I Melted in Norway

Christina Aldan
4 days ago
4 min read

Rejuvenation with Ruth Duncan’s Integrated MFR Method

As someone who’s lived with chronic pain since I was 19 years old, prioritizing wellness hasn't been optional for me. It's the foundation that helps me function so I can function. I'm my own best testimony!

When I practice self-care I feel more grounded, more mobile, more human. There have been days (weeks!) where I've been bed-ridden due to overdoing it or fluctuations in humidity. I love exploring different kinds of healing touch, even when I travel: deep tissue massage in a hotel spa, Rolfing in Kauai, a hamam in Greece, an energy worker in Japan, those magical bath houses on Okinawa... I love it all. The modality that has given me the most lasting results has been myofascial release (MFR) therapy. So when a treatment blows me away on the road, I know it’s something special. This recent one in Norway? Oh, it made the top five. Easily.

My travel adventures in Stavanger, Norway hanging with friends, hiking, and MFR treatment.

Stavanger, Norway

After graduating from my massage program, I had a two-month waiting period for my massage license to process. I am horrible at sitting still, so instead of pacing in circles I decided to travel to visit a friend in Stavanger, Norway. I’d been to Oslo multiple times for speaking, but Stavanger was brand-new territory for me. Like much of Norway, it is surrounded by small islands and fjords. I found it cozy, scenic, and fragrant with the salty sea air.

Of course, I had to book bodywork while I was there. I found Triangle Studio Stavanger and scheduled a 90-minute session with an MFR therapist named Carlynn. She’s Irish, trained in London, living in Norway. She's incredibly generous. She even opened the massage studio on her day off, saying, “It isn't every day someone flies in from Las Vegas for a treatment.” Fair point.

What Integrated Myofascial Release Is (and Why It Matters)

Before the session, Carlynn sent me her intake form and waiver. She explained that she practices Integrated Myofascial Release (MFR), specializing in Ruth Duncan’s MFR approach. It’s responsive, intuitive work that is guided by how the client’s body reacts moment by moment. It's like the therapist and client are having a continuous conversation throughout the treatment.

Learning about her teacher, Ruth Duncan*, helped me understand the depth of this method. Duncan** has a gift for showing how past experiences like a severe car accident might leave the body living in a defensive pattern for decades. The fascial network stiffens, contracts, and eventually restricts movement, lymph drainage, fluid exchange, and overall energy. What we call “mystery fatigue,” or the phantom pain that seems to come out of nowhere, often isn’t mysterious at all. It’s old tension that never got the memo that the danger has passed. Carlynn's role as an MFR therapist is find the pattern, deliver the memo, and then give the fascial network permission to finally let go of the pattern that is holding the pain.

Some of the insights I learned from Ruth Duncan's work that were validated for me:

Pelvic balance matters more than we think. When the pelvis is off, it affects the dural tube which encases the spine from sacrum to skull. A restricted dural system can keep the whole nervous system on high alert.
Chronic fight-or-flight is real. If cerebrospinal fluid isn’t moving through the dural tube well, the nervous system doesn’t settle. Cue fatigue, tension, mood swings, and that wired-but-tired feeling (sound familiar?).
Scars tell stories… and cause trouble. Duncan shared that even thhough abdominal scars such as C-sections, appendectomies, or gall bladder removal (like mine!) are small on the outside, they often create tethering (like jellyfish tentacles!) on the inside that can restrict fascia and eventually show up as back or hip pain. Treat the scar, and the pain often vanishes.

This is the kind of whole-person connection that lights up my wellness-nerd brain.

My Treatment in Norway

The treatment room was quiet, warm, and low-lit. With soft music in the background, it's the kind of space where your shoulders drop a half-inch just walking in. Carlynn used thick, soft towels and moved with patience and intention. Her style was gentle but deeply affecting: slow pulls, sustained stretches, those subtle taffy-like glides that make you realize just how much you’ve been bracing against life, the world, everything.

Every so often she’d guide me with a soft cue:

“Let go.”

“Notice where you’re holding.”

“Try letting that unwind.”

At one point, I drifted into that half-dreamy state that only happens when your nervous system actually feels safe enough to let go. There really is no substitute for good bodywork. I asked her to stick with pure MFR the entire session instead of mixing it up with Swedish massage, and I’m glad I did. I walked out feeling lighter, balanced, and more aligned. My gait even changed; my joints moved more freely, and the chronic tightness in my hips finally released. It was a real, noticeable shift.

Feeling Lucky (in All the Right Ways)

Walking through Stavanger afterward, I felt grateful (lucky, even!) that my travels allow me to experience different kinds of healing work around the world. Every therapist teaches me something new, and every session reminds me how much potential the body has to change when it’s given thoughtful, skilled attention.

A Quick Tip for Travelers

If you visit Stavanger, plan your parking ahead of time. The lots are small, and everything requires payment 24/7 using a phone app. Even the open-air spots are paid. Some street parking only allows two hours, so give yourself extra time to move your vehicle if you need to.

If you ever find yourself in Stavanger, go visit Carlynn. She is nurturing and compassionate in her care. When MFR is done well, it feels like your whole body finally exhales a story it’s been holding far too long and you get to walk away feeling brand new.

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