About Qilo Matzen

Qilo wearing an orange and grey plaid shirt, black ball cap, and aviator glasses, looking at the camera, with an orange glowing half dome in the background beyond trees

About Qilo (“ky-lo”) (he/they):

A down-to-earth body-geek from North Carolina, I draw from an extensive movement background to help people feel more comfortable in their bodies. After receiving a BFA in Dance in 2002 from UIUC, I studied Dynamic Embodiment® – Somatic Movement Therapy and Swedish Massage through Moving on Center in Oakland. Drawn to the Hendrickson Method® for its gentle clarity and effectiveness, I used a combination of HM and Pilates to recover from years of dance injuries and chronic fatigue and in 2014, graduated as a Hendrickson Method Therapist. I teach how to self-advocate for one’s body and strive to improve access to healthcare by working with people within many communities both in my Oakland-based practice and through teaching.  I continue to improvise and choreograph, and love bikes, sea kayaking, long hikes, and vegetable gardens.

About my practice:

I took my first anatomy class when I was 21 and it changed my life. I finally began to fill in the blank slate of my body and discover what moves beneath my skin. Since then, I've delighted in helping others flesh out their own unique body maps, particularly people in transgender and disability communities.  Through manual therapy and facilitated movement, I work with clients to address acute inflammation, chronic adhesions, sticky joints, and wonky neurological signals to decrease pain and improve function.  I invite you to come home to your body.

Two kneeling figures on a beach doing bodywork on a shoulder, with pink and blue clouds reflected in still water

Education and Certifications:

Hendrickson Method® Teacher, 2019
Hendrickson Method Therapist Training, 200 hours, May 2014
Advanced Anatomy for Pilates and Massage, Teaching Assistant, 28 hours, May 2014
Certified Massage Practitioner, Dec 2013
Hendrickson Method Practitioner Training, 200 hours, May 2013
Advanced Anatomy for Pilates and Massage, 56 hours, May 2013
Embodiment in Education, 35 hours, 2009
Dynamic Embodiment® Somatic Movement Therapist Training, 500 hours, 2007
CMT- Somatic Educator, Institute of Conscious BodyWork, 197 hours, 2005
Somatic Education Training, Moving on Center, 105 hours, 2005
BFA with honors in Dance, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 2002