Therapeutic Arts: Massage Therapy & Arts

08/26/2025

The shoes we wear can influence our entire body—and the wrong pair can quietly set off a chain reaction of discomfort, triggering pain in your back, hips, knees, and more. 👟

“Every time we walk, our feet need to be able to change shape,” says physical therapist Otto Lam. The heel should strike first, the foot should roll forward, and the toes should spread before pushing off—but the wrong shoe can disrupt this sequence.

Learn more about how different types of shoes affect your body and ways to identify shoe-related pain: https://on.natgeo.com/4oJq2XP

08/25/2025

Another amazing anatomy model by Atomedge! This demos some great visuals of the structures we are working with in sessions!

08/17/2025

I love these graphics!

08/16/2025

Great 3d models

08/12/2025

Two weeks ago, I attended the World Massage Festival and I joined the Massage Therapy Hall of Fame.

I have been honored to learn from and learn with some amazing colleagues and massage instructors. Never stop learning! Always strive to be better and do better!

There are many more massage adventures to come!

This year, my goal is to finish my coursework and achieve my MMT eertification in Costa Rica.

Next year, I plan to compete in The North Carolina State Massage Championship. Then, the World Massage Festival returns toCherokee, NC, with The American Massage Championships, where I plan to compete again.

For those who were unable to attend the Massage Therapy Hall of Fame this was the message I shared:

It's amazing to be here with such a great group of people!

First off, thank you to my family, friends, colleagues, teachers, and clients. Without all of these people, We could not be successful therapists.
As massage therapists, we are not healers or magicians; We are facilitators, healthcare professionals, and educators. We share our unique skills, knowledge, and experiences, to facilitate relaxation, repatterning, and recovery. We use the scientific base of anatomy, kinesiology, physiology, biomechanics, etc, combined with the art AND finesse of a practiced and nurturing touch, so each client can attain their optimal movement and functionality.
 This is the magic our clients experience. Massage Therapists have an ever evolving toolbox of modalities to choose from. We get to pick from infinite tools to use, touching and improving a small part of humanity.
We must never stop learning and improving.

In these tumultuous times of uncertainty, fear, and oppression, we have a great opportunity to empathize with our clients, and to provide (promote/Facilitate/ boost) great physical and mental comfort (stability). We must be present and work with them where they are. It's imperative that we provide the best quality care through professionalism and empathy, **no matter where our clients came from, how they got here, their race, religion, sexuality, gender identity, or any other characteristics**

Following the words and philosophy of Dr Shinichi Suzuki"Where love is deep, much can be accomplished."

07/31/2025

06/01/2025

Here’s to showing up, speaking out, and standing proud. 🌈

ABMP celebrates by honoring those who create safe, inclusive spaces for all. We believe in love without limits and practices rooted in respect and equality.

We’re honored to share resources that reflect our commitment to inclusion—because supporting every individual’s worth isn’t just a belief, it’s a practice.

🔗 Explore our blogs and podcasts that spotlight the power of belonging—PLUS, hear from one of ABMP’s 2024 winners, Maggie Truelove , as she shares her inspiring essay: “Inclusion in Senior Care: Massage for Elderly LGBTQ+ Clients.” 💜✨

👉️ https://bit.ly/451ZszH
👉️ https://bit.ly/4dFcO9A
•
•
•

05/25/2025

Here's a good view of the tour industry. It's a challenging career field that has lots of pros and cons.

“If you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen.”
Okay—so everyone who speaks up about burnout, depression, disconnection, and exhaustion gets out. Let’s play that out.

Who’s left?

Not the strongest. Just the most hardened.
The ones who suppress emotion, numb out with substances, stay silent, lash out, or live in denial—and call that “professionalism.” The ones who normalize dysfunction and think surviving it makes them superior.

But here’s where the cognitive dissonance kicks in:
Just because someone lasts doesn’t mean they’re more skilled.
It doesn’t mean they’re better at the job.
It doesn’t even mean they’re mentally or emotionally well.

It just means they’ve adapted to an unhealthy environment—and that’s not strength. That’s survival.
Survival often comes at the cost of empathy, collaboration, creativity, and self-awareness—the exact traits that make someone actually good at their job in a people-first industry.

Longevity in dysfunction doesn’t prove excellence.
It proves there’s a problem.

If the only people left are those who’ve silenced their humanity, we don’t get a better crew. We get a broken system perpetuated by those too deep inside it to see another way.

Being the last one standing in a burning kitchen doesn’t make you elite.
It means you forgot what the heat is doing to everyone around you.

True leadership isn’t about who can endure the most.
It’s about who’s brave enough to change the temperature.

⸻

03/23/2025

03/19/2025

The North Carolina State Massage Championship 2025 was amazing!

I have to say, the sheer amount of talent and quality of massage work was astounding. I had the fortune of watching some superb sessions while I was not working.

The learning and growth of the various therapists seems exponential since the first massage championship in which I participated.

What I experienced this weekend is exactly why I support and advocate massage championships. Therapists are typically competing with themselves, learning from their mistakes, learning from others' mistakes, and also learning from others' successes.

Adversity helps us grow. In championships, most of us take ourselves way outside of our comfort zones, to grow, challenge ourselves , and improve

Participating in championships gives us opportunities to network and encourage others to grow with us. Contestants, observers, and judges all grow in the presence of such a wide variety of modalities and experiences.

As many of you know, I had the exciting experience of a hernia surgery 6 weeks ago, tomorrow. I was not sure I would be able to physically compete and give my best. The NCSMC gave me an incentive to dig deeper and focus on my strengths and recover my skills.
I was able to compete in 3 categories, winning 🥇 in Chair massage and 🥉 in the overall championship.

I cannot thank the amazing friends and colleagues enough for making the NCSMC so successful and wonderful.

Thank you to Stephanie, Heather, and Morgan as well as all of the Judges and volunteers for their time and efforts to create a beacon of excellence, to lift up the massage industry to higher standards.

Another thank you to everyone for allowing me to create the "soundtrack" for NCSMC 2025.

My Spiel on the music selection:

As most of y'all may have realized, I'm extremely passionate about music and the power of music.

I built the round playlists to demonstrate how various music, with real instruments and melodies can be used in our sessions to relax our clients, with substance and quality.

For the break playlists, I felt it was really important to build them to represent groups which have been and are being marginalized and oppressed.

I feel it is important to recognize, empathize, and support those in need. "

NCSMC
📸: Masemoto Photo
Ash Wirth (I stole a couple of your photos
Andy Freeman

10/03/2024

I'll be out at RambleRill Farm, this Saturday! Come get some great food, produce, arts, and crafts...and of course stop by for a chair massage!

THIS WEEKEND!

04/17/2024

I'm looking forward to returning to the NCSMC. I hope to challenge myself and change things up a bit.

We are welcoming back Andy Freeman for another year. Can’t wait to see what he will bring.