Jennifer Benton, a practitioner at Common Ground and a physical therapist for over 23 years. Jennifer provides modern bespoke physical therapy programs for each unique body. Including working on scars and the impact that scars can have on people. Scars can restrict range of motion nearby or in joints that are further away, inhibit the ability of muscles to contract well, decrease blood and lymph flow in the area, create altered sensations or pain, have emotional effects on some individuals, or create a sense of “disconnect” with that part of the body.

Over the 8+ years I have spent working as a Personal Trainer, one thing has become abundantly clear to me: regular exercise increases long-lasting feelings of calm and confidence. Clients usually come to me with one of three goals – increased strength, decreased pain levels, or overall physical health. Together we are almost always able to achieve these goals.

Tensegrity Medicine was developed by Kelly Clancy, OTR/L.  I was in her first class after she developed this technique and it has created a new lens for me to base my treatment on and changed the way I practice bodywork. I learned to look at the person in a more holistic way evaluating movement and looking at the relationships between structures. This modality utilizes myofascial length testing to assess the mobility of the muscle and its surrounding fascia. 

Perimenopause is often described as a transition, but for many people it can feel more like a full-body recalibration. Hormones shift, sleep changes, emotions feel closer to the surface, and familiar ways of coping may no longer work the same. It’s a time when the body asks—sometimes loudly—for more support, not less.

Common Ground is excited to be partnering with Black & Beyond the Binary Collective (B3C). According to their mission, “Black & Beyond the Binary Collective builds the leadership, healing, and safety for Black - African transgender, queer, nonbinary, Two-Spirit, intersex and asexual (TQN2SIA+) Oregonians.” Check out their website to learn more about the many programs they offer. We invite you to join us supporting B3C’s work by making a small donation - and maybe winning some free wellness sessions along the way!

The benefits of the body’s ability to renew itself are amazing - waking up with a joy for life, spending quality time with family and friends, doing work you love with a fulfilled mind and grateful heart - the list is endless…

The feeling of fall should remind us of the relaxing, nourishing and warming elements of life.  Shiatsu massage can be like that; like a big, cozy hug for your body, mind and spirit.