meet your host:

Gina Loree Bryan

shiatsu practitioner - movement teacher - fellow human

“If I had to sum up my path so far, it seems I’ve always been guided by a question living within me.

That question is: 'What is at the heart of being truly Human?

And, why does that matter?”

Hi ~

I'm Gina Loree Bryan, owner of embodygrace bodywork + movement.

I live Lancaster County, Pennsylvania with my massage therapist husband, Bill (lucky me!), and our very spoiled cat, Xena.

My life has been an interweaving of questions: regarding the nature of God and the universe and the true nature of humans. This embodied query led me to holistic health, Asian medicine, homebirthing, un/homeschooling, herbalism, eco-psychology, and, of course, shiatsu and natural movement.

As John O’Donohue, author of “Anam Cara” observed, I am increasingly aware of the immense privilege and miracle of inhabiting a human body, and it’s a joy to help my fellow travelers to awaken to that miracle as well.

Working with me.

As a bodyworker, my overarching intention is to relax or move the tension in your body that may be inhibiting freedom of movement, or causing discomfort.

Through movement and embodied spiritual coaching, the intention is similar.

This tension can be the product of stories, injuries, habits, environments - some conscious, but much is often below the surface, embedded in our cells.

Both informed touch and movement, along with gentle inquiry, can reveal unconscious patterns and 'stuck' Qi  (life force energy) - which can be brought to awareness and then invited to be released or move in an appropriate way. 

Mostly, I help you to bear witness to the story your body is telling - through touch, movement and embodied inquiry.

Read my stuff

I love to write! And, if you love to read, here are a few places you can find my wordiness:

Work with me

You can work with me or my content in several ways:

Engage with me

You can find me sporadically (with occasional cameos of our cat, Xena) on the platforms below:

My story.

My ‘holistic health’ trajectory was launched when I was about 20, living in Philadelphia, and working in a macrobiotic whole foods market.

It was there I was exposed to a whole new way of considering health, informed by Asian Medicine, that was based not just on addressing symptoms or parts, but as symptoms being a sign of breakdown of the relationships between parts.

And, that our relationship with nature, or the breakdown thereof, was central to our collective dis-ease state.

From there, the path brought me through homebirthing, homeschooling, gardening, herbalism, Reiki, and eventually shiatsu, Qigong and other embodied movement.

Going through an embodied meditation teaching training - which included the exploration of trauma -brought my relationship with my Self to a whole new level of honesty … kinda like an archeological dig.

Excavating deeply embedded and outdated patterns once essential to a sense of security has allowed me to move and breathe with more freedom.

My self-care now includes letting those patterns go, and playing with how it feels to trust, especially to trust what feels good.

Training.

Ongoing immersion in Qigong, embodied movement and meditation practices, applied eco-psychology, organic gardening + medicine making, and generally skirting the edges of mainstream culture.

  • Certified Spiritual Life Coach (2023)

  • Certified Embodied Meditation Teacher (2022)

  • Certified Personal Trainer - Restorative Exercise Specialist (2017)

  • AOBTA® and ABMP Certified Shiatsu Practitioner (2005)

The ‘parenting years’: (1989-2018):

Homebirthing, homeschooling and all that entails, volunteer for Liedloff Continuum Network, Reiki Level 1, various herbal trainings, publishing my first blog, ‘town crier’ for hyperlocal news start-up, starting my bodywork practice and a very shy teaching career…

Early adult life (1986 - 1989):

Art school in Philadelphia, various freelance graphic design gigs, job in macrobiotic market, canvasser for Greenpeace, LOTS of Grateful Dead shows ;), partner in greeting card/silkscreen/tie-dye business.

Lineage.

As a voracious learner of all things related to personal and spiritual growth, I’ve been influenced by so many.

This is a short list of the primaries, who have great lineages beyond them:

gracenotes

practices and inspiration

“It is a strange and wonderful fact to be here, walking around in a body, to have a whole world within you and a world at your fingertips outside you.

It is an immense privilege, and it is incredible that humans manage to forget the miracle of being here. ”

— John O'Donohue

#confirmyourhumanity