.
This massage always gets me in a deep state of relaxation. I am always surprised myself how calm and I get after this, both in my body and mind. If had a quiet room to myself for a long period of time (very hard as a mother of 4 right now!) I believe I could potentially meditate for awhile after this massage. Though now that I have the video at home, I tend to do it at night and fall right asleep.
I know you might be overwhelmed these days (of Corona) with online “wellness” content, and if you feel you can’t handle anything else, I only ask to please bookmark this page and come back when you are ready! I would obviously say try this massage in the coming days but feel free to come back in a few months when you feel that you have the time or need those few minutes of self care and relaxation. It is about 15 minutes long, and you can do it on a yoga mat, sitting on a couch, or your bed. Just be in a comfortable position of your choice. And without saying, you don’t need to be pregnant to do this massage! It is for everyone, all year around 🙂
Rahel was really kind and sent me a short video explaining her background, how she made aliyah to Jerusalem from Michigan, how she became a yoga teacher, a massage therapist and the various techniques she uses in her classes. So I hope you enjoy getting to know her better in the video below.
As Rahel describes herself: “I am a “body” person. I use my body in everything I do – as a doula, a movement teacher, and as a massage therapist. I strive to help people discover their own body awareness on a very basic level. Learning simply how to live embodied, pain-free lives.”
And lastly, please visit her ever evolving Facebook page, Rahel Kima Bodyworks, for more videos and information about her classes in Jerusalem. She currently teaches Prenatal Yoga and Qigong and is also a massage therapist.
Thank you Rachel for being the balancing, calming and giving teacher you are! Can’t wait to get back to a class in the coming months, but until then I am so happy to have this face massage at home.
Modest Jerusalem 