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MASSAGE
EMBA Esalen Massage and Bodywork Association Approved Courses Spain
What is Esalen® Massage
Esalen® Massage is a holistic approach to bodywork in which the whole person is considered, contacted and worked with. Esalen Massage is best known for its long flowing strokes and quality of touch/contact. It integrates many techniques, including soft rocking, passive movement and joint mobilization, stretching and deeper work on specific parts of the body. Esalen massage stimulates the skin, circulatory and lymphatic systems, encourages a fuller sense of fluidity, spaciousness and vitality and greater awareness of one's body
".... this was the best massage I have ever had" is what we hear often from our clients and we have seen many practitioners regain enthusiasm for their massage practice by learning Esalen Massage
UPCOMING ESALEN MASSAGE TRAINING
Madrid - October 2025
100‑Hour Esalen® Massage Certification
Two 8‑day modules | May & October 2025 | Centro Mandala, Madrid
Esalen Massage is more then a technique, it is a practice of presence.
During the Esalen Massage training much focus is placed on the practitioner's relationship to him/herself and the well-being of practitioner and client are equally important and attended to.
A daily movement practice ( dance/ yoga) and meditation practice will support our study of massage and help bring more awareness, aliveness and presence to our experience and help us to deepen our ability to touch with presence, sensitivity and listening hands and transform “technique”into a true healing art.
The training will provide you with an in depth experience and practice of the basic elements of Esalen Massage:
Breath and Contact, Compressions, Long Flowing Strokes over the whole body, Soft rocking, Passive movement, Gentle stretches and Pausing for integration, while also allowing you to discover how to integrate what you already know into the flow of Esalen Massage, therebye taking your practice to a whole new level.
Learning the art and practice of Esalen® massage with its elements of self exploration and deepening contact with one self is often a life changing experience. Many times we have seen long term practitioners regain their enthusiasm for their massage practice by learning Esalen Massage.
Course Curriculum
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70 Hours Esalen Massage Skills/Technique/Theoretical Foundations
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5 Hours Communication Skills
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10 Hours applied anatomy and physiology/pathology
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5 Hours Professional Ethics
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10 Hours Movement Practices/Kinesiology/Self Care10 hours
100 Hours Total
In addition to in class time, you can receive credit for:
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4 Hours of documented movement classes
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1 Hour receiving and documenting professional massage
MODULE ONE
During module 1 of the training we focus on the art of touching with presence and listening hands. We will take time to arrive with ourselves so that we can be present in our contact with the receiver on the table. We will learn to slow down, and stay in contact with ourselves while learning to shift from working on each other to with each other.
We will introduce the basics of Esalen massage:
Long strokes, working with the breath, quality of touch.
Introduction to rocking techniques, Passive joint movement/ range of motion, Elongations/ Stretches
We will also learn new forms of communication to support us in communicating effectively with our clients. We will address confidentiality, boundaries and psychological concepts such as transferance and counter transferrance in service of creating a safe holding space in which healing can happen.
At the end of the first module participants will be able to give a full body 75 - 90 minute Esalen Massage primarily focused on applying long flowing strokes and integrating passive movements.
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Foundational techniques of Esalen massage
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Cultivating the art of being present
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Developing a meditation practice
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Awareness practices through movement, breath, meditation and touch
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Quality of touch
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Introduction to Energy work
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Working with breath and contact
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Long Strokes
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Integrating the whole body
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Introduction to rocking techniques
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Passive joint movement/ range of motion
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Elongations/ Stretches
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Effective draping techniques
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Applied Anatomy
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Massage contraindications
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Massage Ethics/ Professional Boundaries
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Communication
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Body mechanics/self care
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History and approach of Esalen massage
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Plenty of time to practice
MODULE TWO
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Deepening your personal practice
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Deepening your experience in giving Esalen Massage
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Specific techniques for upper back, neck and shoulders
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Specific techniques for the legs and arms
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Specific techniques for lower back and hips
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Abdominal Massage
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More extensions, stretches, range of movement, and alternate positioning
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Review/ putting it all together
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Plenty of practice
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Special Conditions
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Esalen massage and PTSD
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Pregnancy Massage
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Anatomy, physiology and pathology
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Final evaluation massages
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Ethics/ Professionalism
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Business skills and practices
During Module 2 we will add how to various ways to address specific areas of the body and how to integrate them into the long strokes.
We will also learn some simple ways to work in the side lying position in order to support clients who are unable to ly on their backs on front.
About Esalen®& the History of Esalen Massage
Esalen Institute which is perched on a magnifisent piece of land between the Santa Lucia Mountain Range and the Pacific Ocean in Big Sur CA is home to Esalen massage. Esalen Institute was founded in 1962 by Michael Muphy and Dick Price and became the center of the human potential movement. Esalen was a exploratorium for body, mind and spirit. Thinkers like Alan Watts and Aldeous Huxley lived here, Fritz Pearls and Dick Price practiced Gestalt Therapy here and many of the worlds great masters of bodywork developed and practiced their work here, among them:
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Charlotte Selver, founder of Sensory Awareness
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Moshee Feldenkrais, creator of the Feldenkrais Method
- Milton Trager, creator of the Trager Approach
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Ida Rolf, creator of Structural Intergration (Rolfing)
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Dr. Stan Grof, creator of Holotropic Breathwork
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Emily Conrad & Susan Harper, Continum
to name just a few.
Influenced by the work of all these teachers and masters, the surrounding nature and the presence of the Pacific Ocean Esalen Massage was born and developed at the Esalen Institute over the past 50+ years.
The Faculty
Silvia Guersenzvaig
Embarked on her journey as a massage practitioner in 1985 and became an Esalen®️ Massage instructor in 2005. Silvia is a certified Transformational Kinesiology®️ teacher from the Polaris International College from Denmark.
Inspired by her contemplative vision, Silvia developed a practice of alignment and a method to evoke Presence which uses the essential elements of nature and their direct expression in the quality of our stance and touch.
She is the creator of AstroSoma, somatic astrology and streams AstroBites, a bimonthly podcast in Spotify.
Nora Matten
Nora devoted the past 20 years to the exploration of body, mind and spirit and is passionate about teaching the art of touching with presence, sensitivity and listening hands. Nora's professional journey into massage began in 1999 when she first traveled to Esalen Institute to explore massage. She became an Esalen® Massage Crew member in 2003 and has been teaching Esalen® massage since 2005. Nora's work and teaching is influenced by Gestalt awareness practice, many forms of bodywork, dance and yoga practices, her training in movement based expressive arts therapy at the Tamalpa Institute, and her training in prenatal and birth therapy as taught by Ray Castellino.
All of her work is supported by her studies of the Diamond Approach for self-realization.
WHAT STUDENTS SAY
Corinne
Patricia
Gadea
Workshops
Introduction to Esalen Massage
October 29, 2024
Centro Mandala • Madrid
Hours: 9:30- 19:30
Cost:
135 Early Bird ends
150
60 credit when registering for the 100 hour certification program
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
DATE:
MODULE 1: October 10 - 17, 2025
MODULE 2: April 24 - May 1, 2026
LOCATION:
Centro Mandala
C. de la Cabeza, 15, 2º, Centro, 28012 Madrid, Spain
COST: 2050 Euro.
300 Euro non refundable deposit due at registration
Please Note: Upon completion of the course and all requirements there is a $150 fee directly payable to the Esalen Institute in order to receive your certificate.
Early Bird Discount: 300 Euro if registered and
paid in full by July 10, 2025
Prerequisite
The 100 hour Esalen® massage training is designed for professionals who would like to enhance their practice through the art of Esalen massage and would like to add Esalen massage to their offering.
To be admitted to this training you need to have at least 150 hours of training from an accredited massage school.
Successful completion of this course and the accompanying homework gives you the privilege of calling yourself an
Esalen® Massage Practitioner.
TRAINING LOCATION
MADRID
Madrid makes for a wonderful location for an Esalen Massage training thanks to its unique blend of accessibility, cultural richness, and vibrant energy.
As Spain’s capital, it’s easy to reach from all parts of Europe and beyond, and it offers excellent public transport and accommodations.
Surrounded by inspiring architecture, green parks, and sunny skies, Madrid offers the perfect balance of urban vitality and opportunities for rest and reflection—an beautiful container for learning and practicing Esalen Massage in an Urban invironment.
CENTRO MANDALA
The Mandala Center has been hosting Yoga, Meditation, Chi Gung, Thai Chi and Bodywork Classes since 1978.
It is located in an 18th-century building in a prime location in the center of Madrid,
C. de la Cabeza, 15, 2º, Centro, 28012 Madrid, Spain