Restore. Reshape. Renew.
Massage that relaxes. bodywork that restores. coaching that enlivens.
offerings
massage
integrative body work
A collaborative, body-centered approach using slow myofascial pressure, breath, humor, and somatic coaching to help you get out of your head and into your body, deepen presence, and create lasting transformation in your body and nervous system.
coaching for men & fathers
the joyful living experience
Helping your nervous system settle,
your body relax, and you return to authentic yourself.
Honoring, acknowledging, and respecting the intelligent communication of the body alongside your unfolding transformation.
Reclaiming capacity for joy, playfulness and emotional resilience as entryways into deeper truth, connection, and presence with self, relationships, and purpose.
meet sim
Simeon darwick birnbaum, LMT, IIN CHHC, RYT
I help people overcome their barriers to wellbeing by inspiring and supporting them in their health, joy, and playful presence in their personal and professional lives. I’m a Licensed Massage Therapist, health and fitness coach, RYT-500 Yoga Instructor, and life coach for the past 20 years. I’ve shared the gift of massage therapy, bodywork and coaching in a wide range of settings such as with people in hospice, cancer resource centers, corporate wellness programs; collegiate and professional sports teams, such as the Cornell University Tennis Team and the national Tennis Championships; holistic retreat centers such as Omega Institute, Blue Spirit Retreat Center, and Isabella Freedman. I believe we can explore play, creativity, vitality, intimacy, and resilience through movement and therapeutic touch. Reconnecting and digesting our emotions through bodywork and somatic coaching, we experience inherent joy, the freedom to be present, and to create a new possibility of wellbeing. Currently I am a practicing husband, father, and community member in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
don't take my word for it
“Sim has helped me and inspired me in so many ways! I’ve done four months of coaching and massage and he truly has been a strong presence for pointing me to my purpose and keeping me on task. Can’t recommend him enough.”
- Jaron
“I learned that my body could be my friend. Between the Prana Massage and the combination of yoga, Pilates and Qigong techniques, my body has been transformed. Shimon’s kindness and openness gave me the strength to take care of myself during five years of caregiving. He pushes me but listens to me, and together we come up with our plans. Shimon has been one of the best gifts in my life. Working with him has strengthened me in body and soul.”
- Chaya Spector
“Weeks and months after our training together, I find myself much quicker to laugh, and it’s much more full. It’s an awesome feeling, and it makes life way more enjoyable. Shimon is funny, playful and fun, and he also knows what he’s talking about. Recommending Shimon to other people is doing them a favor.”
- Brent G., Doctor of Chinese Medicine, Acupuncturist and Acupuncture Teacher
“Joyful Living lives up to its name, and Sim is a gifted healer. His practice somehow seamlessly synthesizes a meditative, encouraging interpersonal environment with vigorous deep tissue massage, optional aromatherapy, and more laughs than I usually have in a week. His love for his work and his deep care for his clients are abundantly evident. Thanks to his skilled intervention, I was largely relieved of pain that had recurred following a car accident of some years ago. I heartily recommend Joyful Living.”
- Annie
“I have learned to keep playfulness and joy in my life even in its darkest times. Shimon supports me in a joyful, non-judgmental way, and he has an overflowing capacity for compassion that rubs right off on me. There is never a dull moment with Shimon. If you are looking to make a change and stick with it, he holds you accountable in a gentle, inspiring and light-hearted way.”
- Jeff Mandell
“Studying prenatal massage with Shimon was transformative for my partner and me. In his special Shimon way, with depth, spirit and of course laughter and joy, he led us through practices and pathways to connection that have fed our relationship and nourished my transforming body and spirit. He helped my partner tune in intuitively to my body’s rhythms and needs, and gave us practical tips that awoke my partner’s healing capacities like never before.”
