|
$$PLAIN_TEXT_PREVIEW$$
|
The following is a bit different from our usual random updates. It’s written from an honest, transparent and personal lens. For some, this will be quite hard to read. For that, we ask you stay with those feeling while you continue reading. A lot of thought has gone into this email and we hope you can honour this. Yes, it’s a long one…
|
|
An Update Regarding Dawn Many of you will have noticed Dawn's absence over the past six weeks. She has been very unwell and is currently unable to work. Her health comes first and for that reason, she will not be returning to NZBMA for the foreseeable future. That is not easy to write and we can imagine it is not easy to read either. Dawn has poured a decade of her heart into this business. Not to mention the impact she has made to every person who have walked through our doors. She has shaped the massage industry here in Ōtautahi in ways that genuinely deserve to be celebrated and we will do that in time. For now, she is resting and that is exactly where she needs to be. If you feel moved to reach out to her, please keep it short and warm. A simple message would mean a great deal. However, she may not be at capacity to respond. Please do not ask about her health, bookings, business matters or anything that puts weight back on her plate. If you were meant to know the specifics of her situation, you would already know them. What she needs most right now (apart from respect) is space, kindness and time. Wayne will arrange a small meaningful way for those who wish to show their support. More on that when the time is right.
|
|
In Memory of Dr. Ian Huntsman On March 4, 2026, we lost someone truly special. Dr. Ian Huntsman was a brilliant aeronautical engineer, dedicated multisport athlete, kayak mentor and one of the most genuinely kind humans we have ever known. Ian and his partner Wendy have been part of the NZBMA whānau for over 9 years and, in that time, he became far more than a client. He was a friend, a sounding board and a fellow nerd in all things biomechanical and the kind of person who made every conversation feel like it mattered. His recovery from a 100-metre fall on Aoraki/Mt Cook was nothing short of extraordinary. Watching him train and then conquer the individual one-day Coast to Coast afterward was one of NZBMA's proudest moments, a genuine privilege to witness. His warmth, his stories and his weekend adventures with Wendy and their dogs Maggie and Kimba, will be greatly missed more than words can hold. Ian's professional legacy at Hamilton Jets left a lasting mark on New Zealand's aeronautical field at an international level, with many of his innovations still in active use today. Those deep dives into movement mechanics, sporting mindsets and life's bigger questions were some of the highlights of Wayne's days. Wayne would not be the man he is today without Ian's influence, he definitely wouldn’t have tackled Coast to Coast either without his help. His funeral was held on Wednesday March 11 and was a beautiful reflection of a life lived fully and generously. Rest easy, Ian. Your legacy lives on here within NZBMA.
|
|
|
The mother of NZBMA has supported so many in our community, please show her the same support and respect. |
|
|
NZBMA Moving Forward Wayne is now the sole therapist and is managing all operations. Capacity is more limited, communication will be slower and occasional last-minute changes to appointments will happen. This will usually be due to medical appointments arising with little notice. When that happens, please know it is never personal and will do our best to reschedule where possible. For this reason, NZBMA is moving toward a self-service booking model. Thereby the online system we have chosen, helps for this exact reason. Using it directly reduces admin load and frees up Wayne's energy, which right now belongs to looking after his mother. If last-minute changes do not work for you or if our current communication pace does not meet your needs. We completely understood and there are no hard feelings. Equally, there are brilliant local therapists in this city, who will be more than happy to meet such requirements. Below is even a list of recommendation, so go ham and all the absolute best.
|
|
What Wayne Actually Does Body Mechanic Treatments are not traditional remedial massage and they are not at all a relaxation focused session. The work is grounded in evidence-based manual therapy principles and functional movement assessment. Additionally, it is built around how your body is biomechanically loaded, rather than simply how it feels or the current symptoms in that moment. The goal is always long-term function, not short-term relief. If you are unsure whether this is the right fit, the best starting point is the website: www.nzbma.com/nzbma-body-mechanic
Wayne would genuinely rather redirect you to the right person, than have you book something that will not serve you well.
|
|
Recommended Ōtautahi Christchurch Massage Therapists For those who need something different from what Wayne can offer, here are NZBMA's honest recommendations: Clinical, Remedial and Sports Recovery: Thai and Relaxation Massage: Luxury, Holistic and Spa Massage: Quick Tip: Rachel and Katrina book out one to two weeks ahead. Wai Thai and Lovoir generally have more immediate availability.
|
|
Bookings and Communication Online booking is the fastest and most reliable way to secure your appointment/s: www.NZBMA.com If you prefer to call, please leave a detailed voicemail or send a clear text. Before contacting us about missing reminders, check that your email address and mobile number are correct in the system, as that is where the gap usually is. Your booking confirmation also allows you to manage changes yourself, without needing us to step in, this is entirely by design. You will receive both a 48-hour and a 24-hour reminder before your appointment. When those arrive, that is the ‘minimal’ moment to act if changes are needed. Importantly, response times during this period will be slower than usual and we are genuinely sorry for that. It is not neglect. It is one person managing a neurodivergent brain, active caregiving responsibilities and maintaining treatment standards, all at the same time. We are doing our best and we ask that you meet us with some patience.
|
|
A Note on Boundaries NZBMA has shown up for this community for ten years now. Consistently, genuinely and without reservation. That is not something we will apologise for. It also is not something we are willing to have taken for granted any longer. Your body is your responsibility. Dawn and Wayne have always been a resource within that process, not a miracle service. The choices, habits and history you bring into the treatment room belong to you and you alone. If you leave a session looking for someone to ‘blame’ because nothing was ‘fixed.’ Then some self-reflection might be needed. Best for you to sit with honestly and integrity on your roll in this ruminating cycle and reflect on who actually controls your body. NZBMA has always operated with a great deal of grace and that grace has been extended generously to this community. However, grace has limits and those limits are reached when we are treated poorly by people who should know better. If NZBMA is not the right fit for you, go find someone else. Genuinely. The recommended list above is full of excellent local therapist. We hold no grudges and we wish you nothing but good health and wellbeing. Nonetheless, if you are the kind of person who kicks a small, local, family business when it is already on its knees, please do not come back. We do not require this negativity, poor mannered behaviour, with fixed narrowminded or victim habit formulation ideologies from our clients. We mean that sincerely and without hostility.
|
|
SwimFree Coaching On a more uplifting note. Something quietly exciting has been developing in the background, being Wayne’s swim coaching sessions. His SwimFree Coaching which is designed at being a drill and technique focused programme, has had great feedback so far. The target is for swimmers who can already swim but want to move better, more efficiently and with far less risk of swimming related injuries. It is not a learn-to-swim programme and it is not a triathlon or typical swim squad. It came directly from Wayne's background as both a former competitive swimmer and a manual therapist who has spent over 20 years watching what poor mechanics can do to body over time. The old ‘swimming harder’ does not make you a better and more efficient swimmer. Swimming smarter does and that is the whole point. Updates on session days, times and cost will come when available. In the meantime, read more here: www.nzbma.com/swimfree-coaching
|
|
IDTS Connect: Peer Support Also positive, IDTS Connect continues to grow and the community response has been genuinely affirming. The feedback from individuals who have attended, has been straightforward, honest and insightful. Noting on how some individuals unpack childhood impact in a nonlinear way through sharing different upbrings. Some shared how they’ve experienced professionals who have studied other’s experiences through a clinical lens. However, missed the lived connection of shared likeness, creating a feeling disconnection or limited trust. Also, some have highlighted the need for a real conversation with someone who genuinely gets it, because they have been through something similar themselves, which mirrors other feedback. Interestingly, some stated they wanted a space to share/talk about their life, feeling they would over burden their family or friend on trivial things. Equally, for some, the hardest part was simply turning up, not knowing what to say, just being present in the space. Such feedback helps further build our ‘why’ for creating a peer support service within NZBMA. For this reason, this is what IDTS Connect is about: Talk based peer support, not clinical or therapy Connection over analytical convention Sharing lived experiences building on a sense of belongingness over disconnection
Sessions run 60 to 90 minutes, in-person at NZBMA or online via Zoom, facilitated by Wayne. The space is built for athletes navigating burnout or identity shifts, people who feel isolated or disconnected by current pathways. It is for LGBTQIA+ and neurodiverse individuals who have not found what they needed elsewhere. Which moves to what is not: It is not crisis intervention It is not for trauma or PTS centred care management It is not a replacement for clinical care
If you are in crisis, Wayne will always point you toward the right people. However, if you just need somewhere safe to be yourself and have a real conversation without being handed a pamphlet and a referral. Then this might be exactly what you have been looking for. Read more here: www.nzbma.com/idts-connect
|
|
Thank you To every client who has trusted NZBMA with their body and their time over these years, thank you. This is the most significant email we have sent since opening our doors back in 2016. Dawn has been the heart of this business from the very beginning. Writing an update sharing her stepping away from NZBMA is, genuinely, one of the hardest things Wayne has had to do. He wishes to hold her values, her skills, her warmth and charm in the memory of NZBMA. As this will remain woven into everything that happens moving forward. That is not sentiment. It is simply the truth. NZBMA is not going to close or be dissolved. It is adjusting, as we always have done and will do as we move forward. With gratitude, Dawn & Wayne www.NZBMA.com
|
|
|
|
