Saturday, July 12, 9am-1pm

To attend any class on Saturday (morning or afternoon), you must arrive on Friday.

4 CE hours, NCBTMB-approved for hands-on CE credit

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Total tuition: $100

Deposit: $50 non-refundable, non-transferable deposit required to register. Balance of $50 due at time of class by cash, check or money order made out to the presenter.

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Lingering problems often relate to some aspect of our body’s overall alignment and structural balance. Structural integration looks at our body as a whole and works to help it function in the best possible way it can. We live every day under the pressure of gravity, but we have our own internal life force that pushes us up against it. Through the course of our lives injury, stress, emotional trauma, etc., can tighten us up and make it more difficult to stand up straight and tall and move through the world efficiently and gracefully, especially in the neck, where chronic weight-bearing stress from injuries, poor posture, or loss of cervical curve exacts a toll.

In this class, we will focus on some of the most commonly overlooked problems in the mid and lower cervical region, including the vertebrae and their related muscular and fascial structures. One area that is particularly vulnerable to dysfunction and deserves specific attention is the transition zone between the lower cervical spine and the upper thorax — an area often missed by bodyworkers. 

We will also cover the basic joint mechanics of the cervical facets, as well as the position and movement of the upper ribs. Finally, we will address the connective tissue layers of the neck and some common muscular troublemakers. 

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 on 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.