Improving mobility and flexibility are often overlooked goals for massage and bodywork sessions.  People want to improve their movement capacity and are willing to spend extra time and resources just to get stretched.  Why not learn skills with which to integrate intelligent stretching into your own practice with clients and improve your own flexibility in the process?

GOAL: To provide massage therapists, fitness professionals, movement therapists, and bodyworkers with an extra set of techniques and skills geared towards improving functional movements of their clients through assisted stretching.

OBJECTIVES:  After completing this workshop participants will be able to:

• Explain different ways in which the neuromuscular system responds to pressure and stretch.
• Explain how flexibility and range of motion affects functional movements.
• Be better able to make safe and effective contact with clients through hands-on manipulation.
• Be able to differentiate between hard and soft-end feels of joints.
• Be able to set different baselines and systems of measurement in order to track progress for functionality.
• Understand the theories explaining how proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation and active isolated stretching techniques work.
• Learn how to combine notions of PNF patterns and myofascial meridians in stretching to better integrate changes to functional movements.
• Be able to utilize stretching techniques that address various parts of body in terms of improving specific functions.
• Be able to strategize and perform sessions based on an individual’s needs for work ranging from 5-30 minutes

SPEAKER BIO:

Noel L. Poff, Certified Rolfer, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Personal Trainer, and Certified Yoga Teacher has been observing and helping people improve their health and wellness since 2004.  He started his career as a certified personal trainer specializing in athletic conditioning, specifically in martial arts training and conditioning.  In 2007 he completed his massage therapy certification before graduating from the University of South Carolina in 2009.  After earning his Bachelors of Arts in Philosophy he worked a full time schedule in both personal training and massage therapy until 2013 where he became a certified yoga instructor and began teaching classes based on hatha yoga in addition to his work as a CPT and LMT.  In 2015 Noel relocated in order to become a Certified Rolfer™.  He continues practicing bodywork and his health education in Charleston, SC.   Find out more about Noel and his services at www.houseforwellness.com.