Anatomy Trains Structural Essentials:

Tensegrity Spine

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Course Description

This course examines the spine as a tensegrity truss – how the bones float within the myofascial balance. An integral part of structure we all know the agonizing effects of incorrect mechanics when it doesn’t work and often fail to appreciate the wonderfully adaptive job it does when the vertebrae are allowed to ‘float’.

We will look at the actions available at each of the sections (lumbar, thoracic and cervical) of the spine and how they may lead to certain dysfunctional patterns. By putting the spine into context with the surrounding structures we can better understand the reasons for its limitations and its wondrous abilities.

Once we explain the logic pattern the soft-tissue patterns that surround the spine then through the assessment and learning our techniques for freeing and balancing them you will be able to address many structural and functional issues in the spine.

Course Objectives

You will be able to treat the following:

balancing lordosis and kyphosis
lateral curvatures
rotations (and opposite rotations)
supporting structures at the front and back of the spine
balancing the spinal column with respect to the cervical spine and the sacrum

Prerequisites

You must have completed Anatomy Trains in Structure & Function (ATSF) to participate in this course. Keep in mind, once you have completed ATSF, you are eligible to take all 6 Structural Essentials courses. These can be taken in any order, or as one intensive format in our ATSI Part 1 course. The 6 ATSE courses are:

Accreditation

This course is accredited by both Stichting Keurmerk Fysiotherapie and Kwaliteitshuis Fysiotherapie (Vakinhoudelijk algemeen) for 15 points.

Meet your Teacher(s)

This course is will be taught by either Michael Watson or Don Thompson, depending on the date.

Preparation: Recommended Literature

This course is based on the myofascial meridians outlined in the book, "Anatomy Trains: Myofascial Meridians for Manual Therapists and Movement Professionals" by Thomas Myers. We highly recommend reading this book before your course if you have not already.

The fascial release techniques you will learn in this course stem from the book, "Fascial Release for Structural Balance" by James Earls & Thomas Myers.

If you'd like more information about the concept of BodyReading, we recommend "BodyReading: Visual Assessment and the Anatomy Trains," by Thomas Myers.

Locations

This course is offered in:

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

View the course page to see all available dates and locations.

Language of Instruction

This course is taught in English. 🇬🇧

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Next Steps

Once you have completed all 6 ATSE courses - either as 6 individual courses or 1 intensive format (ATSI part 1) - you are eligible to continue towards a Anatomy Trains Structural Integration Certification.

The next step in this journey is: Anatomy Trains Structural Strategies (Part II).

The final step is: Anatomy Trains Structural Integration (Part III).