Well, it happened - me and everyone in my flat went down with Covid. We were lucky - it was very mild. I didn't even get a temperature. It took a while to get my strength back but now I'm fine. The city health department rang me up to release me from my quarantine and now I'm back to normal.

Actually it's a nice feeling to be on the other side of the Covid fear. Having shut down my massage practice when the pandemic started I am now considering opening again, if regulations permit. I appreciate that the science is still unclear, but I take it I will probably be immune for the next 5 months or so.

I also think that touch is important for everyone's health, so if it can be given and received without risk, that can only be a good thing!

There's not a lot of massaging going on at the moment, but we still have our needs and desires. One of the things I do is erotic mentoring, where I support people in expressing and exploring their desires and anxieties. This usually happens during a one-to-one session, but for now I would be happy to offer this kind of support online, for free. Think of it as a kind of chat you can have in which you can reveal things about yourself, or share any anxieties you may have around ***uality and your body, without being judged in any way.

For a basic immune boost, take 500mg of Vitamin C morning and evening. Then take 25mg of zinc before bed. This gives you a basic but significant boost. I find that if I do this every day I hardly ever get colds. If you find vitamin C too acidic, or if it upsets your stomach, you can get low-acidity vitamin C, for example from the British company Biocare. People are talking more about vitamin D at the moment, and clearly that is important too, but this basic C and zinc supplementation seems to be a good foundation.

Vitamin D is a bit trickier because it is possible to take too much, and then it becomes toxic, so you have to stick carefully to the stated dosage.

So I have this quite serious knee injury. I can walk, but I can't fully bend my knee. (I can massage - see post below!) The German health system is pretty good, but it all takes time. I had an MRT scan and they'll send the results to my GP. But I won't see the GP for another 10 days. I managed to get an appointment with my osteopath but it's for next week. And I'm like, this is an emergency!

I rang up my homeopath and he gave me a remedy over the phone. I took one pill and the following morning the knee was significantly better. Huge sigh of relief.

When I was young I had that skin problem that young people have. It persisted into my mid twenties. My GP at the time put me on long-term antibiotics, which didn't solve the problem and probably screwed up my digestive system. Eventually I went to a homeopath who cured the acne permanently, overnight.

I wouldn't give homeopathic remedies to a sick child, and I wouldn't *not* consult my GP if I had a serious problem. And homeopathy doesn't always work. But when it works, it works.

I got back from London the other day and my left knee had packed up. Something to do with the flight, I guess. It is slightly swollen and very constricted, although not particularly painful. A friend told me that you can cure a knee by going gluten-free, and although I like a bit of alternative medicine from time to time, I'm also realistic! I've talked to my doctor and I'm having an X-ray.

Funnily enough I have found that the injury hasn't got in the way of my massage practice. I massage on a futon, and so, with one knee constricted I have to choose positions for myself that are extra-comfortable. My massage is not about pounding muscles, it's about creating a particular resonance through touch. I communicate a kind of energy through the skin. In this case I have noticed that the more comfortable I am, the more comfortable the client is. My last client was more that satisfied! So I have learnt a valuable lesson through the injury.

I put out a shout-out on Twitter, and I was very touched when a fellow masseur, whom I haven't met, replied that he could put me in touch with a guy who runs a studio in London, which masseurs can rent by the hour. This means that I will hopefully be able to do Incalls on my next London trip. They will be, alas, a little bit more expensive than my outcalls, because there will be overheads, but I think my prices are still fairly reasonable. I know there are a couple of guys who have been waiting for me to get it together regarding London incalls - so I'm looking forward to meeting them. By the way, I have put some London prices on my personal website now. They are an estimate but I'll try to stick to them for now. My website is called embodiedtouchberlin dot com.

Today, for some reason, my Twitter account was briefly suspended. All my followers were wiped off my profile and all my painstakingly created graphics had been deleted. I wrote to ask them why, and without any explanation they replied that my account was now unsuspended. But some of the graphics are still missing.

Usually about four or five times a week I post a graphic. I take a (relatively tasteful) erotic image and extrapolate some "thought for the day" on the theme of massage, touch, tantra and all things somatic. Some of them are humorous, some quite serious. Part of the pleasure of doing it is that one works backwards from the graphic. I start with the image and then write my short daily sermon to go with it. But the reader experiences it the other way around: the graphic appears to illustrate the sermon.

You can find me on Twitter as "Gay Tantric Massage Berlin", or under the username @gaymassageBLN. If you scroll down my wall you will find some of my graphics have been removed, but some are still there.

I'd like to do some additional photos. If you're a photographer in Berlin, or visiting, who's good with portrait photography, please get in touch. We could even do an exchange if you like, photos for a massage session. Let me know:-)

My location is a bit confusing these days, so here's a clarification: I'm based in Berlin but I nip over to London from time to time, and when I'm there I'm very much available for work. So if you live in London and are interested in what I do, just get in touch and I will let you know when I'm going to be in town.

When I'm in London I have to rent space for massage work, so in-calls have to be arranged in advance, so bear with me. But outcalls are possible at shorter notice.

Happy New Year!

My partner gave me the new book by Rupert Sheldrake, Science and Spiritual Practices, for Christmas. Like all his stuff, it's essential reading. In the first chapter he talks about meditation. Did you know that meditation actually increases the grey matter in your brain? Apparently this is the stuff we need in order to figure things out and remember. It starts dying off quite early in life but meditation can make it grow back. Even if you have never meditated and you start late in life there will be a measurable effect in about 8 weeks.

I have meditated, on and off, for many years. Actually the past couple of years have been busy times and I have been "off". But after reading Sheldrake's comments I am inspired to start again. New Years Resolution! 20 minutes a day!

Today I was looking for some photos and I finally found my Gay Love Spirit graduation certificate! This was given to me at the completion of their Two Year Training, which took place from 2009 to 2011, and it certifies me as a Sacred Intimate. Sacred Intimacy is a particular practice originally developed by the Body Electric school, which can involve things like erotic massage, tantra, healing, mentoring, right through to the more purely pleasure-oriented skills.

I have posted my certificate on my Twitter account and proudly pinned it!

In my description I mention services I offer apart from erotic massage: sacred intimacy and erotic mentoring. These are probably unfamiliar terms so I'll clarify them here.

Sacred intimacy is a term coined by the Body Electric school in the 80s, to define a new way of offering erotic touch in a commercial setting. The main principle is that the transaction should be completely respectful on both sides. With this as the starting point, a sacred intimacy session can include things other than massage, depending on the needs of the client *and* the feelings and boundaries of the intimate.

The term "erotic mentoring" is my own coinage and it is another angle on the idea of sacred intimacy. I want to signal that clients can come to me for support, and that this could include opening up about insecurities or problems they may have. The problems/insecurities don't have to be ***ual. They could also be emotional or even work-related. In any case, it is possible to combine mentoring with erotic massage in one session, and if this is done the results can be quite special. The energy stimulated and released by the erotic touch can be used to gain insights into your situation.

Massage creme is more expensive than oil, but for me is much subtler and more sensual. I recently bought a huge tub of Biotone Dual Purpose massage creme - I'm not sure what the "dual purposes" are, but it feels fantastic on the skin! When I meet a client for the first time I of course have plenty of both creme and oil to hand. I start off with the creme and see how the client responds. If he is responsive and communicative I stay with the creme. But if he is quiet or distant or difficult to read I go on to the oil. Oil is harder to ignore. It's more dramatic. If necessary you can be excessive, as in lomi-lomi, and really bathe him in it - that will probably get a response! Oil is messier and if the client wants the lights turned down low you can have accidents with bottles falling over, but I guess that comes with the terrotitory.

Some clients are so tactile that, no matter how shy they may be, they can't help responding. A little dab of cool massage creme on the lower back or the ankles could be enough to set them off. If my client shows this kind of sensitivity I stick with the creme.

I suppose what this comes down to is that in erotic massage we communicate through the skin.

I see that on Airbnb you can now find "Experiences", which is where locals show visitors around the city or offer them some kind of special experience like a workshop or consultation. It made me think that maybe I should write a blog piece to let people know about how I can be of service to out-of-town visitors.

When I worked in London I sometimes accompanied massage clients to dinner or to events and I found that it was a nice way to extend the session into something a bit longer. Now I've been living in Berlin for some time, and so I'm well set-up to help out as city guide or just recommend a restaurant for the evening - whatever you need. So if you're visiting and want to be shown round by a local, or if you'd like to go out for a pre- or post-massage meal, just let me know.

As far as fee goes, I price these extras at 50% of my hourly massage rate. My rate for massage fluctuates a bit with the seasons, so check out what it currently says in my profile. And if you are on a budget, contact me on or around the first of the month, when I can usually see a couple of clients at a lower rate.

I've been talking to colleagues about finding the right price for one's service. Theoretically a lower price would attract more clients, but if you price yourself too low you feel that you are not being fair to yourself - all those years of training and experience. I'm thinking of trying a kind of Easyjet price structure, in which I will offer some cheaper sessions at the beginning of each month and then bring the price back up to normal. So if you're on a budget, or would like a longer session without it costing too much, try me at the beginning of the month.