other offerings
May 17-20, 2024 - bodywork & acupressure for women’s health
This course in Bodywork for Women’s Health is taught in a 2-day experiential retreat: come prepared to give and receive bodywork, feeling the work for yourself before sharing it with others. One thing everyone can agree on is that the Pandemic has caused a sharp rise in inflammation- and blood-stasis-related health challenges which will likely worsen with time. As well, nearly everyone is touch-deprived and paradoxically isolated while low on self-care. Teaching self- or partner-administered acupressure became a staple of perinatal care during the pandemic — and an increasing body of research literature demonstrates benefits comparable to or even greater than acupuncture. Six-hour class days leave time for reflective walks in the woods and Sirius’ beautiful Labyrinth and Stone Circle, and we will have exclusive use of Sirius’ magnificent wood-fired sauna on Saturday night (!!!). Sessions with local acupuncturists and massage therapists are also available.
Menstrual irregularities, fertility difficulties and pregnancy loss are often treated as though they happened in space, using conceptual schemes of deficiency and excess — hormones, immune function, even yin and yang. In this class, a range of approaches will be taught for addressing the palpable quality of the flesh as well as the flow of vital substances in the lower abdomen, as constituting the material basis for reproductive health. Classical Tui Na techniques such as pressing, swinging, round rubbing and traction are re-explored and deepened in efficacy through osteopathic listening techniques and simple Qigong exercises. Participants can expect to extend their palpation skills, gathering more information and beginning the treatment by engaging the patient’s own body intelligence and identifying laxity, tightness and twists that underlie many health problems in the abdomen and elsewhere. Tui Na techniques and Qigong that can be taught to patients may improve results with physical challenges, such as retroverted uterus and blocked fallopian tubes, as well as patterns like qi fall, yin fire and liver qi, and the inevitable self-perpetuating cycles of qi and blood insufficiency and stagnation.
Participants can expect to return to their practices both refreshed and newly empowered
This event is located this beautiful eco center outside Amherst MA; regular, budget, and camping accommodations are available. This should be prime leaf-peeping season. NOTE: Sirius is charming and rustic, definitely not Kripalu! Think ‘Glamping with walls.’
COVID-19 precautions: Sirius currently requires masking in all public areas of the community, though this may be relaxed if local case rates are low AND the group has full consensus.
Regular fee $120/day; tight budget rate and work-study are available. Register using this link.
For more information, contact studyingpractice@gmail.com
consultations and mentorship
Acupuncturists seeking guidance on clinical practice, research design, or program development are invited to consult by phone or video chat. Developmental editing on papers and grant proposals also available, $60/hour or by arrangement. Each 40-minute session includes a custom resource list for follow-up. Long-term project-based or career mentorship is also available by application.
By appointment, $60.
For more information, contact studyingpractice@gmail.com