ikigai bodyworks

30/08/2026

As a former engineer and applied scientist turned bodyworker, I'm deeply intrigued by the scientific basis behind health and wellness practices.

Learn and be well.

Here I explain the lymphatic system, a crucial bodily network for o...

26/08/2026

4 Things You May Not Know About The Psoas Major

Rarely do I get a request to treat a specific muscle. One example is the psoas [major]. Interestingly enough, clients rarely know much about it. Put simply, the psoas major is the primary muscle of hip flexion. Think about the action of raising your knee when you walk or climb stairs. It extends vertically and deep to the abdominal cavity, connecting the medial (inner) aspect of the upper femur to the lumbar spine on the same side.

Now, here are 4 things that even fewer people know. Hint: #4 is a fun fact for you anatomy geeks.

1. Function & Stability

This muscle, working in union with the iliacus as the iliopsoas, is involved in a lot. It helps to rotate the thigh outward, adduct the leg (or pull it toward the midline), flex the trunk (as in doing a sit-up), and even laterally flex the trunk to the same side. Of equal importance, it helps to stabilize the spine and lower back for upright posture.

2. Trained Professionals Should Treat It

Because of its location, the psoas is tricky to treat. One must bypass lower abdominal muscles and organs to apply pressure just inside the anterior surface of the ilium. Entering too low, one can push into the inguinal ligament. Too far medial, one can compress the femoral artery or a portion of the ascending/descending colon. Rushing too quickly can be painful for the client. As a massage therapist, I insist on understanding the qualifications of anyone who attempts this on me.

3. Implications in Breathing

The psoas is connected to the diaphragm (the primary muscle for breathing) via connective tissue called the medial arcuate ligament. Inhalation relaxes tension in the psoas as the diaphragm extends lower into the abdominal cavity. Deep exhalation adds tension as the diaphragm rises toward the lungs. You can test this using the “World’s Greatest Stretch”: inhale deeply as you lunge into hip extension on one side, then exhale deeply as you rotate the opposite arm skywards.

4. Some People Have an “Extra” Psoas

Approximately 40-50% of humans have a vestigial companion to the psoas major called the psoas minor. Even more interesting, the evolutionary drop-off is unstable. A person can have both (bilateral) or only one (unilateral). Fascinating!

19/08/2026

Top 5 Things You Probably didn't Know Clinical Massage Can Do

5. Managing chronic neck, back, and joint pain - by reducing muscle guarding and supporting fascial health;

4. Reducing delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) associated with athletic activity;

3. Guiding postural correction - by targeting postural muscles with neuromuscular therapy techniques to recover functional length and range of motion;

2. Eliminating post-injury/post-surgical swelling - with gentle manual lymphatic drainage; and

1. Post-surgical scar tissue management - reducing both scar footprint and underlying tissue mobility starting as soon as six weeks after surgery.

07/08/2026

Do you experience chronic pain that disrupts your quality of life or prevents you from doing activities you used to enjoy? Are you recovering from a recent injury or surgery and hoping to regain full range of motion?

What you may be looking for is a medical massage therapist. I am a licensed massage therapist (LMT) who assesses cases like yours and delivers targeted therapy using advanced techniques, including trigger point therapy, myofascial release, and neuromuscular therapy. General/relaxation massage seeks to make you feel good in the moment. Medical massage therapists build case-specific plans, monitor progress against treatment goals, and educate their clients on both the source of dysfunction and rationale for therapy in terms both you and your physician can understand.

Contact me via direct message or WhatsApp for a FREE consult.

14/07/2026

Suffering from TMJ Syndrome and searching for relief?

Follow the link in my bio to setup your FREE interview.

07/07/2026

01/07/2026

¿Vive con dolor crónico?

​Es muy común encontrar que el dolor miofascial se presenta con puntos gatillo (trigger points), los cuales son nódulos tensos y en forma de banda localizados específicamente dentro del músculo esquelético. Las causas más comunes son las lesiones musculares, los movimientos repetitivos y la mala postura. Algunos ejemplos que veo con frecuencia son en los antebrazos de taxistas y tatuadores, o en la espalda de los trabajadores de la construcción. Los puntos gatillo son una característica central del Síndrome de Dolor Miofascial; por lo tanto, mi éxito como terapeuta depende de mi habilidad para tratarlos con mis manos utilizando técnicas de terapia neuromuscular.

​Puedo ayudarle a aliviar su dolor crónico. Utilice el enlace de mi perfil para ponerse en contacto conmigo y dar el primer paso hacia una vida libre de dolor.