About Amanda
My Story
Restore Health was established in 2015 when I was a new graduate from Massage Therapy College. I was working in a variety of clinics and healthcare settings, and gained 1000s of hours of clinical practice, but also was running around in pain.
I grew up very active as a young person- sports, dance, running, and even did occasional yoga. But I consistently had back and hip pain, no matter what practitioners I saw and what exercises I did. In college I was diagnosed with a scoliosis- a lateral curvature of the spine. Becoming a healthcare practitioner, I understood this, and though I was grateful it wasn’t worse, I knew this was something I had to “live with” and find ways to manage it in my body.
Over the years I dove deeper into a variety of movements, I ran half marathons, I strength trained, I poured myself into yoga, and in 2018 became a certified yoga instructor.
But my pain was still very prevalent. I was seeing a practitioner, like Chiropractors or Physio Therapists, on a weekly basis, and was living in pain in between. I knew that this was not a sustainable lifestyle, and saw within my personal and professional practice that more had to and could be done.
Over the last few years, this has been my main focus: living pain free, and helping others do the same. I know that there is a place for manual therapy (like massage) but I also know that moving, strengthening and connecting to one’s own body is essential for overcoming this pain. Each and every body is unique and it is an honour to work with it. I love taking a holistic approach to look at what you and your body are experiencing, and then finding the ways in which you can move with more freedom and less pain.
It also became clear that I needed to figure out how to move and nourish my body in order to function as a new and working mom.
In July 2020 I gave birth to my first son. This is when I decided to see my in-person clients from a studio space in my home, so I could have a better work-life balance.
My post-partum journey has been tough mentally, and physically. After having to modify my activity so much through pregnancy, I learned to slow down, and to choose my movement wisely. To tune further into my body and meet myself in that moment instead of pushing through pain. This then served me further when I got pregnant with our second- born in August 2023. With years of experience strength training, massaging, and being immersed in yoga and movement, I know how important it is to keep up with yourself- and in that same breath, how HARD it can be. But movement and feeling pain free and good in my body is the ultimate win. And I know and believe that it is possible for others to live the same.
Let’s get personal
What keeps you motivated?
After having my first son, I have realized even more how important it is to “practice what I preach”. Keeping my brain and my body challenged to grow and learn more so my boys can continue to be raised by a strong woman is what keeps me striving for more. This cultivated physical strength also crosses over into my massage therapy practice, keeping myself strong and pain free is essential to my thriving practice.
What do you now do for exercise?
Over the past few years I have found my rhythm between strength training, cardio, yoga and mobility. I have learned to adjust my workouts according to my menstrual cycle, which has helped me understand my biological needs, as well as honor my body physically and emotionally. I know that I need strength to keep up with myself, cardio to keep up with my kids, and yoga and mobility to stay pain free. And most recently I have taken up boxing for fun! It has been a great way to add in all of the strength, cardio, and mobility with an element of flow state, I am loving it.
What is your favourite “less-healthy” food?
I definitely have a sweet tooth. Not for candy (anymore), but for baked goods and sweets, so any cakes, cookies, chocolates, I am all in (in moderation)!
What’s your favourite way to relax or unwind?
I love meditating, or just being still, by myself. One of my go-to’s would be similar to a savasana, just in the middle of the living room, or even better is a legs up the wall position where I can just chill and breathe for even a couple minutes
“The soul is here for its own joy”
— Rumi