Somatic Stress Relief
The 3-in-1 combination of Breathwork, Somatic Movement & Massage in Hilversum.
Imagine waking up with a mind that feels quiet and a body that moves freely—unburdened by tight shoulders, a restricted breath, or that endless, underlying sense of rush.
Imagine stepping out of constant fight-or-flight and finally feeling truly rested, resilient, and deeply grounded in your own skin.
This is where your reset begins. Through targeted breathwork, gentle yoga postures (asanas) & somatic movement, and a deeply grounding restorative massage, we safely discharge stored tension and chronic stress—releasing what your body no longer needs to carry, without having to talk about it for hours.
Book a Free Intro CallThis is for you when ....
- ...you want to relax your mind, but your body remains on high alert.
- ...you struggle with a persistent sense of restlessness, shallow breathing, or constant muscle tension.
- ...you have undergone extensive talk therapy but feel that the stress is still physically trapped in your body.
- ...you easily become overstimulated, irritable, or emotionally exhausted (moving outside your 'Window of Tolerance').
- ...you long for greater body awareness, freedom of movement, and the restoration of your natural mobility.
- ...you want to build resilience and learn how to return to a calm, safe state at any moment.
How We Release Stress: The 3-Step Approach
Breathwork (The Ignition)
Your breath is the quickest remote control for your nervous system. It instantly calms a busy mind, grounds you in the present moment, and creates space in a tense chest and abdomen.
Bonus: By restoring the natural movement of your diaphragm, overworked muscles in your neck, shoulders, and lower back can finally release and relax.
Yoga & Somatic Exercises (The Release)
Targeted, accessible poses (asanas) and somatic exercises designed to safely release accumulated stress hormones, free up your joints, increase your mobility, and soften the psoas muscle—often called the 'muscle of the soul,' where deep emotional stress and anxiety are stored.
Restorative Massage (The Integration)
Now that your body is warm, open, and receptive, the massage works directly to release bound connective tissue (fascia) and melt away stubborn trigger points. This anchors deep physical relaxation and signals absolute safety to your nervous system.
My Story
For years, I was deeply committed to personal growth—working on my mindset, breaking old patterns, and learning to communicate my needs. Alongside this, I finished my dance academy and I was already running my massage practice, teaching yoga, and studying anatomy and Fysiology. Yet, despite all this knowledge and bodywork, I still carried a subtle, unexplained layer of unease, fatigue, and physical restlessness.
Even with all my training, I hadn't fully connected the dots. It was a conversation with my sister—who was studying the nervous system—that sparked the ultimate shift. She simply said: 'Joy, it’s still stuck in your body.'
That single moment reshaped how I looked at my work. I realized how many of my clients carry this exact same invisible physical burden. Knowing something mentally or doing traditional bodywork isn't always enough without body awareness, the right intention and knowledge, listening to and fulfilling the body's needs, and creating a nervous system that feels safe to let go.
This realization transformed my approach. Today, I combine my background in anatomy, physiology, yoga, movement, breathwork, and massage to help you release what talking and thinking alone cannot reach. I don't just help you release tension; I help you build the physical awareness to give your body what it truly needs.
Reviews About Joy
"Working with Joy is like being immersed in a warm bath! She has an incredibly positive attitude, is a great listener, and knows exactly the right questions to ask. This creates a connection, both with her and internally. I recommend anyone looking for more mental peace and a deeper connection with themselves and the people around them to take a workshop or coaching program with her!"
"Highly recommended! The atmosphere is incredibly relaxed, and Joy genuinely wants to help you with your symptoms. She offers excellent advice and listens carefully to your needs. Thank you, Joy!"
"I recommend anyone looking for more mental peace and a deeper connection with themselves and the people around them to take a workshop or coaching program with her! ❤️❤️❤️"
Background & Qualifications
- Founder of Touch of Harmony Massage (Since 2020)
- Founder of Dumana Arts Community (Workshops in expression, movement, creativity & mindfulness)
- Certified Massage Therapist
- Certified in Anatomy & Physiology
- 200-Hour Certified Hatha Yoga Teacher – Arhanta Yoga (Yoga, Breathwork & Nervous System)
- MBO Level 4 Diploma in Dance & Dance Teaching – Creative College Utrecht
- Core Practice Focus: Body Awareness, Fascial Release, Psoas Release & Mind-Body Integration
What to expect during the session (75–90 min)
Check-in
15 min | Check-in, landing & herbal tea
Settle in with a cup of herbal tea and tune in to what your body needs today. There is plenty of space to express yourself and share what feels good and right for you.
Somatic work
30–45 min | Breathwork, somatic exercises & yoga.
Guided breathwork and gentle, conscious yoga or somatic movements—tailored to your specific areas of tension and designed to help you achieve your personal goals.
Massage
30 min | Restorative fascia & signature massage.
Move to the massage table for a grounding massage experience, allowing your entire system to sink into deep, restorative rest. I soften your fascia, soothe your nervous system, and release muscle knots.
Grounding
5–10 min | Integration & practical tools for home
A quiet moment to wake up again, feel the changes in your body, and leave with practical tools for your daily life.
Rates & Packages
Somatic Reset Single
(Regular price €125 — Save €30)
Book a Free Intro Call- 1x Somatic session (75–90 min)
- Immediate relief from physical tension and a calmer nervous system
- Experience the unique 3-in-1 combination (Breath, Movement & Massage)
- Get practical tools for use at home right away.
Somatic Journey (4 Sessions)
(Total value €500 — Save €160! | €85 per session)
Book a Free Intro Call- 4x Somatic session (75–90 min per session)
- Deeper integration and learning to break stress patterns
- Experience greater body awareness, resilience, and calm in your nervous system.
- Supports the physical release and softening of deeply held muscle tension.
- Practical tools and exercises for home use that you can continue to use throughout your life.
- Interim support/coordination (via WhatsApp/email) during the process
- Bonus: Free bag (50g) of artisanal herbal tea for home
- €12.50 off my Stress Relief E-book, featuring exercises, tools, and essential information for your peace of mind. (Worth €22.50)
Deep Transformation (8 Sessions)
(Total value €1,000 — Save €360! | €80 per session)
Book a Free Intro Call- 8x Somatic session (75–90 min per session)
- Comprehensive program for intensive integration and the lasting unraveling of deep-seated stress patterns.
- Experience how to move through life with greater body awareness, resilience, and calm.
- Maximum space and time for the gradual release and softening of chronic physical tension in muscles and fascia.
- Practical tools and exercises for home use that you can continue to use throughout your life.
- Interim support/coordination (via WhatsApp/email) during the process
- Free stress relief e-book with exercises, tools, and essential information for your peace of mind. (Worth €22.50)
- Bonus: Free bag (50g) of artisanal herbal tea for home.
MOST POPULAR
Not sure which package suits you best? We’ll look into that together during the free introductory call.
My holistic and targeted approach
I do not treat symptoms; I treat the entire body. I do this by looking very specifically at your complaints and listening to what your body is telling me:
Analysis of pain & stress
Acute or chronic: Did the pain start suddenly (acute), or have you been dealing with it for months (chronic)? This determines the intensity of the massage.
Localized or radiating: Is the pain in one specific spot, or does it radiate to your arms or legs, for example?
Stress status: I tailor the treatment directly to your stress level. After all, an overstimulated nervous system requires a different approach than simple physical overexertion.
Nervous system
To fully receive deep pressure and firm strokes, your body first needs to know that it is safe. I work according to the principles of Polyvagal Theory. My goal is to activate your ventral vagus nerve—the part of the nervous system responsible for calm and connection—either before or during the massage. When this system switches to a state of safety, your nervous system can let go of the fight-or-flight response. Only then can your body truly accept and process the deep, firm pressure of techniques like deep tissue or trigger point massage, without instinctively tensing up in resistance.
Muscle chains
What exactly are muscle chains? No single muscle in our body works in isolation; all your muscles are interconnected via connective tissue in long chains. Consequently, a knot in your calf could be the ultimate cause of your lower back pain.
Why is this important? By treating entire muscle chains rather than just the painful area, I address the root cause of your issue. This allows us to break persistent patterns of compensation, restore your body’s natural balance, and make the pain less likely to return. It is not about merely managing symptoms, but achieving structural recovery.
Fascia
Fascia is a vast, three-dimensional web woven throughout your entire body. It envelops every muscle, bone, organ, and even every nerve.
Because this network contains up to six times more nerve endings than your muscles, it functions as a gigantic sensory organ that continuously transmits crucial information to your nervous system.
When you experience stress or tension, your fascia stores it immediately; it tightens and can become stuck or matted. This has a huge impact on your daily flexibility, your energy levels, and the ease with which you move through life.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Here are some frequently asked questions about the sessions.
No, absolutely not. The somatic exercises and gentle yoga postures (asanas) are completely accessible and tailored to your body’s current capacity. It is not about flexibility, fitness, or performance; it is purely about building inner body awareness, releasing tension safely, and creating physical mobility.
Why mobility matters: When the body becomes immobile, muscles stay constantly contracted and turned "on." From an evolutionary perspective, chronically tight muscles signal danger to your brain, which directly triggers or sustains the fight-or-flight response. Restoring mobility breaks this cycle.
Many people find it hard to turn off their thoughts or relax their muscles when going straight onto a massage table. By first clearing mental noise with breathing and discharging physical tension through gentle movement, your body becomes warm, open, and receptive. This allows the closing massage to reach a much deeper layer of relaxation.
This is completely normal, welcome, and safe. The nervous system often releases stored tension through spontaneous tears, deep sighs, or subtle tremors. You are in a safe, supported, and fully accepted space and where your body is allowed to feel whatever it needs to let go of.
Please wear comfortable, flexible clothing that allows you to move freely. Beyond that, I will not dictate what you should wear—come as you are and wear whatever makes you feel most comfortable in your own body. (Towels and warm blankets are fully provided for the massage portion).
A traditional massage primarily focuses on relaxing muscles from the outside in. Somatic Stress Relief works holistically from the inside out. By combining conscious breathwork, active psoas release, and fascia massage, we target both the physical tissue and the underlying nervous system patterns keeping that stress in place.
You will feel a noticeable shift in physical lightness and mental calm after just one session. However, because long-held stress patterns require repetition to permanently rewrite, booking a series of sessions (package of 4) yields the deepest and most sustainable long-term results.
Give yourself quiet time after you leave. Drink plenty of water to support your physical integration, avoid scheduling hectic meetings or intense workouts, and allow yourself to simply rest, stay connected to your body, and do nothing demanding—especially during the first 24 hours—to create the very best results for your system.
Soma is the Greek word for the lived body. Somatic work means addressing stress and tension not only through the mind, but directly through the body and nervous system.
Talking alone is often not enough when dealing with deep-seated stress. Your body stores unprocessed tension, pressure, and emotions in your muscles and nervous system. By working somatically, we help your nervous system shift out of survival mode and restore deep physical rest.
- Somatic Stress Relief sessions focus on relaxation and nervous system regulation and do not replace medical treatments.
- You can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours in advance.
- Our General Terms and Conditions apply when booking a session via WhatsApp or telephone.
Location & Accessibility
- Adress: Kapelstraat 25, 1211 LX Hilversum
- Location: At my own home-based massage and movement practice.
- Parking by car: You can easily park right out front or in the parking lot at the rear.
- Bicycle: You can easily park your bicycle outside by the gate.