Soma Sundays: Bodywork Practice Labs
About the Series
Soma Sundays is our ongoing series of practice sessions, where emerging body-based approaches meet real hands, real bodies, and real curiosity.
Each series focuses on a specific modality or area of clinical interest — Visceral Manipulation and Craniosacral Therapy.
We believe good clinical care doesn't stand still. Continuing education, hands-on practice, and lived exploration are how our practitioners stay current and how Soma Haus continues to offer care that is grounded, honest, and always evolving.
Both are gentle, hands-on approaches that grew out of osteopathy. Rather than chasing symptoms, they work with the body's own movement and rhythms, helping it find its way back to ease.
Visceral Manipulation
Your organs aren't fixed in place. They glide and shift as you breathe and move. Developed by French osteopath Jean-Pierre Barral, this work gently supports that movement in the organs and the connective tissues around them.
- Natural movement of organs
- Tissue mobility and elasticity
- Balance between body systems
Craniosacral Therapy
You stay fully clothed, lying on a treatment table, while the practitioner makes light contact (often no more than the weight of a hand) at the head, spine, ribs, hips and feet.
- Gentle, light-touch contact
- Listening to the body's subtle rhythms
- Space for the nervous system to settle
What is a Practice Lab?
A practice space for clinical learning — open to curious, healthy individuals.
These sessions are part of our ongoing clinical practice in Craniosacral Therapy and Visceral Manipulation. We’re opening a small number of spots for healthy individuals to experience the work firsthand while we deepen our practice.
Craniosacral Therapy: 50 minutes
Visceral Manipulation: 45 minutes
Please note that this is not a treatment session. There are no therapeutic goals, no assessments, and no follow-up care plan.
By participating in a Soma Sundays practice lab, you are consenting to being part of a clinical learning environment. Sessions may be filmed or photographed for educational and marketing purposes — images will not include your face directly, and will only be used by Soma Haus.
You may also be asked a few brief questions after your session about how you felt — your responses help us deepen our understanding of the work and may be shared anonymously.
The session is suitable if you:
Are generally well with no active health concerns
Are not currently seeking treatment for any condition
Are simply curious about how the body works from this approach
Details
Date
October 18, Sunday (Visceral Practice Lab) - 9-1 pm
November 22, Sunday (Visceral Practice Lab) - 9 -1 pm
November 22, Sunday (Craniosacral Practice Lab) - 1-4 pm
Session Times
Sessions are offered in allocated time slots on a first come, first served basis. When you register, you'll be assigned an available slot. We will try our best to accommodate your time preference.
Location:
Tanjong Pagar Clinic
Price
Free
Registration
By participating in a Soma Sundays practice lab, you are consenting to being part of a clinical learning environment. Sessions may be filmed or photographed for educational and marketing purposes — images will not include your face directly, and will only be used by Soma Haus.
You may also be asked a few brief questions after your session about how you felt — your responses help us deepen our understanding of the work and may be shared anonymously.
About your Therapists
Kathy Gabriel
Kathy is an integrative bodyworker, licensed Craniosacral Therapist (CST), and counsellor / psychotherapist. She brings a holistic, trauma-informed somatic approach that honours the interconnectedness of mind and body.
Her practice combines Craniosacral Therapy with soft tissue mobilisation, neural and visceral manipulation techniques, alongside support for pain management and psychoeducation.
Read Kathy's bio →
Dr Ruth Norwinda
Ruth graduated from Boston University (USA) with a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training in 2013 and a Doctor of Physical Therapy in 2015, and is fully registered with the Allied Health Professionals Council in Singapore.
She has extensive experience with neurological and musculoskeletal conditions across acute and chronic populations, including stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury and Parkinson's disease.
Read Ruth's bio →
Si Xian Lim
Si Xian trained with Body Intelligence and is a professional member of the Pacific Association of Craniosacral Therapists (PACT). Known for her gentle, grounding presence, her work is rooted in presence, relationality and respect for the body's own capacity to heal.
She also draws on the Hakomi method, using supportive touch and gentle inquiry to invite people into a deeper relationship with their bodies and minds.
Read Si Xian's bio →Frequently asked questions
What is a Practice Lab?
It's a relaxed space for clinical learning. Our practitioners use these sessions to deepen their hands-on skills in Craniosacral Therapy and Visceral Manipulation, and you get to experience the work firsthand.
What is Visceral Manipulation?
Your internal organs aren't fixed in place — they have a natural, subtle movement to them. Healthy organs glide and shift freely as you breathe, move, and go about your day.
When tissues lose their elasticity or mobility — through stress, injury, surgery, or simply the accumulation of life — the body quietly compensates. For a while, you may not notice anything. But over time, when those compensations run out, symptoms can surface in ways that seem to come out of nowhere.
Visceral Manipulation is a gentle, hands-on approach developed by French osteopath Jean-Pierre Barral. Rather than targeting symptoms directly, it works with the mobility and natural movement of the organs and surrounding connective tissues — helping the body find its way back to balance from the inside out.
What is Craniosacral Therapy?
Craniosacral Therapy is a gentle, hands-on approach that grew out of osteopathy. You stay fully clothed, lying on a treatment table, while the practitioner makes light contact, often no more than the weight of a hand, at the head, spine, ribs, hips and feet. The work listens to the body's subtler rhythms and gives the nervous system space to settle.
How is this different from a regular session?
A regular session is built around you: we take a history, set goals together, and plan follow-up care. A Practice Lab session has none of that. There are no assessments, no therapeutic goals and no care plan. It's simply a chance to experience the work.
How long are the sessions?
Craniosacral Therapy: 50 minutes
Visceral Manipulation: 45 minutes
Which one should I choose?
Both are gentle and hands-on. If you're not sure, pick whichever you're most curious about. There's no wrong choice.
Who can join?
Practice Labs are for people who are generally well, have no active health concerns, and aren't currently seeking treatment for a condition.
If you're pregnant, recovering from recent surgery, or managing an ongoing condition, please book a regular session instead so we can support you properly.
What should I wear?
Comfortable, loose clothing you can lie down in. You stay fully clothed throughout. For Visceral Manipulation, we may work gently over the abdomen through your clothes.
What will it feel like?
Most people find it calm and quiet. The touch is light, often no more than the weight of a hand. Some people feel warmth, gentle movement or deep relaxation, and some feel very little. Any of these is completely normal.
Will I be filmed or photographed?
Sessions may be filmed or photographed for educational and marketing purposes, but we will always ask for your permission first. Images will not show your face directly and will only be used by Soma Haus.
Why do you ask questions after the session?
We may ask a few short questions about how you felt. Your answers help our practitioners understand the work more deeply and may be shared anonymously.
Can I stop the session at any time?
Yes. You're in charge of your experience. You can ask the practitioner to change their touch, take a pause, or end the session whenever you like.
How much does it cost?
Practice Labs are free. If you'd like to, we welcome donations to our sliding-scale fund, which helps make care accessible to people who might not otherwise be able to afford it.
Where and when are Practice Labs held?
Practice Labs run on selected Sundays at [Joo Chiat / Tanjong Pagar Plaza]. [Upcoming dates]
How do I book?
Register for a Soma Sundays Practice Lab →
Spots are limited, so we recommend registering early.
What if I'd like to continue after the Practice Lab?
We'd love that. You can book a regular Craniosacral Therapy or Visceral Manipulation session, where we'll take a full history and work with your goals.