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Cultivating a Powerful and Soft Touch

Strategies for Treatment with Deep Tissue Massage and Myofascial Release

8:30-5:30 Friday, Saturday and Sunday

24 CE Hours
Description: Generally this is a three day workshop focusing upon proper use of biomechanics to allow therapists to remain healthy and conserve energy, and refine skills for deep tissue massage and myofascial release. In reality, most students feel that the benefits are much broader, as they learn to work with a powerful but soft touch, and proper use of knuckles, fists, elbows and forearms. Emphasis upon the layers of the body and myofascial skills to stretch and release tissue restrictions rather than just sliding over superficial layers. These skills are practiced in a large variety of techniques and strategies so that clients immediately notice a higher quality of work.

What to Bring: Feel free to wear anything you want to class, but remember not much time will be spent on draping, so wear clothes that are comfortable but offer the maximum of skin. Most guys wear brief underwear (not boxers) and women wear appropriate underpants (not thongs) and a bra or swim suit top or jog bra for the work sessions. Please bring a massage table, especially if you are driving to the class.

About Art: Art Riggs has a B. A. in psychology and graduate study in exercise physiology at
U.C. Berkeley. He was certified in massage at the McKinnon Institute in 1986 and became a Certified Rolfer® in 1987 and Advanced Rolfer® in 1991; maintaining his Rolfing practice in Oakland, CA. Art specializes in athletic injuries and has worked with Bay Area professional and Olympic athletes and dancers including the Golden State Warriors and The Dance Theater of Harlem. He has been teaching deep tissue massage therapy for 20 years and has led workshops for health spas and for physical therapists and assisted in various Rolf trainings, primarily with Michael Salveson, Jan Sultan, and Jeff Maitland. He established the Deep Tissue Massage program at the McKinnon Institute in
1989 and currently leads an eighty hour Deep Tissue certification program at the
San Francisco School of Massage.
For the first ten years of his practice, he specialized in myofascial release at a physical therapy clinic where an interest in the treatment of injuries was cultivated. He has worked with several Olympic athletes, professional football and basketball players, and professional dancers and musicians to treat injuries and to improve performance.
However, his teaching and the practice of working with the general population to provide a better awareness of their bodies and allow more ease an comfort in their everyday lives remains the most gratifying aspect of his work. His practice is located in Oakland, CA, and he is the author of Deep Tissue Massage--A Visual Guide to Techniques and the video, Deep Tissue Massage and Myofascial Release--A Video Guide to Techniques. . He also has published many articles for massage magazines and co-authored a chapter on myofascial release in Modalities for Massage and Bodywork. His website is http://www.deeptissuemassagemanual.com

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