At Peace Massage

Presenters

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  Bruce Baltz

  Founder, SpiriPhysical and V.P. Education, Bon Vital'

  Bruce Baltz is a licensed massage therapist in New York and Florida. He is an internationally recognized educator with over 28 years of experience in the fitness and bodywork industry. An NCBTMB volunteer since 2007, Baltz has served on the Approved Provider Committee.

  He has also held volunteer positions with the Florida State Massage Therapy Association and American Massage Therapy Association.

  In 1994, Baltz founder of SpiriPhysical, received his massage diploma from Swedish Institute in New York City. In 1999 he developed and started to teach Deep Tissue Stone Massage workshops with LaStone Therapy. In 2007, Baltz  added Active Isolated Stretching (AIS) to his teaching repertoire and developed AIS The Spa Method. SpiriPhysical is now involved in developing massage education for spa trade shows and bringing more depth into spa menus.

  Baltz is Vice President for education at Bon Vital’.

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  Ben Benjamin

  Founder, Muscular Therapy Institute

  Dr. Ben E. Benjamin has dedicated his life to helping people cope with and overcome the pain and stress caused by injury. His therapeutic techniques help reduce and eliminate pain produced by adhesive scar tissue formed from soft tissue injury.

  In sports medicine/muscular therapy private practice since 1963, Dr. Benjamin is the founder of the Muscular Therapy Institute in Cambridge, MA. As an educator and author, he conducts seminars and workshops across the country, serves as an instructor and trainer in a variety of settings, and has written several books and articles. His books include: Listen to Your Pain: The Active Person's Guide to Understanding, Identifying, and Treating Pain and Injury; Are You Tense?: The Benjamin System of Muscular Therapy; and Exercise Without Injury.

  Benjamin earned a Ph.D. in Sports Medicine and Education at Union Graduate School
   

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  Tiffany Blackden

  Social Media Consultant

  Tiffany and Gary Blackden, who provide the massage instruction on the Couples Massage DVD, are Nationally Certified Massage Therapists. Their passion for life enhancement is reflected in their massage therapy practice, their community volunteer work and their concern for environmental stewardship.

  Together, they grew and sold a successful massage business in northern Virginia before relocating to Colorado. In addition to their private practice, they have published articles on massage and they conduct massage instructional workshops. Tiffany has used online social media fo build successful practices in cities across the USA., and she recently created the ProMassage Network to facilitate social media and networking savvy within the massage and bodywork community.

  "Our passion is working directly with our clients, AND helping bodywork professionals to experience the abundant practice they desire." - Tiffany and Gary Blackden

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  Karina Braun

  Personal Body Maintenance for the Bodyworker

   

  Karina Braun has been in the massage therapy and bodywork field for 14 years. Her focus is training Massage Therapists to maintain their bodies with self-care and injury prevention techniques. With this in mind, she created The Braun Method, Personal Body Maintenance for the Bodyworker® a multi-faceted approach that includes techniques for proper body mechanics, warm-up, aftercare, and strengthening and stretching of the body to help massage professionals keep up with the demands of their careers and stay healthy.

  Karina also teaches how to utilize Reiki in order to balance the energetic body of clients. According to Braun, "my first hand knowledge includes experiencing a repetitive strain injury from doing barefoot deep compression massage. Feeling all the emotions that go along with being injured definitely expanded my empathy to help others in this field. Consistent maintenance of your body is absolutely necessary so you can increase your income and extend your career. "

  Her book,  Creating Peace with Your Hands is compiled from many hours of hands-on practical knowledge and a great deal of research on injury and prevention. Karina is a massage educator based in Las Vegas, NV where she practices reiki, craniosacral therapy, yamuna body rolling, and therapeutic massage. She also received Yoga Instructor Certification in 2001 from Yogamotion. Karina's company, Get In Touch is a NCBTMB continuing education provider and offers Massage CEU Courses in Las Vegas, Nevada, Texas, California, Colorado, Florida, and Louisiana.

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  Elaine Calenda

  Academic Dean, Boulder College of Massage Therapy

  Elaine Calenda has been a massage therapy educator for over 28 years. She graduated from the Swedish Institute in 1979 with her CMT and gained clinical work experience with Dr. Richard Bachrach at the Center of Osteopathic & Sports Medicine in New York City. Elaine was an instructor at the Swedish Institute for six years. She is the Academic Dean at the Boulder College of Massage Therapy where she teaches Sports, Orthopedic, and Medical Massage.

  Elaine contributed to the development of the AOS Medical Massage course and she has participated in multiple research projects including: “The Effects of Massage for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome” and “Chronic Tension Headache.”

  Elaine is dedicated to the advancement of the massage profession and she is a member of the Massage Therapy Research Consortium. She writes for massage and CAM publications, she designs anatomical charts and she is frequently quoted as a massage expert by various health-related media venues. She is a member of the teaching team in the Orthopedic and Sports Massage Certificate Program and she teaches Structural Kinesiology, Anatomy & Physiology, Pathophysiology, and Medical Massage.

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  Chuck Duff

  Certified Thai Instructor (CTI)

  Since 2001, Chuck Duff has trained hundreds of basic and advanced practitioners in Thai Bodywork and Massage. Integrating his extensive background in Buddhist studies, martial arts, yoga, and western clinical approaches, Chuck’s Thai Massage DVD series offers massage and bodywork professionals a unique understanding of body mechanics, of movement without effort, and the use of core energy in healing. He is a certified Thai massage instructor and founder of the Thai Bodywork School of Thai Massage, an NCBTMB approved provider of continuing education.

  Chuck produced this Thai Bodywork DVD series based on his work developing and teaching Clinical Thai Bodywork, (CTB) a modality he created that blends the techniques of Thai yoga massage with the insights of Myofascial Trigger Point, acupoint work and a structural analysis of body function. This therapeutic modality (CTB) is highly effective in reducing or eliminating patterns of pain and restruction, often in cases that have failed conventional medical treatment. Chuck’s teaching emphasizes body mechanics, using core energy and sensitivity to the body’s language, and places each technique in context as to its relationship to Sen lines, effects on specific muscles and pain conditions.

  Chuck became a Certified Thai Therapist and Certified Thai Instructor (CTI) at the Luma Center with Dr. Anthony James, who was among the first individuals to practice and teach Thai massage in the US. He is certified as a Luk Pra Kob (Thai herbal compress) therapist by the Thai Ministry of Health in Bangkok. He pursued advanced studies in Thai massage and herbal compress application with Khruu Lek Chaiya in Chiang Mai, Thailand and Aachan Tawee of Wat Wiangkolok, Chiang Rai province, Thailand. Chuck joined the faculty of Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in 2003, where he teaches Thai massage within the Oriental Body Therapies program. He also teaches on-site workshops for spas and private groups throughout the country.

  Chuck’s life-long experiences as a student, healer, teacher and bodywork professional also include studies in Kundalini yoga, residency in an ashram and attending Naropa Institute in Boulder, Colorado. As a yoga practitioner, Chuck has learned that Thai massage treatments enhance and accelerate his practice. He earned his black belt in Hapkido, a Korean monastic martial art, under Master Kwang Seek Hyun.

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  Val Guin

  Creator, Forearm Dance™ Massage

  Val Guin is recognized as a leader and innovator in the massage industry, through the creation of her bestselling DVD series, Val Guin's Forearm Dance™ Massage, Original and Essentials. She has been an instructor and a therapeutic body worker for almost three decades, focusing her private practice of 8 to 10 people a day on creating better posture and structural function, which creates more mobility and less pain within her students and clients. A popular seminar presenter nationwide, Guin also conducts educational seminars locally at her studio in Santa Monica.  Val is a frequent presenter at AMTA conferences and she is an approved provider for the NCBTMB for continuing education hours.

  CE Webinar Topic: June 5, 2012 - Neck and Shoulder Release via Micro-systems

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  Ryan Hoyme

  Producer/Creator, www.massagenerd.com

  Ryan Hoyme, aka 'the massage nerd', has been a massage therapist since 1997 and a massage instructor since 2000. He started www.massagenerd.com so that students who missed class could catch up on the material they had missed. His website provides access to all his information, ebooks and videos. He has more massage clips on YouTube www.youtube.com/massagenerd than any other website, and his videos average 150,000 views a day. Ryan constantly works behind the scenes editing videos. He also has a weekly massage show interviewing the top names (and soon to be top names) in the massage therapy world.

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  Whitney Lowe

  Founder, OMERI (Orthopedic Massage Education & Research Institute)

  Whitney Lowe began his research into the complexity of chronic pain conditions and injuries over two decades ago. For several years, Lowe worked and studied with Benny Vaughn, a highly regarded founder of sports massage therapy. After working in several orthopedic treatment facilities, training in sports medicine, and developing massage therapy curriculum in advanced clinical massage, he wrote his first book and developed the Orthopedic Massage Program.

  His system of Orthopedic Massage is designed for massage therapists seeking to meet the needs of clients with chronic pain or sports, recreational, or occupational pain and injury conditions. In 1994, he founded the Orthopedic Massage Education & Research Institute (OMERI). He began to teach massage continuing education, emphasizing those skills needed most for treating orthopedic soft-tissue disorders.

  Research and publication are a priority for Lowe. Lowe’s texts, Orthopedic Assessment in Massage Therapy and Orthopedic Massage: Theory and Technique, are used by massage therapy professionals and schools in their massage training programs. In addition, he is a contributing author to several other books and his articles appear regularly in professional peer-reviewed journals and popular magazines, such as Massage Today, Massage & Bodywork, and Massage Magazine.

  CE Webinar Topic:  June 5, 2012 - Upper Extremity Nerve Injuries

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  John Maguire

  Founder, Kinesiology Institute - Touch for Health

  John Maguire created the Kinesiology Institute in 1989 and has trained a wide variety of doctors, therapists, and world-class athletes throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. He has developed several professional training programs on how to use Kinesiology in a clinical practice to eliminate pain and optimize health and performance. John is the developer of the popular Kinesiology Certification and Mentorship Program, where many graduates have developed successful practices transforming people’s lives.

  Holding degrees and certifications in Holistic Health, Applied Kinesiology, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Postural Integration, Massage Therapy, Personal Training and Electro-Acupuncture, John draws from a breadth of knowledge and skill that he incorporates into his private sessions and courses. He studied extensively with Dr. George Goodheart, DC the founder of Applied Kinesiology and he worked closely for several years with Dr. John Thie, DC, the creator of Touch for Health.

  For more than 30 years, John has helped tens of thousands of people become pain free by identifying the root causes of their health challenges through muscle testing and energy kinesiology by empowering them to take action to create optimum wellness. He is particularly adept in the areas of pain relief, overcominging emotional issues, and nutrition, assisting his clients and students to live longer and healthier lives.

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  Pat Mayrhofer

  Producer, Nature's Healing Stone Therapy™

  Pat Mayrhofer wrote, directed and produced The Nature’s Healing Stone Therapy DVD Series.  She has been a massage therapist and cosmetologist for over 39 years and she has been using stone therapy in her massage practice and teaching it since 1998. She is widely recognized as an international leader in hot stone massage education. Pat currently works with an experienced network of professionals to develop multi-disciplinary approaches to massage and spa treatments utilizing stone therapy. She specializes in training massage and spa professionals worldwide in the art and science of stone therapy. This timeless healing technique joins the art of massage with the thermogenic benefits of heated Mexican beach pebbles. Pat conducts over 40 seminars a year and travels around the globe with her team of stone massage experts to bring this art form to spas, clinics, massage schools, estheticians and salons.

  "Make your business more profitable by learning the right techniques with the proper equipment. Your clients will know the difference. Continue to learn as your stone massage practice grows.” - Pat Mayrhofer

  CE Webinar Topic:  June 5, 2012 - Executive Stress Relief with Hot and Cold Stones

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  Michael McGillicuddy

  Massage Therapy School Director at CFSMT

  Michael McGillicuddy, owner and director of The Central Florida School of Massage Therapy Inc.,has been a dedicated member of the Florida State Massage Therapy Association (FSMTA) for more than two decades. In June of 2006 he completed two 2-year terms as President of FSMTA.

  Michael McGillicuddy, LMT NCBTMB, graduated from the Florida School of Massage Therapy in Gainesville, Florida in 1984 and began instructing massage therapy students in sports massage techniques at the Reese Institute in Orlando one year later. Michael subsequently developed an advanced sports massage certificate program, which he currently delivers in conjunction with the athletic department at the University of Central Florida

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  Tom Myers

  Author, Anatomy Trains

  Thomas Myers studied with Dr. Ida Rolf, Moshe Feldenkrais, and Buckminster Fuller. Tom has practiced integrative bodywork for over 30 years, chiefly in Europe, the UK, and the USA. He incorporates many movement and manual disciplines into his practice and teaching. Tom is the author of the best-selling book, Anatomy Trains, which has been translated into six languages. Tom has published over 60 articles for trade magazines and journals and has produced a dozen video programs on fascial technique and dissection. He directs Kinesis, which offers professional and CE training worldwide. Tom lives with his wife, Quan, on the coast of Maine, and retains a strong interest in peri-natal issues, music, and sailing.
   

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  Art Riggs

  Certified Advanced Rolfer, CMT

  Art Riggs is a Certified Advanced Rolfer® and massage therapist who has been teaching bodywork since 1988.  A lifetime of hard physical activity and high level athletic pursuits including ultra-marathons led him to bodywork, first as a grateful recipient, and later as a student. The fulfillment he experienced in both receiving and performing bodywork led him away from his graduate studies in Exercise Physiology at the University of California, Berkeley to a full time career as a Rolfer and teacher of Deep Tissue Massage. He has conducted numerous workshops for health spas and for medical professionals, including physical therapists, and has assisted in Rolf Institute trainings. 

  For the first ten years of his practice, he specialized in myofascial release at a physical therapy clinic where an interest in the treatment of injuries was cultivated. He has worked with several Olympic athletes, professional football and basketball players, and professional dancers and musicians to treat injuries and to improve performance. However, his teaching and his practice of working with the general population to provide a better awareness of their bodies and allow more ease and comfort in their everyday lives remains the most gratifying aspect of his work.

  "Art Riggs is one of the most awesome bodywork teachers in our profession. . . he's a great teacher who shares an enormous amount of knowledge and wisdom." - Lisa Mertz, PhD, LMT, Massage Therapy Journal

  CE Webinar Topic: June 5, 2012 - Tools of the Trade:  Creating a Pleasing, Powerful, and Effective Touch

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  Robert and Melanie Sachs

  Owners, Directors of Diamond Way Ayurveda

  A certified Ayurvedic Lifestyle Counselor, Melanie Sachs is recognized internationally as a leading authority on Ayurveda. Her skills as both teacher and therapist have made her sought after by some of the world's leading spas and their massage therapists. Her book, Ayurvedic Beauty Care (Lotus Light Publications), is considered a must for those interested in the expanding field of natural and conscious body care.
  Her articles have been featured in magazines, including: Skin, Inc., Les Nouvelles Esthetiques, and Natural Health. Melanie has been a featured presenter at the International Esthetics and Cosmetics Conference, The International Congress of Esthetics,and  the Face and Body Show. She has been a teacher and consultant at The Chopra Center, the Greenhouse Group, and The International Dermal Institute worldwide.

  Robert Sachs has a background and training that is as conventional as it is 'alternative,' Robert's education in oriental philosophies and healing arts began when he moved to England during his teenage years. It was there that he began his studies with Tibetan Buddhist masters, and was introduced to the Asian healing arts including macrobiotics, shiatsu and hatha yoga. With a desire to further his studies both in bodywork and mental health, Robert went on to receive a massage license. Bob now works with physicians, clinics, hospitals, and private individuals, teaching them how to integrate contemporary scientific approaches with ancient wisdom traditions in the areas of stress management and preventive health care. He is a frequent guest instructor for the Chopra Center for Well Being in San Diego and lecturer in Tibetan Medicine for the Sino-American Rehabilitation Association College in Los Angeles.

  CE Webinar Topic: June 5, 2012 - Marmas: The Vital Energy Points of Ayurveda , Theory and Demonstration

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  James Waslaski

  Author, International orthopedic massage expert

  James Waslaski worked 20 years as a paramedic, and in a trauma center, while teaching emergency medical courses. James served as Professional Relations Chair for Florida and received the 1998 FSMTA outstanding state service award. He also served as AMTA Sports Massage Education Council Chair from 1993-1997 receiving the AMTA National Officer Award. James was the 1999 recipient of the FSMTA International Achievement Award.

  As author and international lecturer he has pioneered deep pain free orthopedic massage, pain management, sports injury, and sports enhancement treatments. His unique structural and multidisciplinary bodywork approach has been taught in over a dozen countries.

  James has worked with collegiate, professional and Olympic athletes, including the 1996 Olympic Games and the New York Yankees. He has published articles, books, manuals, and a series of DVDs on sports injuries, chronic pain, and complicated orthopedic conditions. James has also produced a motivational audio series, highlighting success strategies of leaders in the wellness industry to help guide massage therapists to their true spiritual blueprint for success. James has been working with a major publishing company to publish Advanced Clinical Massage Therapy: A Structural Approach to Pain Management with hopes to bridge the gap between all health care providers throughout the world.
   

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  Kelli Wise

  Mountain Shadow Massage, Owner/Writer Massage Therapy World blog

  Kelli Wise is a graduate of Bodymechanics School of Myotherapy and Massage specializing in deep tissue and therapeutic massage to help her clients lead an active, pain-free life. Kelli was also one of the instructors at Bodymechanics, teaching business, ethics & communication skills to a new generation of massage therapists.

  Before Kelli became a massage therapist, she was an electrical engineer and engineering manager in the high tech world. Cites Kelli, “This has given me a tremendous insight into the stresses and injuries that are common in today’s work world. My work in the computer field led me to an interest in how to treat Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, and the dreaded “sore shoulders” complaints”.

  “My 24 years as a design engineer provided me with a strong background in troubleshooting and science that is critical in helping me find the source of my clients’ pain. I have a Bachelor of Science degree (that’s the BS in my title) and am drawn to the medical aspects of massage”. - Kelli Wise

  CE Webinar Topic: June 5, 2012 - Ethics and Social Media