My name is Moon Bukas, born in Texas and well acquainted with the countryside of the USA. After some rambling around in my early years my back started hurting and I realized it was time to settle down and pursue a career. It was never a question to me that I would go into some form of healing touch. I have always had a compassionate heart, a gift and drive for healing, a curiosity and a strong empathy for the many shapes of other's suffering.
When I was diagnosed with scoliosis I took it as a gift even though it hurt and started causing a lot of problems with my soft tissue. Over the years I have found my own ways to heal and release many issues in my body. The experiences I've had has given me great insight into many complications from chronic pain. I've been able to apply what I've learned in my own body to my clients and have cultivated a strong intuitive approach that people seem to really appreciate. The years spent table-side has kept me mobile and in shape and so this has been the perfect career choice for me.
I began attending the Boulder College of Massage Therapy in October of 2006. It was an incredible school and one of the first in North America. This institute provided the research and laid the foundation for what we know as massage therapy in the West today. My educational approach covered a broad spectrum of manual therapies ranging from in-depth injury rehabilitation to pure relaxation to psycho-somatic considerations. Yes there was even a little bit of 'wuwu' if you know what I mean. I would say I had a very integrative education and feel confidant in addressing most anything that arrives on my table.
The techniques I utilize can vary from person to person as all of my work is customized towards what is going on with a particular body. Deep Tissue is a sort of catch-all phrase that can be somewhat open to interpretation but I do a lot of it. Sports, Injury Rehabilitation, Trigger Point, Acupressure, Myo-Fascial Release, Cupping, Gua Sha, Table Stretching, Muscle Energy Techniques, Swedish and Reiki are all some of the techniques that I may use in a given session. I've also embarked in studies in Cranial-Sacral and Hypnotherapy. Though I would not say I am proficient enough to give full treatments in these modalities, they do salt and pepper my work.
I am a very open-minded therapist and take pride in meeting people where they truly are. My assessments take into consideration the full experience a client may be having from their body to their mind to their heart. You will never find yourself in a place of being judged with me. All of my work is customized to meet a person where they are at when they come in no matter how many times I have seen them. Limitations are simply stepping stones to different approaches.
I would say my work is in alignment with the label of 'transformational bodywork'. I have had success in assisting the healing of many soft tissue complications from plantar fasciitis to sciatica to carpal tunnel and whiplash. Long term relationships with clients who just have stressful lives or chronic conditions and diseases also happen frequently in my practice.
My work is prone towards homework assignments for really moving through a problem but I also keep clients who choose to just come in and enjoy their treatment and leave it at that. Referrals to other types of medicines can also happen frequently as my motivation is getting the greatest most effective help to my clients working on something specific.
I do not personally tout a 'no pain no game' mentality. My philosophy is that if we are not engaging with the parasympathetic nervous system we are engaging with the sympathetic one. I see no healing that can come forward if a client is experiencing fight and flight signaling. And so, though my work can be very deep, it is also very slow and promotes true and deep relaxation. Unless you have an old ankle sprain bothering you and you need cross fiber friction across your anterior talofibular ligament, which we can cross that bridge if we come to it. ;)
Another joy for me to provide is basic relaxation type work where we don't work on anything other than your whole self. There is always more to relax about and the results can show up in profound ways in every aspect of your life. I take pride in maintaining a versatile and adaptive approach to all people. I am a culturally diverse person and keep a very respectful LGBTQ and POC safe space.
My practice is currently out of Riverside Wellness in Bend, Oregon, directly next to our lovely Deschutes River. I do provide house calls one day a week and you're welcome to inquire.
Outside of bodywork I enjoy writing poetry and opinion based editorials, feeding my spiritual curiosities, caring for my mother, cooking healthy whole foods, travel, walking my dogs in the woods and singer-song writing type stuff.