Studio Spotlight: Muggymoose Massage & Thai Bodywork

Located in Duluth’s Canal Park, Muggymoose Massage and Thai Bodywork offers a variety of specialties including Therapeutic Table Massage, Thai Bodywork, Ashiatsu, Ayurveda, and more. I chatted with owner Margaret Harstad about the magic of Thai Bodywork and how her hands are her superpower.

Reeve: Can you tell me a bit about your background and how Muggymoose came to be?

Margaret: Well, my background is long and deep! But the short version is that I was going through some life changes and decided to go to massage school thinking I’d get bored with it or change my mind. But I didn’t get bored with it – and still don’t because I’m continually able to add new studies, filling my need to constantly grow. I’m actually shocked – this is the longest I’ve ever done anything, and I love it! I’ve been doing bodywork for 19 years and I opened Muggymoose in 2006.

R: Okay, we’ve got to talk about the name! How did you come up with it?

M: My nickname as a child was Mug! Before Thai Bodywork, I owned a food company called Muggymoose Adventure Foods. It was just a silly name I came up with at the time. I originally had a different name when I started doing massage, but it wasn’t fitting for me. I decided to bring back the original name about 14 years ago. It’s a memorable name, so now I get people saying “Ohh, you’re Muggymoose!” 

R: How did you discover Thai Bodywork?

M: I started studying Thai Bodywork very early on in my studies. My first training in Thai Bodywork was a year after I graduated massage school, and I began to incorporate it more and more into my work. Thai culture and traditional Thai medicine are very spiritual to me; I’ve been to Thailand numerous times, and I love the ancient work. I started offering it in 2007 when there was no one in Duluth doing Thai Bodywork and it took people a while to warm up to it. Now it’s a big piece of what we do!  

R: It’s not every day that you hear the phrase “Thai Bodywork.” What is it?

M: In Thai Bodywork, you receive a combination of rhythmic massage and rocking, stretching, acupressure, and yoga all at the same time! The practitioner moves the client’s relaxed body through different stretches and openings you cannot accomplish on your own. The overall goal is to increase energy in the body’s physical and subtle system. It’s accessible to anybody – people who can’t walk, the very old, the very young. And it is almost impossible for a receiver to not notice where they have either muscular or emotional tension in their body, as I’m literally moving and holding them in these positions. So, there’s a lot of trust that comes up, and sometimes emotional work for the clients. It’s really powerful work.

R: You also offer a whole range of services beyond Thai Bodywork.

M: Yes! We offer so many different specialties and are always growing. I offer Traditional Table Massage, Thai Bodywork, Aromatouch, and Ayurvedic therapies, as well as Chinese abdominal massage called Chi Nei Tsang. I’m also a certified yoga instructor and teach Thai Bodywork for partners and restorative yoga classes. Emily Ostos, who has been with me for six years, also offers Thai Bodywork, Traditional Ashiatsu, and Myofascial Release. Our newest addition, Gini Breidenbach, is a Master Practitioner of Shamanic Energy Medicine. 

R: How does a new client know where to start with all that you offer?

M: We create space before and after every appointment to really listen to the client and educate them on all we offer. If I’m giving someone a Thai massage, maybe I’m also giving them some Ayurvedic recommendations or I’m going to say, “Hey, I think maybe you should try energy work with Gini,” or, “You might benefit from myofascial with Emily.” We really try to use all the services we offer if they’re fitting to the client. It’s not just that they’re going to get a massage, people here feel heard and valued.

R: It sounds like the client is really seen in a holistic way by you, that you’re there to support them.

M: I really think that people, when they come here – and I’m getting kind of weepy right now – they feel cared for and heard and just really loved. There’s so much anxiety in the world; people need love – no matter where they come from. A lot of people are very exposed, maybe they’ve had abuse or a history of addiction, and here they feel like a bit of a family – because they are our family. So many people come back over and over because they know we’ve got their back in all ways. That’s part of the values and the love we offer. Everybody is welcome and everybody needs support.

R: That isn’t something that you get at just any massage or yoga studio! You are really confident in what you offer.

M: I work hard in being proficient in what I do. I feel strongly about having a full knowledge base before I offer services to people, which I don’t feel is the case everywhere. Anyone who comes to our studio can trust that we have truly studied what we’re offering them. It’s very important to me to honor the work and the integrity of the work by being fully trained and certified in anything we’re offering or teaching. 

R: Because you want to use all that knowledge on the individual client.

M: Exactly! I really take the time to talk to people and hear what’s going on in their body before I recommend a service. But ultimately, my hands will tell me much more than a conversation. On an emotional level, a trauma level – my hands are my voice. They help me feel your tissues, but also meet the client energetically and get a perspective on more than just their body. I often will bring someone in early before their first session to talk – and maybe we change our mind once they get here and offer them something different if that fits their needs better. At the end of the day, I really value making the client feel cared for and truly seen.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length. 

Reeve Klatt is a creative living in North Minneapolis. When she’s not writing, you can find Reeve playing with her cats, teaching yoga, or digging in her garden.