Lovingkindness Bodyworks

08/25/2026

Jaw pain, clenching, tension, or trouble opening your mouth comfortably?

A 2024 randomized controlled trial looked at people with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and compared massage-based treatment with massage plus gentle post-isometric relaxation exercises.

Both groups improved.

But the group that combined massage with gentle muscle relaxation and movement had greater improvements in pain and mouth opening.

That matters because TMJ work doesn’t have to mean aggressively “digging into” sore jaw muscles. Sometimes the better approach is a combination of:

• gentle soft tissue work
• intraoral/buccal massage when appropriate
• slow, comfortable jaw movement
• light isometric muscle engagement
• relaxation and reassessment

The jaw is part of a bigger system, too — neck tension, stress, breathing patterns, clenching habits, and the muscles of the face and shoulders can all play a role.

I love seeing research continue to support thoughtful, conservative hands-on care for TMD.

📚 Tariq et al., 2024
BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation
“Efficacy of massage versus massage with post isometric relaxation in temporomandibular disorders: a randomized controlled trial”

08/23/2026

A little glimpse from today at Lovingkindness! 💚

After Sunday Sadhana, we spent some time with Nicole Teach of Bee Equanimity, sharing conversation, connection, and a little hands-on chair massage. 🌿

I love seeing the Lovingkindness Wellness Collective becoming more than just a place to receive a service—it’s becoming a place to meet, learn, connect, and experience different approaches to wellness.

Thank you to everyone who joined us today, and especially to Nicole for sharing her time and talents with our community. 💛

More little gatherings like this to come!

08/23/2026

08/16/2026

💆 MASSAGE MYTH BUSTER 💆

MYTH: “You’re a massage therapist? You must be SO relaxed after work!”

😂😂😂

REALITY: I spend my day helping other people relax.

By the end of the day, I’ve been standing, bending, lunging, reaching, lifting, doing laundry, cleaning, charting, answering messages, thinking anatomically, listening carefully, and trying to remember whether I’ve actually eaten anything.

Do I love what I do? Absolutely. 💜

Am I floating out of the office in a blissful lavender-scented cloud?

Absolutely not. 😂

Massage therapy can be peaceful work — but it is also very physical, mentally engaging work.

And sometimes the massage therapist needs a massage, too. 😉