The Trager Approach
The TRAGER® Approach is a fluid, hands-on movement education technique that brings mind/body integration and relief of pain due to the stresses of everyday life, injury or illness.
The Trager Approach is founded on a principle of deep curiosity about the feeling state. Through touch and often in words, we are asking,
“What is lighter?”
“What is softer?”
“What is freer?”
Using gentle rocking, stretching, compression and delightful passive range of motion to encourage deep relaxation, Trager restores ease and freedom to movement and invites a state of lasting pleasure long after the session is over.
Trager® is deeply effective for any of the following:
Limited movement
Neck and back pain
Headache
Athletic injury and muscle strain
Neurological conditions such as stroke, MS, Parkinson’s, CP
Fibromyalgia
Depression
“ There is a way of being
Which is lighter
Which is freer
A way in which work
As well as play
Becomes a dance
And living a song
We can learn this way”
Dr. Milton Trager devoted his life to developing and teaching this profoundly effective technique of bodywork, which he pioneered during the second half of the 20th century.
How it works:
AWARENESS
FEELING
RELAXATION
REPATTERNING
TRAGER’s primary effect is on the nervous system. Using wave-like movements and gentle rocking, Trager reconnects the body and mind, offering an experience of freedom, flexibility and ease. When the therapist implements these gentle movements, the client’s brain (nervous system) must send the message to the musculature to let go and allow the movement to take place, interrupting tension patterns and offering options for more freedom and greater health.
What to expect in a session
Intake: We will spend a few minutes discussing health history and intentions for the session. Each session is individually tailored to you and may include some guidance through simple movements called “Mentastics” or “Mental Gymnastics” before you get on the table.
On the table, clients are fully or partially clothed and draped appropriately. This varies according to each individual’s comfort level and specific intentions for the session. No oils or lotions are used during the session, although on occasion powder may be used for a smoother touch.
Much of a Trager session may pass in silence. Intentional feedback is always welcome and is invited by the practitioner when appropriate so that conscious awareness of a shift or change caused by the work can be registered and recalled later.