H
oward Evans started working as a massage practitioner in 1992 after a curious and serendipitous preparation. In the mid 1970’s he left school and joined ‘Uhuru’, a worker’s collective in Oxford. As well as serving the local community through a wholefood shop and café, Uhuru was a centre for local and third world development projects.

After a couple of years of trying to change the world Howard decided to try and change himself. His only tool at the time was a little book called ‘Zen Flesh, Zen Bones’ which inspired him to search for the experience of being in the present whilst working variously as an organic gardener, an oil rig steward and a welder’s mate.

In 1979 Howard set off overland on a spiritual voyage to India and found himself in Tehran in the midst of the chaos of revolution and then in Afghanistan at war. His road trip ended in a violent ambush near Herat. Too close an encounter with death truly woke him to the present and deepened his search for meaning and purpose.

After eight months in India Howard returned to England to study Chinese acupuncture with J R Worsley in Leamington Spa and manage Neals Yard Wholefoods store in London. His acupuncture studies led him not into therapy practice but into twelve years of meditation practice under the guidance of some remarkable teachers. During this period he worked as an analyst in computing and studied dance, voice, acting, physical theatre, yoga and massage.

In 1992, inspired by a book and then by the work of Stanley Keleman, Howard started training in integrative and core process psychotherapy and practicing as a masseur. He came to understand that his skill lay more with touch than with talk. In 1996 he completed a post-graduate training in craniosacral therapy with Franklyn Sills and in 1997 an MA in Therapeutic Bodywork at the University of Westminster. Howard’s MA thesis gave him the opportunity to explore bodywork as a form of silent psychotherapy – an enquiry that continues to this day. Since then he has undertaken advanced courses in craniosacral biodynamics with Franklyn Sills and Michael Shea.

Howard still has his copy of ‘Zen Flesh, Zen Bones. He still aspires to being in the present. He understands just how much that depends on sensation and connection with the body. His therapy work becomes simpler and more effective as that connection with the body is deepened. Like so many before him, Howard has discovered that spiritual experience is a sensation that arises from relaxation and openness, not words and dogma.

Howard Evans practices craniosacral therapy, Thai Massage and Esalen style massage. Regardless of the technique employed you will benefit from a quality of touch, attention and presence developed over many years of practice, study and teaching.

 

Howard has been Teaching since 1994. Soon after starting to practice Thai Massage at the Life Centre in Notting Hill he was invited to set up and teach a Thai Massage course at Morley College. This was followed with a similar invitation by the University of Westminster where Thai Massage was offered as a module on the degree programs in complementary medicine in what is now called the School of Integrated Health. Howard also teaches independently in London, Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca.

 

 “A Myofascial Approach to Thai Massage” published by Churchill Livingstone in January 2009 is Howard’s first book. It is available from Elsevier, Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk or from your local book shop.

‘Craniosacral therapy and the perception of inherent health’. This article was published in the Journal of Holistic Healthcare, Volume 4, Issue 4, November 2007. Howard wrote it to accompany a talk he gave at the ‘Power of Touch’ conference organised by CONFER at the University of Westminster.

 

2006 Equine Craniosacral course with Craniosacral Therapy Education Trust
2005 ‘Embryology’ – an advanced craniosacral  course with Michael Shea
2003 ‘Breath of Life’ – an advanced craniosacral course with Franklyn Sills
1995-1997 MA Therapeutic Bodywork, University of Westminster
1995-1997 Soft tissue manipulation with Leon Chaitow
1995-1996 Diploma, Craniosacral Therapy, Craniosacral Therapy Education Trust
1995 Advanced Thai Massage with Asokananda
1994-1995 Core Process Psychotherapy, Karuna Institute
1992-1994 Integrative Psychotherapy, Minster Centre
1992 Somatic Psychology with Stanley Keleman
1992 Diploma, Traditional Thai Healing Massage, The School of Oriental Massage
1978-1980 Traditional Chinese Acupuncture with JR Worsley