News

Thank You for All Your Work

By Scott Kaniewski

Autumn 2026

When you open this issue of Massage & Bodywork and read the cover story, “Massage Is for EveryBody,” you’re going to dive into the lives of 10 massage therapists and their selfless acts of helping those in their communities, who otherwise might not, experience massage.

What you won’t read about is Jax Walter and friends partnering with a nonprofit over the last several years to provide massage, acupuncture, and more for free to those who are experiencing homelessness. As Walter puts it, “Even small moments of bodywork seem to do wonders for downregulating the nervous system and creating a sense of home in the body no matter the circumstance.”

You won’t read about Telisha Woodfin, who teaches infant massage education to families who otherwise don’t have access to, or knowledge about, it. As Woodfin says, “Whether I am working with postpartum families, special needs families, or caregivers navigating complex medical systems, infant massage becomes a meaningful way to slow down, observe, and connect with their babies.”

You also won’t read about Tjasa Landes, who shared ABMP’s Facebook post about providing massage to therapy and service dogs, announcing that she would be doing the same thing in her neck of the woods in Gainesville, Florida.

Walter and Woodfin may not have been selected as one of this year’s 10 Massage Is for EveryBody winners, but their efforts and Landes’s, along with all the others who shared their stories, go beyond this competition. Their efforts positively impact communities everywhere. And all that work is invaluable.

Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals (ABMP) has been putting on Massage Is for EveryBody for more than 30 years, and we’re still amazed at the various ways you continue to generate beautiful work for those who need it and deserve it.

We’re already looking forward to your stories next year. I hope you enjoy reading about what your fellow MTs are doing to help uplift their communities.

On behalf of us at ABMP, thank you for making a difference.