Anastasia Xidis

The importance of the well being of the mind, body and soul inspired her to shift her life from business direction towards healing arts. Following her own need for slowing down, facing inner violence, and concentrating her mind, she started studying and practicing Tai Chi Chuan, the yang style, in 2004 with Tew Bunnag (a well-known specialist on Death and Dying and Tai Chi) and Napoleon Xifaras (Tai chi teacher and choreographer). The way Tai Chi Chuan was transmitted to her involved the development of natural awareness: a reunion with and a return to the center by letting go and slowing down, an approach that has been enhanced by the practice of Samata, Vipassana and Metta meditation.

The importance of touch took her to Chiang Mai, Thailand in 2005. There she was introduced to Thai Massage, under the guidance of one of the most respected Thai massage healers, Master Pichest Boonthumme. She got her accreditation from the oldest massage school, Wat Pho in Bankgok, in 2007. Every year she went back to Asia deepening her knowledge on Thai-massage and learning different modalities as Chi Nei Tsang, the Abdominal Massage. She attended Osteo-Thai courses, Acroyoga workshops and classes of different styles of Yoga, that helped sharpen her touch and practically understand the connection between mind and body.

Attended and taught Tai Chi at the Thai-Massage Circus over a period of three years with exceptional western teachers: Arno L’ Hermitte, Kaline Alayna Kelly, David Lutt, and Gwynn Williams. Through all these teachings she deepened into her practice by cultivating the four qualities of the heart: unconditional love, compassion, joy and equanimity (Metta, Karuna, Mudita, Uppekha).

Her practice in stillness, acceptance, soma awareness and deep listening led her to the healing art of Craniosacral Work. Studied at the Milne Institute, Visionary Craniosacral Work® under the direct guidance of Hugh Milne, world-renowned Craniosacral teacher, osteopath, and author of the book 'The Heart of Listening'. Completed the training, assisted Hugh in all seven levels of the training, as well as in his personal sessions in Germany and Switzerland. She was an accredited teacher of Visionary Craniosacral Work under the Milne Institute until 2018.

Now she creates her own training on Craniosacral Work, teaching at the Akadimia of Ancient Greek and Traditional Chinese Medicine in Athens.

Through all these years of searching different modalities for touching and healing first her own body and psyche, meditation was her everyday practice, keeping her concentrated. As meditation seemed to be the key for healing, every year she is following a 10-day silent retreat in Asia or Greece, mostly Goenka Vipassana Meditation, but also Traditional Buddhist Meditation in Thai Monasteries, observing the nature of the mind.

With the interrelation of all the above practices she cultivates empathy, intuition, deep listening, sense of timing, quality of stillness and sensitivity, which she believe are among the most important tools for every healer. She has been working as a therapist and teacher (internationally) since 2012. Nowadays she lives in Athens with her family leading wellness retreats, teaching classes, and giving therapeutic sessions. She enjoys whirling, practicing Iyengar yoga and swimming in the Aegean Sea.