Able Movement Massage Therapy

12/13/2025

We live in a trauma informed society. Each and everyone of us has experienced trauma on some level in life. Some, many times throughout their lives. It’s important we recognize and honor our body’s individual healing needs and process.

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The Body’s Archive

Understanding the science of trauma begins with recognizing that the body reacts far faster than the mind. Trauma is not only a story of what happened, but it is also a physiological imprint that alters how a person breathes, moves, feels, and processes the world. When something overwhelms the system, the body responds in ways that bypass thought entirely. These reactions live deep in the nervous system, the muscles, the fascia, and the receptors that gather and interpret sensation.

The limbic system is the body’s emotional lighthouse. It scans every environment for signs of danger and remembers the subtle details of past overwhelm long before a person is consciously aware of them. When something familiar touches that memory, even gently, the limbic system illuminates the entire internal landscape as if the original threat were happening again. It is not betraying the person. It is trying to keep them safe.

The amygdala acts as the guardian of survival. It does not differentiate between yesterday and today. It only knows what once felt threatening. When it senses a reminder, it signals the body to prepare. Your heart rate rises, breathing shifts, and muscles contract. This is why trauma responses appear instantly and powerfully. They are ancient reflexes shaped for protection.

The insula is a crucial region of the cerebral cortex that allows a person to feel themselves from within. It determines how much sensation and emotion the system can tolerate at any given moment. When danger is perceived, the insula may dim internal awareness to prevent overwhelm, creating numbness or dissociation. Or it may amplify it, making every sensation feel sharp. It is the body’s internal dimmer switch, adjusting intensity moment by moment.

The vagus nerve, which connects the brain to the heart, lungs, gut, and organs, shifts into its protective pathways during trauma. This can create shallow breathing, emotional distance, digestive shutdown, or a muted sense of connection. When safety returns, the vagus nerve slowly widens its communication again, allowing the body to reenter a state of rest, integration, and presence.

Muscles respond instantly to threat. Inside each fiber, chemical messengers activate actin and myosin, creating contraction patterns that mirror the body’s survival needs. These patterns are not random. They are survival etched into muscle memory, created by repetition and necessity.

Fascia is the body’s great storyteller, a living web that surrounds every muscle, bone, organ, and nerve. It responds to trauma by thickening, tightening, and changing its internal fluidity. Collagen fibers reorganize themselves into protective shapes. Mechanoreceptors, proprioceptors, and nociceptors within the fascia begin sending altered messages to the brain, shaped by what the body has endured. Fascia can hold emotional energy, bracing patterns, and unprocessed survival responses like a woven archive of experience. It is not just connective tissue; it is a sensory organ that records the history of what you have lived through.

Trauma imprints through every one of these systems. Neural pathways fire in practiced patterns. Breath becomes guarded. Movement becomes shaped by what once hurt, and the body protects until it believes it no longer needs to. And in many people, that protection outlives the original danger.

Understanding this science allows both clients and bodyworkers to approach the body with compassion rather than confusion. Trauma responses are intelligent adaptations, not weaknesses. The body is not malfunctioning. It is remembering. And with the right conditions of safety, warmth, steady touch, and presence, these patterns can soften and reorganize.

When we understand what is happening inside, we honor the body not as something to be corrected, but as something that, in every way it knew, has tried to protect the person carrying it. This is the foundation of trauma-informed bodywork. It is where science meets art, and where healing begins.

10/23/2025

The more we learn…..the more we understand…The original author of this post cites all sources on the comments to this post. Fascia-nating!!!! https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1384392653601336&id=100060918434124

06/29/2025

Allow some time for self care for your holiday week/weekend. Especially if traveling or eating a diet that’s not the norm at the BBQ! Keep your lymph flowing and your body healthy.

Happy 4th of July!! 😎

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💧 SELF LYMPH DRAINAGE AT HOME: A Step-by-Step Guide

Support your body’s natural detox system with gentle, rhythmic touch.

🛑 Note: This is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for clinical therapy. If you have any medical condition, consult your practitioner first.

🌿 What Is Self Lymph Drainage?

Self Lymph Drainage (SLD) is a gentle, rhythmic technique that supports lymphatic flow, reduces puffiness, improves circulation, and encourages detoxification. Unlike deep massage, it uses light pressure and specific directional strokes to move lymph toward drainage points.

🧘‍♀️ Before You Begin
• Wash your hands.
• Sit comfortably or lie down with your back supported.
• Breathe deeply a few times to relax the nervous system.
• Keep pressure light and soft – imagine moving a feather on the skin.

🔄 The Basic Rule: Always move fluid toward lymph nodes and drainage clusters.

🧭 STEP-BY-STEP SELF LYMPH DRAINAGE FLOW

1️⃣ Stimulate the Terminus (Neck Drainage)

🕊 This opens the main lymphatic ducts to receive fluid.
• Place your fingertips just above your collarbones, in the soft dip near the sides of your neck.
• Gently stretch the skin inward and downward toward the heart.
• Do this 10–15 times, breathing deeply.

2️⃣ Open Up Behind the Ears & Base of Skull

🌙 These drain the scalp, face, and brain.
• Use flat fingers behind your ears and lightly stretch downward toward your neck.
• Then, place fingers at the base of your skull and stroke downward along the neck.
• Repeat 5–10 strokes on each side.

3️⃣ Face & Jaw Flow (Optional but Calming)

🌸 Helpful for puffiness, sinus pressure, or facial congestion.
• Use soft strokes from the center of your face outward toward your ears.
• Then from your ears, stroke down your neck to your collarbones.

4️⃣ Axillary Lymph Nodes (Underarms)

🌼 These filter fluid from the arms and upper chest.
• Gently place your hand flat under your armpit.
• Use soft, circular strokes for 10 seconds each side.
• Then, stroke down from your shoulders toward the underarm area.

5️⃣ Abdominal Drainage (Gut & Liver Support)

🌿 Supports digestion and detox pathways.
• Place both hands on your belly.
• Gently stroke in small clockwise circles (following the direction of your colon).
• Then move hands upward toward the ribs and then diagonally toward your groin.

6️⃣ Inguinal Nodes (Groin)

🌷 Clears fluid from the legs, pelvis, and lower abdomen.
• Place fingers in the crease of your upper thigh.
• Press gently and sweep upward toward the center of your body (toward belly button).
• Repeat on both sides for 10–15 strokes.

7️⃣ Legs and Ankles (Optional for swelling)

💧 Helps with water retention and tired legs.
• Start at your ankles and use upward strokes toward your knees.
• From the knees, continue up toward the groin.
• Keep strokes light and slow.

🌬️ Finish With Deep Breathing

Place hands over your chest and take 5 deep, slow breaths.
This resets the nervous system and encourages continued lymph movement.

📅 How Often?

2–3 times per week is supportive.
Daily during detox, after illness, or during inflammation flares.

✅ Important Tips:
• Stay hydrated! 💧 Lymph needs water to flow.
• Rest afterward – healing happens in the calm.

📌 If you would like to follow a visual with slightly different steps https://youtu.be/vcTDbunqT4I?si=OYppNmlNE11U512K

06/07/2025

This! and also don’t forget to breathe! Our breath is also one of our body’s powerful detox tools! https://www.facebook.com/100064043010237/posts/1143887077756049/?

🧠 “While You Were Sleeping: The Magical World of the Glymphatic System”

— How Your Brain Detoxes Itself and Why Rest May Be the Greatest Healer of All

We often hear about liver detox, gut detox, juice cleanses, and lymphatic drainage…
But what about the brain’s detox system?

Meet the glymphatic system — your brain’s personal housekeeping crew that comes alive while you sleep, washing away the waste of thought, stress, and survival.

“It’s like a nightly rinse cycle for your brain,” says neuroscientist Dr. Maiken Nedergaard, who co-discovered the glymphatic system in 2012.

And yes — it’s as breathtaking as it sounds.

🌙 What Is the Glymphatic System?

The glymphatic system is a recently discovered waste-clearing pathway in the brain and central nervous system.
It’s called “glymphatic” because it’s similar to the lymphatic system, but instead of using lymph vessels, it uses glial cells (hence the “g” in glymphatic).

Its mission?
🧽 Clean out cellular waste
🧪 Remove toxic proteins like beta-amyloid and tau (linked to Alzheimer’s)
💧 Circulate cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to keep the brain nourished and balanced

But here’s the catch:
It only turns on when you’re in deep, restorative sleep 🛏️

💡 How It Works (Simply Put)
• During the day: Your brain cells are busy thinking, reacting, and firing signals
• At night: Your brain cells actually shrink by up to 60% to allow CSF to flow more freely between them
• This CSF flushes out waste products and carries them along tiny channels to be eliminated — like a gentle waterfall through your brain tissue

📖 Iliff et al., Science Translational Medicine, 2012: “The glymphatic pathway clears interstitial solutes from the brain in a process that depends on aquaporin-4 water channels in astrocytes.”

🧠 Why It Matters

When the glymphatic system works well, you wake up clear-headed, calm, and refreshed.

But when it’s blocked or sluggish, waste accumulates — leading to:
• Brain fog
• Memory problems
• Mood shifts
• Headaches
• Neuroinflammation
• Long-term risks for dementia and cognitive decline

💡 Xie et al., Science, 2013 showed that sleep deprivation reduces glymphatic clearance by up to 60%. That means: one bad night of sleep = toxic waste build-up in the brain.

🧬 What Blocks Glymphatic Flow?
• Poor or disrupted sleep (especially lack of deep sleep)
• Chronic inflammation
• Dehydration
• High cortisol (from stress, trauma, overwork)
• Traumatic brain injury
• Poor neck alignment or stagnant lymph flow

🌿 How to Support Your Glymphatic System Naturally

💤 1. Prioritize Deep Sleep
• Aim for 7–9 hours of uninterrupted sleep
• Avoid screens at night & sleep in complete darkness
• Magnesium glycinate, chamomile, and glycine can help promote deep rest

💧 2. Stay Hydrated
• Cerebrospinal fluid is 99% water!
• Add electrolytes (like Celtic salt + lemon) to your water to increase absorption

🧘‍♀️ 3. Lower Inflammation
• Anti-inflammatory diet (omega-3s, turmeric, antioxidants)
• Gentle detox (castor oil packs, lymphatic drainage, low-tox lifestyle)

🔄 4. Support Neck & Cranial Flow
• The glymphatic “exit ramp” is located at the base of the skull, so:
• Avoid forward head posture
• Do light neck stretches, craniosacral therapy, or use a cervical pillow
• Dry brushing the neck and chest can help open lymphatic exits

🌬️ 5. Practice Diaphragmatic Breathing
• Breath = pump for CSF and lymph
• Try box breathing (inhale 4s, hold 4s, exhale 4s, hold 4s)

💫 Final Thought

The glymphatic system is proof that the body is always working for you, not against you — even while you sleep.

So the next time you’re tempted to skip rest, push through burnout, or override your body’s request for stillness… remember: your brain is begging for a rinse cycle.

Let it flow. Let it heal.
Let it sleep.

📚 Cited Research:
• Nedergaard M., Iliff J. “A Paravascular Pathway Facilitates CSF Flow through the Brain.” Science Translational Medicine, 2012.
• Xie L. et al. “Sleep Drives Metabolite Clearance from the Adult Brain.” Science, 2013.
• Louveau A. et al. “Structural and Functional Features of Central Nervous System Lymphatic Vessels.” Nature, 2015.

🛑 Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not replace medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making health changes.

©️

04/25/2025

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03/26/2025

Our bodies our wondrously complex and amazing ! I can’t wait to research this more in depth😎
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Skin Cells Send Slow Electrical Distress Signals

“A team from the University of Massachusetts Amherst has uncovered that skin cells, specifically epithelial cells, can send out electrical distress signals when damaged—challenging the long-held belief that only nerve and heart cells communicate using electrical impulses. Unlike the rapid signals in nerves, these skin cell communications happen at a much slower rate.

Led by Steve Granick and Sun-Min Yu, the researchers created a special setup using human keratinocytes (a type of skin cell) grown on a chip equipped with about 60 electrodes. They used a laser to create controlled injuries and found that wounded cells sent electrical signals to their neighbors. These signals traveled across the cell layer slowly but steadily, mimicking nerve signals yet occurring about 1,000 times more slowly.

This breakthrough could pave the way for new bioelectric medical technologies to enhance wound healing. It also highlights a more dynamic role for epithelial cells in the body’s internal communication, with potential implications for future healthcare innovations.”

- Mechanical Engineering World

Photo Credit: Mechanical Engineering World

http://www.secretlifeoffascia.com

03/07/2025

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According lo a recent study, forward head position and blood flow to the brain are clinically observable by taking the carotid pulses and can lead to debilitating symptoms within the brain.

The carotid pulses are weaker when the head is in a forward position; however, the carotid pulses are stronger when the head is over the spine.

When the head is forward over the spine, the brain may not receive sufficient blood flow and oxygen due to compression of the carotid arteries.

If this compression is severe enough, it can result in cerebral ischemia (CNS dysfunction).
Clinically, we see disturbed sleeping patterns, increased anxiety, and mental sluggishness.

The March 2000 Mayo Clinic reported that prolonged FHP also leads to myospasm, disc herniations, arthritis, and pinchedoid nerves.

Dr. Alf Breig, a Swedish neurosurgeon and Nobel Prize recipient, describes how the loss of a normal cervical lordotic curve creates dysfunction and disease.
Through cadaver studies, Dr. Breig demonstrated that neck flexion could stretch the spinal cord 5-7 cm causing tensioning of the meninges (covering of the brain and spinal cord) and elicit measurable pressure on brainstem nuclei (nerve control centers) which control all basic life functions.

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03/06/2025

Class is tomorrow morning Friday March 7th at 9:30 @ Southside Mall with Empower Fitnezz with Dorothy! Good way to get your muscles moving on a TGIF!

03/04/2025

02/28/2025

Check this out!!! The human body is certainly Fascia-nating🥰

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The Astounding Numbers of the Human Body: Analysis by Hashem Al-Ghaili

“Your body consists of 37 trillion cells divided into 200 different types.

100 billion cells make up the skin, which is the largest organ in your body. 100 billion neurons in the brain allow you to process as many as 60,000 thoughts per day.

You also have 127 million retinal cells that allow you to see the world in as many as 10 million different colors. You have 30 trillion red blood cells, 42 billion blood vessels, and 6 liters (1.6 gallons) of blood in your body. Your blood makes up approximately 10% of your body weight. Your nose has 1,000 olfactory receptors that allow you to distinguish 50,000 different smells.

Your lungs allow you to breathe 23,040 breaths per day, while your heart beats around 115,200 heartbeats per day or 42 million heartbeats per year. You have 640 muscles, 360 joints, 206 bones and 100,000 hair follicles. You produce around 23,000 liters (6,075 gallons) of saliva in your lifetime, which is enough to fill two swimming pools.”

- Hashem Al-Ghaili

Photo Credit: Cleveland Clinic

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