Introduction to Visceral Massage

with Brian Utting

Sunday, October 25, 2015
9:30am-6:30pm
$175
8 CE hours

“**THIS WORKSHOP OPEN FOR WALK-INS**

Items to bring/wear for this workshop include:

   ·      Note-taking supplies

·      1 Sheet Set

·      Oil or lotion Lubricant

·      1 bolster/pillow

·      1 Blanket (optional)

·      Loose, comfortable clothing

·      A light sweater or jacket is recommended as temperatures in meeting areas are sometimes difficult to control”

**10% discount for TLC students/grads**

 


The viscera are at the very core of our body and are, along with our nervous system, a primary source of life. They are at the center of our structure, our emotions, our biochemistry, and our life energy. There are over 100 million neurons in the belly, more than in the spinal cord, and our enteric nervous system is a primary source of our intuition and “gut” feelings.

When we are anxious or distressed our natural instinct is to protect our soft underbelly and “stuff” emotions there, causing multilayered problems throughout the body. The smooth muscles of the gut contract, pulling on the surrounding mesentery and fascia, causing not only gut pain, but back pain. In addition, surgery can create adhesions and multi-directional disruptions in the abdominal fascia and musculature. It is ironic that this vital healing area is often overlooked in massage.

The sensitivity and vulnerability of the belly is precisely why it is so receptive to safe, calming, and nourishing touch. We can calm the enteric nervous system and the soft underbelly, sending waves of deep relaxation throughout the entire body. We can relax the smooth muscles of the intestines, which reduces pain, improves digestive function, and eases the fascial pull in the back and other areas of the body. We can sometimes separate post-surgical adhesions, creating balance and increased ease of movement at the very core of the body.

In this class you will learn simple and effective abdominal massage techniques that are easy to integrate into your massage practice. You will also learn to more fully release the diaphragm and sternum area with some advanced techniques. You will learn the basic layout of some of the area’s major anatomical structures and how to identify , palpate, and treat them. This class will make your abdominal work more comforting, intelligent, and effective. You will be able to help your clients achieve deeper states of relaxation, relieve pain, improve digestive function, and free up deep structural imbalances.


Brian Utting founded the Brian Utting School of Massage (Seattle, WA) where his 1000-hour COMTA-accredited school was considered one of the best massage schools in the country. He has been teaching massage CE internationally since 1990. Brian designs his CE classes and programs so that the students really get the material and can take it home and apply it in their practice rather than just being exposed to it. With over 30 years of experience, Brian teaches with a rare blend of passion, anatomical precision, humor, common sense, and depth. He was awarded the AMTA’s Robert N. Calvert Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2009 and was inducted into the Massage Therapy Hall of Fame in 2014. He now owns and operates the Pacific Northwest School of Massage.

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