Acupressure offers an energetic approach to activating the body's healing resources through stimulation of the fourteen meridian channels and acupressure points.   Congestion arises in the meridian system due to energy depletion, illness, trauma, lifestyle factors and emotional patterns.   Over time, blockages create changes in the underlying tissue.   Congestion in the tissue is generally painful to the touch and inhibits the flow of energy to the vital organs, glands, musculoskeletal and nervous systems.   Acupressure along the meridian channels of the legs, arms, torso and head activates the flow of healing resources to the related organs and glands. Acupressure techniques include compression, rotation, cutting, point pressure, stretches, and direction of energy. The course also provides an overview of Five Element Theory and how to assess pain profile patterns through the lens of the Five Elements.   Students learn specific protocols for treating five element imbalances via acupressure, diet, rest and exercise.

Deep Tissue: Muscle Stripping and PNF integrates the fundamentals of myofascial therapy, muscle stripping, compression and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation and stretching.   Myofascial therapy involves direct pressure to hypersensitive areas in the muscle, skin, fascia, tendons, periosteum and joint capsules.   Muscle stripping involves slow, deep, gliding pressure to the fascia along the muscle fibers.   Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) involves assisted passive, active and resistive stretches of muscles to utilize reciprocal inhibition.   Muscle stripping is effective for improving postural alignment, increasing range of motion, breaking up adhesions caused by micro-scarring, injury or surgery, activating connective tissue regeneration, and addressing myofascial pain. The work is applicable to a variety of myofascial pain syndromes including headaches, sciatic pain, thoracic outlet syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, tendonosis, muscle strains, piriformis syndrome, TMJ syndrome, lower back pain, and frozen shoulder. The module includes both classroom & clinic hours.

Deep Tissue: Sports offers injury care, restorative massage and pre-event massage protocols.   Students learn protocols for the majority of sports injuries, and injury prevention. Students learn distinctions for diagnosing and treating tendonosis and tendonitis: hamstring pulls, jumper's knee, Achilles tendonitis, tennis elbow and iliotibial band syndrome.

Deep Tissue: Trigger Point covers how to treat trigger points and injuries.   Trigger points are areas of hyperirritability within soft tissue that develops when a muscle is injured or overworked.   Trigger points caused by trauma create changes in the chemical balance in the tissue, irritating the sensory systems.   Trigger points are characterized by local tenderness and referred phenomena, which can include pain, tingling, numbness, burning or itching.   Therapists learn direct pressure techniques with fingers, thumbs and tools to assess and alleviate trigger points, as well as cross fiber friction techniques for breaking up scar tissue, releasing adhesions and speeding tissue repair.   The work is applicable to a variety of syndromes including: dizziness, earaches, nausea, numbness in hands and feet, headaches, neck and jaw pain, low back pain, hamstring pulls, tendonosis, tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome and assorted myofascial pain syndromes.   The module includes both classroom and clinic hours.

Ethics covers issues that may arise within a massage practice.   Students will have the opportunity to role play and engage in lively discussion pertaining to defining and asserting boundaries and negotiating the client/therapist relationship.   Key topics explored include responding to sexual arousal, negotiating power, and understanding and managing transference.   Students will define their own code of ethics.

Lymphatic Drainage: Manual (MLD) presents two primary western approaches to stimulating lymphatic drainage through massage: Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) and Integrative Lymphatic Drainage. MLD involves light, pulsing contact techniques, while integrative lymphatic drainage massage involves slow, deep effleurage techniques specifically following the lymphatic pathways. Both approaches begin with clearing congestion within the abdomen. The work proceeds to progressively drain the lymph through the more superficial pathways in the upper torso and extremities, back towards the deep nodes in the abdomen for final elimination through the large intestine.   Students will learn to apply the techniques on both clients and themselves for daily lymphatic self care.

Lymphatic Drainage: Visceral covers more advanced techniques in lymphatic drainage, Chi Nei Tsang, acupressure, medical chi gong and self-care.   The advanced lymphatic work focuses on safely detoxifying the vital organs and releasing congestion in the fascia and lymphatic nodes surrounding the vital organs.   The course addresses common pathologies impacting the lymphatic system such as the common cold, the flu, Epstein-Barr, Chronic Fatigue, fibromyalgia, cancer and Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome.   The course utilizes Mantak Chia's Chi Nei Tsang text and the Taoist five element model of energy circulation and transformation.   The work is applicable to people of all ages and is highly indicated for anyone who has exposure to environmental toxins.   Clinics are included with class format.

Pregnancy Massage offers Deep Tissue, Swedish and Polarity techniques for releasing musculoskeletal strain, balancing hormones, opening the pelvic floor, and integrating emotional states during pregnancy, as well as speeding tissue repair postpartum.   Techniques include:   Deep Tissue Muscle-Sculpting, Swedish, Acupressure, F ive-Pointed Star, and Perineal Balance. Students learn modified supine and side posture positioning, massage techniques specific for each trimester and gentle abdominal postpartum techniques for post birth recovery.  The course addresses the anatomical and physiological changes that occur during pregnancy, and includes both classroom & clinic hours.

Reflexology covers the reiterative, zonal and referral maps. Students learn to clear blockages in the body by reflexing the feet, hand and ears.   Congestion arises in the bipolar electromagnetic currents or ten zones due to illness, trauma, lifestyle factors and mental/emotional patterns.   Over time, blockages create changes in the underlying tissue of the feet, hands and ears, which become congested with metabolic waste and mineral deposits.   Congestion can also lead to blockages in the corresponding vital organs and glands.   Direct pressure on the feet, hands and ears activates the flow of healing resources to the related organ, gland or body system, thereby initiating tissue repair, pain relief and restored function.   The module includes both classroom and clinic hours.

Thai Massage enhances chi flow in the meridian system through direct pressure and stretching techniques applied to the muscles and joints of the body.   Thai massage offers a sophisticated protocol for systematically releasing muscle tension, flushing blood into the tissues, increasing mobility in the joints and opening the energetic flows of the meridian system.   Thai massage includes many positions and stretches similar to hatha yoga with the difference being the recipient is more passive than the yoga practitioner. This more passive relationship can give rise to deeper release through the added leverage and attention of the practitioner, and surrender of the recipient. The work is applicable to yogis who want to deepen their practice as well as less active folks who want thorough, deep stretching. The work also addresses a variety of syndromes including visceral issues ranging from bladder infections to menstrual complaints, as well as structural issues ranging from lower back pain to postural slouching. In addition to presenting distinctly different protocols for supine, prone, side-lying, seated and table postures, the course presents how to individuate a session through choices in depth, length, duration, pace and location when applying techniques. The module includes both classroom and clinic hours.

Anatomy and Physiology

Immune Physiology and Toxicology addresses the body's immune system response and the interplay of the various systems.   The course addresses a range of imbalances, an overview of toxicology and environmental factors that may suppress the immune system, as well as chemical toxicity, heavy metal exposure and chi depletion from a variety of stressors.   Offers Medical Chi Gong practices for mental clarity and immune system enhancement.

Muscle Physiology covers the function and biochemistry of muscles. The course deepens the therapist's understanding of how the muscles work in relationship with the nervous, circulatory and integumentary systems and how connective tissue, body chemistry and neurotransmitters profoundly affect muscle function and the process of muscle contraction, release and tissue repair.

Palpatory Anatomy/Anatomy in Clay covers the major muscles involved in common myofascial pain syndromes. Students learn key landmarks and attachment sites of the muscles in order to refine their palpation skills.   Students will also mold key muscles out of clay on skeletal manikins.

Visceral Physiology and Meridian Mapping presents the location and function of the 14 major meridian flows, key acupressure points and their related vital organs.   The course deepens the therapist's understanding of how chi flows in the body through the meridian system and how they support the function of the vital organs and glands. Medical Chi Gong exercises are woven into the presentation of each meridian and related organ to enhance the student's mental clarity and heightened perception of the meridians and organs within their own body.