“The ability of a skilled practitioner to switch from palpation/assessment to treatment and back again, seamlessly, marks out the truly skilled individual.” Leon Chaitow D.O.
Cultivating palpation skills is a lifetime practice. In this introductory module we will begin with examining and practicing the attributes of a three dimensional listening touch. We will practice the Taoist art of doing without doing by cultivating a quiet mind and listening to what the body’s tissues tell us. We will let go of agendas while we are palpating, there will be time enough for interpretations and treatment plans later on. We will learn to distinguish the different sensations of tension, temperature, texture, hydration, tone, elasticity, emptiness, and inner rhythms to name but a few of the sensations we are capable of sensing. We will learn how to palpate through the layers of the body and into the different systems, from the superficial fascia all the way down to the kidneys, ureters, bones, nerves and blood vessels. Of course this will not happen in one day of training but as the Taoists say, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.” Throughout the 8 module training we will grow our palpation skills, returning again and again to the varied systems of the body, turning new acquaintances into easily recognizable old friends.
