ELizabeth Lindgren LMT

09/11/2026

The Body Keeps Score

A 6-part series from MAJEC Therapy

Our bodies are always communicating with us.

Sometimes it's a tight shoulder.
A clenched jaw.
A shallow breath.
Tension through the hips.
A feeling that you just can't quite settle.

We don't always notice these things happening. Sometimes we've been holding tension for so long that it simply feels normal.

When I say “the body keeps score,”I don't mean that the body keeps a literal record of everything we've experienced.

I mean that our experiences can influence how we breathe, move, brace, rest and hold ourselves.

Stress, repetitive movements, long hours sitting, physical demands, emotional experiences — they can all become part of the way we inhabit our bodies.

And sometimes the body notices before we do.

As a massage therapist, I don't see my role as fixing or forcing the body to change. I see it as creating a space where we can slow down, pay attention and listen to what the body may be telling us.

Over the next few weeks, we're going to take a closer look at some familiar places where tension likes to show up:

The shoulders.
The jaw.
The breath.
The hips and glutes.

And we'll finish with something I believe is just as important as letting go; permission to let go.

The body doesn't always speak in words.
Sometimes it speaks through sensation.

And sometimes, it simply needs the time, attention and permission to let go.

Stay tuned. Let's listen to what your body has to say.

— Beth
MAJEC Therapy @ Pier Spa

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09/09/2026

**The body keeps score.**

Not just of injuries.

But of how we sit.
How we move.
How we work.
How we sleep.
How we breathe.
How we carry stress.

Sometimes the body quietly adapts.

A shoulder stays lifted.
A jaw stays clenched.
A hip begins doing more work than it should.
The breath becomes a little more shallow.

Eventually, what once felt temporary can begin to feel normal.

This is one of the reasons I approach massage therapeutically.

Rather than simply chasing the place that hurts, I want to understand **what the body is doing and why.**

Where is it holding?
Where is it compensating?
What changes when we slow down and listen?

Massage can't erase everything your body has experienced.

But it can create an opportunity to **pause, notice, release and reconnect.**

Sometimes the first step toward feeling better is simply listening to what your body has been trying to tell you.

Follow and join us for the Body Keeps Score Series
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09/05/2026

To book online go to majectherapy.com. Share with friends and family that are in need of some great bodywork. They will thank you!

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09/02/2026

Your body isn't a machine

Your body isn't a collection of separate parts.
It's a system constantly adapting to how you move, work, rest, breathe and live.

Make sure to get that body tuned up at least 4 times a year @ Pier Spa in Narragansett. Go to: www.majectherapy.com to book a session
masssage, , County RI, Journey

09/02/2026

Majectherapy.com to book a therapeutic session in Narragansett RI

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09/02/2026

Massage is more than
time on a table.

It’s time to slow down.
Time to listen.
Time to notice what your body has been carrying.

The tension we feel doesn’t always come from one place.
Stress, posture, movement, work, emotions, and everyday life all leave their mark on the body.

Massage can’t remove the things that create that tension.

But it can create a little space between
**what your body has been experiencing and what comes next.**

Through therapeutic touch, we can encourage the body to soften, release, and find its way back toward balance.

Sometimes recovery isn’t about fixing something.

It’s about giving the body the time, attention,
and support it needs to do what it already knows how to do.

Pause.
Breathe.
Listen.
Reconnect.

Your body has a lot to say.
Massage gives you a chance to hear it. 🌿

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08/23/2026

For more info goto www.majectherapy.com. Located in Narragansett RI. SHARE WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS

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08/21/2026

The Dance of the Massage Therapist:

When Your Hands Have a Conversation With the Body

There is a moment in a massage session that I love.

It happens when I stop thinking about what I *should* be doing and start paying attention to what I am actually feeling beneath my hands.I like working somewhere my hands can have a conversation with the body. That might sound a little strange. After all, a massage therapist uses their hands to work on muscles, fascia, joints and soft tissue.
But good bodywork, in my experience, is not simply about applying pressure or following a routine.

It is a dance.

I make contact.
The tissue responds.
I listen.
I adjust.
The body responds again.

This is one of the things I love most about therapeutic massage.
Every person who comes through my door brings a different body, a different history, and a different experience of tension and movement.

The body is always communicating

Take the gluteus medius, for example—one of my favorite muscles to work. It is a relatively quiet muscle, but it works hard. It helps stabilize the pelvis every time we walk, stand on one leg, climb stairs or shift our weight. A person may not even realize how much work this area is doing. When I work with it, I can often feel subtle changes beneath my hands. Density. Guarding. Movement. Softening.

And sometimes there is that wonderful moment when the tissue lets go. I haven't *forced* it to relax
I listened long enough for it to show me how.

The therapist is not the choreographer

I think this is one of the most important distinctions in therapeutic bodywork. The therapist doesn't have to control every step of the dance We can have knowledge of anatomy. We can understand movement patterns. We can recognize common areas of tension. We can have years of training and experience.

But the body in front of us is not a textbook.
Every person is different. So rather than deciding that I already know exactly what the body needs, I try to stay curious.

What am I feeling?
What changes when I pause?
Where does the tissue soften?
Where does it continue to hold?
What happens when I change direction or pressure?
The answers are often found beneath my hands.

And there is another partner in the dance

The client.

The conversation isn't only between my hands and their body. It also happens through communication.
"Is this pressure okay?"
"How does that feel?"
"Tell me if you want me to change anything."

The client's voice matters.

A massage therapist can feel a lot, but we cannot feel everything the client feels. A client may know something about their body that no anatomy book could tell me.

Trust allows both people to participate in the process.

This idea of listening is also an important part of Craniosacral Therapy (CST). Rather than trying to force the body into a particular response, CST encourages a quieter, more attentive approach—one that recognizes the connection between the mind and body and allows space for the body to communicate.

The dance is different every time

Some days the dance is slow.
Some days there is more movement, more conversation, more exploration. Sometimes the body seems ready to release. Other times it isn't. And that's okay. My job isn't always to make something happen.

Sometimes my job is simply to notice what is happening.

To be present.

To listen.

To respond.

And to trust that the body has something to say.
That is what makes massage therapy so fascinating to me.
It isn't just about the techniques in my hands.
It's about learning how to listen with them.

That is the dance.

If you're looking for a more mindful, individualized approach to therapeutic massage in Narragansett, I invite you to experience the conversation for yourself.

MAJEC Therapy @ Pier Spa
Narragansett, Rhode Island
majectherapy.com

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08/15/2026

Why Do I Keep Holding My Shoulders Up?

"Relax your shoulders."
It's one of the most common phrases we hear.
And yet, a few minutes later, they're right back where they started.
Sound familiar?

As a massage therapist, I see this all the time. Clients climb onto the table with their shoulders practically touching their ears, completely unaware that they've been holding them there all day.

So why does this happen?

Your shoulders may be responding to stress before your mind even realizes it. Our bodies are incredibly good at adapting.

Deadlines.
Traffic.
Technology.
Family responsibilities.

Even something as simple as spending hours looking at a computer or scrolling on a phone can create tension patterns that become so familiar we stop noticing them.Eventually, elevated shoulders can start to feel normal.

Your shoulders and your breathing are connected.

Take a slow, deep breath. Did your shoulders rise?
Many people rely on the muscles in their neck and shoulders to help them breathe, especially during periods of stress. Instead of allowing the diaphragm to do most of the work, the body recruits other muscles to assist. Over time, those muscles can become overworked and fatigued.

Posture is only part of the story.

We often blame poor posture for neck and shoulder tension. But posture isn't always the villain. Sometimes tight shoulders are simply the body's way of creating stability. Sometimes they're responding to emotional stress. Sometimes they're compensating for movement patterns somewhere else in the body.

The body is rarely as simple as, "Sit up straighter."
Massage can help, but awareness is just as important.
One of the things I enjoy most about therapeutic massage is helping clients recognize patterns they may not even realize they have.

During a session, I'll often ask:

"Can you let your shoulders relax?"

And the response is often:
"I didn't even know I was holding them up."
That moment of awareness can be just as valuable as the massage itself.

Your body is communicating.

At MAJEC Therapy @ Pier Spa in Narragansett, I believe therapeutic massage is more than working on tight muscles.

It's about listening.
Your body is constantly giving you information.
Tight shoulders may be your body's way of saying:

"Slow down."

"Take a breath."

"Pay attention."

The next time you catch yourself holding your shoulders up, don't judge yourself. Just notice. Because awareness is often the first step toward change.

If you're looking for **therapeutic massage in Narragansett or South County, Rhode Island**, consider giving your shoulders—and yourself—permission to let go.

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08/15/2026

The Gluteus Medius: The Quiet Workhorse I Love to Find

The Gluteus Medius: The Quiet Workhorse I Love to Find

There are certain muscles that I never get tired of working with. The gluteus medius is one of them. Maybe it's because this muscle has so much to say. As a massage therapist, I love the moments when my hands can have a conversation with the body. The gluteus medius is one of those places where that conversation can be especially interesting.

So, what exactly does the gluteus medius do?

The gluteus medius is located on the outer surface of the hip, along the upper portion of the pelvis. It is best known for helping move the leg away from the body, but its job is much bigger than that.
One of its most important roles is *stabilizing the pelvis*.

Every time you take a step, climb stairs, shift your weight, or stand on one leg, the gluteus medius helps keep the pelvis level and the body balanced. Think about how often you do those things in a single day. This means the gluteus medius can be quietly working for hours without us ever thinking about it. And sometimes, quietly working means quietly holding.

Why do I love working with it?

Because it gives my hands so much information.
When I'm working with the gluteus medius, I'm not simply looking for a "tight muscle." I'm paying attention to the quality of the tissue.

Is it dense?

Is it guarding?

Does it soften under sustained, comfortable pressure?

Does it respond when I change direction?

What happens when I slow down?

Sometimes the most interesting thing happens when I don't do more.

I pause.

I listen.

And the tissue begins to change.
That's the part I love.

It's not just about the muscle. The gluteus medius doesn't work in isolation. It is part of a larger neighborhood that includes the gluteus maximus and minimus, the tensor fasciae latae, the muscles around the hip, and the structures of the pelvis.

The hip and pelvis are constantly coordinating with the rest of the body. That's why working with this area can feel like exploring a larger movement pattern rather than simply treating one muscle.
As a therapeutic massage therapist, I'm interested in that relationship.

How does the tissue feel?

How does the client move?

Where are they holding?

And, perhaps most importantly,
what does their body tell me when I listen,
When the body talks back.

One of my favorite things about massage therapy is that the body often responds immediately.

My contact changes.

The tissue responds.

I adjust.

It responds again.

It's a little like a dance.

I don't want to choreograph every step.

I want to listen for the next one.

This is also part of what I value about a more mindful approach to bodywork, including Craniosacral Therapy (CST). The goal isn't always to force a change. Sometimes it's about creating the space to notice what is already happening.

The conversation isn't only between my hands and the tissue.
The client is an important part of it.

Is this pressure comfortable?

How does that feel?

Would you like me to stay here?

Communication matters.

No matter how much anatomy I know or how much experience I have, the client knows something I don't: what it feels like to be inside their own body. When there is trust and communication between therapist and client, massage becomes much more collaborative.
We're listening together.

The quiet workhorse

The gluteus medius may not get the attention that the larger glute muscles receive, but it deserves some appreciation.
It's working every time we walk.
It's helping stabilize us when we stand.
It's contributing to how we move through the world.
And for me, it's also a wonderful reminder of why I love being a massage therapist. Because sometimes the most valuable thing I can do isn't to force a muscle to release. It's to slow down enough to listen.

The gluteus medius has a story to tell.

You just have to put your hands in the right place and listen.

If you're looking for individualized therapeutic massage in Narragansett or Wakefield, MAJEC Therapy @ Pier Spa offers bodywork that considers the whole person—not just the place that happens to hurt.

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