The Buttafly

07/06/2026

Have you tried everything — and still live with back pain?

Conventional therapies tend to treat the spine with manual adjustments or strenuous exercise. While these applied forces bring brief respite, lasting freedom comes from establishing the conditions where your body safely releases in harmony with the whole person.

This is why A Healthy Spine for Life begins from a completely different premise: your body is not broken—it is seeking balance. Given the right conditions, it already knows how to heal.

https://thebuttafly.com/event/a-healthy-spine-for-life-course-june-9-2026/

Led by Loulou James, retired Physiotherapist and Founder of the Buttafly Technique Have you tried everything — and still live with back pain? Conventional therapies tend to treat the spine…

07/06/2026

Most courses are built around doing more. Learning more. Achieving more. Acquiring new skills, techniques or information.
While there will certainly be practical learning, that's not the heart of this course.

The heart of this course is learning to listen.

Over the years, both through my work as a physiotherapist and through developing the Buttafly Technique, I have become increasingly convinced that self-awareness is one of the most important foundations of health.

Read more: ➡️

Self-awareness is one of the most important foundations of health: the question is not whether the body is speaking so much as "are we listening?"

06/06/2026

Discover the difference between back care and spine health, and how supporting a healthy spine can help you feel more at home in your body.

Read my latest blog:

Discover the difference between back care and spine health, and how supporting a healthy spine can help you feel more at home in your body.

02/06/2026

Think about the word crestfallen.

We use it to mean "disappointed" or "deflated" —but it is also a precise physical description. When we feel let down, we fall at the crest. The chest drops. The shoulders round inward. The gaze goes to the floor. It happens before we have decided to do anything at all; the body simply reads the emotional signal and responds.

That is not a metaphor. It is anatomy.

Every breath you take has the potential to lift and open the chest — or to compress and close it. When we are calm and well, breathing tends to be slow, deep and three-dimensional, moving through the ribcage in a way that gently decompresses the spine with each inhale.

When we are stressed, anxious, or low, that pattern changes. Breathing becomes shallower. It shifts upward, into the chest and throat rather than down into the belly. The diaphragm — the great dome of muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen — stops moving through its full range, and the lower ribcage moves less.

Click below to read more.

The short answer is yes, stress can make back pain worse. Read our blog to understand how stress affects breathing which in turn affects your posture and spine .

23/05/2026

AN INTRODUCTORY TALK

Many of us have been given the same advice for a healthy back: strengthen your core, improve your posture, stretch more. Sometimes it helps, often it doesn’t. But rarely does it explain why some people who spend their whole lives bending, lifting and carrying never develop back pain at all.

This talk offers a different premise.

Drawing on her professional experience, personal healing journey, and the development of the Buttafly Technique, Loulou James shares a holistic approach to natural back care and practical steps to build a healthy spine for confidence, ease and vitality.

In this talk, we’ll explore:

- Why back pain continues to rise despite decades of research and different treatments
- How the body’s innate intelligence relates to posture and spine health
- What the Buttafly Technique is, how it was discovered, and what people consistently experience

The mowlem Studio, Wedn 27 May, 7-8.30 pm.
Tickets £10, cash on the door. No booking required.

An introductory talk with Loulou James, MCSP Many of us have been given the same advice for a healthy back: strengthen your core, improve your posture, stretch more. Sometimes it…

15/04/2026

Having recently been accredited as a training provider for CIMSPA (the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity, the UK's leading professional body for setting standards and offering recognised pathways for people working in sport and physical activity), the Buttafly Technique for Natural Back Care and Spine Health training programme is now CIMSPA-endorsed.

I have developed the Buttafly Technique through years of clinical work and lived experience, and have come to understand more deeply how body wisdom relates to the spine, and how the right support can allow profound change to happen from within.

I now offer this as a clear learning pathway to support natural spinal alignment and ease in the body.

The practitioner training offering 10 CPD points is for professionally trained, hands-on practitioners (for example, sports massage therapists, bodyworkers, and other movement professionals with appropriate hands-on experience).

If you work with clients who present with back and neck pain, asymmetry, or long-standing compensation patterns, and would like to learn more, please get in touch.

Loulou James MCSP ☺🙏
Founder of the Buttafly and the Buttafly Technique

Join a new generation of practitioners bringing a gentle, pioneering approach to back care. Rooted in clinical experience, embodied practice, a holistic

03/02/2026

Like many yoga teachers and practitioners, I found myself frustrated by the limitations of regular yoga blocks, cushions, and blankets – hard edges that dig in, shapes that don’t fit real bodies, and props that slip or collapse just when you need support the most. I kept wondering, why compromise when yoga is meant to promote ease and natural alignment?

The Buttafly was born from this enquiry and my own journey of healing and discovery. I wanted to create something that would cradle the body’s curves, offer true ergonomic support, and help people experience greater ease both on and off the mat.

This 16-page booklet is filled with practical asana ideas for using the Buttafly in yoga and self-care.

It’s for you if you want:

✨ More comfort and stability in common yoga postures
✨ A simple way to explore ease, alignment, and deeper relaxation
✨ Fresh inspiration for movement and rest

Our journey, your discovery

Each page offers practical ideas and inspiration for using the Buttafly to enhance your yoga and self-care. At the same time, I encourage you to experiment, adapt, and find what feels right for you. Trust your body’s wisdom – I’m sure you’ve discovered how often the most profound insights come from simple curiosity and playful exploration!

And if you discover a new way to use the Buttafly, or if a pose brings relief or joy you didn’t expect, I’d love to hear from you. Your stories help shape this growing community of natural spine health and well-being. 🦋

Buttafly: Transform Your Yoga is a free 16-page booklet of practical asana ideas to support comfort, ease, natural alignment and well-being. Download it for free.

03/02/2026

A little update on the Buttafly Technique eBook and why “Buttafly”?

Firstly, a heartfelt thank you for your support and interest since the launch of the Buttafly Technique eBook. Planet Earth is a challenging place these days, so it means even more to hear from early readers who’ve found comfort and inspiration in these pages.

Here’s some feedback that’s truly lifted my spirits:

“Excellent—no unnecessary blurb and totally readable. I love that I can dip into a chapter and apply the technique in different scenarios—for example, before and after exercise, or just to calm down after a stressful situation. Super stuff.”

— Malcolm Bosher https://orynoco.com/

“Well done—what you’ve written is brilliant. It’s so constructive and well-written: informative, free of buzzwords, and truly from the heart. Your love for what the Buttafly can do shines through on every page. The book is easy and comfortable to read, and reading it has made an enthusiast of me. I’m looking forward to trying the Buttafly Technique for myself.”

— Darren Burke

Darren, who kindly proofread the eBook, asked about the name “Buttafly”—and I realised I’d never shared the full story.

Why “Buttafly”?

It started with the shape: two wings, balanced and open, like a butterfly at rest. There’s also a play on words—“butt-a-fly”—which always makes people smile. But the deeper meaning is transformation. Butterflies symbolise change, new beginnings, and a certain lightness of being. That’s the spirit I wanted to capture: the journey from pain or restriction to ease and freedom.

On a practical level, the Buttafly prop supports the pelvis and allows the sacrum and tailbone to “float,” creating a gentle lift at the base of the spine. It’s about supporting the body’s natural wisdom—letting posture and comfort emerge organically, whether you’re meditating, moving, or simply resting.

The name came to me during my own recovery after a fractured sacrum—a time when I longed for brighter days and new possibilities. Now, I hope the Buttafly can be a gentle reminder that transformation is always possible, from the inside out.

Thank you to those who have been part of this journey. I wouldn’t have thought to share this story without Darren’s nudge, so it’s thanks to him. I hope you enjoy it—and this lovely photo I took a few years ago!
🧡

01/02/2026

If you’re seeking gentle support for your back and spine health, you’re warmly invited to join me for a hands-on day with the Buttafly Technique at the in Yeovil

Whether you’re completely new to the Buttafly Technique, or already have a Buttafly and would like support to get started with confidence, this workshop is for you.

You’ll receive full set-up support, guided relaxation to help you settle and integrate, and simple after-care so you leave with a clear home routine.

Spaces are limited to keep the day personal and supportive—early booking is recommended.

Find all the details and book your place here:

https://thebuttafly.com/event/buttafly-technique-guided-practice-day-7-mar-26/

May your spine be aligned, your body at ease, and your spirit soar with vitality 🦋

A calm, practical day to experience and learn the Buttafly Technique for natural back care and spine health. With full set-up support, a practice with guided relaxation to help you…

30/01/2026

Big news 🦋

I'm excited to have just published the Buttafly Technique eBook: How to Relieve Back Pain Naturally and Build Lasting Spine Health.

Serendipitously, I've also just been approved as a Training Provider Partner (the UK’s leading body for sport and physical activity). This means I can share the Buttafly Technique with even more of you—yoga teachers, Pilates instructors, personal trainers, and beyond.

As we shed the old and move towards the equinox, I’m grateful for your support and belief in this journey.

May your spine be aligned, your body at ease, and your spirit soar with vitality. 🦋

The Buttafly Technique eBook offers a gentle, practical approach to relieve back pain naturally and build lasting spine health at home, with clear step-by-step guidance and simple set-up tips.