How Massage, Yoga Helps Connect the Mind and Body

If you don’t remember (or know), I began Felicia Jane Pilates right after I had surgery from a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL); one of the key ligaments that helps to stabilize your knee joint. Not only was it hard to move around, it was also painful at times. 

I was able to do Pilates the entire time I was in recovery. In fact, many of the moves I was doing in physical therapy with Campbell County Health Rehabilitation Services, I was also doing in this studio on a reformer, chair, or springboard. Pilates really is rehabilitative. 

However, I also feel that it was due to support I received from other services that I was able to start to enjoy movement again, regain my strength and get back onto my feet (literally). 

One of those support services was with Ashley Collins with Kneaded Bodyworks here in Gillette, Wyoming. Ashley began her Pilates journey with Felicia Jane Pilates in November 2020; and it was in early December when I booked my first massage with her.  

Ashley graduated from Boulder College of Massage Therapy in 2008 with more than 1,500 hours of training. 

“I have experience working with many different types of people, conditions, and treatment goals,” she says. “It is through massage that I have found a way to support others in their own process of healing; I help them release tension patterns that no longer serve them. I provide an Integrative Massage Therapy approach incorporating many modalities like sports massage and deep tissue to tailor every session to your specific treatment goals.” 

From my experience, this is where Ashley excels. Every session I have with her, we talk about how my body is feeling, and she asks me where some trouble spots may be. However, she also provides feedback on where she’s feeling inflammation, tension, or some possible issues in my body during the session. During one session, she told me that she was feeling a lot of inflammation in my hips, which I let my physical therapist know about. She took this seriously, and we did a postural/allignment assessment, which showed that my hips were completely unaligned. I had been feeling some tension in my low back and alerted Ashley to this; however, she quickly spotted the issue was coming from my hip, which also helped my PT treat me and get me back to moving comfortably again. 

Ashley says that she considers massage therapy a holistic health practice just like healthy eating and exercise. 

“It should be considered a part of a long-term wellness routine. In fact, I recommend sessions every six to eight weeks, with some clients booking monthly sessions every four weeks,” she says.

(Note: I book every four weeks right now. It’s my goal this year to have a massage every month. Trust me, make this your goal!)

Ashley encourages you to also be strategic about the timing of your massage bookings and that you really need to give yourself time afterward to hydrate. 

“We are working to remove pain and tension, which releases metabolic waste into our detox systems,” she says. Drinking your water after a massage session helps get that waste out of your body. 

And, for those people who are a little shy about undressing for a massage therapist, Ashley uses a system that helps you feel more relaxed. 

“I use a strict draping technique like a diaper to keep you secured and covered,” she says. Undergarments can get in the way of long strokes or pressure points, so being able to undress is beneficial.

As I mentioned earlier, Ashley is also a Certified Yoga Teacher, which she earned in 2018. 

“Becoming a certified yoga teacher was another way for me to share more tools and movement with others. I incorporate yoga breathing techniques into my sessions because breathing deeply while receiving massage helps oxygenate the blood supply and release muscles,” says Ashley.

For Ashely, yoga is a physical movement or posture that connects us to a deeper understanding of ourselves. 

“Yoga is about breathing into those uncomfortable moments (postures) and learning you have the will to persevere,” she says. “It has always been a self-care practice for me to combat the stress and toll massage takes on my own body.”

Speaking of self care, the entire reason I have created this event, Ashley is a proponent of taking time to care for yourself, and believes that there are some very simple practices we can do to help us to be and feel better. 

“My favorite self-care activity is writing. I light a favorite candle or diffuse a favorite scent, I turn on beautiful music and make lists. Even if I don't do anything with the list, I find that putting my thoughts down on paper helps me organize my everyday to-do with my daydreams,” she says. 

You can learn more about Kneaded Bodyworks, or book an appointment, at www.kneadedworks.com. Be sure to follow Kneaded Bodyworks on Facebook and Instagram.