Massage CE Workshop: “Myofascial Swedish”

Myofascial Swedish is a 16-hour live continuing education workshop for massage therapists. It’s NCBTMB approved, with additional approvals in Florida and New York. Click the links above to sign up for an upcoming class, or keep reading to learn what this workshop is all about.

Photos by Rich Drummond at the Lakewood School of Therapeutic Massage

First and foremost, it’s about slowing down. We spend the first day exploring what myofascial release is (no experience required!) with lots of long, static contacts. We’ll use the weight of our own bodies to apply pressure, experimenting with different body mechanics along the way. You’ll feel tight muscle melt away under your hands, and I’m hoping you’ll find that you can be comfortable, even while working deeply.

If you’d like to get an idea about what that looks like, check out this recent video I made about working with upper back pain:

See? I told you it was slow! But on the second day, we add some oil (not too much) and get back to flowing. That’s the “myofascial Swedish” part: All of the principles of good myofascial release can be applied to your existing style, and incorporated into a soothing and enjoyable experience for your client.

Here’s how a student put it:

“Sometimes doing ‘sloth’ massage seems so easy on my body like I must not be doing enough, but the results I get are tangible and I get lots of great feedback from clients.”

What can your clients expect? In general, they’ll enjoy being able to really tune into their own body. Sometimes you’ll slow down to draaag the fascia, and other times you’ll stop completely, somehow finding the most interesting spots. More specifically, we’ll talk about how to deal with shoulder pain, posture concerns, low back/hip pain, TMJ dysfunction, and more.

What is the workshop like? We’ll start slow, with plenty of time to discuss myofascial release and experience it through self-massage. Then, we’ll dive in: You’ll give and receive tons of good bodywork, and we’ll talk about when and how to apply it once you get back to your home office. I aim to make every class low pressure but high value; lots to learn, but without feeling rushed.

If you’d like me to visit your area, please have a nearby school reach out to me via email. I look for places that aren’t too remote so that people don’t have to drive too far, and classrooms with 6+ tables.

And before we go, a few more reviews:

I feel like I attended a really awesome massage class, a bomb comedy show, a heart-warming spiritual retreat, and about 75 hours of therapy all in one weekend. You have an incredible way of making people, especially the anxious ones, feel comfortable, safe, and accepted.


Even though I have watched a ton of your videos I never really got how you put your body weight into these moves. So taking your class was very beneficial and made myofascial release fun! I felt so confident after the workshop that I even used all my new knowledge on my clients the very next week!


This workshop helped me reconnect to what I perceive as the big picture of massage, which is to help others feel good. And Ian’s techniques and feedback as I worked through the weekend gave me enough guidance to make everything my own without feeling pressure to do it in only one way. It’s so much more than what you see on YouTube.


Thanks for being interested in my class, and I hope to see you there!