The Myofascial Balancing courses, each dealing with a different region of the body, are based on a few simple ideas, delivered with a good deal of experience and sophistication. Some of the ideas are:

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•  Muscular stabilization is the force that organizes our bodies in gravity. Improving stabilization is at least as important as improving relaxation or mobility.

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• Our posture turns our stabilization on or off; the best thing we can do to enhance our stabilization is to improve our alignment.

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• While most practitioners learn to evaluate alignment visually, we find that much more detailed and accurate information can be gathered through palpation of standing clients. Learning to palpate in this way often radically improves students’ visual evaluation skills as well.

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• Our alignment patterns reshape our myofascial tissues into unbalanced patterns. In our classes, students learn to feel the directional imbalances in the soft tissue and to use gentle, unlubricated techniques to balance the position and mobility of the tissues. We also use stretching and other self-care strategies to reinforce this balancing effect.

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• One of the most useful services practitioners can provide is to teach clients how to improve posture and movement patterns in daily life. Students in these classes learn a clear model of posture and movement strategies designed to improve clients’ understanding of their necessary role in achieving long-term results.

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•  In many cases, orthopedic problems (the ones with diagnostic labels) are simply exaggerated versions of the imbalances present in most people. In other cases, the problems have a different sort of cause (for example, osteoarthritis). It’s extremely valuable to be able to tell the difference! These classes include an overview of common orthopedic problems, including both assessment and treatment options.

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Our primary focus is assessment-driven myofascial work. The work can be directed at deep or superficial layers, as needed. The amount of force used can be varied to be comfortable and appropriate for both the client and therapist. It is also non-lubricated, so it can be done on skin, through a sheet, or through clothes.  Myofascial Balancing frequently uses the skeleton as a ‘handle’ and as a guide in evaluating alignment. The work is designed to keep the loop between evaluation and treatment as short as possible, so that the practitioner remains well-oriented and therapeutic goals can be attained quickly. We teach palpatory evaluation of the client’s alignment pattern in standing, and ongoing palpatory assessment of tissue mobility on the table. We also teach simple postural and movement strategies to help clients improve alignment and usage in daily life; we believe this is a critical aspect of successful treatment.

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We (Richard and Lauren) both have long teaching backgrounds, and we’re especially excited about presenting these courses. One of the best things about the material is that the core ideas can be usefully applied in many different ways. We’ve explored the possibilities enough so that we can really have fun helping students find the applications that are exciting and practical for them.