Kate Maas LMT

01/24/2026

Great read 👏

“Creative work often asks us to enter a state of openness, presence, and emotional engagement. This state is what many describe as "flow," a form of energized focus where time fades and ideas unfold intuitively. But for many artists, writers, and makers, entering this state can feel elusive or even impossible. The challenge is not a lack of discipline or imagination. Often, it is actually an issue of nervous system regulation.

The ability to create with ease is closely tied to the body's sense of safety. When the nervous system is regulated, we are more likely to access states of curiosity, spontaneity, and play. When the nervous system is dysregulated, we may find ourselves in shutdown, agitation, or hypervigilance. Understanding how your body responds to stress can transform the way you approach your creative life.”

Many people try to force creativity while in a dysregulated state, only to become frustrated or ashamed when the work does not come. The key is understanding how to work with your nervous system.

01/20/2026

Medical Jargon can be confusing. Let’s break this down.

Red Light Therapy- What it actually is

Red light therapy uses specific wavelengths of red and near-infrared light that can reach into your skin and tissues.

Think of it like:

Sunlight’s calm, useful cousin — without the sunburn.

This light helps your cells make energy more efficiently. When cells have more energy, they:
• repair faster
• calm inflammation
• communicate better
• don’t panic as much

Let’puts this into an analogy.

If your body were a farm:
• Surgery = storm damage
• Inflammation = flooded fields
• Stress = equipment running nonstop

Red light therapy is like:

Fixing the wiring in the barn so everything runs smoother again
—not tearing the whole place down and rebuilding overnight.

01/11/2026

POST-OP BILL OF RIGHTS 📜 (Unofficial… but absolutely real)

Surgery doesn’t end when the stitches come out.
Healing doesn’t end when you look better.
And recovery definitely doesn’t follow a straight line.

That’s why we created a Post-Op Bill of Rights—because your body deserves advocacy after the operating room.

You have the right to:
✔️ Heal at your own pace
✔️ Experience swelling, soreness, and setbacks without judgment
✔️ Feel “fine” and not fine at the same time
✔️ Ask questions, rest, and need support longer than expected

Post-op recovery is not weakness.
It’s biology, trauma, inflammation, and repair doing hard work behind the scenes.

At Iowa Postoperative Massage, we specialize in the part of healing no one warns you about—the after.
The delayed swelling.
The emotional whiplash.
The “why does this still hurt?” phase.

If this resonates, you’re not behind.
You’re healing.

💬 Save this.
💗 Share it with someone in recovery.
📅 And when you’re ready, we’re here to help your body move forward—safely and supported.

Kicking Pain to the Curb.

POST-OP BILL OF RIGHTS 📜 (Unofficial… but absolutely real)

Surgery doesn’t end when the stitches come out.
Healing doesn’t end when you look better.
And recovery definitely doesn’t follow a straight line.

That’s why we created a Post-Op Bill of Rights—because your body deserves advocacy after the operating room.

You have the right to:
✔️ Heal at your own pace
✔️ Experience swelling, soreness, and setbacks without judgment
✔️ Feel “fine” and not fine at the same time
✔️ Ask questions, rest, and need support longer than expected

Post-op recovery is not weakness.
It’s biology, trauma, inflammation, and repair doing hard work behind the scenes.

At Iowa Postoperative Massage, we specialize in the part of healing no one warns you about—the after.
The delayed swelling.
The emotional whiplash.
The “why does this still hurt?” phase.

If this resonates, you’re not behind.
You’re healing.

💬 Save this.
💗 Share it with someone in recovery.
📅 And when you’re ready, we’re here to help your body move forward—safely and supported.

Kicking Pain to the Curb.

01/11/2026

During recovery, what surprised you the most?
• 😳 “I felt ‘fine’… but wasn’t”
• 🤕 Swelling & pain changing daily
• 😴 Sleep being impossible
• 🤷‍♀️ All of the above
• 📝 other

01/06/2026

10 Years ago I started Massage School. Little did I know that my future business was going to be centered around an experience I had in clinic, providing post op care. Let alone become a Watsu Practitioner. Two friends of mine at the time nudged me to pursue this field one of which is no other than . Thanks Chelsey, I think you would love Watsu and Brazilian Lymphatic Body Sculpting.

01/06/2026

I’ll be here.
Come meet us here at Massage Iowa!

In 5 days, Come help me celebrate being 45, owning Massage Iowa for 5 years, serving this community with massage for 25 years at 555 W. Cherry St Suite 5 in North Liberty! WHY... Because there will be CAKE!!!! Need I say more?? Ok, You can also meet all 6 other providers in-house, check out retail, share stories of your massage "WINS" and participate in Raffles! I can't wait to see you all again soon. And I am deeply Grateful to all of you near and Far that have helped me get to this point!!!!

01/03/2026

How scar tissue acts like a dam in the lymphatic system.

Think of your lymphatic system as a slow-moving river whose job is to drain excess fluid, proteins, waste, and inflammation from your tissues. Unlike blood vessels, lymph vessels are soft, superficial, and pressure-sensitive—they rely on movement, breathing, and gentle tissue glide to function.

Scar tissue disrupts this system in several key ways:

⸻

1. Scar tissue is dense and non-elastic
When the body heals from surgery, injury, or inflammation, collagen fibers are laid down quickly and randomly, forming tissue that is:
• Thicker
• Less flexible
• Less hydrated

Lymph vessels that normally glide through tissue become compressed or kinked, much like a river narrowed by concrete.

⸻

2. It compresses and collapses lymph vessels
Lymph vessels have thin walls and no central pump. Scar tissue can:
• Flatten vessels
• Reduce vessel diameter
• Prevent the opening/closing of lymph valves

This mechanically slows or blocks lymph flow.

⸻

3. Fluid backs up behind the scar (the “dam effect”)
Just like water behind a dam:
• Lymph fluid accumulates upstream
• Swelling, heaviness, pressure, or puffiness appear
• Inflammation lingers longer than it should

This can happen far from the scar itself, which is why symptoms often seem “unrelated.”

⸻

4. Stagnant lymph changes tissue health
When lymph can’t drain properly:
• Oxygen delivery drops
• Waste products accumulate
• Nerves become irritated
• Tissue feels tight, achy, numb, or hypersensitive

Over time, this can contribute to chronic pain, fibrosis, and recurrent inflammation.

⸻

5. Manual therapy helps by “opening spillways”
Skilled manual lymphatic and scar mobilization techniques:
• Rehydrate scar tissue
• Restore tissue glide
• Reduce pressure on lymph vessels
• Create alternative drainage pathways

This is why people often feel lighter, less swollen, and more mobile after treatment—even years after surgery.

01/03/2026

https://youtu.be/CjGQvcCWZ8U?si=ofuaByVMeDSFj7GG

NOTE FROM TED: Please do not look to this talk as a substitute for health advice. This talk represents the speaker's personal views and understanding of trau...

01/03/2026

Water exposes whatever the nervous system hasn’t practiced regulating. Why tolerate pain on land when you can get relief in water?

Watsu takes load off your spine through physics + neurobiology working together. It isn’t just that it feels good — the water is literally changing the forces acting on your spine while your nervous system stops guarding.