Rejoice Wellness

Massage at any time of the month. PERIOD.

There is no rule that says you have to suffer quietly through your cycle and cancel the things that might actually help you feel more comfortable.

If you’re well enough to come in, massage can be adapted to you that day.

Lighter pressure.
Different positioning.
Heat on the lower abdomen or sacrum.
Skipping an area that feels uncomfortable.
Changing your mind.

Your body doesn’t have to perform “normal” for anyone.

You’re allowed to choose comfort.

And if somebody told you otherwise — mom, grandma, auntie, nosy neighbour — kindly leave them out of it. 😂

Pigeon pose is pretty. It is not the only stretch your hips need. 😂

If you’re dealing with hip or low-back tightness, these are 4 of my go-to stretches:

Knee to same shoulder
Low back / erector spinae

Knee to opposite shoulder
Glute max bias

Knee across the body
Glute medius + quadratus lumborum

Thread the needle
Piriformis

You do not need to force yourself into the deepest version of a stretch for it to be useful.

Move gently, breathe, and pay attention to where you actually feel it.

Your body usually gives you more than one way in.

Happy October Friday happened 🎃
taking a break from all seriousness

These muscles work every step you take.

And most people barely know they’re there.

The front and outside of your lower leg contain muscles that help lift your foot, control ankle movement, and support you while you walk, run, climb stairs, or change direction.

The tibialis anterior is one of the big ones in the front.

The fibularis muscles run along the outside of the lower leg and help support ankle movement and stability.

They’re not glamorous.

They’re just quietly working all day long.

And honestly, that’s one of the things I love most about the body.

So many parts of us are doing incredible work before we ever think to notice them.

Not every pain in your butt is sciatica.

A lot of people use “sciatica” as a catch-all for low-back or glute pain.

But true sciatic nerve symptoms are often more nerve-like — burning, electric, numb, tingly, weak, or travelling down the leg.

Sometimes the picture is more muscular.

The quadratus lumborum (QL) is one muscle that can refer discomfort toward the sacrum and gluteal area.

That’s why assessment matters.

Where you feel pain doesn’t always tell us exactly where it’s coming from.

I also included a simple QL stretch you can try gently at home.

Your jaw muscles work harder than you think.

Talking.
Chewing.
Clenching.
Grinding.
Concentrating.
Stress.

The masseter and temporalis are two major muscles involved in jaw movement, and they can become very noticeable when they’re carrying a lot of tension.

A lot of people don’t even realize massage can include the jaw and face — but depending on what you’re experiencing, these areas can absolutely be worth assessing.

And sometimes the thing you call “jaw tension” is part of a bigger picture involving the neck, temples, face, or headaches.

Another perfect example of:

Why Are You Working THERE?

Breast massage is a thing. 🫣

This is one of those topics people often don’t realize even exists within massage therapy.

Because breast and chest-wall treatment involve sensitive areas, the conversation around why it may be considered, informed consent, boundaries, and your right to change your mind matters just as much as the treatment itself.

The goal of this series has never been to make anything weird.

It’s actually the opposite:

the more you understand your body and your care, the less mysterious it becomes.

Thank you to everyone who has taught me, trusted me, worked alongside me, laughed with me, and allowed me to keep growing through one of the longest chapters of my life.

Here’s to year 20. 🤍

SITS muscles are not your sitting bones 😂

Welcome to another day of Why Are You Working THERE?

Your rotator cuff is actually made up of four muscles:

Supraspinatus
Infraspinatus
Teres minor
Subscapularis

That’s where the acronym SITS comes from.

These muscles help stabilize the shoulder joint and guide movement of the arm.

They’re relatively small compared with some of the bigger muscles around the shoulder, but they do a lot of important work.

So if your shoulder feels weak, achy, restricted, or just not quite right, your RMT may be thinking about the rotator cuff even if that’s not the area you expected us to work.

Tiny acronym. Very important muscles.