The long, flowing strokes characteristic of Esalen Massage add an integrative component lacking in most connective tissue approaches. In my 26 years of bodywork experience, I have noted that flowing, soothing touch, either gently resting on, or gliding over the surface of the skin, creates profound relaxation. As we release deeper tension patterns through the application of deep tissue techniques, we touch equally as deeply, although differently, with a long flowing stroke across the body’s surface.

Because the skin can be thought of, literally, as the surface of the brain (skin, brain, spinal chord and nerves all evolve from the ectoderm in embryonic development), gliding slowly over the brain’s outermost periphery has a deeply integrating effect. The essence of the long, flowing stroke lies in connecting the mind to its different physical segments through the sensations generated at the surface of the skin.

Combining deep tissue work with the flowing quality of Esalen Massage creates an holistic method concerned not solely with unwinding soft tissue lesions, but also restoring to the mind a sense of organismic integrity often lost through physical injury, emotional trauma, and the everyday stresses of life.

Deep Bodywork I, II, III, IV, V, and The Mastery Class are seminars designed to teach bodywork practitioners how to use this effective combination with clients in an integrated session. Each seminar focuses on different key areas of the body, like the back, neck, shoulders, and hips.

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