Urban Leopard

02/09/2026

Welcome to our new Remedial Massage Therapist Natalie Breakwell!

Natalie holds a Diploma of Remedial Massage Therapy (MIMT). After 16 years working in the music & arts festival industry, she traded late nights for a career where she can make a direct, meaningful impact.

Driven by her own experience with chronic pain, Natalie understands firsthand how deeply the mind-body connection shapes daily life.

Her vision is to create an inclusive, supportive space where clients feel comfortable showing up as they are.

She believes everyone deserves to feel good in their body & uses remedial massage to bridge the gap - restoring ease, comfort & confidence in movement.

Hear, hear, Nat!

Outside of work Nat likes skateboarding with friends, creating art inspired by her surroundings or catching local live music.

Nat also has a Diploma in Auslan & is passionate about providing an inclusive, accessible space for the Deaf & hard-of-hearing community.

Let’s go, Nat! It’s awesome to have you onboard.

20/08/2026

Good quality muscle release is like a dance between the practitioner & the tissue.

One can’t dominate or rush the other.

The practitioner has to “listen” to the tissue.

And the tissue needs to trust the practitioner.

Only when both are in sync you get the best possible release.

Here Viv is learning how to “see” with her elbow. Her pace is slow, respectful & attentive.

If I’m treating a tight hamstring I will generally release these 3 key areas.

1) the hamstrings

2) the septum between the lateral hamstring & vastus lateralis where things often get sticky (second video) &

3) the GOGOs (deep lateral rotators of the hip) (3rd video).

Good massage is nuanced, sophisticated, thoughtful, patient & mindful if you’re lucky enough to find someone who loves what they do.

If you have a tight hamstring make sure your practitioner is treating beyond just the back of your thigh.

05/08/2026

05/08/2026

Here’s my base line. 2 chin ups.

I’ll train 3 times a week for 6 weeks & then retest.

The training sessions will be specific for chin ups, but pretty short (15 mins).

My arm to core strength is my weakest link with lots of faulty movement patterns (headaches after overusing upper traps) so I’m looking forward to improving this.

Wish me luck!

05/08/2026

We hosted the first ever Empowered Performance in person workshop in Australia with the talented & effortless Zoe Wood • Movement Coach • Phillip Island. May this be the start of many!

I did EP last year with Katie St.Clair - CSCS, CPT & it was the most mentally & physically challenging course I’ve ever done and completely transformational.

As you are educated with the concepts of a personal assessment, internal dynamics, breath, posture, pressure, asymmetries, pelvic floor, gait, feet, connective tissue, exercise selection & programming, you have the opportunity to experience what you learn through an intensive 12 week training program. Woah. It was fierce.

But at 46 years old I can say I’ve never been stronger than I am now since doing this course. Blowing my 20s & 30s strength out of the water.

This course isn’t just about how to get stronger, it’s a deep dive into intelligent programming based on how to leverage your unique body & its unique movement biases. Lots of subtleties. Lots of nuance.

For any manual therapists out there who want to add strength training programming beyond corrective exercise (& get real & lasting change) to their skill set, Empowered Performance is the course you want to do.

27/07/2026

The best treatments that I’ve given are always the ones that I stay present in. Each stroke has a purpose. Every movement has intent.

It helps to visualise what changes you’re making under the skin as you feel the tissue change. It keeps you more connected with the stroke & able to stay in the pocket.

I love thinking of fascia as cold blue tac which starts to warm up as I generate heat by the friction of the stroke.

There’s a lot that can go on with one massage stroke!

This is what we were working on today with our newest recruits. Depth, pace, intent & a little visualisation.

10/07/2026

We are so delighted & excited to officially welcome Vivienne, our newest strength trainer & soon to be Clinical Myotherapist to the Leopard!

Welcome Viv!

Vivienne brings over a decade of customer-facing experience and a genuine passion for movement to every session she leads.

She’s currently completing a Bachelor of Health Science majoring in Clinical Myotherapy alongside a Diploma of Clinical Exercise Science, building on her Certificate III in Fitness and background in nutrition. This gives her a well-rounded, evidence-informed approach to training.

Vivienne lives what she teaches, weight training, bouldering, kung fu, hiking, swimming, diving plus many other activities when she has the time. She values adaptability, moving confidently across different activities without fear of injury and trying new things.

Vivienne is a firm believer in holistic health: good food, regular movement, good company, and chocolate. Balance, not restriction, is her philosophy and she loves helping clients find their own.

Well, she’s not wholesome at all, is she?

We’re so happy to have you on the Leopard Team, Viv.