RESTORING POLYVAGAL HARMONY AND CORE INTEGRATION – Utilizing The Trager Approach for Massage and Bodyworkers – with Michael Lear- Spokane, WA
May 13 @ 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
$180.00 – $325.00
Leverage Dr. Milton Trager’s seminal approach to touch and movement as a language and learn potent, proven, and most importantly, trauma-informed, non-invasive methods for reaching the unconscious mind and dissolving some of the deepest deletory effects of held trauma, those impacting the vagus nerve system.
Using the body as a handle to reach the mind for this dialogue and to establish a state of peace and safety, we’ll utilize a combination of compassionate, mindful attention, oscillatory mobilizations, and informed positional releases to address and integrate the implicated skeletal muscle groups associated with the fight, fight or freeze response—those including trapezius, diaphragm, and psoas.
On the shoulders of your own well developed skills and coupled with a mindful presence, these concepts will enhance your capacity to restore tone to the Ventral Vagal System through the Neck/Shoulders/Rib cage of your clients to potentiate deep and positive interoception and social connection. And the down regulation of the Dorsal Vagal Response through the diaphragm, abdomen and psoas/QL, will help to restore visceral harmony. You’ll also learn how to empower your clients to further the neuromuscular gains from this protocol to ensure lasting change through simple Trager® Mentastics: mindful somatic exercises.
Proper balance of vagus nerve response is essential for optimum health and well-being. The longest nerve in the human body, the vagus nerve originates in the brain stem and extends into the chest and abdomen. Carrying both motor and sensory information, it supplies innervation to the heart, major blood vessels, airways, lungs, esophagus, stomach, and intestines.
In addition, the vagus nerve stimulates the secretion of acetylcholine within the central nervous system. Acetylcholine plays a role in motivation, arousal, attention, learning, memory including muscle memory, and REM sleep. Acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter as well as a neuromodulator, also aids in reducing inflammation in all organs. It modulates the release of other neurotransmitters, including dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin, impacting the mood and the energy level.
Instructor: Michael Lear works with veterans and others managing effects of trauma and has been published on the subject. A Trager® Instructor, Michael has been practicing Trager® and other forms of bodywork since 1987. A dedicated mindfulness adherent (Vipassana Meditation as taught by S.N. Goenka) and Ashtanga Yoga Instructor, Michael’s lifelong commitment is to assist folks to be happy in their bodies and connected to those around them.
What is Trager®? Trager is a unique, neuromuscular approach to bodywork and movement re-patterning. The tablework consists of deep, fluid rocking movements (oscillations) of muscles and joints combined with compression and gentle traction. This feeds into the nervous system resulting in dramatic muscular relaxation, along with feelings of lightness, freedom, and flexibility. The client is also shown simple exercises called mentastics which help integrate the profound changes in the body.
Sessions include individualized, mindful, somatic movement practices called Mentastics®. These support on-going well being, enhance the benefits of Trager Sessions and teach clients how to integrate the principles into their daily life.
Milton Trager, MD, who became aware of the basic principles at the age of 18, spent over 50 years refining this unique approach to somatic movement therapy and bodywork.
Trager® stands alone as an approach, but also beautifully complements and deepens other styles of massage as well. Come and learn the language of the neuromuscular system, and turn the temporary release of tension into an ongoing dissolution of muscular tension patterns. This Introductory Workshop serves as a prerequisite for the Trager® Level 1 Training leading towards certification as a Trager Practitioner.
Along with gaining mastery and deepening personal growth, Trager® certification bestows a tangible credential in Neuromuscular Therapy and Movement Education and, with permission, the US Trager® Association will list practitioners on its website.
Residential Option. A few onsite rooms available for single or double occupancy. Contact us for more information.
