Episode 28: Breaking the Deep Tissue Myth: Rethinking Pressure, Pain, and Sustainability with Jim Funk - Sustainable Bodyworker Podcast

If you’re still wondering why your hands and shoulders ache after every deep tissue session—no matter how precisely you “fix” your body mechanics—it’s not because you’re doing something wrong. This conversation with Jim Funk and Kelsy Filler goes straight to the heart of what so many of us never heard in massage school: the mythical “low table, squat all day” advice isn’t actually the answer for longevity. Jim Funk breaks down how he had to unlearn years of pain and “muscling through” (sound familiar?), and take a totally different approach with his forearm fusion work—one that actually leaves you with energy at the end of the day. The raw honesty about burnout, sneaky patterns of overgiving, and the constant practice of boundary-setting feels like a relief. If you need permission to work smarter, not harder—and to stop sacrificing your body for your clients—this one will hit home. To attend Jim’s Forearm Fusion course, click HERE, or come see what CE classes are being held at The Academy of Massage Therapy & Bodywork HERE.  Get your FREE Mindset Shift hypnotherapy session with Gretchen HERE! ----more---- If you’ve ever felt like your heart just isn’t in your sessions anymore—like If you’re a massage therapist who wants your practice to feel sustainable again, the Sustainable Bodyworker Membership is where we go deeper. Inside you’ll find practical tools, honest conversations, and support for building a practice that actually works for your body and your life. Click here to learn more and join us.----more----   Affiliate Links:  We’re careful about what we share here. Everything in this section is something we personally use and come back to again and again — tools that support our own bodies, nervous systems, and day-to-day work. Bon Charge: Use code SUSTAINABLE for 15% off! Swanwick Glasses: Use code GRETCHENPOPP for 10% off! InHarmony Meditation Mats: Use code NEURO5 for 5% off! Global Cupping: Use code NEURO for 20% off your first order! We are so grateful for your support of the Sustainable Bodyworker Podcast and would love to hear how we can better support you! Click here to give us your feedback on the show.  If you’ve got a story, skill, or insight you think would help other bodyworkers, we’d love to hear from you — click here to apply to be a guest on the Sustainable Bodyworker Podcast.   The ideas and techniques shared by our guests on the Sustainable Bodyworker Podcast are their own unique perspectives and don’t necessarily reflect those of Gretchen Popp or the Sustainable Bodyworker team or community as a whole. Click HERE for your FREE Mindset Shift hypnotherapy session with Gretchen!