· the belly practitioner · Chi Nei Tsang and Taoist Healing Arts

Katherine Dessert ᐧ

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Katherine Dessert offers hands-on abdominal massage and bodywork that releases tension, restores vitality, and brings people back to the simple pleasure of being in a human body. Her work is rooted in Chi Nei Tsang, a Taoist healing art, and she trained directly with the internationally renowned Taoist teacher, Mantak Chia's in his Universal Healing Tao system, where she is a certified practitioner and full instructor. Alongside individual sessions, she guides self-practice groups, classes, retreats, and 1:1 mentorship.

ᐧ Tools for Tending ᐧ

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ᐧ Group Practice ᐧ

A living, evolving container for women to gather, practice, and go deeper together. Each offering weaves Taoist feminine practices, Chi Nei Tsang self-practice, and shared learning — a place to be witnessed, celebrated, guided, and held.

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ᐧ Individual Sessions ᐧ

Chi Nei Tsang works with what the belly carries — digestive issues, chronic tension, emotional holding, fatigue, and stress that lives below the surface.

Katherine practices alignment rather than force. The nervous system, like nature, does not respond well to pushing. Given time and safety, it finds its own way toward ease.

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“The most radical thing we can do in times of chaos is stay in relationship with something slower, deeper, and older than noise.”

ᐧ Katherine Dessertᐧ

Testimonials

“Katherine Dessert is a rare find. As a Chi Nei Tsang practitioner, she brings a quality that's hard to put into words: grounded, steady, curious, and deeply kind. From the moment you're on her table, there's a sense of complete ease and trust. Her work is like river water—fluid, responsive, and always moving with you rather than against you. She individualizes every session with real attention and care, and the results have been profound for me: a reconnection to myself I didn't expect and can't quite explain, but absolutely feel. If you're looking for bodywork that is belly-specific and goes beyond the surface, Katherine is someone I recommend wholeheartedly.”

—N.K.
“Katherine brings a presence and touch that is warm, grounded, and nourishing. In every session I've received from her, I've been met with loving acceptance, no matter how I show up in the moment. Working with Katherine and receiving Chi Nei Tsang has helped heal my relationship with my belly. For years, I hadn't liked this part of myself. But receiving nourishing, intentional touch there has helped me reconnect, deepening my relationship with my body and coming to a place of genuinely loving myself more fully.”

—G.G
"The way Katherine guides us into the practice is incredibly gentle and caring, and it all flows so naturally. Being with my belly every day is now something I want to do twice a day—on waking in the morning and again at night before bed—because it feels so nourishing. It has helped me in so many ways that I honestly can’t stop. I’ve even noticed my indigestion has stopped, I find myself massaging my midline in the shower, and the way I see my belly has completely shifted. Thank you so much, Katherine. I know I have so much more to learn from tending to my belly—and this feels like just the beginning."

—L.C.
“I had such a positive, healing and transformative experience during my sessions with Katherine. Her knowledge and gentle approach created a safe and comforting environment. Thanks to her tender care, I feel a deeper connection to my belly, which is priceless to me! I highly recommend!”

— H.R.
"Katherine’s teaching style is one of quiet devotion, and in this loud world, that feels like a big thing to me. Some people are preaching about lofty topics but when you hear them, there’s a sense that their energy doesn’t match their words. Katherine brings this sense of integration and coherence all the way from the content of her teachings into the way that she shows up, and that helps me to feel held in the practice. The coherence in these teachings helps me along my own journey of coherence and integration inside of myself. "

—K.M.
"My journey with Katherine has been such a gift. It has allowed me to connect with parts of my body that are often overlooked in traditional massage. Learning how to perform these techniques on my own belly felt incredibly empowering."

— S.U.
"My Chi Nei Tsang series with Katherine was a pure delight to experience. Her soft yet contained presence supported my surrender into the moment as one session built upon the prior. Her calm and grounded approach coupled with her skilled hands supported a release of belly tension, better digestion, and a nervous system reboot within a very safe and peaceful container. I would highly recommend her services to anyone."

— N.F.
“Belly work with Katherine is such a delicious experience. She has a serene calmness about her that so perfectly complements the work she’s doing. My often agitated belly entrains to her calm state. I’ve slipped into a deep nap more than once! I did a 5 session series with her where I came in every other week, and after those 10 weeks, I notice a new relaxation and vitality in my belly and a major decrease in some uncomfortable cramping I was having. This is profound work - we store so much in the belly and Chi Nei Tsang provides a wonderful framework to attune to, and work with what wants to be known, acknowledged, released. Katherine embodies and practices this modality so beautifully ~ I highly recommend trying it!”

— M.B.
“Katherine’s deep integrity and devotion to her work is so palpable in her sessions. I felt such a huge shift in my nervous system from the first session to last - more regulated, less reactive to stress, more ease in my day to day. Also I have felt less tension in my body, a more easeful bleed with far less cramping, and improved digestion. I am so thankful to Katherine and I’m looking forward to my next session with her.”

— A.G.
“I felt really cared for by Katherine. Her presence and touch felt deeply healing. Her attentiveness and sensitivity to the body’s subtleties are powerful. She helped me feel more grounded in my body and brought greater awareness and relaxation to my belly.”

—S.G.
“I recently received five very deep but gentle Chi Nei Tsang sessions over the course of a month and a half. As someone who has tended to hold tension in the belly, it was very nurturing and therapeutic to feel certain holding patterns soften — or even melt away. I even had a few lasting insights that broadened my overall emotional, physical, and spiritual awareness. In my opinion, Katherine is a very sensitive and gifted practitioner, and I would highly recommend her for any of her offerings.”

—J.R.
"My experience with Katherine has been surprising and profound. I have visited Katherine while in a state where my organs were tender and inflamed. The subtle quality that moved through her as she worked soothed and allowed the spaces within myself to reveal a deeper message — one that both calmed my symptoms and opened aspects within myself, leaving a deep sense of calm awareness and an overall sense of peace. Even when I see her without any symptoms or flare-ups, this experience and space with her feels like a gift to my nervous system, bringing a sense of alignment in the way I see and interface with the world around me."

—M.S.
"I wasn't sure what to expect when signing up for belly work. I was appreciative of the series of five sessions and how the work could gradually get deeper as my body opened. Both of Katherine's spaces are magical and a delight to be in. There's lots of spaciousness and softness in the experience. Upon completion and reflection, I felt this work opened and ushered me into a period of self-revelation and activation I had been waiting for."

—L.H.
"Katherine is amazing at Chi Nei Tsang. When I came to her I had sluggish digestion and stuck energy stemming from old, unhealed emotional traumas stored in my gut, liver, spleen and fascia. Chi Nei Tsang tremendously helped to get the energy moving again, allowing the emotions to rise up and to be seen, felt and released. Now I am noticeably moving forward in my life in a very good way. Katherine is a true master at Chi Nei Tsang — professional, wise and kind. It is so obvious that she has already done the inner work herself and she stands elegantly in service to assist those who are in need of this deeply healing work. I highly encourage anyone to explore this work through Katherine's capable hands."

—L.K.
"I wasn't sure what to expect when I signed up for belly work. I appreciated the arc of five sessions — how the work could gradually deepen as my body opened. Both of Katherine's spaces are magical and a delight to be in. There's a quality of spaciousness and softness throughout the whole experience. Reflecting on the work now, I feel it opened and ushered me into a period of self-revelation and activation I had been waiting for."

—L.H.
"Working with Katherine was a unique experience that had a profound effect on my overall physical well-being. I had never tried these modalities before, but a few friends had achieved amazing results, so I dedicated myself to a series of five sessions. I'm so glad I did—the effects built cumulatively week over week. We started with Chi Nei Tsang, which created a deep sense of relaxation and helped me release a lot of tension and built-up residue I'd long felt was "stuck." We then moved into Tok Sen, a tapping modality using wooden implements, which let my parasympathetic nervous system deeeeeeply relax. Over the five sessions, this work cleared a lot of my lower back and body pain. It also felt like a reset for my nervous system—I found myself sleeping more deeply and moving through my days with more energy. Her healing space is impeccable. I would relax the moment I stepped into the room."

—T.B.