Aroha Nui Massage

07/11/2026

Thanks for sharing!

🦋 The Sphenoid: The Keystone of the Skull

What if your TMJ pain, headaches, uneven eyes, dizziness, neck tension, or even balance issues weren’t isolated problems?

What if they were all connected?

The sphenoid bone sits deep within the center of the skull. It’s often called the “keystone” of the cranium because it articulates with nearly every other cranial bone and helps support the eyes, jaw, and many important structures of the head.

When the body experiences trauma—whether from birth, falls, accidents, orthodontics, concussions, emotional stress, or years of compensation—the fascial system surrounding the sphenoid can become restricted.

Because fascia is continuous throughout the body, these restrictions can influence far more than the skull.

✨ You may notice:
• TMJ pain or jaw clicking
• Facial asymmetry
• Headaches or migraines
• Neck pain
• Visual strain
• Balance or coordination challenges
• Poor posture
• Nervous system dysregulation

In John F. Barnes Myofascial Release, we don’t chase symptoms.

We look for the restrictions that may be creating compensation patterns throughout the entire body.

The body is brilliantly designed to adapt. But compensation isn’t the same as healing.

By gently releasing fascial restrictions, the body often finds greater alignment, improved movement, and a renewed sense of ease.

The symptom is rarely the whole story.

Sometimes the answer isn’t where it hurts—it’s where the body has been protecting itself.

💜 Healing begins when we stop treating the body as separate parts and start honoring it as one connected system.

Have you ever noticed one eye sitting higher than the other, jaw tension, or chronic headaches? I’d love to hear your experience below.

Rowena Cua 💜
Expert JFB Myofascial Release Therapist
Trauma Informed Healing
www.bodymfr.com

06/17/2026

The awesome sphenoid!!

💜 The Sphenoid Bone: The “Keystone” of the Cranium

“When the center releases, the whole system can change.” 💜

The sphenoid bone is one of the most important bones in the body that most people have never heard of.

Often called the “keystone of the cranium,” it connects with every other cranial bone and sits deep behind the eyes, nose, and cheeks. Because of its central location, restrictions around the sphenoid can influence far more than the head and face.

When fascial restrictions surrounding the sphenoid begin to release through gentle, sustained John F. Barnes Myofascial Release, people may experience changes in:

✨ Headaches and migraines
✨ TMJ pain and jaw tension
✨ Eye strain and visual fatigue
✨ Sinus congestion
✨ Ear pressure or ringing
✨ Neck pain and stiffness
✨ Balance and dizziness issues
✨ Cranial and facial asymmetries
✨ Nervous system regulation

The sphenoid is also closely connected to the dura, cranial nerves, jaw, palate, tongue, and upper cervical spine.

When the sphenoid is under tension, the entire craniosacral and fascial system may compensate.

As John Barnes taught, healing doesn’t come from forcing tissues into place.

The body changes when restrictions are met with patience, safety, and sustained pressure.

Sometimes releasing tension around the sphenoid creates a sense of spaciousness throughout the head, jaw, neck, and even the entire body.

The body functions as one interconnected fascial system.
When the center begins to change, everything connected to it has the opportunity to change as well.

💜 Healing is not about fixing the body.It’s about creating the conditions for the body to heal itself.

Rowena Cua 💜
Expert JFB Myofascial Release Therapist Trauma-Informed Healing
www.bodymfr.com

05/08/2026

Remember our mothers, aunties, stepmothers, grandmothers and mothers of our pets on this coming Mother’s Day❤️ Gift certificates are available 🎁 call Karyn for more information : 826 202 5323

Take a look at what someone created with ChatGPT.

02/10/2026

Yesterday we talked about the pelvic and sphenoid bones, those twin ink-blot shapes at opposite ends of the central axis. Today, I want to touch on how we actually begin to balance them in bodywork, not by forcing symmetry, but by clearing the line of conversation between the bowl and the butterfly.

I think of the pelvis and sphenoid as two tuning forks on the same string. The string is the dural tube, the deep fascial midline, the pressure system that runs from the pelvic floor to the cranial base. Our work is not to hammer either fork, but to reduce the noise around the string. Practically, that means starting with breath and the diaphragm. Free the respiratory diaphragm with rib, sternum, and upper abdominal work. Invite motion in the pelvic diaphragm with sacral holds, gentle pelvic floor softening, and SI joint decompression. When the diaphragms begin to move like coordinated tides, the cranial base often starts to reorganize on its own.

From there, I like to pair contact. One hand on the sacrum, the other on the occiput or sphenoid line, feeling for rhythm and drag rather than trying to create change. Craniosacral style holds, sacral traction, and still point inductions can reduce dural tension across the whole axis. Intraoral and jaw work add another powerful lever. Releasing the pterygoids, maxilla, and palate reduces strain at the sphenoid, and that shift frequently echoes down through the spine into sacral position and tone.

Add fluid movement to the mix. Abdominal and visceral fascial work improves glide around the mesenteries and reduces internal drag on the dural and fascial core. Gentle spinal unwinding, suboccipital release, and thoracolumbar fascial work help the message travel without distortion.

The technique is real and specific, but the spirit stays the same. We are not making the pelvis obey the sphenoid or the sphenoid obey the pelvis. We are restoring their signal line. When the static drops, these two distant shapes begin to resonate again, and the body recognizes its own symmetry without being told.

12/31/2025

Happy New Year Aotearoa and Australia!!

🎆 Auckland Welcomes the New Year from the Sky 🎆

As the clock strikes midnight, Auckland City lights up the night with its iconic New Year’s Eve fireworks exploding from the Sky Tower — a tradition watched by millions across New Zealand and around the world. Towering above the CBD, the Sky Tower becomes the heart of the celebration, launching a spectacular 360-degree fireworks display that signals the first major city in the world to welcome the New Year.

The show is paired with dazzling lighting effects on the tower itself, transforming the skyline into a moment of shared excitement and optimism. From the waterfront to surrounding hills, families, friends and visitors gather to count down together, soaking in the electric atmosphere as Auckland steps into a fresh year.

Whether you’re watching from the city streets, the harbour, or from home, it’s a powerful reminder of why Auckland’s New Year celebrations are truly world-class. Here’s to new beginnings, big dreams, and a bright year ahead. ✨