Beginning Biodynamic Massage
(BIODM 1)
Provide massage while accessing and following biodynamic quietude.
Prerequisites: Open to state licensed health-care providers and those enrolled in a health care training school leading to state licensing.
Todd Jackson, LMT presents this workshop in Portland, OR.
9am-6pm on Fri, Sat, Sun
9am-1pm on Mon
27 CEUs | max 12 students
30% discount for repeating the course. Use coupon code “repeat” at checkout.
read reviews | listen to interviews
high teacher to student ratio with generous hands-on guidance
“Why I Love Biodynamic Massage” by Monica Rudestam, LAc., MSOM
Understand the differences between biodynamic massage and biodynamic cranial work.
View the full curriculum for biodynamic massage training.
What does massage look like when I connect to the most still, quiet place within a client? Can I feel this place move my body around the table, my hands over the client’s skin? What does the client experience when the massage is conducted by their own inner resources, instead of the practitioner’s agenda?
Biodynamic Massage helps practitioners feel and be animated by the the biodynamic forces that generate healthy relationships. We learn to palpate the health in clients, learn to feel how our body is placed in space relative to this health, and learn to feel how our hands are being moved by this relational biodynamic field.
This way of working asks the practitioner to fully enter the present moment, set aside their treatment goals, and simply feel their way into the right relationship to the health expression underway in the client.
Subtle, palpable sensations coming from the depth of biodynamic quietude provide the guidance for our hands. We get sculpted and animated during the massage, to provide just the right quality and direction of contact, where their system needs us to be, which fosters transformation.
This begins the process of exploring motive-free bodywork. In order to sense and move congruently with biodynamic expressions, we have to let go of how we think the massage should happen. We have to be willing to sense and allow our own body to be moved in space. When we do this, the client experiences something exceptionally rare in our culture. Healthy touch without intent. They are simply met as they are, with profound connection, and supported in their current expression, without expectation or judgement.
Biodynamic Massage tends to be explored by practitioners who have already invested considerable time and energy studying and practicing various motive-based approaches. From medical massage to subtle energy work, the motives to heal and change client dynamics remains as the fulcrum around which treatment is centered. Some practitioners are interested in exploring what remains if they set aside all motives. What is massage like, when based on the sensation of connection with the intelligence that animates life?
course highlights
- biodynamic basics – learn to connect the wholeness of your being to the wholeness of the client. be grounded, centered, heart connected, and available to be positioned where the system takes you.
- fascial following – feel how motility in fascia can guide repetitive strokes and access biodynamic quietude. helpful for clients interested relaxation massage and integration between body, mind and emotions
- spatial placement – feel how motility literally physically moves the practitioner in space to the right place, meeting the needs of the client’s system. this is the beginning of a long term process where the practitioner learns to let themselves be physically guided during biodynamic massage
- treatment cycles – learn how to catalyze healing by facilitating the transition from motility to neutral to motility again in the tissues. treatment cycles deepen the access to biodynamic quietude, allowing us to witness the client’s own system healing itself
- standing evaluation – when the client is standing, before treatment begins, learn how to assess where resources are already gathered and working on their behalf, so you know where to access the potentcy that guides the massage.
- quietude terminology – explore and understand the vocabulary used to convey how to sense and follow biodynamic quietude
- skill progression overview – learn how biodynamic massage looks and feels different as practitioner skill levels grow from beginning to intermediate to advanced.
Instructor
Todd Jackson began developing Biodynamic Massage in 1994. After 15 years of dedicated refinement, he began teaching this approach in 2009. Todd maintains an inclusive and supportive learning environment by bringing patient presence, humor, sensitive observation skills, experienced and sophisticated hands-on guidance to students. Class sizes are intentionally small and assistants are employed to ensure students confidently integrate the approach. Ongoing support is available after workshops via Supplements, Treatment Exchanges, Feedback Sessions, Practice Immersions, and Mentorship.
student feedback
What did you like most about this training?
“Being able to be vulnerable to ask questions and receive feedback & guidance.”
“Profound bodywork. Time on the table, time to practice. Gentle guidance.”
“Receiving transformative, profound bodywork.”
“The generosity of giving and receiving with peers, assistants, and instructor is connective, instructive and healing.”
“All the hands-on assistance. One teacher and two assistants for 10 students. Incredible guidance to help us truly get it.”
“The clear communication of content along with hands-on guidance & treatment.”
“I love being able to turn off my brain and play.”
“The everything. Hands-on guidance, depth of care & love held in the space, attentive answers to all questions.”
“The individual attention to meet us where we are and the great assistants.”
“The clearly articulated descriptions and instructions on how to approach an ephemeral practice.”
“Compared to other CE’s, it was the perfect balance of giving & receiving so I didn’t feel completely drained after each 8 hour day. The material was presented in a clear way and in a TANGIBLE, useful way.”
“The opportunity to let allow my CST and massage skills to merge.”
“I really enjoyed being able to take my deep tissue practice to another level by allowing the receiver’s body to guide me rather than my will and intention.”
“I loved, loved this training and wish you offered more modules per year.”
“I love your explanations – the way you can describe a felt sense so that I can then get there.”
“Not too much ‘special sharing circle.’ The amount of actual practice and hands on assistance was fantastic. Your crowd control was respectful and dynamic. Beth and Donna are great assistants.”
“Your ability to integrate the different personalities of the LMT’s and keep the group focused on this work.”
“The almost immediate immersion into the practice. Being able to have so much time giving and receiving.”
“I super valued the emphasis on felt experience vs. organizational protocol.”
“Love the work, the way time was organized, the amount of wonderful personal attention from you and the assistants – fabulous workshop overall.”
“Thank you all. I appreciate the amount of assistance I had during treatments + how everyone managed group dynamics.”
“Super clear, well paced, organized.”
“Other than the chocolate? I love that it’s so experiential. I love Todd’s good-humored approach + ability to notice and accentuate everyone’s strengths.”
“Breaking free from fragmented massage + learning how to tap into a dynamic, less ‘linear’ and muscle oriented bodywork.”
“How much time we actually spent practicing. The pacing felt supportive to the learning process.”
“Todd’s concrete language invention that pointed to the specificities of the subtle nuances of this technique. The sensitivity to the whole room, the whole group as a system…for how and when to apply specific instruction/demonstration/attention.”
“I loved the caring, authentic, close-in instruction, modeling & corrections – and appreciate the supportive intention behind them.”
“The experiential emphasis and support offered by assistants and Todd. Being an experienced learner, this was refreshing to find in a CEU course.”
“Nurturing. Great energy. Thorough demonstrations – support, support support ! ”
“When I got one on one instructions from all three teachers.”
“Very hands on – not too much talk/info first.”
“The instruction was superb & the personal help while practicing was essential.”
What was the most significant moment for you personally or professionally during this workshop?
“Allowing myself to go deeper into what’s happening and being with that.”
“Learning to use my whole body and inner body to connect to my work.”
“Receiving from 2 or more people. Giving with teacher/assistant guidance.”
“When you guided me to allow the work to come from within myself rather than just my hands….to soften and trust, rather than think and accomplish.”
“Tuning into a different way of sensing/perceiving the body.”
“The final day and my final practice as practitioner. I finally could see myself doing what has been taught over the whole course.”
“Navigating my emotional release and coming out the other side with a sense of oneness, universal love and complete peace. Also, opening my heart and cradling my partner.”
“Day 1: helping me feel how I was limiting the felt-sense at my legs and bringing that awareness into my legs while working.”
“When you offered feedback which helped me orient to meet the client. It was a softness, a subtleness that was new feeling. I think the experience will help me and continue to inform my presence in the future.”
What made the biggest difference in your ability to feel and understand this work?
“The active instruction that occurs as the teaching assistants and instructor work alongside as you give and receive.”
“Receiving feedback in real time (from teacher and assistants) while I was giving bodywork.”
“Keeping it simple. Not piling on too many concepts and sensations to track. It was just the right amount.”
“Being able to ask questions and receive direct guidance through your felt sense of me, what I’m doing, very regularly, due to your attentiveness in coming around in a small group size.”
“Confirmation of my felt sense / perceptions is invaluable in my development.”
“Validation that I can trust my heart and felt sense.”
“The proficiency and heart-felt dedication of teacher and two assistants, with 10 students.”
“Having plenty of interaction with the instructors.”
“The shaking exercise, and the level of trust and confidence instilled by the class and space held for learning.”
“Getting out of my head and into my heart.”
“Feeling the instructor feeling into someone on the table.”
“The shaking exercise, session time, the handout/workbook, and of course, you and the assistants’ support.”
“Re-learning the warm-up, and understanding its power and significance more to allowing the tissues to reorganize. Further practice of staying with non-movement and watching for neutral.”
What feedback would you like to share about the assistants?
“Loving, engaged, skillful, encouraging!”
“Appreciated their openness to questions.”
“They were fantastic, warm and welcoming.”
“Their ability to assist without being intrusive was remarkable. Their vulnerability in talking about their experience with the work was very appreciated.”
“They were superb.”
“Loveliest people whose love you can feel through their hands.”
“The best assistants I’ve ever had in a workshop.”
“I loved working with her together as one with her treating someone. Very interesting and awesome experience.”
“I appreciated their tenderness and eagerness to share their love of the biodynamic practice they instill.”
“I appreciated their intuitiveness and openness very much.”
“They were both so incredibly warm, helpful and supportive.”
“Excellent support through presence, physical support, quietude, loving awareness, limited but adept words.”
“They are invaluable, kind and so helpful. They embody the work so well, which creates an experiential learning environment.”
“They were great. Nothing less than great when helping me.”
Any other feedback you’d like to share?
“It was very confronting to become a beginner again, but I gained life changing breakthroughs, so thank you.”
“When receiving bodywork, you register as sanctuary.”
“I found this to be loving and educational on many levels.”
“I greatly appreciate your professional organization of the workshop container.”
“I learned so much! Thanks!”
“This is exactly what I hoped massage could be.”
“This work has me excited and refreshed. Thank you!”
“Thank you – this has been path-shifting and my gratitude runs deep.”
“The love and care was felt.”
“Todd you are a wonderful teacher. Very open, kind and genuine.”
“The consistency and grounding made it possible to fully trust and surrender to the process.”
“Much gratitude for offering this wonderful class.”
“I felt very reticent to take this course because of my personal level of pain and distraction from my practice. But I learned something much deeper than body work techniques, that has changed my feeling about the potential for healing. I feel a deep level of gratitude.”
“Thank you! This work is quite intense. No coasting for me, it seems. But I value your presence and offerings beyond measure.”
“That I feel the significance of this on a global scale. Sometimes I think, “Why aren’t people making a big deal out of this?” I guess I’m just wondering how to spread it – if you’ll speak about it on Youtube, publish work on it, or allow students to teach it.”
