Teacher : Rob Wilks & Ellen Watson

Assistant teacher : Whitney Bell .

January 19 - February 4, 2025

Mimpi Menjangan Resort, Bali - Indonesia

Esalen® Massage 100 Hr Training

Overview

The 100 hr. Esalen® Massage Certification is designed to train certified bodyworkers holding the equivalent of a 150 certification in a recognized bodywork modality to the practitioner level in the art of Esalen Massage. The skill sets taught in this training are divided into the following categories:

1. Esalen Massage Skills/Technique/Theoretical Foundations

2. Communication Skills

3. Applied Anatomy/Physiology

4. Professional Ethics

5. Movement Practices/Meditation/Self Care

Each of the above categories is composed of sub-categories described later in this document.

The intent of this program is to support the growth of Esalen Massage throughout the world by training and supporting practitioners in California, the United States and other countries, who adhere to the highest standards of professional/ethical conduct.

Structure in Terms of Hours per Subject

This is a 15 day program, with required coursework between Modules I & II, and post graduate. Most days consist of 8 classroom hours, with allowances for one excursion off campus . In this training, the total number of supervised classroom hours is 100. Following is a specific description of hours spent on different knowledge areas:

· Esalen Massage Skills/Technique/Theoretical Foundations (70 hours)

o Understanding the experiential nature of this method

o Defining the experience of presence; of awareness & attention

o Opening and closing your massage

o Understanding the Long Stroke, front and back, and it’s relaxing, integrating function

o Detail work on the front body

o Detail work on the back body

o Adequately draping clients and dealing with nudity

o Special Cases

§ Working with injuries

§ Working in the side lying position

§ Geriatric Massage

§ Perinatal Massage

· Communication Skills (5 hours)

o Basic understanding of Gestalt Process Communication skills

§ Gestalt Language

§ Basic dialogic communication skills

o How to deal with conflict/misunderstanding when it arises within the client/practitioner relationship

o Communicating the ethical boundaries of the professional relationship.

· Applied anatomy and physiology/pathology (10 hours)

o Integrating anatomical knowledge of a given area of the body into one’s massage work

o Applying relevant anatomical/physiological information into the overall flow and structure of a session with a given client

o Understanding the Gamma-Motor System, Muscle-Spindles, and Golgi Tendon Organs

o Understanding how tissue changes in relation to touch

o Recognizing pathological conditions that contraindicate touch and/or massage

· Professional Ethics (5 hours)

o Understanding Transference and Counter Transference

o Understanding appropriate boundaries within the client/practitioner relationship

o Learning how to deal with difficult clients

· Movement Practices/Kinesiology/Self Care (10 hours)

o Strengthening the body through Yoga and or other practices like Chi-Gong, 5 Rhythms, etc.

o Relating those practices to movement around the table, while working

o Using meditation to improve focus, concentration and presence while working

Meet Your Teachers

Rob Wilks

Rob wilks is a full-time bodywork practitioner. He is a faculty member with Esalen Institute Healing Arts Department, teaching all levels of Esalen® Massage. He has taught massage and bodywork in Indonesia, China, and Italy, as well as experiential leadership education in the U.S. and Eastern Europe.
Ellen Watson

Ellen Watson, a 40 year member of Esalen Institute's community, lived on campus in Big Sur, while she healed herself, worked in the garden, as a chef in the kitchen, and studied extensively for 10 years. Ellen offers retreats and trainings globally in the fields of Mindfulness Practices which include Esalen®Massage & Bodywork, Touching Essence™, Vibrance™ Dance & Song, The 5Rhythms®, Holotropic™Breathwork, Vibrance Pranayama and Breathwork. Ellen’s work has been deeply influenced her work with plant medicines, empathogens and entheogens, while she apprenticed with Terence McKenna and Stanislav Grof.

Venue & Accommodation

Mimpi Resort, Menjangan, Bali

On the North-West coast of Bali in the village of Banyuwedang, Mimpi looks out towards the Menjangan Island. The area is notorious as a hot-spot for diving and snorkelling and just a little further down the coast a regular dolphin hangout.

Mimpi's most special feature is its waters, as the resort is built across land with several natural hot springs. The careful architecture and landscaping makes for several shared natural hot spring pools across the 3 hectares of land. Inevitably the water and it's high mineral content is totally refreshing, rejuvenating and holds it's own healing qualities. For us the pools are perfect for aquatic bodywork, where we dance in the water to feel true fluidity.

Classes take place in the Wantilan. A large space with wooden floors, the sounds of birds and some gentle breezes. We decorate the wantilan with beautiful silk hangings and bring a range of equipment from musical instruments, to dancing scarves, yoga mats, yoga balls and of course an excellent sound system!