The Body and Birthworker

The Body and Birthworker Sydney Holets is a certified doula, licensed massage therapist, & aromatherapist in the Twin Cities

Exciting news! I started a new massage job today🤩 at Avivage Massage in Saint Paul. Avivage is a French word that means,...
01/07/2023

Exciting news! I started a new massage job today🤩 at Avivage Massage in Saint Paul. Avivage is a French word that means, ā€œto make bright againā€, perfectly describing the rejuvenating soul-shining massage offers to your body & mind.

I’m so thankful to be welcomed in to Avivage’s beautiful community of massage therapists and people looking to care for their bodies. I feel lucky to be on this path of sharing healing touch with others and encouraging a little more peace in the world. The gratitude I hold for this work and for people allowing me to bring my energy into theirs is more than wordsšŸ’›

Come and visit me in our cozy house at Avivage! I’d love to treat you and your body to some TLC🄰

I’ve been absent for awhile. Social media is hard, especially when it feels like the world is in pieces. I’ve been worki...
06/06/2022

I’ve been absent for awhile.

Social media is hard, especially when it feels like the world is in pieces. I’ve been working pretty much all day, every day of the week, plus experiencing some really emotionally intense harassment because of who I choose to love. So my brain hasn’t had a whole lot of extra capacity! But I’m here and caring for families, caring for bodies, and leaning into love as often as I’m able.

Just wanted to share this bit of love with you. I celebrated my second anniversary with the sweetest partner in Nashville, and it was the most wonderful. We had relaxing days together outside, ate amazing vegan food, went to museums, and sang karaoke for the first time together at a piano bar!

Life with my love is a dream, and I know many people would tell me otherwise. Despite the shame and hate that some want to spread, I want to say I’m here and proud of our love. This part of me is both so familiar and new, and I’m still working through my childhood and imposter syndrome to embrace myself and my love in all its glory. And oh, is it gloriousšŸ’–šŸŒŸ

Happy Pride, wishing you all so much love & light

Curious about my in-home bodywork sessions? Right now I’m exclusively providing traveling bodywork, bringing care & heal...
05/02/2022

Curious about my in-home bodywork sessions?

Right now I’m exclusively providing traveling bodywork, bringing care & healing right to your home until I have my own space one day.

I love visiting people’s homes and having sessions where they feel most comfortable: in their bedroom, family room, dining room, home offices, baby’s nursery. I’ve done sessions in nearly every kind of space (besides a bathroom🤪)!

You don’t have to worry about leaving your house, traveling somewhere, being new in an unfamiliar space. The body relaxes best when it feels safe and secure, and it’s such a joy to bring the healing to your own home where you can continue to unwind right after the session is finished.

Want to schedule a session with me? Visit www.bodyandbirthworker.com or reach out at bodyandbirthworker@gmail.com

04/28/2022

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A few weeks ago I shared an amazing postpartum reflexology session with someone I met in my earliest days of being a dou...
04/13/2022

A few weeks ago I shared an amazing postpartum reflexology session with someone I met in my earliest days of being a doula! Now we’re both at Blooma and it was so special we could have this session to help her relax after having her second baby. Read on for her session testimony:

"Just had a 90 minute reflexology session with Sydney and feeling so very relaxed and refreshed! It's so wonderful that she's able to offer convenient sessions in the comfort of your own home as she brings all that she needs. Her zero gravity chair is so comfortable and quickly takes you into relaxation mode, along with Sydney's added touches of calming music and blankets. Sydney is such a warm, attentive and caring person that tailors the session ahead of time to meet your specific needs. I really appreciated how much thought she put into the session and felt completely cared for. I drifted off to another dimension and was restored afterward. I highly recommend her services and look forward to another in the future! Thank you Sydney!ā€

Interested in a session for yourself? Visit www.bodyandbirthworker.com or reach out at bodyandbirthworker@gmail.com to schedule!

I’m so honored & excited to share that this spring I’m joining Pregnancy & Postpartum Support Minnesota as a postpartum ...
04/03/2022

I’m so honored & excited to share that this spring I’m joining Pregnancy & Postpartum Support Minnesota as a postpartum doula in their scholarship program!

The Radhika Lal Snyder Postpartum Doula Scholarship program is very special, offering free postpartum care to selected families who apply. Everyone deserves comprehensive support during postpartum, and I love that this program makes the necessary care more accessible for all families.

Would you like this support or know another family who would benefit? Nominate yourself or someone else in need of care and experience the feeling of being lovingly supported in postpartum šŸ’›

Visit ’s website to apply for the scholarship. Deadline is April 30th!

I don’t think I’ve done an introduction post since I started this account ages ago! So in honor of   I thought I’d reint...
03/25/2022

I don’t think I’ve done an introduction post since I started this account ages ago! So in honor of I thought I’d reintroduce myself and share some sweet doula moments🄰

My name is Sydney (she/her) and I’m a postpartum doula, reflexologist, massage therapist, aromatherapist, plant-based home chef, care worker & nurturer, empath, and a mom to two kittens and lots of houseplants.

I came to birthwork because I’ve been so naturally drawn to caring for others my entire life. Everybody just wants to be seen for who they are in the present moment, and caring for people in postpartum is such a sacred time and space to hold. I feel so honored to get to witness people grow in confidence as new parents and human beings, reconnecting with who they are as people and parents.

My goal in the work I do is to gently guide people to trust and find home in their bodies through care work, cooking, bodywork, etc. When we can know and trust ourselves, the world around us becomes a little softer. When you believe in the goodness within yourself, you’re better able to protect that energy and share it with the universe.

If we haven’t met yet, I’d love to meet you! Tell me about your favorite things in the comments, or to connect about bodywork or postpartum care, visit my website
www.bodyandbirthworker.com

A peek at my reflexology space in a client’s home last weekšŸ’œIf you book a reflexology session with me, I show up at your...
03/15/2022

A peek at my reflexology space in a client’s home last weekšŸ’œ

If you book a reflexology session with me, I show up at your home with this whole set-up!

My reflexology chair is zero-gravity, which gently leans back to prop your feet up above your heart space for optimal circulation, ease of breathing, and relaxation. With blankets and pillows for support, you’ll sink right in and let the reflexology do the rest. When I was searching for the right chair, it was important to me that the chair be nice and spacious and well-supported to make it accessible, comfortable, and safe for all bodies during a session.

My trusty saddle stool allows me to roll around you during session to smoothly access each hand and foot without disruption, while keeping my own body comfortable and in good mechanics.

I offer 60 or 90 minute sessions catered specifically to you and your body’s needs. Want to schedule a session with me? Visit www.bodyandbirthworker.com or reach out at bodyandbirthworker@gmail.com

What does reflexology *feel* like? I get this question so often, as most people haven’t experienced reflexology before, ...
03/04/2022

What does reflexology *feel* like?

I get this question so often, as most people haven’t experienced reflexology before, or they simply equate it to a hand or foot massage.

There are a wide variety of techniques I use during a session. Unlike massage, which has broader soothing strokes, reflexology is much more pinpointed and specific. I incorporate some hand/foot massage to warm up and soothe the tissues, range of motion stretches to help loosen and find areas of tension, then the focused reflexology points using direct or alternating pressure.

People call it ā€œthe best foot massage you’ll ever experienceā€ and say their feet feel like clouds after they finish! Others exclaim to me throughout the session how they can feel different sensations and relaxation in other parts of the body, when I’m just detailing certain pressure points on the limbs. This is when the work really feels magical. People wake up feeling refreshed and in awe of how such a full-body experience comes from working on solely the hands & feet.

Want to experience the magic for yourself? Visit www.bodyandbirthworker.com or reach out at bodyandbirthworker@gmail.com to schedule a session

It’s   and I’m feeling so blessed to be where I am in my recovery. I recently saw on an anti-diet dietitian’s page the s...
02/26/2022

It’s and I’m feeling so blessed to be where I am in my recovery.

I recently saw on an anti-diet dietitian’s page the statement, ā€œMy body is bigger and so is my life.ā€ Which couldn’t be more true. I never imagined a world where I’d stop hating my body and shrinking myself to be ā€œgoodā€. I became small in every way: in my body, the way I showed up in spaces, the permission and opportunities I granted myself. Restriction & starving is just a slow death. Thinness never gives the long-term happiness it promises. I thought I was supposed to be small and sad forever. And how freeing now, to take up as much space as my sweet body needs without fear.

I am so privileged and thankful to have the tools and headspace to heal. I could never be as good of a doula, partner, friend, and human if I didn’t forgive myself over and over and over again and start recovering. And what a gift it is now, to get to use my own healing body to heal other bodies through bodywork and cooking nourishing meals, to present them with the idea of finding trust and home in their own bodies.

Every day is a choice to continue healing or to give in to the pressures of diet culture. And I’m so grateful I’m still here to choose life & love & joy & healing, each and every day.

Eat for joy, my sweet friends. We are not here on this earth to shame & be disappointed in our bodies and shrink ourselves for our whole lives. You were once a small baby where your changing body and growth was celebrated, and that’s still within you. You and your body deserve to be here and take up all the space you needšŸ’›

What exactly is reflexology and what does it do?Most people haven’t heard of reflexology before, which makes sense! It’s...
02/26/2022

What exactly is reflexology and what does it do?

Most people haven’t heard of reflexology before, which makes sense! It’s a gentle form of body & energy work that tends to be more popular in Europe, but I’m excited to bring it more locally and make it accessible for those who have never had a session.

On each hand and foot is a map of the entire body (see second slide): insides, outsides, and mental states. Reflexology uses specific techniques to apply pressure to certain points on the limbs to bring healing to the rest of your body. Don’t like your feet being touched? No problem! Reflexology works the same when focusing solely on the hands, too.

In a session, I typically ask people 3-5 body parts or states that ache or just don’t feel quite right, and we focus on those points. Like acupuncture, reflexology works with your body’s meridians, gently giving the body permission to slip into a deep, relaxing state where healing can happen and your body can return to your own unique homeostasis.

Every body can benefit from reflexology, and here are some common experiences reflexology can help with:

•Stress
•Anxiety
•Sleep
•Depression
•Digestion
•Irritable Bowel Syndrome
•Headaches
•Post traumatic stress disorder
•Menstrual pains
•Respiratory issues
•Immune health
•Increasing energy levels
•Relieving aches and pains (chronic & acute)
•Fertility
•Pregnancy & postpartum recovery
•Promoting healthy body, organ, and mind function
•Teaching the body to react less in times of stress
•And so much more

Interested in adding reflexology to your self-care practice? Reach out with questions or to schedule with me at bodyandbirthworker@gmail.com

www.bodyandbirthworker.com

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Saint Paul, MN

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