Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy in Notting Hill and Holland Park, West London
Howard left school in 1974 and joined Uhuru, a workers’ collective running a wholefood shop and café in East Oxford. He contributed to the development of local community projects pioneered by Uhuru, including a project working with young offenders and a summer play scheme for local children.
In 1979 Howard set off overland to India, hitch-hiking through Europe, then boarding the Magic Bus in Istanbul, bound for Delhi. He traveled through Iran in the midst of revolution and then into Afghanistan and the violence of Russia’s occupation. The days of the Magic Bus ended in a deadly ambush by mujahideen on the road from Herat to Kandahar. Too close an encounter with war and death woke him fully to the present. (Read more here)
After an eight month spiritual voyage in India, Howard returned to England to study Traditional Chinese Medicine with J R Worsley in Leamington Spa. Concurrently, he managed of Neals Yard Wholefoods in London’s Covent Garden.
Howard’s acupuncture studies led him not into therapy practice but into twelve years of Fourth Way studies under the guidance of some remarkable teachers. He retrained in Information Technology and joined British Telecom International as a Business Analyst. In his free time he studied Limon dance technique, voice with Roy Hart Theatre, acting with Jack Waltzer), physical theatre, Gurdjieff movements and yoga.
In 1991, Howard was given a copy of Stanley Keleman’s book ‘Emotional Anatomy’. Inspired by Keleman’s ideas on Formative Psychology, he traveled to Belgium to join a five-day retreat that Keleman was leading. He followed Keleman’s guidance and started training in Body Oriented Psychotherapy at The Minster Centre.
In 1992 Howard learned Traditional Thai Healing Massage with Harry McGill of the School of Oriental Massage and started a practice at The Life Centre in Notting Hill Gate. In 1994 he undertook an advanced training in Thai Massage with Asokananda (Harald Brust).
Howard continued his psychotherapy training, studying Core Process Psychotherapy at the Karuna Institute where he met Franklyn Sills. In 1996 he completed a post-graduate training in Craniosacral Therapy with Franklyn while working as a Body Oriented Psychotherapist under the supervision of Dr Brenda Davies, a Consultant Psychiatrist.
In 1997 Howard completed a Masters Degree in Therapeutic Bodywork at the University of Westminster under the tutelage of Leon Chaitow and Dr David Peters. Howard’s MA thesis discussed the significance of therapeutic listening both from a craniosacral and psychotherapeutic perspective. He suggested the possibility of a memory of health to which the patient could reorient, given the right therapeutic relationship. Click here to read extract
Conference
Howard has presented his work at:
- SITEM (Simposio Internacional de Técnicas de Masaje), Barcelona, 1998
- SITEM, Barcelona, 2000
- CONFER, ‘The Power of Touch‘, London, 2007
- CONFER, ‘The Practitioner’s Body‘, London, 2008
- Son Llatzer Hospital, Mallorca, October 2008
- Son Llatzer Hospital, Mallorca, June 2009
- IBILAB Clinic for assisted pregnancy, April 2014
- BRCA2 La realidad genetica, Club Ultima Hora, April 2016
Teaching
Howard’s teaching career started in 1994 when he was asked to teach Thai Yoga Massage at Morley College in London. He also served as a course assessor for the London Open College Network, guiding other providers through the process of course design and accreditation.
In 1997 he was asked to teach Thai Yoga Massage at the University of Westminster. Although this course was originally designed for students studying within the School of Integrated Health, it attracted students from other faculties and provided a rare opportunity for knowledge exchange across departments. Howard continued to teach the course at the University until 2006.
Howard has taught at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, University of Westminster, Morley College, CONFER and Diamond Light Tantra in London; Centro Maxime d’Harroche, Centro de Terapias Manuales and SITEM in Barcelona; AFEDECO and Centro Bettina Papenkort in Mallorca; Haber Bodywork and European Gathering – Free Style Thai Massage in Croatia.
Publications
Howard has written articles on Craniosacral Therapy for The Fulcrum (2006) and The Journal of Holistic Healthcare (November 2007).
Howard’s first book, ‘A Myofascial Approach to Thai Massage’, was published in 2009 by Churchill Livingstone. This groundbreaking book contributed to the emerging appreciation of the importance of connective tissue in physical therapy by proposing that the ‘sen’ manipulated in Thai Massage and the ‘nadis’ stretched and opened in yoga practice can be better understood as myofascial pathways than as energy lines.
In 2011 the 3rd edition of ‘Modern Neuromuscular Techniques’ included a chapter written by Howard, in which he suggested that Neuromuscular Technique (which itself derived from ‘Pranatherapy’ practiced by Dr. Dewanchand Varma) and Thai Massage share a common origin and aim.
Howard was a regular reviewer of articles for the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies under its editor, the late Leon Chaitow, and advisor to the publisher, Handspring Publishing. He writes fiction and his books can be found on Amazon.
Meditation
Howard trained as a meditation teacher in the Kashmir Shaivism tradition with Alexander Filmer-Lorch in 2016. He integrates this into his yoga classes.
Reiki
Howard trained as a Reiki practitioner in 1995. He became a Reiki Master and teacher in 2019
Howard has given talks and run Master Classes on Therapeutic Bodywork for other schools and professional associations including: Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, University of Westminster, Morley College, CONFER, Diamond Light Tantra in London; Centro Maxime d’Harroche, Centro de Terapias Manuales and SITEM in Barcelona; AFEDECO and Centro Bettina Papenkort in Malorca; Sunshine House and European Gathering – Free Style Thai Massage in Croatia.
Courses
Howard runs courses throughout the year in Craniosacral therapy, teaching in England, Spain and Croatia.