Intermediate/Advanced Esalen® Massage (21 CE)

Accessing the Back Body from the Front

This advanced Esalen® Massage course is tailored for seasoned massage practitioners seeking to refine and enhance their skills, specifically in providing a comprehensive full-body massage with the client in the supine position. Over the course of this three-day workshop, we will review the core elements of Esalen Massage, including present-centered touch, breath and contact, long flowing strokes across the entire body and pauses for integration to guide our clients into a deeper state of awareness and relaxation before delving into more specific work.

Participants will learn to leverage the client's body weight and gravity to achieve optimal depth when working with hands beneath the body. And apply techniques such as passive movement, joint mobilization and gentle stretches to target key anatomical structures such as the shoulder girdle, Psoas muscle, and lumbar region. This approach allows for a complete massage in the supine position, an invaluable addition to any practitioner's repertoire, particularly for clients who find it challenging to lie prone.

The workshop will feature grounding and centering practices through movement and mindfulness, concise lectures, demonstrations, and ample time for supervised practice. Upon completion, participants will be equipped to provide an effective full-body Esalen massage with the client in the supine position, enriching their practice and offering a thoughtful solution for clients with specific needs.

This advanced workshop is ideal for massage therapists with prior experience in the Esalen approach who are eager to further their expertise. 21 Continuing education credits (CE) are available.

Tuition: $475

Your Instructor

Nora Matten

Nora is passionate about teaching people to come more deeply into contact with themselves and others through the art of touching with presence, sensitivity and listening hands. Her journey into the healing arts began at age fourteen when she took her first Reiki class and continued when she first found her way to Esalen in 1999. Since then, Nora devoted her life to the exploration of body, mind, heart and spirit that lead her into studying many forms of bodywork, Gestalt awareness practice, yoga, dance, movement-based expressive arts therapy at the Tamalpa Institute, prenatal and birth therapy training with Ray Castellino, as well as becoming a TRE tension/trauma releasing exercise provider. All of her work is supported by her studies of the Diamond Approach for self-realization.​

She teaches Esalen massage at Esalen Institute, Bali, Australia and Spain. After being a long term Esalen® Massage Crew member she is now in the San Francisco Bay Area in private practice.