Our story

Our Story

CHANEL BARAN PHOTO

About Helen

Originally from New Zealand, I am a qualified, experienced massage therapist and yoga teacher, currently living and practising in beautiful, tropical Cairns.

My massage and yoga journey began in 2002 whilst living in Hong Kong, teaching health education for a local NGO. In the middle of a vibrant but hectic city, I discovered a beautiful little sanctuary — a yoga school named Sriyoga. From my very first class there, I felt a deep sense of peace and steadiness and I have maintained a regular yoga practice ever since.

That same year, I began my studies in massage therapy. I’ve always felt drawn to massage, even when I was a little girl, giving hand and foot massages to my mum and her friends when they came to visit.

Over the last 19 years, I have studied many different styles of massage, finally discovering the one that's closest to my heart, Hawaiian Ka Huna massage, which I studied at Mettes Insitute on the Sunshine Coast. Along the way, I have also immersed myself in numerous yoga teacher training programmes, in Australia and overseas.

I have worked as a massage therapist, spa therapist and yoga teacher in natural health centres, gyms, schools, mental health centres, tropical day spas, on a cruise ship, in a chiropractic clinic and in private practice. I was the Spa Manager at Arumi Wellness Day Spa on Green Island right before taking the leap to launch my own business, Breathing Space Bodywork in 2013.

I am currently indulging my love of herbs & alchemy by completing a Diploma of Organic Skincare Formulation with a vision of creating my own range of organic herbal healing balms.

I am wholeheartedly committed to professional development and regularly attend trainings and workshops, both in Australia and internationally, to enhance my skills as a bodyworker, yoga student and teacher.

I feel so blessed to be able to share what I love and have learnt so far through the treatments I offer and the classes I teach.

CHANEL BARAN PHOTO

About Gary

Another Kiwi living the tropical lifestyle, I discovered the EMMETT Technique quite a few years ago, when we were looking for a way that I could help support Helen in her work. Since then I have become increasingly fascinated by the technique and its capacity to help people.

In my past lives, I have studied psychology, worked as a human resources assistant in a French merchant bank, taught in a Nepalese community primary school, written ELT textbooks for a number of Hong Kong publishing companies, gigged and recorded as a professional musician, studied natural building, worked in event production, and drunk entirely too much coffee. It's been good.

Nowadays though, EMMETT is my jam, but I also work as a support worker at The Soul Shack, a respite care facility that runs multi-day adventure camps for people with disabilities.

I've been extremely fortunate to have been able to study with EMMETT practitioners Gemma Dustin and Rusty Allen and directly with the technique's founder himself, Ross Emmett, and I am very grateful to have the opportunity to share his technique with our clients here at The Breathing Space.

My EMMETT Technique qualifications

EMM-Tech Short Course

EMMETT Technique Modules 1–6

EMMETT Practitioner Levels EP1–6

EMMETT 4 Horses Level 1

EMMETT 4 Dogs Level 1

EMM-Tech Instructor training