CE Classes
For the Pacific Northwest Massage Therapists Retreat
Save the Date: July 9-12, 2027
Registration for our 2027 retreat will open in February. Until then, we invite you to learn more about this annual event by reading about the 2026 offerings.
The Basics
Continuing education classes are open to massage therapists who have registered for lodging.
Any other activities listed on this page are open to non-therapists as well (after registering for lodging).
Classes and paid activities are not included in the price of your lodging.
You may register for as many or as few as you like.
Some classes and activities occur at the same time. Please note the day and time carefully.
To attend any class on Saturday (morning or afternoon), you must arrive on Friday.
CE classes are for licensed massage therapists only. If you aren't licensed, please contact us to discuss participating.
For everybody’s health and well-being, please withdraw from class if you have symptoms of a respiratory infection or other condition that may spread in a classroom setting. Contact us with questions in advance of the retreat, and/or let Brian, Laurie or the instructor know if you cannot attend because you became ill onsite.
HOW TO REGISTER AND PAY YOUR DEPOSIT
Select one or more items below to read descriptions and make your choices.
During checkout, enter your credit card information to pay non-refundable, non-transferable deposits (shown below) for all people you are registering.
The individual descriptions tell you the total tuition/price. Your balance is due by cash, check or money order made out to the presenter at the start of the class or activity (credit cards, PayPal, Venmo, etc., are not accepted at the retreat).
WAITLIST
If a class or activity is sold out, we will add a link to that item’s page so you can join the waitlist.
If a space opens up, we will email to let you know, and we’ll include a link to sign up. You will have 24 hours to register before the space passes to the next person on the list.
QUESTIONS?
If you have questions that aren't answered on the website, contact us.
Saturday, July 11, 2-6pm
To attend Saturday-afternoon class, you must arrive on Friday.
4 CE hours, NCBTMB-approved for hands-on CE credit
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Total tuition: $115
Deposit: $55 non-refundable, non-transferable deposit required to register. Balance of $60 due at time of class by cash, check or money order made out to the presenter.
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The scapula is meant to float freely along the ribcage, suspended on all sides by the 16 muscles that attach directly to it. Often, our scapulas effectively get immobilized and “glued” down to the ribcage, inhibiting the freedom of the entire shoulder girdle.
The intent of this class is to give you a digestible set of tools for treating five key structures for scapular mobility: serratus anterior (especially the upper aspect, which rarely gets treatment), subscapularis (and its relationship to the serratus anterior in scapular binding), pectoralis minor, rhomboids (and the fascial continuum with the serratus anterior) and levator scapula.
There will be a concise and insightful anatomy review of these structures with an eye toward fascial continuities and the functional relationships between them. When this work is applied effectively, your clients will invariably hop off the table and exclaim, “I feel like I have wings!”
Mask policy: Surgical masks are optional.
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Instructor: Benjamin Lee, LMT (WA license #MA21698)
Benjamin Lee graduated from the Brian Utting School of Massage, where he also began teaching. He then taught for several years at the Cortiva Institute. He holds a bachelor’s degree in music (classical guitar) and loves to weave a sense of artistry into his work. Benjamin also has certifications in craniosacral therapy and reflexology, with additional studies in injury treatment, fascial release and neuromuscular and positional release techniques. He is a self-proclaimed geek in all things bodywork, and he brings his genuine passion, knowledge and fun into his teaching. His work is deeply informed by his own profound healing experiences through bodywork and movement therapies. He thinks exploring what it means to be an embodied human being is a kick in the pants, and he loves to dance and hike barefoot and to feel the earth beneath his feet with all 33 joints in each foot.
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Please note that this class is currently sold out. If you’d like to be placed on the waiting list, please email us at breitenbush@pnwschool.com
Deposit:
Sunday, July 12, 9am-1pm
4 CE hours, NCBTMB-approved for hands-on CE credit
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Total tuition: $115
Deposit: $55 non-refundable, non-transferable deposit required to register. Balance of $60 due at time of class by cash, check or money order made out to the presenter.
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In this class, you will learn techniques to help your clients move more freely and with less pain. This is a San Francisco fusion of diverse concepts and techniques for recovery from low back injuries. The class will feature a hybrid approach that blends deep structural work for the low back and hips, passive range of motion for the hips, and specific deep tissue techniques for the psoas. We will also include a movement and vitality examination from a Chinese Medicine point of view. (The instructor is a licensed acupuncturist and tui na practitioner).
We will start with side-lying structural work designed to promote movement and to further evaluate any injuries or restrictions. We will then focus on a unique and effective way of releasing the psoas, which is highly beneficial for the client. The work is deep and slow, and it can be done draped, undraped or through light clothing.
Using passive range of motion is a simple and profound way to help the body “let go,” both mentally and physically. Often people are holding tension patterns on an unconscious level. This exercise helps repattern the brain, allowing for greater freedom of movement, as well as potentiating the bodywork.
Low back and hip pain is a common and vexing complaint. This series of techniques has helped hundreds (if not thousands) of patients in the Bay Area over the last 25 years. By combining precise massage, passive range of motion and structural bodywork, clients often experience relief from pain and greater freedom of movement.
Mask policy: Surgical masks are optional.
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Instructor: Nicole Masters, LAc, MSTCM
Nicole became a certified massage therapist in San Francisco in 1998 and later a licensed acupuncturist. She trained at the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and graduated in 2002. She has been in continuous private practice since then, specializing in the management and treatment of acute and chronic pain disorders.
Nicole is always excited to learn new ways to observe, connect and listen deeply to the body, supporting movement and vitality. She loves to share this knowledge with other practitioners to help continue the evolution of our collective body of healing arts. Bodywork is an accessible and powerful way to help someone feel more comfortable in their body, relieve pain and enhance movement.
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Deposit:
Sunday, July 12, 2-6pm
4 CE hours, NCBTMB-approved for hands-on CE credit
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Total tuition: $115
Deposit: $55 non-refundable, non-transferable deposit required to register. Balance of $60 due at time of class by cash, check or money order made out to the presenter.
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Join us for a focused four-hour training in Deep Lomi Thai Fusion, a proprietary style of bodywork that blends depth, fluidity, and intelligent movement to create powerful therapeutic outcomes with less physical strain on the practitioner.
This class offers a complete, self-contained learning experience designed to immediately enhance your massage work. You will learn how the slow, inquisitive nature of Deep Lomi touch reduces muscle guarding, calms the nervous system, and allows the body to move beyond habitual holding patterns. This approach supports deeper access to tissue while requiring less force, effort, and wear on your body.
You will also learn foundational Table Thai techniques, dynamic stretching, and compression methods that can be seamlessly integrated into table massage sessions. The combined use of deep compression and assisted stretching techniques increases joint mobility, decreases neuromuscular tension, and creates noticeable, immediate changes for clients. These techniques are not only highly therapeutic, but deeply enjoyable to receive.
Throughout the class, emphasis is placed on body mechanics, therapist sustainability, and creative adaptability. You will leave with practical tools you can confidently use right away, along with a clear understanding of how to blend these techniques into your existing style of massage.
This work is beautiful, dynamic, effective, and memorable. It will help you distinguish yourself as a therapist by offering a level of depth, movement, and integration that few practitioners are trained to deliver.
Mask policy: Surgical masks are optional.
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Instructors: Joe Lavin, LMT (WA license #MA60233907) and Wendy Lavin, PT, MPT
Joe is a licensed massage therapist, NCBTMB nationally approved massage instructor, and internationally recognized educator with advanced training across multiple therapeutic and movement-based modalities. He owns several boutique massage practices in Seattle, a massage continuing education school and a Couple’s Massage Workshop business, and he teaches throughout the world.
Wendy is a manually trained physical therapist with over 25 years of experience treating orthopedic injuries, post-surgical conditions, pelvic health concerns, and TMJ disorders. She owns and operates a private physical therapy practice in Seattle and brings a highly skilled clinical perspective to movement, mobility, and therapeutic touch.
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Deposit:
Monday, July 13, 9am-12:45pm
4 CE hours, NCBTMB-approved for hands-on CE credit
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Total tuition: $115
Deposit: $55 non-refundable, non-transferable deposit required to register. Balance of $60 due at time of class by cash, check or money order made out to the presenter.
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The facial muscles hold a significant amount of tension and are the source of many problems for our clients. In addition, the face is one of the most richly sensitive and innervated regions of the body, on both the sensory and motor sides. Because the facial region is often overlooked in massage, incorporating skillful work in this area can offer your clients a more complete whole-body experience and set your practice apart — as well as feeling wonderful.
This course will focus on integrated techniques for the cranium, scalp, face, neck and upper chest, as well as muscle-specific facial massage strokes and pressure points. The benefits of facial massage are extensive, including treatment for TMJ dysfunction, congestion and sinus issues, headaches, mood elevation, relaxation and esthetic enhancement.
Mask policy: Surgical masks are optional. For this class, students who are receiving will be asked to remove their mask during exchanges.
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Instructor: Tysan Dutta, LMT (WA license #MA60449559)
Tysan Dutta is a graduate of the Cortiva Institute and the Euro Institute of Skincare. She also holds a Grand Diploma from the International Sommelier Guild, a BA from Vassar College and an MA from Antioch University. Tysan is certified in craniosacral therapy and has studied structural injury work, neuromuscular release and myofascial massage. In her practice she works on location with the Pacific Northwest Ballet dancers and at Yuan Spa in Bellevue. Tysan has always been fascinated by the profound therapeutic effect of skillful facial massage for stress, TMJ, migraines and myriad other issues. She believes that outstanding facial massage should be incorporated into more bodywork sessions and that the facial and cranial area is just as important as, if not more important than, any other region of the body.
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Deposit:
Sunday, July 13, 7-9PM
This activity is open to everyone who has registered for lodging.
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Total price: $40
Deposit: $20 non-refundable deposit required to reserve a spot. Balance of $20 due at time of session by cash or check made out to the instructor.
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Akin to opening the windows and doors within, conscious breathwork practices have the ability to move our energy, emotions and physiology. Our inhale and exhale are hardwired into our nervous system. And knowing that, we can engage that pathway of breath to consciously stimulate physiological, emotional and spiritual regulation, decompression and repair.
When practiced regularly, conscious breathing practices can:
Assist us in offloading daily and compound stressors
Build both self-awareness and a flexible, resilient nervous system
Loosen conscious and unconscious holding patterns (be them physical, mental and/or emotional)
Improve cardiovascular functions, slowing heartbeat and lowering blood pressure
Manage chronic pain and modulation pain perception
Boost immune response supporting the lymphatic system, enabling more rapid recovery from illness
Improve sleep
Alkalize the body and releasing of metabolic waste
There are many styles of breathwork available to us and all, at their root, generate a deeper sense of Self and homeostatic balance within. In this group practice we will focus on a 3-part open-mouth breath sequence accompanied by evocative music to help conjure a journey-like inner state within a relatively brief amount of time. Similar to group meditation, we create a shared “field” with each other, and this often accentuates and deepens each individual’s experience. Breathing alongside one another is such a unique opportunity to drop deeply into yourself, while bearing witness to community. It is an opportunity to be supported and inspired by the group, while honoring your own unique lived experience.
What to expect: After a brief intro, breath observation and intention setting, the bulk of our time will be spent engaging our breath with the support of a thoughtfully curated playlist with my facilitation and cueing.
No previous breathwork experience is necessary to attend, just a willingness to give it a try!
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What to bring:
For this activity, we’ll be lying on the carpeted floor of the North Wing classroom in the lodge. The retreat center will provide some yoga mats for us, but in case there aren’t enough for everyone (or even if there are), you might wish to bring your own yoga mat, towel or blanket to lie on.
Other items you might like to consider bringing:
A bolster or pillow to place under your knees
An eye pillow or scarf
A blanket or similar item to cover yourself (weather is expected to be warm but your body temperature may shift during the breath practice)
Water bottle
Something to write on and with if you want to record your experience
A small altar item (burnables, like candles or incense, are not allowed at the retreat center)
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Instructor: Tanya Hughes
Tanya Hughes is a licensed massage therapist, certified nursing assistant, aromatherapist, herbalist, breathworker, artist and end of life doula. Her work and approach are heavily influenced by alchemical pathworking, earth medicines, somatics, attunement and wonder. Tanya cultivates spaces and experiences where the convergence of healing, authentic relating, art and storytelling weave to deepen both our singular and interconnected human experience. She loves working with all ages and levels of curiosity and experience, and fosters experiences where the personal wisdom of each individual is uplifted and honored.
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Deposit:
Saturday, July 11-Monday, July 13
30-minute bodywork session
Choose your appointment day & time below.
This activity is open to everyone who has registered for lodging.
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Total price: $70
Deposit: $30 non-refundable deposit required to reserve an appointment. Balance of $40 due at time of appointment by cash or check made out to the therapist.
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Imagine being floated, held, and moved through warm, body-temperature water. The weight of your body is freed from gravity and introduced to new movements that are impossible on land or on a massage table, your spine is free, and your nervous system is profoundly relaxed.
In a 30-minute aquatic bodywork session in one of the beautiful meadow pools at Breitenbush, the magic of the water plus the incredible power of this work will melt away tension and invite deep release. This unique experience offers a sense of weightlessness, safety, and profound peace.
A swimsuit is required.
Limit 1 session per person.
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Therapist: Laura Srygley, LMT, CWP
Laura is a massage therapist with over two decades of experience in the healing arts. Her massage career began with aquatic bodywork (Watsu). As a client, she fell in love with how being moved and stretched in warm water created a sense of freedom and fluidity, while being calm and comforting at the same time. As a Watsu therapist, she’s worked with a diverse clientele, from children to the elderly, to help them find freedom in water and work through PTSD in some cases. In massage sessions on land, she uses many techniques, including myofascial release, visceral massage, and cupping. She is certified in manual lymphatic drainage and is an end-of-life doula.
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Please note: We make special arrangements with the retreat center to offer aquatic bodywork during our event, and we personally invite skilled therapists to join us because we know how much our guests enjoy it. To keep this magical experience available, here are a few guidelines:
By reserving an appointment, you are committing to pay your balance to the therapist, even if you change your mind and decide not to have the session you reserved.
If you no longer want your appointment, you may send someone in your place. (They’ll need to pay the balance when they arrive for the session.) It’s up to you to arrange a substitute.
Demand for appointments is high, so if you need a sub, ask around. While we’d like to help, we’ve found over the years that it’s not practical for us to manage a waitlist once we are onsite.
We love being able to bring aquatic bodywork to you and appreciate your help in making it run smoothly!
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Deposit:
Saturday, July 11, 9am-1pm
To attend Saturday-morning class, you must arrive on Friday.
4 CE hours, NCBTMB-approved for hands-on CE credit
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Total tuition: $115
Deposit: $55 non-refundable, non-transferable deposit required to register. Balance of $60 due at time of class by cash, check or money order made out to the presenter.
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Many people suffer from knee pain that can be effectively and simply treated using the precise and easily applicable massage techniques covered in this 4-hour class. We will cover the basic anatomy, structural assessments and myofascial techniques necessary to treat many common knee issues. The course content includes:
Specific anatomy for the knee joint, tendons, and surrounding myofascial structures
Palpation of the most commonly injured and accessible tendons, ligaments, and myofascial units
Myofascial techniques for treating structural alignment
Discussion of some of the most common knee problem scenarios, including patellofemoral syndrome, patellar tendonitis, quad strains, and hamstring strains
A review of the most common alignment problems concerning the tibia, femur, and patella
Mask policy: Surgical masks are optional.
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Instructor: Pat O’Rourke, LMT (WA license #MA2029)
Pat O'Rourke has been an LMT since 1984 and taught at the Brian Utting School of Massage in Seattle for 20 years. Her training has focused resolving pain and discomfort. Pat trained and certified as a teacher with Ben Benjamin for injury assessment and treatment; studied muscle energy technique with Rich Phaigh for further understanding of neurological holding and spinal dysfunction; is certified in the biodynamic model of craniosacral work, which adds a component of treating the nervous system and trauma; and is certified in structural integration through Tom Myers's KMI program. Her many years of teaching cadaver anatomy helped to round out the technical specificity necessary to understand the physical puzzle of the body.
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Deposit: