Beyond Technique/ Bodywork Essentials Class:

The Beyond Technique/ Bodywork Essentials Class is a unique opportunity for both experienced and novice therapists alike to develop subtler skills that can be applied to any bodwork style.

This is the most comprehensive distillation of skills that have kept me going strong after over 24 years in the field. We will delve into the root elements of each bodyworker's practice, identifying and strengthening specific habitual weak spots in the foundations of their art. This will allow them to do more effective work, expend far less energy, greatly reduce wear and risk of self-injury, and assure longevity in their bodywork practice. The result is massage that is consistently more enjoyable for both the client and the therapist. 

This class is recommended before taking other Techtuitive Bodywork classes, and especially recommended for those who find that doing deep tissue work is too hard on their body, or who experience chronic or recurring strains or injuries while working.

The Counter-Tensions Class and the Breath-Work Class are deeper explorations of certain key elements of the Bodywork Essentials Class.

Counter-Tensions Class:

Counter-Tensions are one of the classic keys to getting twice the effect with half the effort.  A simple principle with dozens of creative variations, counter-tensions also make it easier for clients to let go of control and open up to the therapist's work at a deeper level. 

 The Counter-Tensions Class is an expansion of certain basic principles covered in the Essentials Class.

 Breath-Work Class:

In the Breath-Work Class, we go beyond the classic emphasis on simply getting the client to let go and be more aware of their body.  We focus mainly on coaching the client to use their breath in specific ways to unlock habitually guarded areas from the inside.  With a technique called the "meeting breath", and the even subtler technique of "pulsing", we explore the exact boundary where the therapist's and the client's attention meet, and how this forms the foundation of an unspoken dialogue for healing.  Again, a simple principle with numerous applications with which one can unlock resistance in the body and psyche.

The Breath-Work Class is an expansion of certain basic principles covered in the essentials class.

Wrist and Hand Care Class:

In the Wrist and Hand Care Class we will cover multiple approaches to both prevention and healing of repetitive stress injuries of the tendons & fascia of the hands & arms. (Tendonitis, including carpal tunnel syndrome, and fascitis.)  This includes how to heal oneself while still working, depending on the type and degree of injury.  Since these injuries are commonly the cause of burn-out, lost work and shortened careers, the tools provided in this class are especially valuable to bodyworkers for their own sake.  And of course, these skills can be applied equally to any clients with tendonitis or repetitive stress injuries as well.

 Neck and Back Techniques: 

In the Neck and Back Techniques Class, your staff will gain a deeper insight into this area, as well as broaden their technical range, as this is the part of the body where clients most often request extra attention. The back techniques emphasize precise deep work that is relatively stress-free for the therapist. The neck techniques emphasize a high degree of finesse and subtlety.  In my long experience, even seasoned therapists could use a great deal of fine tuning in the application of their neck work, as this is one of the most vulnerable and complex areas of the body, and is rarely adequately understood.

 Floating Limbs Class:

Range of motion techniques, in combination with specific massage techniques, are powerful adjuncts to the bodyworker's repertoire. In the Floating Limbs Class, the therapist will develop the subtlety, elegance and insight to use these techniques with maximum effectiveness.

 These stretch and movement techniques have four aims: to restore flexibility to the joints, to treat specific complaints and injuries of the joints, to indirectly open up the core of the body; and to allow the therapist to access complex and unstable areas with greater effectiveness and less effort.

 We will focus mainly on shoulders and hips in this class, though techniques specifically for other joints will be taught by request and/ or as time permits.

 Strong Edges Class:

Elbows and knuckles are commonly used in deep-tissue massage, especially if the therapist has yet to develop their full hand strength, or if the client requests extra deep pressure in their session.

 The common perception of these techniques among many clients is that they are effective but rough and hard to endure. And indeed, many therapists have added to that perception by using such methods out of necessity but without sufficiently refined training. In the Strong Edges Class, the therapist will learn to perform numerous variations of elbow and knuckle techniques with the same sensitivity and finesse that they bring to their open-hand techniques.

Basic Connective Tissue Class:

The Basic Connective Tissue Class expands on themes first touched in the Essentials Class.  We cover a whole range of techniques which address the main areas of the body where connective tissue problems frequently occur.  We also address how to blend the connective tissue work seamlessly into the massage, as well as how to recognize and re-stimulate soft tissue that has received too much deep-tissue work.

 Basic Body Detective Class

Though following your intuition will frequently yield wonderful results in bodywork, it is also useful to cultivate an analytical eye to solve certain problems.  The Basic Body Detective Class covers the rudiments of reading a client's posture and musculature.  We will look for clues to the way someone's daily activities influence their level of comfort in their own body.  This also makes it easier for the therapist to go to the root of the problem.  This is not a class in medical diagnosis, but is intended only as a means of helping the therapist refine their technique and provide more relevant treatment.

 Chakra Basics Class

This class takes the therapist through the scale of the chakras, their character and function, some basic techniques for working with them and how to incorporate this work into a regular massage.  We also comer techniques of grounding, clearing and establishing clear energetic boundaries.  The Chakra Basics Class makes energy work practical and approachable to just about any massage therapist, even the ones who don't think they feel or recognize the subtler energies.  It is also exceptionally useful for ultra-sensitive therapists who often feel overwhelmed while working because they haven't yet learned how to manage their own energy.

Hyper-Sensitive Cases Class:

Every massage therapist encounters situations in which a client, or some part of the client's body is too sensitive to work on with normal physical pressure.  (The blurb for this class is being re-written.  Check back again soon.)

 Couples & Vacation Massage Classes:

I am also available to teach a Couples and Vacation Massage Class, in which your staff learns how to create a fun and easy private massage class for your spa/ hotel guests who wish to be active participants in their own healing and rejuvenation, or who simply want a novel vacation experience. Strong emphasis on clear communication and establishing comfort levels.  This makes a fabulous menu item, especially at popular couples getaways.

Clinic Hours:

Clinic Hours are strongly recommended.  Clinics should be scheduled for staff members to practice and perfect techniques learned in class, under my supervision. This helps them to effectively integrate the new information into their bodywork style.  Specific bodywork questions and issues not covered in class can also be explored together during this time.

 Other Classes:

Additional classes can also be arranged which address topics other than the ones listed above.