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ANN ARBOR
MASSAGE &
YOGA THERAPY
About Miriam
LMT, Yoga Teacher, Retreat Leader
Looking for an attuned, feminine style of massage?
Curious about a “womb-friendly” approach to yoga?
Are you a mama in deep need of a nourishing retreat?
❊ Maybe you’re tired of massage therapists that only see you as a mechanical clock to be “fixed”, and want to be treated as a whole being. (or at least a wee bit intuitively).
❊ Yet you also need and want some precise hands-on therapy that helps relieve pain and increase your flexibility.
❊ Or maybe you struggle to feel connected to your body or menstrual cycle, (or you’re a total menstruation nerd but want to connect your movement or meditation practices to your cyclical nature.)
❊ You’ve tried physical therapy or chiropractic and want an approach that feels like it supports your heart and womb-life too.
❊ You feel challenged to adapt to a big life change such as a pregnancy or birth, menstrual irregularity or discomfort, or mom life and you’re curious about how massage, yoga (or a retreat) might help.
❊ You simply crave some time to slow down, and deeply nourish your body.
Did you feel seen as you read the above? If so, welcome! You’re in the right place.
My name is Miriam Joy Dowd-Eller,
and I believe we’re meant to heal in relationship
My journey began when I was a young teen when my mother (who was a massage therapist–later turned music therapist) brought me to my first teen yoga class and has gradually evolved into a bundle of professional offerings to support and empower all women, mothers, and girls to live in sync with their bodies and embrace timeless ways of healing: touch, movement, song, and community. (Thanks mom!).
As a licensed massage therapist, yoga and somatic movement teacher, retreat facilitator, song leader, and mother of one hilarious toddler, I’ve spent tons of hours tinkering in the healing arts and community-building worlds.
What kind of Massage do I offer?
As a dedicated athlete growing up (but also a sensitive person), I integrate a precise technical knowledge of the body with a whole-hearted approach to hands-on therapy. I offer an blend of:
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Thai Massage,
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Prenatal Massage and specialty training in Postpartum Ayurvedic massage.
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Active Isolated Stretching,
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Orthopedic Massage and Assessment Techniques,
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Myomassology: a natural outgrowth of Swedish relaxation massage that incorporates techniques such as trigger point therapy, energy work, reflexology, and neuromuscular reeducation.
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I completed school at Irene’s Myomassology Institute in Southfield, MI (650 hr program) and received my license in 2015. MICHIGAN MASSAGE LICENSE I.D. # 7501008666
What kind of Movement do I teach?
My yoga classes draw from:
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Classical Hatha yoga,
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Restorative yoga,
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Yoga Nidra,
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Yoga for your Ayurvedic body type
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Yoga for hormonal and menstrual health. I have studied with international women’s yoga therapist Uma Dinsmore-Tuli and have trained as an Ayurvedic postpartum doula.
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Somatic Yoga Therapy
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I am the Yoga anatomy teacher for our 200-hour yoga teacher training.
(200-hour yoga teacher training in 2017. Though I am not a fully certified Yoga Therapist like my husband Trevor, I offer private yoga coaching with a focus on women's health (for fertility, pregnancy, postnatal recovery, perimenopause, and especially throughout a woman's menstruating years.)
In my early 20’s I trained as a somatic/ecstatic/contemplative dance teacher (Dancing Freedom 200 hr certification program in 2012), interned for 5 months with InterPlay (Oakland, CA), practiced Mind-Body Centering, Authentic Movement, Contact Improv, and sometimes weave these and other somatic and creative approaches to movement and meditation into classes and retreats.
I also love to add simple song meditations into most of my classes and retreats if I can swing it! LEARN MORE >
What kind of retreats do I offer?
Seasonal day-long retreats for mamas (ReVillaging for Modern Mothers) at EarthWell Retreat Center, only 25 minutes from Ann Arbor, near the towns of Chelsea, Grasslake, and Manchester.
These retreats explore some of the qualities, mindsets, and tools mamas can use in their journey of embracing motherhood as a welcome rite of passage towards “ReVillaging” (finding or building the support, community, friendships, and connections we dream of).
We nourish our souls and build heart-felt community through song, gentle yoga, relaxation and meditation practices, nature-connection, partner exercises, journal-prompts, sharing circles, and a whole lotta laughter.
I tend to believe that:
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Touch, movement, song, story, and stillness are powerful and universal ways of healing
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Changing the world starts with our relationship to ourselves first.
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What happens in the mind, is mirrored in the body. And vice versa
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The body is always letting us know what it needs, sometimes in the form of pain or dysfunction
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A “no-pain-no-gain” approach often means our body will just be rebelling later on.
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We must model thriving in order for our children to thrive
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Embodied presence can help our nervous system attune to healing.
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A non-judgmental ear (or circle) to bear witness to our grief and joys is a human right
...Nourished women, nourish the village
Random facts about me and my life:
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I’m a mama of one amazing little girl born in 2020 and have been with my yoga-philosophy nerd husband, Trevor, since 2013.
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I played a year of college basketball at a small hippie school, only to leave the team to join the Environmental Club.
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I was "unschooled" during the next 3 of my college-age years, and interned, apprenticed, and volunteered at over 12 non-profit organizations, intentional communities, and businesses in over 5 states and two countries. (In the realms of community building, social entrepreneurship, and movement therapy).
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I’m a heartfelt yet reluctant song leader, only because I have a hard time remembering the words to songs. ( ;
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I’m a highly sensitive person (HSP), but don’t feel blindsided by that like I once used to. (and have found some pretty good professional avenues to utilize sensitivity as a superpower!)
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I’ve finally settled on being an Extroverted HSP: “Let’s all hang out together, but like…can we all be quiet…outside…while meditating?
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I’m a Chai-aholic (Indian spiced tea), and have a weak spot for a good gluten-free cookie