Abdominal Massage and Manual Therapies: Exploring the Belly as a Landscape of Vitality, Emotion, and Healing

Exploring the Belly as a Landscape of Vitality, Emotion, and Healing

The abdomen is often overlooked in massage education, yet it is the sacred center of digestion, immunity, breath, and emotion. This two-day immersion invites practitioners into the deeply transformative world of abdominal massage and manual therapies—not as a zone of clinical protocol alone, but as a sensitive, intelligent, and responsive terrain. We will explore gentle yet powerful techniques that support visceral mobility, peristaltic flow, fascial hydration, organ decompression, and somatic release. You will learn to meet the belly with respect, anatomical knowledge, and intuitive listening, supporting clients with digestive discomfort, trauma holding, stagnation, postural collapse, and emotional grief. This is not simply bodywork—it is sacred dialogue with the body’s core.

Start : Monday, October 26, 2026 8:00 AM End : Monday, October 26, 2026 5:00 PM

Registration Fee 💵: $245.00 🕒 8 Hours Register Now

Target Audience

Licensed massage therapists and advanced students

Bodyworkers ready to deepen their practice into the emotional, digestive, and energetic center

Practitioners working with trauma, anxiety, digestive disorders, or core tension

Anyone called to meet the belly as a healer—not just an area, but an invitation

Learning Objectives

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

Identify the anatomy of the abdomen, including layers of musculature, fascia, peritoneal folds, and visceral organs
Palpate and assess tension, restriction, and guarding in the abdominal region
Apply specific massage and manual therapy techniques for:
- Digestive stimulation and motility
- Fascial unwinding and visceral glide
- Diaphragm and psoas release
- Pelvic and lower abdominal decompression
Understand contraindications and indications for abdominal work
Hold trauma-sensitive, consent-centered space for vulnerable clients
Integrate abdominal techniques into holistic bodywork sessions for postural, respiratory, and systemic benefit

Materials & Resources

🌙 What to Bring

Comfortable, layered clothing
Twin sheet set, towel or blanket, bolster or pillow
Preferred lubricant (minimal use)
A soft breath, open hands, and a quiet listening heart

Course Format

In-Person, Hands-On Instruction

Prerequisites

To ensure student safety and learning success, the following are required:

Completion of a foundational massage therapy program
Anatomy & Physiology coursework (must include musculoskeletal and respiratory systems)
Prior hands-on practice with palpation and basic massage techniques
Current or past licensure as a massage therapist, or enrollment in an advanced massage training program Note: Students must be comfortable giving and receiving hands-on work on the chest wall, sternum, ribs, diaphragm, and neck, and must agree to uphold a trauma-informed, consent-based practice environment.

Ahna Ma

Art, in its initial stage, is science. Science, in it's highest form, is art.

Scientist, artist, and synergist Social-benefit entrepreneur Professional bodyworker and teacher Nourisher of bodies and ecologies Earthling

Specialties

Thai Massage

Myofascial Release Therapy

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Abdominal Massage and Manual Therapies: Exploring the Belly as a Landscape of Vitality, Emotion, and Healing | 8 Hour CEU | October 26, 2026