PODCAST · education
The Thinking Practitioner
by Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe
For the practitioner who’s never stopped being curious. Til Luchau and Whitney Lowe bring together leading researchers, master clinicians, and big questions from across bodywork, massage, and manual therapy — exploring not just what we do with our hands, but why it works and how to do it better. Smart, grounded, and genuinely useful conversations for the somatic arts and sciences.For professional practitioners in bodywork, massage therapy, structural integration, chiropractic, myofascial and myotherapy, orthopedics, sports massage, physical therapy, and osteopathy — as well as yoga, strength and conditioning, and allied professions.This podcast is not medical or treatment advice.
Episodes
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181: What Clients Actually Value (with Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe)
🎙 What Clients Actually Value (with Whitney Lowe & Til Luchau) Can a session be worthwhile even when the client’s pain score doesn’t change? Most of us judge our work by what’s easiest to measure: the pain scale, range of motion, how the technique went. But when a new review of 15 qualitative...
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180: Fascial Elves and Vikings (with Heike Oellerich & Miriam Wessels)
🎙 Fascial Elves and Vikings (with Heike Oellerich & Miriam Wessels) Some people can fold themselves into almost any position but struggle to find stability; others feel strong and solid but can’t reach their toes—and the difference may start long before either of them ever trained. Most of us…
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179: Nerve Pain: Stop Blaming Compression (with Whitney Lowe & Til Luchau)
🎙 Nerve Pain: Stop Blaming Compression (with Whitney Lowe & Til Luchau) Ask almost any manual therapist what they learned about nerves in school, and you get some version of the same answer: not much. Most of us were handed the wiring model. A nerve is a cable, it carries a signal, and there are...
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178: Menopause, Pain, and Bodywork (with Ruth Werner)
🎙 Menopause, Pain, and Bodywork (with Ruth Werner) What if midlife achiness isn’t simply aging—and isn’t necessarily an injury that needs fixing? Menopause can affect far more than temperature. As hormones shift, sleep, mood, cognition, bone and cardiovascular health, pain, and tissue tolerance...
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177: Clinical Reasoning, or Clinical Improvisation? (with Whitney Lowe & Til Luchau)
🎙 Clinical Reasoning, or Clinical Improvisation? (with Whitney Lowe & Til Luchau) Every good protocol, recipe, or routine is designed to be outgrown. The trouble is that almost nobody tells you when. Protocols are how most of us learned: a sequence, a recipe, a named technique for a named...
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176: Becoming Friends with Movement (with Nuria Bowart)
🎙 Becoming Friends with Movement (with Nuria Bowart) 📌 Save the date: early December 2026 in Boulder, Colorado — as a result of their discussion here, Til and Nuria are teaching a collaborative workshop for bodyworkers, hands-on and moving, both. Details to come at…
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175: The Affection Question (with Kory Floyd)
🎙 The Affection Question (with Kory Floyd) How many of your clients come to you, week after week, not just for their shoulder or their low back — but because yours may be the one space in their life where they feel truly touched, attended to, and seen? Roughly 40% of people report not getting...
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174: How to Bend Time (with Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe)
🎙 How to Bend Time (with Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe) There’s a moment in many good sessions when the clock stops mattering — breathing deepens, your hands settle, and time itself seems to change. Til recently wrote about this as “bending time,” and here he and Whitney explore it as a practical,...
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173: Recognizing & Touching Trauma (with Dr. Peter Levine) Listener Favorite
🎙 Recognizing & Touching Trauma (with Dr. Peter Levine) By popular demand! Originally aired as Episode 108, Til’s conversation with Dr. Peter Levine quickly became one of our most listened-to episodes ever — and it’s easy to hear why. The developer of Somatic Experiencing®, bestselling author of...
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172: Lateral Hip Pain: Stop Blaming the Bursa (with Whitney Lowe & Til Luchau)
🎙 Lateral Hip Pain: Stop Blaming the Bursa (with Whitney Lowe & Til Luchau) Til and Whitney unpack why the old “trochanteric bursitis” diagnosis is almost always wrong—and what that means for your hands-on treatment. ✨ Topics discussed include: • The shift from bursitis to tendinopathy: only…
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171: The Most Skipped Step in Assessment and Why It Matters Most (with Whitney Lowe)
🎙 The Most Skipped Step in Assessment and Why It Matters Most What if the most important part of your assessment never involves touching your client? In this solo episode, Whitney dives deep into the client history — the most critical yet frequently overlooked component of manual therapy...
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170: Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos, Fascia, and Pain (with Tina Wang) Listener Favorite
🎙 Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos, Fascia, and Pain (with Tina Wang) Listener Favorite Why do people with extra-flexible tissues often hurt more, not less? What does fascia actually look like on ultrasound in someone with hypermobility — and why did the findings surprise even the researchers? Dr. Tina...
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169: Exploring Anterior Neck Work (with Walt Fritz)
🎙 Exploring the Anterior Neck: (with Walt Fritz) Walt Fritz is a physical therapist who has been in practice since 1985 and has spent the last 30 years evolving from a traditional myofascial release (MFR) background into a collaborative, patient-led approach to manual therapy. He returns to The...
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168: Back Pain, Stiffness & Manual Therapy (with Stuart McGill) Listener Favorite
🎙What if the key to resolving your client’s back pain isn’t loosening things up — but “adding” stiffness? Dr. Stuart McGill is one of the preeminent back pain researchers in the world, and in this conversation, he makes his case — passionately and controversially — for why biomechanical factors...
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167: Cupping & the Nervous System (with Joi Edwards)
🎙Dr. Joi Edwards is a physical therapist with nearly 20 years of experience specializing in orthopedic injuries and a licensed massage therapist who bridges the gap between clinical assessment and intuitive soft-tissue work. She joins Whitney on The Thinking Practitioner to dive deep into the...
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166: Does Research Support What We Do? (with Bodhi Haraldsson)
🎙 Does Massage Research Actually Work? (with Bodhi Haraldsson) Bodhi Haraldsson is a registered massage therapist, researcher, and self-described “pracademic” who has spent over 25 years bridging the gap between clinical practice and scientific inquiry. He joins Whitney on The Thinking...
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165: Multi-State Massage License: Coming Soon? (with Debra Persinger)
🎙 The Interstate Massage Compact (with Deborah Persinger) Deborah Persinger is the Executive Director of the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB), and she joins Whitney on The Thinking Practitioner to break down one of the most significant regulatory developments in our…
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164: Dizziness Roundtable (with Ruth Werner, Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe)
🎙 Dizziness Roundtable (with Ruth Werner) Ruth Werner returns to The Thinking Practitioner for a roundtable discussion with Til and Whitney on one of the most overlooked topics in manual therapy: balance challenges. Ruth is the author of A Massage Therapist’s Guide to Pathology (now in its 7th...
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163: A Master in Plain Sight (with Art Riggs)
🎙 A Master in Plain Sight (with Art Riggs) Art Riggs is a Certified Advanced Rolfer™, massage therapist, and creator of some of the most influential instructional video courses in our field. His recordings were among the first truly comprehensive video trainings available to bodyworkers. Decades...
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162: AI in Massage: Thinking Partner, Threat, or Crutch? (with Whitney Lowe & Til Luchau)
🎙 AI in Massage: Thinking Partner, Threat, or Crutch? Is artificial intelligence coming for your massage practice? Not the way you might think. In this episode, Til and Whitney dive into the rapidly evolving world of AI — exploring where it genuinely helps manual therapists, where it falls…
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161: Science, Skepticism, & Keeping Heart (with Paul Ingraham)
🎙 Science, Skepticism, & Keeping Heart (with Paul Ingraham) What happens when a former massage therapist turns a skeptical eye on his own profession and starts asking uncomfortable questions about pain science and manual therapy? You get Paul Ingraham of PainScience.com — a writer whose work has...
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160: 5 Years & Half a Million Downloads: Your Favorite Episodes & Ours (with Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe)
🎙 5 Years of The Thinking Practitioner: Our Favorites & Top 5 Most Popular Episodes It's been 5 years since we launched The Thinking Practitioner — with over half a million downloads and 130,000 unique listeners along the way. In this special retrospective episode, Til and Whitney look back at...
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159: Can You Really Palpate the Psoas? (with Christopher DaPrato)
🎙 Can You Really Palpate the Psoas? MRI Evidence, Clinical Debate & a Bonus Visit from the Researcher Can manual therapists actually palpate the psoas, or is it anatomically out of reach? In this episode, Til Luchau and Whitney Lowe unpack a new real-time MRI pilot study presented at the 7th...
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158: Is Your Work Valuable? (with Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe)
🎙 Is Your Work Valuable? The Psychology of Perceived Value in Hands-On Practice What makes clients value your work — and come back for more? Til Luchau and Whitney Lowe explore the results of a survey of over 2,000 practitioners to uncover the surprising psychology behind perceived value.…
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157: What Happens When the Body Lets Go? (with Werner Klingler)
🎙 What Happens When the Body Lets Go? Werner Klingler on Anesthesia, Altered States & the Physiology of Relaxation What actually happens when the body "lets go" — in anesthesia, trance, or the deep relaxation familiar to hands-on practitioners? Til Luchau talks with Professor Werner Klingler,...
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156: Lessons from 50 Years (with Benny Vaughn)
🎙 Celebrating 50 Years of Massage: Benny Vaughn’s Legacy of Professionalism, Perseverance & Touch Whitney Lowe sits down with legendary massage therapist Benny Vaughn to celebrate his 50 years in the massage and bodywork profession — a career that helped shape modern sports massage, elevate...
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155: The Value of Disgust: What Our Bodies Tell Us About Boundaries & Connection (with Todd Hargrove)
🎙A better understanding of the very human emotion of disgust can help us navigate boundaries, empathy, and connection in our hands-on work—and in the wider world. This week, Til welcomes back Todd Hargrove—Certified Rolfer™, movement educator, and author of A Guide to Better Movement and Playing...
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154: Sacroiliac Joints: The Next Level (with Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe) Listener Favorite!
🎙Til Luchau and Whitney Lowe go deep into the sacroiliac (SI) joints in this listener-favorite rebroadcast of Episode 74, where they unpack anatomy, mechanics, assessment controversies, and treatment strategies. From the relationship between pain, stability, and mobility, to ligamentous support,...
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153: Conversations from the 7th Fascial Research Congress (with Robert Schleip, Gil Hedley, & more)
🎙In this special episode recorded live at the 7th International Fascial Research Congress in New Orleans, Til Luchau gathers conversations with leading researchers, educators, and practitioners from around the world. From collagen synthesis breakthroughs to fascia typologies, scar tissue...
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152. Does Pressure Matter? What the Research Says (with Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe)
🎙In this intriguing episode, Til and Whitney dig into a recent study that tested the effects of pressure in myofascial release—comparing a traditional pressure-based technique with a light-touch "sham" version. The study measured changes in pain sensitivity, neck mobility, and proprioception.…
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151: Finding Balance in an Out-of-Balance World (with Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe)
🎙What does it mean to find balance—when the world around us feels anything but balanced? Til and Whitney explore the many meanings of “balance,” from physical coordination and structural asymmetry to emotional regulation, interoception, and life rhythm. Drawing on neuroscience, somatics, and…
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150: Listener Favorite: Fascia, Fitness, and Feeling (with Robert Schleip)
Rebroadcast: One of our most popular episodes (Ep 45), shared again in honor of the upcoming Fascia Research Congress. 🎙In this lively and far-reaching conversation, fascia researcher and manual therapy pioneer Robert Schleip returns to talk with Til Luchau and Whitney Lowe about the newly...
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149: Bodywork through the Polyvagal Lens (with Stephen Porges)
🎙In this episode, Til Luchau and Whitney Lowe speak with renowned neuroscientist Dr. Stephen Porges, originator of Polyvagal Theory. Together, they explore how our nervous systems respond to cues of safety, how touch can support regulation and connection, and what all this means for bodyworkers...
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148: The Vagus Nerve: Buzzword or Biology? (with Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe)
🎙From “vagal push-ups” to inflammation to trauma healing, the vagus nerve is everywhere in bodywork and wellness talk—but what does the science actually say? And more importantly, what does this mean in actual practice? In this episode, Til and Whitney take a grounded, myth-busting look at the...
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147: Palpating Fibrosis, Easing Inflammation (with Geoffrey Bove & Holly McMillan)
🎙What can trained hands feel in irradiated tissue—and how might that inform both research and practice? In this episode, Til Luchau and guest cohost Cathy Ryan, RMT, talk with neurobiologist Dr. Geoffrey Bove and manual therapist/speech pathologist Holly McMillan about their collaborative animal...
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146: Inflammation, Touch, & the Grieving Body (with Mary-Frances O’Connor)
🎙Grief is not just an emotion—it’s a full-body experience. In this episode, Til Luchau talks with neuroscientist and psychologist Mary-Frances O’Connor, author of The Grieving Body, about how grief changes the brain, affects inflammation, and alters our physiology. They explore how attachment…
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145: Can Discs Heal? (with Stuart McGill)
🎙 World-renowned spine expert Dr. Stuart McGill returns for a deep dive into the complexities of disc healing and adaptation, back pain mechanics, and what manual and movement therapists need to understand about spinal loading, adaptation, and practitioner longevity. In this rich and…
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144: Fascia, Emotion, Inflammation, & Attention (with Robert Schleip)
🎙In this thought-provoking episode, Til and Whitney welcome back fascia researcher Robert Schleip to explore the evolving science behind fascia’s role in emotional regulation, inflammation, and sensory experience. They dive into Schleip’s keynote for the upcoming 7th International Fascia…
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143: Palliative Massage is for Everyone (with Cal Cates)
🎙Cal Cates returns to The Thinking Practitioner to explore the essential role massage therapy can play in palliative and end-of-life care. In conversation with Til Luchau and Whitney Lowe, Cal shares practical insights, personal stories, and the philosophy behind Healwell’s innovative mPATH...
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142: Fascia and the Vagus Nerve (with Fabiana Silva)
🎙Til Luchau speaks with physiotherapist and fascia researcher Fabiana Silva about the emerging connections between fascia, the vagus nerve, and systemic inflammation. They explore both the science and the practical applications of manual therapy, transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation, and the...
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141: Massage in Integrative Healthcare (with Dale Healey)
In this illuminating episode of The Thinking Practitioner, Whitney Lowe sits down with Dale Healey, a leading expert in integrative healthcare, to explore the evolving role of massage therapy in modern medical settings. Healey shares profound insights into interprofessional collaboration, the...
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140: Embodied Attention: Contact Improvisation and Bodywork (with Nita Little)
🎙How does touch shape our perception, our movement, and our connection with others? In this fascinating conversation, Til Luchau welcomes movement pioneer Nita Little, a foundational figure in Contact Improvisation dance, for a deep dive into the world of touch, movement, and attention. Join…
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139: Scoliosis: Lessons for Every Back (with Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe)
🎙Scoliosis can offer valuable insights into working with the spine, and the same principles can be applied to anyone dealing with stiffness, back pain, postural issues, or mobility challenges. In this deep-dive update, Whitney Lowe and Til Luchau explore the latest perspectives on scoliosis,...
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138: Carpal Tunnel Crash Course (with Whitney Lowe & Til Luchau)
Carpal tunnel syndrome is one of the most common nerve compression issues—but how can massage and manual therapy help? In this in-depth episode, Whitney Lowe and Til Luchau break down the anatomy, risk factors, and assessment strategies for carpal tunnel syndrome, exploring its causes…
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137: Remembering Erik Dalton (with Tom Myers, Art Riggs, & more)
This episode of The Thinking Practitioner Podcast pays tribute to the life and legacy of Erik Dalton, a pioneering figure in the massage and manual therapy field who recently passed away. Through conversations with some of those who knew him best, we gain insight into Dalton's unique…
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136: Season 5 Highlights (with Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe)
In this special retrospective episode of The Thinking Practitioner, Whitney Lowe and Til Luchau look back season five's thought-provoking discussions, expert interviews, and groundbreaking insights into the world of massage therapy and bodywork. Reflecting on their most impactful episodes and a...
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135: The Neuroscience of Bodywork (with Mark Olson)
In this episode, Whitney Lowe and Til Luchau welcome Dr. Mark Olson, a neuroscientist and massage practitioner, for an engaging conversation about the fascinating intersection of neuroscience, trauma, and massage therapy. Dr. Olson shares insights into the complex processes of pain perception…
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134: How Bodywork Changed Our Lives (with Whitney Lowe & Til Luchau)
In this reflective anniversary episode, hosts Whitney Lowe and Til Luchau take a heartfelt look at the transformative impact of massage and manual therapy—both personally and professionally. Sharing stories from their own journeys into the field, lessons learned from clients, and transformative...
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133: ScarWork: Origins and Legacy (with Sharon Wheeler & Wojtek Cackowski)
💥Just a few openings left! Thailand Retreat, Feb 22-Mar 5 Advanced Myofascial Techniques, ScarWork, Zoga Movement, and Contact Improvisation https://advanced-trainings.com/thailand-retreat-2025/ ----- In this special episode, Til Luchau is joined by the Sharon Wheeler, a Structural Integration...
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132: Bodywork and Grief (with Ronna Moore)
In this episode, we delve into the intersection of massage therapy, grief, caretaking, and end-of-life. We touch on global palliative care practices, the role of touch in support for those experiencing grief, navigating sensitive conversations, and creating safe spaces for clients. Our guest…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
For the practitioner who’s never stopped being curious. Til Luchau and Whitney Lowe bring together leading researchers, master clinicians, and big questions from across bodywork, massage, and manual therapy — exploring not just what we do with our hands, but why it works and how to do it better. Smart, grounded, and genuinely useful conversations for the somatic arts and sciences.For professional practitioners in bodywork, massage therapy, structural integration, chiropractic, myofascial and myotherapy, orthopedics, sports massage, physical therapy, and osteopathy — as well as yoga, strength and conditioning, and allied professions.This podcast is not medical or treatment advice.
HOSTED BY
Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Thinking Practitioner have?
The Thinking Practitioner currently has 180 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Thinking Practitioner about?
For the practitioner who’s never stopped being curious. Til Luchau and Whitney Lowe bring together leading researchers, master clinicians, and big questions from across bodywork, massage, and manual therapy — exploring not just what we do with our hands, but why it works and how to do it better....
How often does The Thinking Practitioner release new episodes?
The Thinking Practitioner publishes regularly with 180 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to The Thinking Practitioner?
You can listen to The Thinking Practitioner on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Thinking Practitioner?
The Thinking Practitioner is created and hosted by Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe.
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