XENA

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I have a passion for working with women through their journey into motherhood. As a physiotherapist with over 10 years experience, I restore movement, build confidence and support pelvic health. I am a scar work practitioner and can help your recovery from and surgery encouraging optimal healing, improved sensation and appearance. I also offer ante and postnatal Pilates, both classes and 1:1's and have a podcast TINTOTALKS interviewing mothers about birth and parenthood.

But different.. As you know since I moved to Portugal and thanks to Brexit, I can’t call myself a physio when I practice...
12/08/2026

But different..

As you know since I moved to Portugal and thanks to Brexit, I can’t call myself a physio when I practice.

Whilst I get myself fluent in Portuguese to apply for my licence, I have retrained.

Thankfully the way I worked as a physio in England is similar to what I now do.

Personal training and massage therapy for complex rehabilitation.

I was always a very hands off physio.
I like you to do the work.
To see you can heal yourself.
But now it’s official…

I am a PT (with 20 years physio experience and a sh*t load of training in other fields)

These new titles have broadened my skill set.
Opened my eyes and heart.
Expanded my repertoire in places I never thought possible (somatics and dance ✨)

I am loving the journey my career is taking me on and I am diving into even more left field areas (more on that soon) that make so much sense now and are interesting and exciting.

So really.
Nothing has changed.
Except everything ✨

06/08/2026

Sometimes precision is everything.

In December last year I was sat having a coffee with a friend and a woman walked past me and stopped.

“Sorry to interrupt” she said. “But you really need your eyebrows redone”

Now some people, of a lesser constitution than me, might have been offended. But I laughed and said “you are right, I really do.”

We swapped numbers as it turned out she was a specialist tattoo artist for semi permenant make up and also did coverage for scars, and 3d ni***es giving us a lot to talk about professionally as well as personally.

But to be honest. I loved her grab the bull by the horns marketing.

After 7 months of lazer removing my grey, faded tattoos.

This is the result. I couldn’t be happier. She is a true professional and artist.

Thank you Di
✨❤️✨

If your eyebrows are looking a bit faded, busted , out of shape or you just want an uplift. Come and see her.

Cancer patients. This woman is fantastic for 3dni***es

Tattoo removal

Scars, vialigo you name it. She can help you.

05/08/2026

Big day yesterday!!!

I have my visa… one year and 4 months after arriving in Portugal.

And what a beautiful evening to celebrate.

We went straight to the inflatables in Cascais. IYKYK And then watched an epic sun set.

It’s a real pinch me moment. A reminder that this is our life now.

August is a quiet month for many both here and away and I have learnt to lean into it. Taking the foot off the accelerator and enjoying moments on the beach.

It has not been plain sailing moving here.

Professionally I have had to start again. Thanks to Brexit I can’t even call myself a physio so have retrained as a level 3 PT and massage therapist.

But this has opened so many new doors for me and honestly improved the way I work with clients.

My biomechanics training compliments my personal training and has elevated my results.That paired with my knowledge of complex rehabilitation is helping me do so much more without getting hands on with people.

Yes, you have to do the rehab yourself but to be honest if you have been around the houses and seen every physio and not got anywhere you’ll be willing to do it :)

My massage course has helped me take a deep dive in to presence, connection, intuition and a little bit of woo.

Again a boundary that is hard to cross as a clinical physiotherapist.

So yes.
Other than living life as if on one constant holiday, by the beach, in the sun and exploring new places, cultures, food and wines.
Other than having more time to spend with my family and learning I can slow down and still be successful.
Other than understanding that I can make space for myself and my hobbies and also push myself and 43 to learn a new language and how to kite surf.

Moving here has also enabled me to take my career in yet another direction.
Continuing to expand. Continuing to grow and add to my 20 years experience. And not being boxed in by a title.

I am so grateful for the choices I have made. For taking leap after leap. For understanding success isn’t linear. For having the balls to start again. And again.

Thank you Portugal.
Thank you husband and kids for being up the move.
Thank you universe.

Do you know how many mums messaged me after I said I was taking a week’s holiday… alone?“Omg, I’ve got a weekend next we...
24/07/2026

Do you know how many mums messaged me after I said I was taking a week’s holiday… alone?

“Omg, I’ve got a weekend next week!”
“Me too. I can’t wait for some peace.”

And then there was the one I heard far too often…

“Wow. How did you wangle that?”

So many partners work away (especially here in Portugal), and while yes, they’re working, let’s be honest… they’re also without a million “Daddy!” requests a day.

Then there is so-called second shift women do after work—looking after the house, partner and children.

So why is taking time for ourselves still wrapped in guilt?

I’ve only had one day… and it’s been magic.

Every decision has been mine.

I got up when I wanted.
Went to the beach and didn’t even go on it.
Trained in a bikini.
Made dinner extra spicy 🌶️
Read while I ate.
Changed my plans three times.
Even slept in the spare room because it felt like a little hotel break. 😝

I didn’t rush.
I didn’t have to think about anyone else.

It was just me and my nervous system.
My day.
My agenda.

And yes, before anyone says it…I adore my children and can’t wait to see them. That goes without saying.

But bloody hell…

If mothers need anything, it’s peace and quiet.

This shouldn’t feel like a quiet rebellion.

Because it does. It almost feels naughty, it feels so good!

It should be normal.

So, if you can “wangle” some time for yourself…either in your own mind or with your partner (cause let’s be honest we can be our own worst enemies.

Do it.
Without guilt.
Without shame.

You’ll come back a new woman.

And I suspect your family will quite like that version of you too. ✨🫶✨

Signing off for the weekend…

Unapologetically prioritising myself. ✨

10/07/2026

The body and the mind needs rest.

Somatic myofascial massage offers deep relaxation with slow reconnection to the body.

Work that goes deeper than physical changes. Trance inducing and deeply calming.

What better way to celebrate the oncoming holidays than with some time to pause and reset.

How often do you take the time for yourself to really stop?

I have had CEOs say to me:

“wow. I have never really experienced my inner voice so quiet. I usually lie there and do my to do list whilst being massaged but today I was in another world.”

If this is what you need to wind down for the summer…properly, come and find me , @3.em.linha or in my clinic.
Link in bio to book. Packages available too.

Start the summer refreshed and reconnected. ✨

08/07/2026

It’s the showing up that counts.
Not necessarily how much you do but it is consistent showing up.

Little and often
With gentle progressions

When you work with me to rebuild strength after birth, surgery or injury you have the option to work with me in many different ways enabling safe and consistent improvement.

✨In person at my house in a fully equipt gym.
✨ twice a week with Pilates and Power Pilates classes
🤸Online zoom 1:1 or classes twice a week
✨Evergreen content to support your journey on my website (link in bio)

So, even if I only see you 1:1 once a week there is an option to train with me 5 days a week or even more.

Accountability
Safety
Progressive training
Diversity
Consistency

Everything you need to see real results.

DM me if you are ready to start to feel strong and comfortable in your body again.

03/07/2026

Post operative rehab the you might not have been shown.

I have been treating recently had a client who had a mastectomy and DIEP as part of her cancer treatment.

The rehab has supported her scar recovery, rebuild strength and confidence in her body and return to doing all of the activities she was doing before.

As the body heals new areas of tightness and tension arise and one that is often overlooked is the diaphragm and rib cage.

Though we work through the soft tissue, the skeletal system also needs to be mobilised and reminded how to move like it did before the surgery.

How often to you massage your intercostals?
How often do you release your diaphragm?

Try this movements and let me know how they feel.

01/07/2026

Rehabilitation requires patience, honesty and trust.

This is a voice message I sent a client after their first physio session as a new mother, 6 weeks postpartum.

She was worried she had overdone it as, though she felt good reconnecting, her body was indicating she needed to keep going slow.

When you work we me, we go on a journey together. I teach you to listen to your body, to trust your instinct. That there are no real guidelines of when is right I push on, other than how you feel.

It is a humbling moment when you comeback to your body to find that is doesn’t do what it used to do. It doesn’t look the same or feel the same. And even when you tell it to do something, it doesn’t respond.

But the body has an incredible way of healing.

Recovery is never linear.
Often you start with the best intentions to move quickly back to where you were.

“I’ll just do what I did before”

And that’s when you realise you need to slow down.

Meet the new you.
The you that is here and now, recovering from birth or surgery, injury or trauma.

To check in and listen to what your body is telling in a way you’ve probably never listened before.

It is in these moments we can gain such respect for what your body has been through and perhaps gain an understand that this is only just the beginning

The new you
One that will heal
But that will need the strength of character as well as physical strength.

Who will have to draw on characteristics you might not have leant on before, such as patience and resilience and letting go of your ego.

Each transition in life is multidimensional.
Emotional, physical, cyclical and spiritual.

Coming into your body is a part of healing. A somatic experience

Remember

The river always finds the sea

The path may not be straight, but you will get there in the end.

26/06/2026

I once saw a GIF with a woman foam rolling her ITB band that said: “you won’t be smiling like me when you try this.”

The dreaded foam roller.

So painful but so great at the same time. I never understand why anyone would buy one with all the nobbles. Double torture.

But it really is a fab bit of kit and that and cables/bands have become my essentials in the gym, personal training sessions and physio.

Foam rolling is a form of self-myofascial release that helps reduce muscle tension, improve movement quality and increase body awareness.

It can temporarily improve flexibility, circulation and joint range of motion while helping muscles feel less stiff or sore after exercise.

Think of it less as “breaking down knots” and more as giving the nervous system a chance to relax and move more freely.

I use it here to:

Distract the hip initially - offering space in the hip joint by rolling the roller away and lengthening through the hip.
Then work up the calf, hamstrings, glutes
I then target the TFL, and down the anterior part of the ITB (killer), then onto the front for quads.
Then onto the back for the QL, lats and posterior shoulder
Finished off with a lovely extension.

No joke.
But bloody lovely at the same time

Happy Friday peeps

✨

Address

Winchester

Opening Hours

Tuesday 9:30am - 3:30am
Wednesday 9:30am - 3:30pm
Thursday 9:30am - 3:30pm

Telephone

07590541002

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