ALIGN, Functional Movement & Massage Therapy, LLC

06/09/2026

The Levator Scapulae does exactly what it sounds like: elevates our scapula (or shoulder blade)!

It is not the only muscle that contributes to this movement but it can be a repeat offender when it comes to discomfort and over activity in the upper shoulder and neck.

I loooove this ball release to help bring some chill to this low chill muscle. 😂

If you don’t have a therapy ball for this release a lacrosse ball works great! I’ve even used my nephews bouncy ball before.🙋🏼‍♀️

I like to stagger my feet, one foot a little more forward than the other and remember, the further away your feet are- the more pressure! Slight core engagement is good to have to aid in support as we get into position.

I recommend this release if you’ve got that nagging ache right between the top of the shoulder and neck and also if can’t seem to be able to get this area to turn off when training! It can temporarily give us the space we need to train in better alignment and build balance! 💪🏼🎉

All my plans come with a Self-Release video library to assist you through your process. If you’re ready to build more balanced shoulders check out my Shoulder Deep Dive Plan!

👉🏼Learn More Button on my page !

06/08/2026

No one is immune to injury. You can do everything “right” and literally teach body mechanics for a living (🙋🏼‍♀️) and stuff just happens.

I never thought I would spend a year trying to listen to my body’s needs and still feel stumped. Sometimes we just have to roll with the punches, and that’s ok. It doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong or that you deserve it.

Having MRI’s and X-rays come back inconclusive has been a huge part of why I do what I do. Sometimes our body is just asking for more support and its not an injury. But, sometimes it is. In this case, it sure looks like an injury and we will just have to see where it goes from here.

If you ever think you might be injured, please see your doc! I had 8wks of physical therapy before I put myself through my own programming. But don’t be like me and put imaging off for a year if you can help it.🧡It obviously did not pay off.😂

If you’re dealing with an injury or unanswered questions, you’re not alone! Hypermobile fam, I know you know the feels.

06/07/2026

06/07/2026

If you’ve been told you have winged shoulder blades or even heard you might have scapular dyskinesia, all is not lost.

It cannn be a sign that our shoulders could use some support and if you also have neck and shoulder tension, it’s possible it could be linked.

Studies are all over the place here. I keep reading yes, there appears to be correlation but “the evidence is very low”. lol thanks guys. But the body is a complex place and this makes sense.

I work with people every week with this pattern and we often find as we increase mobility and balanced strength they feel much better. 🙌🏼🤗 and the risk vs reward here is very low. Move more = feel better? Amazing.

Also, building balanced strength can help our posture and in turn, we might enjoy that side profile a little bit more. 💁🏼‍♀️ However, everyone is different and esthetic results are always variable.

If you’re ready to build balanced strength and awareness in your upper body comment Shoulders below and I’ll send you the link to my Shoulder Deep Dive plan.🧡💪🏼

06/06/2026

That lower tip of your shoulder blade may be small but it’s mighty when it comes to shoulder control! 😅
When you can control it, you unlock safer mobility and stability in the shoulder joint. Yes please🎉

Safe shoulder mobility is rooted in scapular (shoulder blade) control.
If we are sporting little wings 🪽 on our backs the mechanics of the shoulder blade are suffering.
This can lead to:
❎Upper shoulder and neck stiffness
❎Discomfort in the front of the arm and shoulder
❎Risk of injury due to poor mechanics

👉🏼My Shoulder Deep Dive plan breaks this down step-by-step with drills to build control, strength, and usable mobility.

👉🏼Learn More Button on my page for more info!

06/06/2026

Corrective Exercise isn’t the end game.

However! It is a huuuge help to those of us that need it. This type of work is great for reducing compensation patterns, stabilizing overly mobile joints and continuing training for those out of physical therapy.

I’m not a proponent of forcing “good posture” or having perfect form at all times. But body mechanics matter and having a capacity to move (with control) through all planes of motion, is good stuff.

Not everyone needs this targeted kind of training. Some folks are built with bodies that just adapt to the demand of an exercise or naturally “get it”. Those people are annoying (lol just kidding!🥰)

For those of us that benefit from this, it can literally be life changing. It was for me.

I went from being sore after every weight lifting session (in the bad kind of way), having constant upper neck pain and tension and subluxations in the elbows and shoulders like once a week… to just not having to deal with that anymore.

I’m not sure why some people throw shade on corrective exercise or rehab exercises but I witness them work and bring confidence to my clients everyday.

If this hits home for you
👉🏼Choose My Plan link in my bio to get started today.

06/04/2026

SI Joint decompression can be an amazing tool if you’re like me and deal with an occasionally grumpy pelvis.😭

We can get SI going pain for several different reasons that can cause instability (hey hypermobile friends💁🏼‍♀️) or stiffness around the SI joint.

If you’re sitting here like, what is the SI joint?? There’s a good chance this isn’t an issue for you 😅 but yes. The SI or sacroiliac joint is the joint between your pelvis (ilium) and your sacrum (that flat triangular bone at the bottom of our spine). This joint naturally has limited mobility but can get super loud and grumpy when it’s overly compressed, lacks stability or is inflamed for other reasons.

Give this super simple decompression exercise a try next time you’re feeling it. Let me know how it felt for you!🧡

If you’re looking to build more connection and strength in your hips, I’ve got you covered. I built the Hip Foundations Plan as a blueprint to gaining awareness, connection and strength to your hips in a way that brings us back to the basics.

👉🏼Learn More Button on my page for more info!