JMavin Massage

Licensed Massage Therapist

07/08/2025

I have last minute openings available this Thursday!

Book online or shoot me a text to claim!!!

02/07/2025

Happy Friday from me and my little furry visitor today! 🩷

12/26/2024

Time for my annual office deep clean. I always look forward to putting the current year to rest and resetting to welcome you all into my refreshed space after New Years! I hope everyone has found some time this season for your own rest and reset. See in 2025 lovelies!!!

12/19/2024

Don’t miss the Dome for the Holidays event at the this month! As some of you know, my oldest daughter works there and it is one of my very favorite places in Des Moines all year long. You can advance purchase tickets on their website, which I highly suggest as some time spots do sell out!

11/13/2024

Back in my group fitness teaching days, I taught a lot of classes targeted for the retiree population. We had a general motto: No toilet handrails.

(Said jokingly and obviously with no shade to those who rely on them for assistance due to physical limitations or challenges.)

Meaning, we purposely worked on functional strength to be able to do activities of daily living, such as sitting down on and standing up from the toilet independently. Or carrying a basket full of laundry. Or carrying groceries in from the car. Or reaching for the good dishes in the top of the cupboard for holiday meals.

Often times when we think about fitness we often focus on physical image of and forget about how it can affect our quality of life aa we age.

Our house is almost 100 years old. It has many features that do not meet modern building codes and standards. One of them is the stairs to our only full bathroom. No handrail. Treads that do not meet depth standards. (The stairs to the laundry in the basement are even more precarious.) And yet the last member of the original family that owned this house lived here well into her 80s. I often wonder if she could travel these stairs near the end of her time here.

While I may not live here into that decade of my life, I plan to be able to safely and comfortably climb these stairs for however long I do. And that requires regular intentional effort to maintain strength and balance BEYOND my regular activities of daily living EVEN with my daily activities being more challenging than average because of the physical nature of the work I do.

Movement for living. That’s what fitness means to me and why time and time again I come back to it as a focus in my life, and professionally EVEN it can be an industry full of disinformation and grifting. Because untimely, if we are lucky, all of us are going to navigate daily life in aging bodies. And my hope is to do so as long as I can without toiled handrails!

11/07/2024

Often people will say politics don’t belong in small business.

The existence of our office, which houses women and q***r owned small businesses, is political.

As licensed professionals in a healthcare adjacent industry that is monitored and regulated by local and state politicians, our practices are political.

As individuals who came together to create a safe and inclusive space for all, but especially those whose basic human rights to legal protection and bodily autonomy are often questioned and debated at all levels of government, our mission is political.

Yesterday I spent a good chunk of my day wandering through the trees, breathing and trying to organize the swirl of thoughts and emotions cursing through my body as a result of the outcome of the election. Yesterday I focused on taking care me and those close to me.

Because today I needed to be able to step back into the office able to carry forward that mission of creating a safe, caring, and inclusive space, even if that means engaging in civil discourse within safe, respected boundaries. Because not only is the work I do personal, there is no avoiding the fact it is also political.

Take care of you dear ones. The world needs us to keep calm and carry on!

09/18/2024

I met Naya 4 years ago, and my world has been nothing but brighter since. She’s the type of person you can sit and have deep conversation with for hours without realizing how much time has passed. The tapestry of her life is colorful and rich, as is her soul. When she told me a couple of years ago she had decided to start massage school, I was so incredibly excited for her. I knew her lived experience and interest in women’s health would make her an incredible addition to this work.

Today I visited her new private practice, , for the first time. And it was everything I knew it would be. Intuitive, intentional, and so healing for this tired, achy body that spends her days giving to others. Naya specializes in Reproductive Wellness, but also offers therapeutic massage.

She is hosting an open house this Saturday, September 21st from 11-2 at 8450 Hickman in Clive. I would LOVE if you could help me support her by stopping by to meet Naya and jump on her schedule!

Each massage therapist has unique talents and strengths to offer clients. It’s one of my favorite parts of being part of a community of LMTs who support and recommend each other. I can’t wait to see how Naya uses her talents to touch peoples lives in the months and years ahead!

Congrats girl, YOU ARE DOING IT!!!

08/26/2024

Shout out to all the Bulldogs who have found their way to my office through the years! Thanks for all your kind and supportive words about your experiences at Drake. We are so very proud to have become a Bulldog family this weekend!

And yes, you will find me at all the home volleyball games…cheering on my girl’s team while she is sitting court-side as a manager!

Go Bulldogs!

07/10/2024

This post was inspired by an ACTUAL conversation had by one of my office mates recently. And yes, portals to nefarious energies was mentioned.

The scope of practice for massage therapist is pretty straight forward.

1. Manipulate soft tissues to encourage increased circulatory response and efficient functioning.

2. Calm the nervous system.

Additionally, based on education and experience, some therapist may make recommendations for continued self care such as exercises, stretches, and application of simple at home therapies such as heat, ice, or epsom salt soaks. With a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and extensive experience working in fitness, these are recommendations I feel very comfortable making.

I’m happy to leave diagnostic and prescriptive duties to the appropriate licensed medical professionals, and am always happy to provide you referrals if you don’t already have a relationship with the right type of practitioner.

As far as dealing with demonic evils, I wish you luck. Let me know if you need a glass of water.

05/09/2024

If you haven’t eaten lunch with a spoon that also scoops massage cream, can you even call yourself a massage therapist?

05/01/2024

The awesome tattoo crew in our office building now offer paramedical and cosmetic services. Which I just think is such a cool way to support individuals who have experienced changes in their bodies that can have a significant impact on self image and mental health. Please share with anyone who may be looking for such services!

04/03/2024

We strongly believe in collaborative healthcare in our office, which is why we love having a whole host of providers we can recommend for a variety of services. Physical Therapists. Mental health professionals. Fitness options. Chiropractors. Other massage therapists. (Oh yeah, and we like to read!)

Address

Windsor Heights, IA

Telephone

+15159790115

Website

https://www.jmavinmassage.com/

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