ABDOMINAL BODYWORK
Hands-on abdominal therapy for digestive health, reproductive wellness, pelvic balance, and nervous system support — in Portland, Maine.
Rediscover your center
Your belly holds more than you might think. It houses your digestive organs, your reproductive system, and a dense web of nerves sometimes called the "second brain." When this region is restricted — through surgery, trauma, postural patterns, or chronic stress — it can affect everything from digestion and fertility to how you breathe and move.
Abdominal bodywork offers a hands-on path back. Drawing on visceral therapy, Maya abdominal traditions, and structural bodywork, this work restores ease, mobility, and circulation to your core — supporting physical healing and a deeper reconnection with your own center.
This work may be right for you if you're navigating:
Digestive issues: IBS, GERD, constipation, bloating, Crohn's, adhesions
Reproductive health: fertility support, menstrual pain, endometriosis, fibroids
Prenatal or postpartum recovery
Pelvic pain or structural imbalance
Chronic pain, fatigue, or nervous system dysregulation
Emotional holding or trauma stored in the body
Personalized Healing Sessions
Your session at K’intu Healing Arts in Portland, Maine is crafted from a combination of expert modalities, designed to support support physical, emotional, and spiritual alignment.
Lineages of Support
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Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy® is rooted in ancient Maya healing traditions. Developed by Dr. Rosita Arvigo under the mentorship of Maya H'Men (healer) Don Elijio Panti, it combines gentle external abdominal manipulation with herbal knowledge, nutrition, and emotional and spiritual healing.
This tradition views the abdomen as the center of physical and spiritual health. When the uterus, digestive organs, and surrounding tissues are in alignment, life force energy flows freely — supporting reproductive health, digestive wellness, and emotional balance.
I am honored to carry this lineage in my practice at K'intu Healing Arts in Portland, Maine.
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Visceral Manipulation (Barral Institute) addresses restrictions in the fascia and connective tissue surrounding the organs. Through gentle, attentive touch, this work supports organ mobility, improves posture, and enhances the body's internal communication and function.
I continue to deepen my training in this approach, integrating it where appropriate within sessions.
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Visionary Craniosacral Work® brings a unique dimension to abdominal sessions — bridging the belly and the cranial rhythms to release tension held in both the core and the cranium simultaneously. This integration supports nervous system regulation, deepens the body's own healing response, and creates a whole-body coherence that neither approach achieves alone.
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Anatomy Trains Structural Integration (ATSI) brings a structural dimension to abdominal work that goes beyond the belly itself. Because the fascial lines of the body run continuously — from foot to skull, jaw to pelvis — tension held in the abdomen is rarely isolated. It ripples outward, affecting posture, spinal alignment, breathing, and how the whole body organizes itself around a restricted core.
By incorporating ATSI principles into abdominal sessions, we can address not just what's happening in the belly, but why — tracing restrictions back through the fascial network and releasing patterns that would otherwise keep returning.
Healing Benefits of Abdominal Bodywork
Abdominal and visceral therapy can support:
Reproductive health: fertility, menstrual conditions, endometriosis, fibroids
Digestive health: GERD, IBS, Crohn’s, constipation, adhesions & scarring
Structural & musculoskeletal alignment
Nervous system regulation and emotional healing
Prenatal and postpartum support
Chronic pain, migraines, fatigue, and postural issues
This work also draws on the Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy® — a traditional healing practice rooted in ancient Maya medicine that works with the spiritual and energetic dimensions of the belly. In this tradition, supporting the free flow of chu'lel (life force energy) through the body promotes embodiment, trauma release, and a return to wholeness.
Tierra mi cuerpo, agua mi sangre, viento mi aire, fuego mi espíritu
Ready to begin? Abdominal bodywork sessions at K'intu Healing Arts are personalized, trauma-informed, and deeply attentive to your whole system — not just your symptoms. Whether you're working through a specific condition or simply ready to come home to your body, there's a place here for you.
Abdominal bodywork pairs especially well with Craniosacral Therapy and Structural Integration — many clients work with all three. Visit the Start Here page to find the right fit.