In this episode of The Dancing Willow, I sat down with my longtime friend and skilled bodyworker Cara Sheahan of Gold Pine Wellness for a deeply nourishing conversation about abdominal massage, womb-centered care, and the quiet power of gentle, intentional touch. Cara is one of those people whose presence alone feels grounding, and her approach to bodywork reflects that same reverence for the body’s innate intelligence.
You can listen to the full episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7GADRNj1lZIwY6jrjMcSe8?si=Cfm-lwH6SgOoraX5SVhqwQ
Our conversation begins with Cara’s path into bodywork, which originally started with a calling toward birth work. While she explored midwifery and doula paths, she realized the structure and demands of the medical system didn’t align with her values or desired lifestyle. Massage therapy offered a way to still support pregnancy, postpartum healing, and fertility, while allowing her to work holistically, autonomously, and as a lifelong student of the body.
What Is Abdominal Massage?
Abdominal massage, sometimes historically referred to as Mayan abdominal massage, is a gentle, non-invasive external therapy focused on the abdomen, pelvis, and sacrum. Cara explains that while the name highlights the belly, the work is actually about two-thirds posterior (the low back and sacrum) and one-third abdominal. These areas are deeply interconnected, and working both allows the organs, muscles, and fascia to return to more optimal alignment.
The roots of this modality trace back to Belize through the work of Rosita Arvigo, who apprenticed with a Mayan healer and later synthesized multiple lineages into what is now taught through organizations like the Abdominal Therapy Collective. Over time, the language around the practice has evolved to more accurately reflect its diverse origins while honoring its traditional influences.
At its core, abdominal massage supports the proper positioning of the organs, encourages circulation of blood, lymph, and nerve flow, and helps restore balance within the pelvis and abdomen.
Womb Health, Menstrual Cycles, and Fertility
One of the most profound applications of abdominal massage is support for menstrual and reproductive health. Cara works with clients experiencing painful periods, irregular cycles, ovulation pain, and fertility challenges. By improving circulation and clearing restrictions around the diaphragm and pelvis, the work helps hormones reach their intended destinations and allows the uterus and ovaries to function more efficiently.
For those preparing to conceive, Cara recommends beginning abdominal massage ideally three months prior to trying. This allows time for the organs to settle into optimal alignment and for cycles to regulate. For people already trying to conceive, the work can still be beneficial when timed between menstruation and ovulation, allowing space for implantation to occur.
Importantly, Cara emphasizes that fertility is not only about making babies. Fertility is life force, vitality, and overall wellness. This work can be supportive even for those who have no intention of becoming parents.
Postpartum and the Overlooked Healing Window
Postpartum care is one of the most culturally neglected phases of healing, and it’s an area Cara feels especially passionate about. After birth, the body undergoes immense physical transformation. Organs have shifted, posture changes dramatically, and caretaking demands can leave mothers disconnected from their own bodies.
Abdominal massage during the postpartum period helps gently guide organs back into place, supports pelvic stability, and may help prevent issues like organ prolapse. Beyond the physical benefits, the work offers a space for mothers to receive care after months of giving so much of themselves. Even when birth is not mentally traumatic, the physical experience alone warrants deep, compassionate support.
Digestion, Pelvic Alignment, and Whole-Body Effects
The abdomen houses far more than reproductive organs, and Cara sees powerful digestive benefits from this work as well. Abdominal massage supports constipation, loose stool, urinary concerns, and overall gut health by stimulating the intestines in the natural direction of digestion.
Pelvic alignment is another key piece. Many people live with tilted or imbalanced pelvises due to posture, driving, sitting, or daily habits. While common, these imbalances can create ripple effects throughout the body, contributing to chronic neck, back, or hip pain. Cara shares how gentle pelvic balancing techniques can correct these patterns surprisingly quickly, often within days.
Gentle Touch and the Nervous System
Throughout our conversation, we return again and again to the importance of working with the nervous system. Cara explains that “deep” work doesn’t have to mean painful pressure. True depth comes from slow pacing, presence, and allowing the body to feel safe enough to release. Gentle work can often access deeper layers than forceful techniques, especially for people whose bodies are holding chronic tension or stress.
Many people seek “deep tissue” massage that is painful or with as much pressure as possible. Cara’s point of view is that often the people who want the intense heavy handed massages, may benefit the most from easing in with gentle touch and nervous system restoration.
Massage, at its foundation, is nervous system medicine. By calming the body, we reduce the long-term impacts of stress, which touches nearly every aspect of health.
Herbs, Ritual, and Self-Massage
Cara also shares her love of plant allies, especially tulsi, lemon balm, damiana, and mugwort, plants that support grounding, womb health, and embodied presence. Self-abdominal massage becomes a ritual for many people, especially when paired with herbal oils like our Inner Warmth Massage Oil (a warming ginger herbal oil). Practiced regularly, it can improve digestion, sleep, and one’s relationship with their body.
While the technique itself is best learned hands-on, Cara encourages curiosity and mindful touch as a starting point, always moving clockwise and listening closely to the body’s feedback.
A Gentle Path Back Home
This conversation is ultimately about remembering that healing doesn’t need to be aggressive to be effective. Abdominal massage offers a quiet, powerful way to reconnect with the body, restore balance, and honor cycles of creation, rest, and renewal.
Whether you’re navigating fertility, postpartum recovery, digestive health, or simply longing to feel more at home in your body, this work reminds us that gentle touch can hold profound medicine.
If you’re in Durango, Colorado, you can book a session with Cara at Gold Pine Wellness: https://goldpinewellness.com. If you’re elsewhere, the Abdominal Therapy Collective offers a global directory to help you find a qualified practitioner near you.