FAQ

Group Classes are currently online and in-person.

Explore & book here

General precautions to promote health during in-person private sessions;

Your comfort, safety and privacy are a priority to me. Thus, the following are in place for private, in-person sessions;

Please stay home if you are ill or received a Covid-19 vaccination within 7 days to allow your immune and nervous system to adjust.
Given the nature of sessions, masks are not required to be worn by clients. Modifications for safety/comfort based on client needs are discussed prior to arrival.
Your personal information is held in strict confidentiality.

Locations:

Group in-person South St. Vital Home Studio. Street parking.
Private sessions are offered at Suite 230 - 600 St. Anne's Rd (Purely Massage). Ample parking in lot. Elevator access.

Accessibility:

Physical: Home studio on lower level (stairs with handrail) - street parking. Private sessions @ 600 St. Anne's Rd lot parking & elevator access.

Financial: Sliding scale rates are available for those experiencing loss of income due to to job losses and trauma recovery, oppression. Email Joy to express your needs.

Book your class or private session online. You can pay online using credit card or paypal, manually via e-transfer (joy@joysomatics.ca) and in person with cheque, cash or credit card.

Booking a Private Session;

Book online. Payment accepted on-line or in person at appointment. If you are not sure what to book, contact me to discuss how I might be of service to you.

Cancellation policy:

Group Classes: No refunds, exchanges, or credit for missed classes.

Private Sessions: 24 hour notice is required for cancellation and rescheduling. Fees for less than 24 hrs notice (unless illness related) are 6-23 hrs ($25) and less than 6 hours ($50). No shows are subject to full fee of service booked.

Questions about the practices:

What is Somatics?

Somatics is a field within bodywork and movement studies which emphasizes physical perception and experience. It stems from the latin word, soma, meaning ‘the body as perceived from within’. It is an emerging field with promising results helping improve self awareness, release and heal stored stress. Joy offers a variety of felt-sense practices to suit individual needs, including Somatic Movement, Numa Breathwork, Yoga and Bodymind Ballwork in both group and private settings.

What is yoga?

The word yoga means ‘to yolk or unite’ and is often described as felt wholeness or oneness of the physical body, mind and spirit. This state of yoga can be achieved in a large variety of ways, including and not limited to various yoga practices, somatic movement, meditation, art, dance or simply being deeply present in nature. There are many, many paths in.

What is 'somatic-approach yoga'?

Although Joy has extensive training in therapeutic yoga alignment, her yoga classes are currently also influenced by her on-going somatic studies. That means, we let go of the idea that there is a right and wrong way to move. We practice cultivating awareness of our own bodies through felt sense. Expect to be guided into movement and various shapes (yoga postures) with options to find variations that work for your body. In my classes, you have permission to explore what works best for you.

What is Bodymind Ballwork? Where do I get balls?

Bodymind Ballwork is a mindful self massage method (created by Ellen Saltonstall) that uses variety of rubber balls and gentle pressure to release tension and stress. Balls are available for sale and range from $3-$14 each. Joy includes about 15 minutes of Bodymind Ballwork in yoga class, and offers more in-depth classes, workshops and private lessons.

What does 'myofascial' mean?

Myo means muscle and fascia is connective tissue. Fascia is a specialized, dense web that covers, interconnects and interpenetrates our entire body. It is a continuous structure, linking the entire body like the yarn of a sweater. It is a sensory tissue that shapes us and is shaped by what we think, feel, how we move and don't move. Acute and chronic stress and surgery create myofascial restrictions creating pain, tension and/or lack of motion.