Special Body Series (11 Individual Courses of 8 Hours Each)

The Body Series is an integrated system for working with the entire body, presented as a series of 8 Hour specialty courses, including techniques for working specifically and in depth with head, neck, face, shoulders, arms, hands, legs, feet, hips, abdomen and/or back. Each is a unique, stand-alone course; and each course complements all the other Body Series Courses like pieces of a puzzle.

When you take any one of the Body Series Courses you’re sure to come away a new set of tools to get you excited about your massage practice again, and keep your clients returning, to see what you’ve come up with next. Come in for 8 hours of concentrated learning and leave with a ton of new techniques and approaches to use with your clients tomorrow.

“Your Crown & Glory” - Head Massage (8 hrs)

Anyone who has ever had a head massage knows how deeply relaxing and satisfying it can be. But what if you could take it to the next level? How good would that be? Body Wisdom’s “Your Crown and Glory” – Head Massage blends the best of East-Indian Ayurvedic Head Massage, the Acu-Points of Traditional Chinese Medicine along with out-of-this-world scalp massage techniques to create an exhilarating, relaxing and deeply healing escape from the worries and tensions of the everyday world. This unique approach stimulates the circulation, awakens the senses, relaxes the mind and calms the Spirit. Sign me up!

“Your Crown and Glory” – Head Massage makes a great add-on or upgrade to your regular treatments or even as a stand-alone offering. Coupled with The Body Series “Dreamy Face Sequence” it creates a total package. Or as an addition to Body Wisdom’s Ayurvedic Shirodhara you create the perfect duo/trio.

Prerequisites: None

Dreamy Face Sequence (8 hrs)

Imagine being touched by the wings of an Angel. That’s the feeling you’ll come away with after receiving Body Wisdom’s “Dreamy Face Sequence.” Flowing hand techniques, complements of Asia, coupled with precise Acupressure stimulation of key points, create a relaxing, revitalizing, “dreamy” experience. The experience is so uplifting that some might even call it a “natural face-lift”. It’s no wonder Asia has a corner on this market; but you can too, with the approach this class teaches.

Along with The Body Series “Your Crown and Glory” it makes a total package. Or as an addition to Body Wisdom’s Ayurvedic Shirodhara you create the perfect duo/trio.

Prerequisites: None

Crazy Good Neck Work - Version 1 & 2 (8 hrs each)

It’s a well-known fact that massage therapists who can perform outstanding neck work are far and few between; and there is an amazing market out there for therapists who can fill this gap. The purpose of this course is to make you a star performer in this arena!

Because it’s so popular, we offer two completely different versions of this course, both packed full with modalities that expand your tool kit. They can be taken out of sequence or one only.

Each of the two Crazy Good sequences begins by unwrapping the superficial layers of the neck prior to getting into the deeper work that follows. Then special active engagement techniques are combined with deep specific work that gets you into the hard-to-reach nooks and crannies, where deeper restrictions tend to hide. An amazing warm up and finishing sequence tops off this top-flight approach to opening and freeing the neck.

After taking this class you will discover what many of the top massage professionals know, that if you can do world-class neck work, the world will beat a path to your table.

Prerequisites: Therapeutic Massage Levels 1 – 2, Anatomy: Bones & Muscles or Equivalent

“Ease the Load” – Shoulder Work (8 hrs)

Our poor shoulders carry much of life’s burdens and stresses. “Ease the Load” – Shoulder Work seeks to address these concerns including unique and effective assessment treatment protocols for conditions including rotator cuff problems and even frozen shoulder syndromes.

With the addition of The Body Series “Embracing Life – Arms, Wrists & Hands” and/or the Series “Relax” – Ears Reflexology” you have a duo or trio that provides true relief for everyone who works too hard. And that’s pretty much everyone! You heard it here :)

Prerequisites: Therapeutic Massage Levels 1 – 2, Anatomy: Bones & Muscles or Equivalent

Embracing Life – Arms, Wrists & Hands (8 hrs)

Whether you are a musician, a gardener or a busy mom or dad, just trying to get everything done, you’re always using your arms and hands in everything that you do in your daily life. Even a minor disability to the lower arm including the wrist and hand can have a profound effect on your activities of daily living, known as ADL’s (activities of daily living) in the medical world. We all want to have full and free use of our arms so that we can embrace all the parts of our lives that we most enjoy and in some cases the things we must do just to live. That’s where Body Wisdom’s ‘Embracing Your Life” - Arm, Wrist, Hand Course steps in to lend a “hand” so to speak. We’ve brought together some of the best-of-the-best techniques and approaches to common issues such as carpal tunnel syndrome, golfers elbow, tennis elbow and more.

After completing this 8-hour, mini-course you’ll take a fresh new approach back to your practice. Techniques, that are both efficient and effective for the client, and easy on you as a therapist. In this course you’ll learn to work smart, not hard by using a set of tools and an approach, much like all the other Body Series Courses, that work with the least invasive, most efficient tool first and then progressing as necessary; unwinding holding patterns in the most organic and natural way possible. In this ‘packed with technique’ 8-hour course we’ll cover simple hands on assessments combined with highly effective treatment methods to address common complaints encountered in your everyday massage practice.

Remember, these precious arms and hands are the ones we embrace every part of life with. Your clients will thank you again and again.

Prerequisites: Therapeutic Massage Levels 1 – 2, Anatomy: Bones & Muscles or Equivalent

“Soothing Belly Work” - Abdominal Sequence (8 hrs)

Belly’s don’t get a lot of respect in this world unless they look just a certain way right? We say, “that’s not fair”. It’s time to change that; and Body Wisdom has designed a course to do just that.

Practitioners will be reminded that there is absolutely no reason to feel self-conscious or insecure about the very part of the body that has cradled us gently into existence, can give us the feeling that the world is round and perfect, that we are well, comfortable and satisfied, and that hosts our vital organs and performs tirelessly to serve and nurture our entire being.

Soothing abdominal strokes wind around, slowly working deeper and deeper, taking you to nourishing states of relaxation you never dreamed possible. Sometimes called your Hara or your Core it’s your balance point for dance, martial arts and everyday movement. It is the center of your identity, the connection between lower and upper body and the source of physical and emotional nurture. How important it must be to maintain this area in a state of harmony and balance, yet it’s completely left out in the average massage treatment.

Highlights of this course include:

  • Proper abdominal breathing to activate the parasympathetic nervous system
  • A special “Rock to Relax” sequence to gently open and relax your abdomen
  • Soothing belly strokes and precision hand techniques to open blocked tissue
  • Lymphatic pumping to stimulate vital organ functions and abdominal lymph nodes and detoxify the system
  • Special abdominal and organ massage techniques from China
  • Self-Massage techniques to massage your organs and enhance your own health

Of course, not everyone wants their belly massaged, but maybe that’s because they’ve never had a good treatment from a talented, caring practitioner with the right attitude and appreciation for this precious part of the body. If you have something great to offer like “Soothing Belly Massage” maybe you’ll change their minds :). We’ve borrowed from Chinese Chi Nei Tsang and blended it with Western bodywork, to create a unique and effective treatment that will surprise and delight even the most ardent belly denier or belly aficionado.

Prerequisites: Therapeutic Massage Levels 1 or Equivalent

I’ve Got Your Back - Special Back Techniques (8 hrs)

“I’ve Got Your Back” is one of the best things you could hear from your regular massage professional. With nine in ten people experiencing painful and debilitating back pain at some time in their lives, it seems that our backs can never get enough of the right kind of massage. For that reason, Body Wisdom’s “I’ve Got Your Back” – Special Back Techniques module is looking to put a whole new set of tools into your massage kit. Your work will become more effective and you’ll exert less effort to gain those improved results. Your clients will thank you again and again. That’s a formula for massage success!

In a compatible approach sprinkled throughout all the other Body Series Courses we start by working through the superficial layers of muscle and fascia before getting to the deeper layers with specific work for QL, 12 rib, Iliac crest and all the ligaments in the general area. A relaxing opening and closing sequence to wrap things up and you have a neat little package to augment your normal massage approach.

A great class for all levels with a special purpose in mind, “I’ve Got Your Back” – Special Back Techniques will explore every way possible to relieve back troubles, including one of the number one complaints that massage therapists need to address: lower back pain.

Prerequisites: Therapeutic Massage Levels 1 – 2, Anatomy: Bones & Muscles or Equivalent

“Move Freely” – Pelvis & Hips (8 hrs)

Everyone wants to be unrestricted and move freely in their lives, but muscular imbalance in the pelvic region can lead to adaptions that cause pain, ongoing discomfort, and contribute to other imbalances and compensation patterns throughout the body. Body Wisdom’s 8-Hour “Move Freely” course will give you the tools to free up muscular imbalances that can bring the body back into alignment, allowing your human propulsion system, ‘the pelvis and hips’ to “Move Freely” in whatever direction life takes you.

Body Wisdom’s “Move Freely” – Pelvis and Hips 8 hours of condensed training will take your practice to a whole new level when you’re working with the pelvis and its many connections in the body.

This module blends particularly well with “Stand Your Ground” – Legs & Feet if you care to expand your skills even further.

Prerequisites: Therapeutic Massage Levels 1 – 2, Anatomy: Bones & Muscles or Equivalent

Stand Your Ground – Legs & Feet (8 hrs)

It’s hard to find a client who has not experienced leg, ankle or foot problems at some point in their lives and yet, who does that specific work these days? If you answered ‘not too many’, then you’d be correct. After taking “Stand Your Ground” – Legs & Feet you could be the person to do this important work!

In Body Wisdom’s 8-Hour “Stand Your Ground” course we will be looking at leg, ankle and foot mobility, stability and common restrictions. Drilling down further we will take a detailed look at the ankle through all its planes of movement, and how it relates to the many activities of daily living and the limitations that can occur due to poor body mechanics, overuse or traumatic injury, at work and in the clients’ daily lives.

The Approach:

Unwrapping the outer layers of fascia makes way for working with restrictions to lower leg and ankle mobility and stability, including the ankle retinaculua, ankle mortise, plantar fascia, gastrocnemius/soleus, peroneals, tibialis anterior, interosseous membrane and fibular mobility. With whatever time is left we will work with the bones of the feet, including the various arches, down to the individual bones of the metatarsals, widening the base of the foot and its connection with the ground.

A wide variety of techniques will be explored, including active engagement, pin and stretch, deep tissue, myofascial release, and positional release. When coupled with a special opening and closing sequence you have a stellar approach to the lower leg, ankle and foot that will immediately enhance your practice and delight your clients.

This module blends particularly well with “Move Freely” – Pelvis & Hips if you care to expand your skills even further.

Prerequisites: Therapeutic Massage Levels 1, Anatomy: Bones & Muscles or Equivalent

Relax – Ear & Hand Reflexology (8 hrs)

It’s becoming a well-known fact that when you work on the hands and feet, you are working on reflex points that connect to all the systems and areas of the body. But did you know that the same applies to the ears? Massaging hands and ears is deeply relaxing and therapeutic all at the same time. A special hand and ear massage approach is a welcome upgrade to your current treatments and cries out to be a unique stand-alone offering on their own; especially for shorter session slots and clients who don’t have the time for longer sessions, but still desire a break and relaxation packed with wellness benefits.

What You Will Learn:

  • Review of Hand and Ear Reflexology Charts
  • An amazing hand reflexology sequence
  • An effective and deeply relaxing ear reflexology treatment
  • A special opening and closing sequence
  • Special touches to enhance your treatment experience

With Body Wisdom’s “Relax” - Hand and Ear Reflexology course you’ll have a completely new offering for your established clients and a way to attract new business with an original approach that sets you apart from the competition.

Prerequisites: None