An Abhainn

An Abhainn means "The River" in Gaeilge (Irish Gaelic). Muir, (the practitioner behind An Abhainn), is a student of Gaeilge and has an enduring fascination with recovering and reconnecting to the fragmented and historically suppressed wisdom held by their ancestors. They are inspired by working peoples' solidarity, abolition, Indigenous liberation, and anarchism: they seek to find opportunities for collective liberation in all their work.Muir is a licensed massage therapist, conflict mediator, and yoga teacher living and working on occupied Chinook land.
Whose land are you on? | LandbackSince their original bodywork training in 2017, Muir has loved helping people with their pain. Both ancient wisdom and contemporary science tell us that pain, stress, and trauma are complex and intersecting forces that, when left untended, can wreak havoc on our lives and well-being. However, when given the proper care and attention they can also be powerful sources of personal insight and collective transformation. Muir's goal as a practitioner is to help clients access a growing sense of bodily agency and somatic awareness, while finding relief, empowerment, and resilience around potentially challenging experiences like anxiety, grief, and pain.

Education and Training

Core Education

Trauma-Informed Awareness Oriented Connective Bodywork | The Pacific Center for Awareness and Bodywork
Unfold 200 hour yoga teacher training | Unfold Portland
(In progress) BS in Anthropology, with a minor in Indigenous Nations Studies | Portland State University

Additional Trainings

Transformative Justice | Spring up
Grief Mentorship Program | Lawrence Cole
Chi Nei Tsang for the Abdomen | Saumya Comer
The Burning Times Never Ended | Rain Crowe / The Village Mystery School
Doula Certification Training | The Sacred Birthing School
Foundations in Rewilding | Rewild Portland
Introduction to Pregnancy Massage | The Pacific Center for Awareness and Bodywork
Introduction to Craniosacral Therapy | Oregon School of Massage

Professional Memberships

-American Massage Therapy Association
-Yoga Alliance

Certifications Maintained

-Licensed Massage Therapist Oregon: LMT #24599
-Adult, Child, and Infant CPR/AED/First Aid
-Yoga Alliance RYT 200

Lineage

Below is a very incomplete list of the folks whose work, teachings, and mentorship have supported me in developing my understandings and practice.the ancient live oak in my grandma's front yard, the pond minnows who taught me about transformation and death and grief, the moon over the gulf, the homelands of the Apalachee people, all the domesticated animals who taught me about subjugation and emotion and who helped me to envision new futures, Shambhavi Sarasvati, joanna macy, D'ana Valenzuela, Dr. Maria Yellow Horse Brave Heart, Michele Gamburd, adrienne maree brown, jessi radovich, Diane Chancy, Rain Crowe, Ahlay, Michael Yellow Bird, Bear, Miss Sivvy, Meenadchi, Irish Grounded Connections, Patricia Hill Collins, Rev. angel Kyodo williams, Deborah A. Miranda, Michael Polon, Conrad, Sade, Ida Rolf, tsongkhapa, queer nature, my bone ancestors, Peter Michael Bauer, Barbara Essman, Audrey Smedley, Jeannine Meis, Angela Davis, John Newman, Helen Kesler, the monks of the Bhavana Society, peter gray

• Book Your Appointment Here

• Frequently Asked Questions

General Info

The fundamental goal of this work is to help you come into deeper relationship with your body. We can use a variety of tools and techniques to accomplish this goal-- ranging from table-based massage work, to movement and biomechanics coaching, to yogic techniques and somatic awareness building, to consulting tarot cards.The bodywork I practice is gentle, but with enough depth to meet your body's needs for pressure. It focuses on alleviating chronic and acute pain, reducing stress, mapping boundaries, encouraging mindful awareness of the body, and creating new patterns of movement. My original training is in mindfulness-based structural integration, and my work is also informed by yoga, pain gate theory, trauma-informed care, and many other scientific and wisdom traditions.

Cost

The standard cost for one-on-one sessions is $140 for a two hour session, with a booking deposit of $50 for first time clients. I can take some insurance on a case-by-case basis: ask me about it.For repeat clients, I offer one hour sessions for a standard rate of $70, or for 1/2 of the agreed upon sliding scale fee for a full session.If you make a lower income (earning below ~40,000 for a single person) or otherwise face circumstances that cause you to struggle to meet your needs, my sliding scale is $50-$160. Contact me with any questions.

Accessibility

1. Mobility
Accessing my office requires ascending and descending a set of stairs. If this is not possible for your body, contact me to discuss alternative arrangements.2. Covid
I will ask you about your masking preferences when you book and let you take the lead. I am happy to mask for any client who wants or needs this, and I also have an air purifier that I can run in the space.3. Scent
I do my best to keep my office relatively scent-free; however, it is not entirely scent free-- it is, however, largely free of artificial scents. Additionally, the building I work out of is non-smoking, but sometimes people do smoke regardless. This doesn't impact the working space, but you might encounter smoking smells in the hallway.4. General Sensory Stuff
I keep the lighting in my space relatively dim and friendly to people who are overwhelmed by bright lights. The fabrics I use are soft cotton, and the space is usually quiet. There may be noises from neighbors or the outdoors that are outside of my control.

Are you a mental health therapist / do you offer psychotherapy?
~~~
No to both!
I am not a licensed psychotherapist, and I do not provide psychotherapy to clients. However, I do think that the kind of awareness-oriented somatic bodywork I offer can be very complementary to the work that is done with a skilled psychotherapist (or an elder, spiritual advisor, etc), and vice versa. In fact, I recommend that clients who come to me for bodywork also be in some kind of therapy, particularly because deep touch and presence with the body can bring stuff up for people that would be best handled through the support of a wise therapist, elder, spiritual teacher, etc. If you are not seeing a psychotherapist but would like to be and want some recommendations feel free to contact me.

Will you massage me with your clothes off and/or perform other sexual services?
~~~
Nope.
The work that happens at An Abhainn involves uni-directional touch and is currently non-sexual in nature, for legal and ethical reasons. While it is perfectly normal and natural for many people to experience sexual feelings and physiological reactions during bodywork, acting on these feelings is not acceptable in this context and would be a serious violation.
Inquiries of a sexual nature will not be considered or responded to, and any potential clients who make such inquiries will be blacklisted and/or referred to another provider. (Please note that requests to work intentionally with sexual trauma are perfectly fine and would not result in a ban.) Sexual misconduct will not be tolerated in my practice.

Do you take insurance?
~~~
I'm working on it! So far, I have successfully billed Kaiser for bodywork services. I was not able to get credentialed with CareOregon. If you want to try using insurance for a bodywork session,
contact me about it and let's talk.

Do you have any openings today?
~~~
Probably not, that's generally not how I work. I usually book sessions at least four days out, especially with new clients. However, you're always welcome to try popping me a text or an email and seeing what happens.

Biomechanics Resources
-Pain Gate Theory
-Better Movement by Todd Hargrove
-Katy Bowman's work on movement nutrition
-Painful Yarns by Lorimer Moseley
-Your Body, Your Yoga by Bernie Clark
-Natural Posture for Pain Free Living- Kathleen Porter
-Lost Posture: Why some Indigenous cultures may not have back pain - Michaeleen DoucleffEmbodiment and Trauma
-About Trauma-Informed Care
-"Embodiment Means Being Torn Apart and Flying Away" - Joshua Schrei
-Decolonizing Trauma Work by Renee Linklater
-The Neurodecolonization Work of Michael Yellow Bird
-The Body Keeps the Score
by Bessel van der Kolk
-Healing Sex and The Politics of Trauma by Staci K. Haines
-Healing Developmental Trauma by Laurence Heller, Aline Lapierre
-Radical Dharma: talking race love and liberation by rev angel Kyodo williams, Lama Rod Owens, Jasmine Syedullah Ph.D
-The Body is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor
-Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America's legacy of enduring injury and healing_ by Dr. Joy DeGruy
-Embodiment Basics Course from The Embodiment Institute
-Somatic Snacks by TacoCat Wellness
-Insight Meditation Society Retreats (online and in-person)
-Open Dharma Talks and Meditations
-Yoga Nidra and Deep Rest Practices
-Generative Somatics
-Start Here, Start Now by Bhante Gunaratana
-Unfold Portland
-Somatic IFS

Basic Needs Resources
-Rose City Resource Guide from StreetrootsOther Resources of Potential Interest
-a Haudenosaunee thanksgiving prayer
-the village mystery school
-Joanna Macy on world as lover, world as self / the work that reconnects
-kohenet hebrew priestss institute
-queer nature
-people's echo
-irish grounded connections
-Braiding Sweetgrass: indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge, and the teachings of plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
-Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World by Tyson Yunkaporta
-Radical Dharma by rev. angel Kyodo williams, Lama Rod Owens, and Jasmine Syedullah
-the work that reconnects
-The Radiance Sutras translated by Lorin Roche.
-Oyology by Minna Salami
-Nordic Animism
-invasion of america
-A Peoples' History of the United States by Howard Zinn
-the construct of resilience: a critical evaluation
-quality land acknowledgements for the portland area
-cession 352, the treaty between the "calapooia" + "confederated bands of willamette valley" and the united states government (you can read more about willamette valley treaties here)
-turtle island
-oregon's indigenous history
- An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States
-Kalapuyan history
-Gendercide in Spanish California
-Vanport
-racist and classist eminent domain seizures in portland
-POC history in Oregon
-race exclusion laws in oregon.
-Unsheltered peoples' demographics in Portland
-spring up
-call on me, not the cops
-"what is transformative justice" from the Barnard Center for Research on Women
-the abolition and disability justice coalition
-mad survival tools: stay mad, stay together
-mad maps for the pandemic
-rethinking mental health: history of the mad movement and alternatives to biomedical approaches
-Laziness Does Not Exist- Devon Price
-Joyful Militancy: Building Thriving Resistance in Toxic Times by Carla Bergman
-inquisitive human classes
-emergent strategy and pleasure activism: the politics of feeling good by adrienne maree brown
-decolonizing nonviolent communication by meenadchi
-animist arts
-bridging complexity collectively: individualism as a system of oppression
-relational uprising
-queer attachment: an anti-oppression toolkit for relational healing
-emergent liberation collective

"I really appreciate how they are able to gently coax my mind to the process. It feels more collaborative than other practitioners I've worked with. The pressure and long holds help me tune in with how that piece of me is connected to the rest of me and just breath into it...I've never felt more seen and understood by a practitioner before and it makes a big difference in feeling safe."
- J

"Muir is amazing! i've had multiple sessions with them and leave feeling rested and back to equilibrium each time. Muir is thoughtful, and caring from start to finish. I felt comfortable and held."
-Grace

"Muir is an exceptional bodyworker. I have traded bodywork with them on multiple occasions.....
I recommend Muir to everyone looking for myofascial work as well as anyone who wishes to find a quiet mind from a genuine, caring and intelligent being."
-Sophie

"I had the experience of safety and atunement that is so necessary for me when I receive this type of work. muir has an intuitive sense of what our bodies need to open up and activate their own inherent resources. Thank you!"
-Vinnie

"Muir is amazing! Every aspect of the experience is so thoughtfully curated. I always leave feeling relaxed and back to a state of balance. I haven’t experienced anything like it."
-Anonymous

"Muir is extremely knowledgeable about the body and explained different processes thoroughly. I left the session feeling much more relaxed. They also followed up after with recommendations and different things that might improve the pain that I have. Looking forward to more sessions."
-David

I use trauma-informed somatic and insight practices, conflict resolution interventions, and decolonial anthropological frameworks to help people better understand themselves, their relationships, and their communities.I live and work on the occupied land of the Chinook people, among many others.
(Portland, Oregon)
Whose land are you on? | Landback

University Settings

(In progress) BS in Anthropology, Minor in Indigenous Nations Studies | Portland State University

Explore The Law 2023 Cohort | Portland State University

Practitioner Settings and Community-Based Learning

Licensed Massage Therapist

Unfold 200 hour yoga teacher training | Unfold Portland

Trauma-Informed Awareness Oriented Connective Bodywork | The Pacific Center for Awareness and Bodywork

Indigenous Traditional Ecological and Cultural Knowledge (ITECK)

Over the course of my time completing an Indigenous Nations studies minor at PSU, I completed about 100 hours of community-based learning focusing on ITECK. These experiences took the form of attending webinars, helping with campus re-Indigenization projects such as PSU's Oak Savanna, and attending community gardening and planting events rooted in ITECK: for example, The Native Gathering Gardens community work day in Cully and the Wapas nah nee shaku volunteer days.

Selected Class Papers

Midterm Paper for First Foods of the Pacific NorthwestStates of Exception and Threats to Democracy for The Anthropology of ViolenceClose Reading of Edge of the Knife for Horror and IndigeneityLit Summary for Indigenous ScienceFinal Explication Paper for Junior Honors Writing Class

Trauma-Informed Bodywork and Accessible Yoga

Since their original bodywork training in 2017, Muir has loved helping people with their pain. After a decade of personal yoga practice, they expanded their skillset in 2023 with a 200 hour yoga teacher training. Both ancient wisdom and contemporary science tell us that pain, stress, and trauma are complex and intersecting forces that, when left untended, can wreak havoc on our lives and well-being. However, when given the proper care and attention they can also be powerful sources of personal insight and collective transformation. Muir's goal as a practitioner is to help clients access a growing sense of bodily agency and somatic awareness, while finding relief, empowerment, and resilience around potentially challenging experiences like anxiety, grief, and pain.To learn more and view client testimonials, visit anabhainn.com

Outdoor Skills and Education

Muir has been working as an outdoor educator on and off since they were in high school. Ranging from food security-oriented gardening projects to nature immersion programs, Muir has worked in a variety of contexts with mixed age groups-- they have also taught kids and adults how to swim. In addition to working for themself, Muir has worked for Rewild Portland, Trackers Earth, The Boys and Girls Club of America, and Treehouse Preschool.As an educator, Muir emphasizes personal and group empowerment and non-hierarchy as much as possible, especially when working with kids. They view outdoor education as both a vehicle for increased self-confidence and fulfillment as well as an opportunity to develop compassion and connection to other humans and to the more-than-human world.

Hygiene4All Internship
(In Progress)

As an undergraduate student, Muir worked for Portland, Oregon nonprofit Hygiene4All as a research intern. In addition to conducting qualitative research about cold weather injuries among local unsheltered individuals, Muir also assisted as an on the ground service provider at the hub. This experience required them to utilize their people skills, their experience with trauma-informed care, and their anthropological skillset.

Credit: https://www.h4apdx.org/