Greetings and welcome to the Tummy Temple! I offer Soma Bodywork, Visceral Massage, NYR Organic Beauty Massage and Reiki.The common thread that runs through each of these modalities is to reach, touch and communicate with the marvelous, miraculous, self-healing system with which we have all been equipped, the body.

My goal is to help you establish patterns that better serve you emotionally and physically through addressing the nervous system. Soma accomplishes this via the neuro-muscular system; it is an eleven session highly transformative process. Visceral Massage addresses the internal organs to optimize digestive and reproductive systems; I also incorporate Visceral Massage into the Soma series. NYR Organic Beauty Massage is a full body massage and face treatment utilizing Soma and Visceral massage techniques while adding the powerful influence of the NYR Organic skincare line. These luscious products benefit mind, body, and soul through the use of potent herbs, oils, and extracts. Reiki is a subtle but powerful form of energy work that promotes relaxation and restoration; it is integrated into all of my treatments.

Regardless of the modality, the journey is about learning how to self-nurture. I find that the more we hone this skill, the less we are tumbled about by outside influences and the  more satisfied, effective and healthy we become. Thus, we are able to show up infinitely more powerful for ourselves and for family, friends and colleagues. The nervous system is innately curious, intelligent and always willing to change. I would be delighted to have the opportunity to share more with you about using any or all of these means in service  of your own well being.

Shelly Shelley, LMP is a Certified Advanced SOMA Practitioner, Certified Visceral Massage Therapist, NYR Organic Consultant and Reiki Master. She has been in practice as a LMP since 1996. In addition to her private practice, Shelly has served as a post-graduate instructor and workshop facilitator for the SOMA Institute. It is Shelly's goal to assist her clients in sharpening their own ability to listen to the wise council of their body in order to live a life of full of vitality, beauty and meaning.

"If I could pinpoint one facet of the SOMA I've received from Shelly that keeps drawing me back, it would be this: The realization and continuing evolution of a borderless connection between body, mind, and spirit.

Whether or not one believes in this trinity, it is the closest I can come in the moment to describing the sensation of unity and blessedness which engulfs me during the moments when I can sense my body at this level. Truly, it is in these times when I feel most at home as a respectful tenant in this God-given body, with a clear sense of my responsibilities in regards to its care and tending. Humbled, I vow to love my body forever..."
- SPD, Dance Instructor/Graphic Designer

"(re: Shelly and a 2 hour SOMA session) I couldn't believe it. The day after (the session) I felt totally crummy. BUT, for the rest of the week I have been feeling like a 20 year old! - JB, Seattle, WA (mid 40s)"

"My SOMA journey was quite simply the most amazing life-changing experience I have ever had. It is now three months since I completed the series and my body is continuing to change, integrate and surprise me on a daily basis. I managed to achieve what I set out to at the beginning of the journey; my tai chi has come on in leaps and bounds with huge improvements in both movement and posture; I was able to make massive progress on the sexual abuse front by being able to accept, integrate and love those parts of me that were hurt so badly so that I now feel happy, whole and strong rather than damaged, broken and afraid, and my body was indeed able to "let go" of the memories it was holding onto; finally, I got all the fun I had hoped for and more besides, laughing more than at any other time in my life! And I ended up with plenty I didn't expect -- two trips to Spain, crying (and "releasing") for hours on end, the introduction to wine and coffee, divine orgasms, a dear friend in Shelly, the list could go on forever.

One of the loveliest and most lasting changes of all of this has been the new improved relationship with my belly and with food. I went from hating my belly to loving it, caring for it, nurturing it, feeding it; from fearing food to delighting in it; from relying on precooked and processed meals to cooking everything from scratch. Shelly helped me see that eating could be playful and a lot of fun and nothing to be scared of. More importantly she taught me that I deserved the nurturing that good cooked food can provide and that this was something I could do for myself. So holding onto the thought, "I am worth feeding", I began to play and experiment in the kitchen and found it to be both grounding and delightful. I realized that even on the really difficult days when the crying won't stop no matter how much I want it to, I can still feed myself and that in itself kind of makes me feel better. And my belly loves feeling full, nourished, loved. I baked bread for the first time today (using spelt as it's easier to digest!) and was amazed at it being such a whole body experience. All the senses were involved throughout the entire process and I found myself kneading the dough using strength from and moving with my entire body...I also found myself talking to the dough as I was doing this! As it was baking the scent entered every room, and I was so happy and excited to discover that it had turned out perfectly I emailed Shelly right away!

But I was a little tearful too, realizing that I had baked bread for me because I'm worth feeding, worth nurturing, worth loving...those thoughts/feelings almost always make me want to cry as they're still very new, having come up for the first time during SOMA. I don't think I would be feeling those things about me if I hadn't met Shelly and gone through the SOMA series and I certainly know that I wouldn't have spent today baking bread! After the last session, Shelly said, "you've got your wings, go fly!" I just want to let whoever is reading this know that I'm flying in every sense of the word, and moreover, I have a yummy snack for the rest of the journey!

And thank you, Shelly, thank you so much for helping me get my life, my body and my belly back :O) " - Sarah Moscrop


Relief
"I suffered chronic neck, back and knee pain and I found relief through SOMA. So, when my two boys and my husband were in a car accident, I felt that SOMA could help their recovery. They were suffering from soft tissue injuries that the doctors could not diagnose or treat. Sure enough they found relief and continue to receive the benefits of their SOMA treatments to this day."
--E.L., age 42, Mother/Community Activist

Beauty
"The work has brought me back into my relationship with my body. My body is no longer my whipping post; it is my temple and my ally. Now, when I catch my reflection in a mirror, I feel surprised and delighted, I think 'That is me, that is my body, I love that body!'"
--N.K., age 31, Co-Director Entresoul Design Group

Balance
"SOMA 'fixed' my flat feet, clogged sinuses, shin splints, headaches, reproductive and digestive problems and my back pain. I hadn't realized how all of these symptoms were due to vulnerabilities in the system as a whole and that they all were related to and in response to each other."
--S.M., age 31, Mother/Graduate Student

Athletic Performance
"I play tennis on a competitive level. I use the SOMA series as part of my training to promote greater athletic endurance and performance. It has also helped lessen the chance of injury and reduced recovery time when I have been injured" --R.L., age 43 Graphic Designer

Transformation
"My body used to feel like a burden that I carried; now it is a vibrant gift and one of my greatest teachers. Not only has my relationship with my body changed, but I attribute the work to opening me up to an even greater transformation in my life and entire being."
--H.L., age 38 Writer, Coach and Consultant

Healthy Aging
"I was diagnosed with a degenerating sacroiliac joint which caused chronic pain in my right hip. The pain limited the amount of activity I could comfortably do. The doctor recommended ibuprofen and bike riding; that didn't do it for me. My daughter told me about SOMA and I decided to give it a try. Now, two years later, I am not taking any pain medication, I walk an hour a day, I am able to baby sit my one-year old grandson, and work part-time in a genetics lab."
--M.E., age 63, Mother - Grandmother - Scientist

Body-Mind-Spirit
"I like SOMA because it relaxes my back and it makes me sleepy. It makes my ten tiny toes feel better so I can run faster."
--J.L., age 7

Energy
"One of the most surprising effects of SOMA is how much it has freed up my energy. As a result I have 'softened' a lot-come more from the heart as energy flows into new areas. I am less judgmental, more flexible. In turn, I have made changes in my professional and personal life to better suit me, and have become a far happier and better rounded person."
--M.G. PhD, age 52, President/CEO Millenium Resources


READ:  Gratitude and the Lumbar Plexus, A Personal Case Study by Shelly Shelley

keywords:  Shelly Donovan (maiden name)