Buffy Owens
EXPLORE:
My Story Core Values Credentials
How it all started
My own healing journey
How did I get here? That’s a question I get asked fairly often, so I wanted to give you all a little background on my healing journey and what has brought me to this moment.
Just like you, I have a story.
My personal journey through childhood illness ignited a passion for holistic practices like the Feldenkrais Method, meditation, and whole-food nourishment.
Today, after nearly 30 years of personal and professional studies, I’m still in awe of the Feldenkrais Method's transformative power and unique capacity to help people live more comfortably in their bodies and minds. I invite you to join me on this path and uncover the true potential of your body and mind.
My Story
I'm Buffy Owens, and I thought I'd begin by sharing a little about why I do the work I do.
You see, as a young child, I had these episodes where I would start crying and say that the monsters were coming. And the monsters were actually this experience of feeling like I couldn't think, I couldn't control my emotions, and my body wasn't my own. And when things got really, really bad, I'd cry even harder and say that I had bucket-head.
My Childhood Monsters….
were actually this experience of feeling like I couldn't think, I couldn't control my emotions, and my body wasn't my own.
Now, bucket-head was really my way as a child of conveying that my world was getting smaller.
✘ My hands would shake & my knees would give.
✘ I was losing my hearing.
✘ I was starting to get tunnel vision.
✘ And if it progressed any further, I'd end up in a full-blown blackout.
✘ I'd pass out.
And those moments, those monsters, were horrifying.
And what caused those monsters was really that I had hypoglycemia. If you don't know what hypoglycemia is, it's having these moments where your blood sugar isn't regulated, and you end up with really low blood sugar. But I also developed food allergies to the point where I'd have hives, my hands and feet would swell, and there was a threat of my throat closing.
I didn't just have hypoglycemia. I also had chemical sensitivities. If my parents used the wrong laundry soap, or if I was exposed to any artificial sweeteners, I'd break out in a rash.
Fast forward to becoming a young adult, and you can add monthly migraines into the mix.
In the early nineties, I was entering my late teens, and I was desperate to feel better and start healing myself.
I'd already been controlling my diet since I was a child.
I had no choice.
I had to be very mindful of what I ate. But I really wanted to find a way to heal.
Looking back, I can also see that I scored high on the ACE test. If you're unfamiliar with the ACE test, it is a test for adverse childhood events. Typically, individuals scoring high on the ACE test tend to have a host of health challenges due to dysregulation in their central nervous system.
But I'll tell you. It was much, much more than just my health challenges, especially as an adult.
Those early experiences built up a baseline of quiet trauma. And it was so gradual, so much less intrusive than my symptoms, that it felt completely normal. It was my baseline of existence.
Those early experiences built up a baseline of quiet trauma. It was so gradual and so much less intrusive than my symptoms that it felt completely normal. It was my baseline of existence.
That quiet trauma, that subtle fear, really diminished my belief in myself. It was like I was always in a state of waiting and anticipating the return of the monsters for another hostile takeover. There was this whisper of distrust in my own body.
Now I know that my story pales compared to many of the stories I've heard and seen. But still, I know in my bones how it feels to live in a body you can't trust. And I also know what it's like to be on the other side of it.
Fast Forward….
I know in my bones how it feels to live in a body you can't trust. And I also know what it's like to be on the other side of it.
✔ My migraines are gone.
✔ No more blood sugar issues.
✔ My childhood allergies are no more.
✔ My emotions are in check.
✔ I feel safe in my skin again.
✔ I trust my body.
✔ I trust myself.
When new health challenges strike…
I have some lingering chronic Lyme from a summer of many tick bites. And a couple of years ago, I had an incident where I worked really hard and then traveled. The moment I landed where I was going, my knee swelled up the size of grapefruits. Now, historically, I would've been horrified by that. But at this point in my life, I trust my body. I trust my awareness. And I trust my skills & my knowledge to be able to work with myself wherever I'm at. I did some gentle movements to help bring down the swelling. I also brought in some lifestyle changes to help calm the flames of inflammation and settle my immune system.
That's my hope for you. In our time together, you can develop the knowledge, awareness, and skills necessary to move beyond your pain, even if you have a flare. And that you can navigate the changes that come with life, from menopause to aging, with curiosity and ease.
But more importantly, you learn to trust your body again. You learn to listen to the subtle cues that it's giving you, and that you feel comfortable and alive in your skin.
Today…
Health-wise, the metabolic and chemical dysfunctions are resolved. I'm still more sensitive than most, but I now see that sensitivity as a gift. It allows me to notice subtle shifts, respond with compassion, and stay deeply connected to what my body is asking for.
Today, caring for my body isn't about rules or restriction. It's how I stay connected to myself. I delight in delicious food, joyful movement, beauty, and the softness and strength of being fully alive.
More importantly, I came to understand that healing wasn't about fixing my body. It was about learning to trust it.
That realization changed everything.
It shaped the way I work, the way I teach, and eventually became the foundation of the SOMA Framework. Because I believe our bodies aren't obstacles to overcome. They're wise companions, continually inviting us toward the next expression of who we are.
My Core Values
Core Values are my North Star. They align me and my work with what’s important and guide my choices in life and business.
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The first law of ecology is that "everything is connected to everything else." Humans are not separate from one another, plants, animals, water, or the Earth. All living organisms are interconnected and impact each other. We are all part of the great web of life. This deep connection also resides within us. Each of us has the potential to move through life as an integrated whole—physically, mentally, emotionally, and energetically.
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I wholeheartedly believe that we continue to learn, grow, mature, and evolve until the day we die. This is different from continuing studies and learning because deep down, we feel we're not enough or we're stuck in lack. Instead, it's the type of soul-inspiring growth that brings us more presence, soulful understanding, and an ever-deepening experience of life and love.
And we do it in relationship — always!
There's no getting around it. We are a species that depends on one another and on the welfare of this planet. Our healing, wholing, and growth only happen when we engage with life. When we reduce the violence and suffering within ourselves, we reduce the violence and suffering in the world—there is no separation.
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We're all simply practicing. We can exchange judgment and shame for curiosity and compassion. Curiosity offers a sense of play, and it keeps the possibilities boundless. Compassion gives us the inner softness we need to be with imperfection and embrace the mess.
Both compassion and curiosity nourish a sense of freedom. They allow us to shed the past, release the future, and connect more deeply with ourselves and others — faults and all.
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Moving beyond the dualistic, narrow-minded, right-wrong paradigm that keeps us stuck. Acceptance allows us to soften and release the resistance from dualistic thinking and access resourceful solutions that only exist beyond right-wrong constraints. It enables us to explore possibilities, savor diversity, and experience more of life.
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Diversity gives us opportunities for delicious growth and experiential expansion. We need variations in movement, we thrive on an array of nutrients and flavors, and our differences are our richest resources for growth. Oneness does not equal sameness.
My Credentials + Education
Click on the credentials below to read more about my experience.
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Mastery Method Certified Coach (completion Dec 2025)
This life coach training program is deeply resonant, evolving my work and expanding my somatic practice as a Feldenkrais Practitioner. It integrates what we discover through movement into all of lived experience—working at five levels: somatic, emotional, mental, behavioral, and unconscious.
What this certification brings into our work together:
Lasting transformation, not quick fixes — using a trauma-informed framework that helps you shift at the deepest level, so change isn’t just what you do, but who you become.
Whole-self alignment — you’ll learn to bring your thoughts, emotions, actions, and body into harmony, so your choices reflect your truest self.
Clarity and confidence in your purpose — with support to show up fully in the world, creating from presence and integrity rather than pressure or self-doubt.
Accomplishment Coaching (2008)
I enrolled in my first life coaching training program halfway through my four-year Feldenkrais training — and since then, I’ve been weaving coaching + movement to support clients in creating meaningful, lasting change.
Rooted in ontological coaching, this work focuses first on being—on who you are today, who you want to become—and using that foundation to guide action and transformation. We look at what changes inside so that what you do outside arises from aligned power and authenticity.
What clients often experience:
A shift in identity: not just achieving goals, but becoming the person who naturally lives and embodies those goals.
Clarity in action: once the “who” is seen, what you do becomes more aligned, more potent — because it grows from a place of integrity rather than pressure.
Ripples across life: shifts are not only in one part (career, body, habits) but across your relationships, mindset, energy, work, and how you show up daily.
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Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner (2010)
I've studied the work of Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais, founder of The Feldenkrais Method®, for over a decade, completing a 4-year intensive Professional Feldenkrais Teacher Training Program®. I have a private practice in Troy, NY, and teach people worldwide through my online studio. Dr. Feldenkrais's principles—neuroplastic healing, working with the whole person, and the art of Awareness Through Movement—are a BIG part of my online teachings, in-person sessions, and my own movement practices.
What this work brings into our time together:
Embodied awareness: learning to sense what you do not habitually notice, so that small shifts ripple into bigger ease and alignment.
Gentle neuroplastic rewiring: offering the nervous system new pathways for movement, pain relief, decoupling emotions & beliefs, transforming the subconscious, and more agency in your body.
Somatic resilience: cultivating balance—between effort & rest, between mobility & stability—that supports aging well, emotional flow, and strength.
Elemental Breathwork (2023)
In 2023, I dove into Elemental Breathwork—this work opened doors inside of me, showing me that breath is more than a technique. Each session is a journey, tapping into our biology and the potency of the mind to transform subconscious beliefs and release held tensions. There are two forms I practice and integrate: one anchored in the parasympathetic nervous system, creating safety, support, and deep rest; the other more dynamic—cycling through sympathetic and parasympathetic activation to gradually expand biological capacity and deepen emotional embodiment.
What Elemental Breathwork gifts us:
Safety + transformation together: the parasympathetic-rooted work helps you settle, feel grounded, witnessed—preparing the nervous system to explore deeper layers.
Edge & expansion: as we move through cycles of activation & release, there is space for healing stuck patterns, accessing resilience, and growing what we once saw as impossible.
Integration of mind, body, and belief: this isn't just breath—it is where hidden stories, emotions, and beliefs come alive, are seen, and are invited into healing so that your whole self comes home.
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Two Health Coach trainings that shape how I support women in tending to their bodies, nourishing what truly sustains them, and creating health that touches every aspect of life.
Functional Medicine Coaching Academy (2018)
I invested deeply in the principles of Functional Medicine, nutrition, mind-body medicine, and positive psychology coaching. What I love most is how this approach weaves beautifully with my Feldenkrais practice and the BioPsychoSocial model for addressing pain. The academy itself was founded in collaboration with the Institute for Functional Medicine—bringing a truly integrative lens to healing and transformation.
Key principles I carry forward from FMCA:
Root-cause approach: Health isn’t just about symptoms—it’s about understanding the whole ecosystem of diet, environment, and life history.
Mind-body integration: Sustainable change happens when nutrition, lifestyle, and positive psychology align with how we think, feel, and move.
Collaborative healing: Coaching is most powerful when it works alongside practitioners, empowering clients to take an active role in their well-being.
Institute for Integrative Nutrition (2017)
Before my FMCA training, I became certified with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. So yes—I’m a proud double card-carrying health coach. At IIN, I learned the core principles of:
Bio-individuality — honoring that each person’s health needs are unique
Primary Food — recognizing that nourishment extends far beyond the plate
Multidimensional Health — understanding that relationships, career, social life, finances, and environment are all integral to well-being
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Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology, CU Boulder (2005)
I came to academics a little later than most, after first studying and practicing massage therapy. Eventually, I traded my massage table for a deeper dive into science—earning a degree in Kinesiology with a special emphasis in Psychology & Neuroscience.
During my time at CU Boulder, I explored courses in Biomechanics, Brain & Behavior, Sensory-Motor Neuroscience, and Mind-Body Medicine. This foundation in whole-body function and human health has been instrumental in shaping my professional path—bridging movement, science, and healing into everything I do today.
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I have maintained a personal meditation practice for over 30 years. This lifelong commitment to personal practice is part of my vow to end suffering. It informs all of my work—guiding how I teach breath, movement, and embodiment with presence, patience, and awareness. Meditation has deepened my understanding and lived experience of the nervous system, emotional regulation, and the mind-body connection. It allows me to hold space and meet clients with compassion and understanding.
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Mastery Coach Method (2025)
Purpose Guide Discovery via Purpose Guides Institute (2024)
Elemental Breathwork (2023)
Power of Embodied Transformation: (2022)
ACT in Motion Certificate, Pain Exposure (2019)
Chronic Pain Rehabilitation via the Retrain Pain Foundation (2018)
Sounder Sleep System with Michael Krugman (2017)
Child’Space Training (2014)
Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner (2010)
Accomplishment Coaching, Ontological-basd Life Coaching (2008)
Mommy and Baby Yoga, Itsy Bitsy Yoga (2006)
Certified Prenatal Yoga Instructor, Janice Clarfield (2006)
BA Kinesiology CU Boulder (2005)
Certified Personal Trainer, NASM (2005)
200-Hour Yoga Teacher Certification (2004)
Labor Assistant (Doula) Training, ALACE (2003)
Core Mat I & II Pilates Certification (2001)
Certified Personal Trainer, ACE (2000)
Get the fruits of my 25+ years of experience.
Rather than seeking degrees in kinesiology and psychology or attending thousands of hours of professional and personal development as I did, you can glean what I’ve found to be the essential pieces for personal growth and well-being so you can feel good in your body and live to your fullest potential.
Pause for Purpose
Mentoring
Private and group mentorship for midlife women who want more than managing responsibilities. It’s for women awakening to purpose and presence. For those ready to:
Reconnect with their body’s wisdom
Untangle old patterns
Move with intention instead of urgency
The work is spacious, honest, and embodied. You don’t need to have it all figured out — just the willingness to begin.
Embodied Well
Membership
The Embodied Well is a somatic sisterhood for midlife women. It’s a spacious, self-led rhythm of practice and monthly live sessions, held in a field of belonging. It’s perfect for women who feel the quiet restlessness of this season of life.
Come home to their body
Deepen inner trust
Cultivate clarity that honors where they are now
Come to move, to connect, and experience embodiment as a way of living, not something to master.
Restless to Rooted
21-Day Embodied Journey
A guided immersion for midlife women who feel the quiet restlessness of this season and know something deeper is asking to emerge. For those ready to:
Reconnect with their inner ground
Shift from mental overdrive to embodied clarity
Lean into their inner wisdom & what’s emerging
This is a structured, supportive journey you can move through live or at your own pace. You don’t have to push for answers — just be willing to return to your body and listen.