The Trager® Approach
What is the Trager® Approach?
The TragerŽ Approach, which is also known as TragerŽ Psychophysical
Integration, is a form of bodywork which seeks to integrate the mind
and body. It is also a form of movement re-education, similar in aims
to both the Feldenkrais MethodŽ and the Alexander Technique. A session
is made up of three main components:
- - Mentastics®, which is an approach to movement
exploration and self-help;
- - the tablework, where the client lies on a padded table
and is moved by the practitioner; and
- - Reflex Response which is a specialised method for working
with the neuromuscular system.
Where did Trager® come from?
The Trager Approach was created by Milton Trager, a boxer and gymnast
who discovered at the age of 18 that he had "gifted" hands. He spent
the rest of his life working with thousands of clients and developing
his approach. When Milton was 42 he trained to become a medical doctor
so that his approach would gain attention from and credibility with
the medical community and he received his MD in 1955. He retired from
his medical practice in 1977 and devoted the rest of his life to teaching
the Trager Approach around the world.
What are the benefits of Trager®?
In today's hectic world, many people suffer stress, tension, fatigue
and associated aches, pains and injuries. Trager can release stress
and tensions which have accumulated in the body and improve posture.
Trager uses gentle movements to help release neuromuscular patterns
and restrictions. The movements are never forced and are kept within
the client's range of ease and comfort. The client rediscovers deep
relaxation and increased physical mobility. A Trager session can be
a wonderful way to unwind and relieve tension. A surprising fact about
Trager is that tension released by sessions tends not to reappear – the
body has learned a new way of being.
The Trager Approach is also useful for helping with a wide range of
injuries or conditions such as sciatica, back pain, shoulder problems,
neck pain, emphysema, asthma, etc. When there is a physical injury,
the body compensates to minimise the pain and discomfort. This compensation
can create additional aches, pains, tensions or postural problems.
For example, favouring a bad knee can lead to back pains from walking
differently. In a similar way, emotional trauma can also lead to physical
patterns and Trager can help release these.
Another area where Trager has been shown to be helpful is with clients
who suffer from neuromuscular injuries or conditions such as brain
damage (from aneurism, oxygen deprivation or stroke), Multiple Sclerosis,
Parkinsonism, paralysis, Muscular Dystrophy, Polio, cerebral palsy
and ME (chronic fatigue syndrome). There is no claim to cure the condition,
but functional and symptomatic improvements in terms of coordination,
mobility and freedom from pain are possible.
Trager is not simply remedial. It is also used by people who want
to improve their performance or for self-maintenance and enjoyment.
Athletes who wish to improve their sports performance have found Trager
very useful for retaining flexibility and fluidity. Musicians, singers
and dancers - performing artists of all types - who use their bodies
professionally have found Trager sessions to be an important part of
their self-maintenance routine.
Because the Trager Approach is so gentle it is suitable for nearly
everyone. There are very few contra-indications. If you have any questions,
consult a Trager practitioner for further information concerning particular
conditions.
What are the ideas behind the Trager® Approach?
Central to the Trager Approach are feeling and function: how does
it feel and how does it move? Does it feel free and easy or stiff and
painful? The feeling of the movement is what the person responds to
and how they define it. That is why Trager focuses on the feeling-experience
of movement rather than on how far or how fast or how many times a
move is done. The movements are always done within the range of free
movement or in the case of injuries, pain-free movement.
Feeling is the bridge between mind and body. When the client feels
how they can move more freely without pain, their mind learns and they
can remember it. The change in feeling then allows them to change how
they use their body. It is typical for the mind to shrink away from,
block out, or isolate areas of the body that are painful or dysfunctional.
By improving function and reducing discomfort, the client's mind can
re-accept that part of their body.
Reflex Response is a specialised technique which may be incorporated
at times during the session. Its power is in retraining the neuromuscular
connections and reflexes. Reflex Response wakes up muscles that have
become isolated or "asleep".
Tension is in the mind, not the muscles. People "wear" their
tensions and mental states like their clothing. A Trager session isn't "erasing" the
old patterns, it is convincing the client's unconscious mind that these
old patterns of tension are no longer needed. When we give the unconscious
mind a new positive feeling of how it could be - easy, soft, comfortable
- it will let go willingly. Milton Trager believed that the effects
are lasting because we are reaching the unconscious mind which is the
actual source of physical tension.
Helping the client to become more attentive and sensitive to their
feeling-experience is an important step in unlearning postural and
movement habits. What could be lighter, freer, easier, softer? Trager
is about enquiring and exploring without demands nor expectations.
The Trager Approach never aims to "fix" or realign the client
in any way. None of the movements are forced. The Trager practitioner
will never insist or overpower the response that is being felt. If
the client is tense, then force only provokes and reinforces their
tension and resistance. If the client has an area of weakness, then
force would overload it. In cases of both tension and weakness, the
Trager practitioner will do less and less until it is so soft that
there is nothing overpowering, nothing to be resisted. The Trager session
is an exploration of feeling and movement which leads to improvements
in functional ability.
What is a session like?
The Trager Approach is an "art" rather
than a technique or method. The session is a free-form interaction
based upon feeling and response. The exploration of feeling and movement
is the "work". The practitioner and client both respond to
what they feel. The practitioner feels the changes and responses in
the client's tissues during the movements and this is what guides them
through the session.
Sessions are from 60 to
90 minutes in length and usually include Mentastics® and Tablework.
The effects are cumulative, so several sessions are generally recommended.
There is no way to know how quickly a client will respond so there
is no commitment other than a session by session assessment of how
the client feels they are progressing.
During a session, the client
can wear loose-fitting and comfortable clothing or underwear. No oils,
creams or lotions are used. Because the client can remain fully clothed
and because the work is gentle, the Trager Approach is suitable for
people who find other types of bodywork too revealing or too forceful.
Mentastics are used to explore
the quality of movement. The essence of Mentastics is to train the
client to be sensitive to smaller stimuli and then respond with smaller,
lighter movements, rather than the unnecessarily forceful movements
which have often become habitual. There are no specific number of repetitions
or length of time for Mentastics - they are done only as long as they
feel good. The movements are generally small and subtle so they can
be done anywhere and anytime without attracting attention. Mentastics
can be practised between sessions to help the client remember the experience
of freedom and ease from the session.
During the tablework the
client may be lying on their back, their front or their side. A Trager
session can also be adapted for clients who are unable to lie on a
massage table. Tablework involves a variety of movements such as weighing,
stretching, pressing, rocking, swinging, shaking, shimmering, bouncing
or rotating. The practitioner is looking for the natural rhythm of
each movement because this will be where there is the minimum effort
involved.
Where can you find a qualified Practitioner or learn more?
The UK website and US
website are the best place to visit for an up-to-date list of
practitioners. These sites also have articles for download and lists
of the books that have been published
Please Note
- The information and opinions expressed in this article are not intended for self-diagnosis and can not serve as substitutes for qualified medial attention. Consult a qualified medical practitioner about any particular health conditions which you may have.
- ®Trager and Mentastics are registered trademarks of TRAGER International.
Personal Profile of Ted VanderNoot:
Ted is an intuitive and creative bodyworker. His approach is
non-diagnostic, holistic and adapted to suit each client. His emphasis
is on increasing his clients' awareness of their bodies: how they feel,
how they move and how they express themselves. This way of working
with the body can benefit a wide range of activities or conditions
such as:
- - Sports performance;
- - Public speaking and presentations;
- - Performance arts (playing a musical instrument, singing, dancing);
- - Postural problems;
- - Relaxation or stress reduction.
When the client feels better physically, it is easier for them to feel better mentally and emotionally.
Ted began his career as
a research chemist and university lecturer. In 1999 he left the university
system to become a self-employed trainer and coach. In parallel with
this, he became interested in bodywork certifying in the Bowen Technique,
the Trager® Approach, Vibromuscular Harmonisation Technique, Zero
Balancing®, and the Alexander Barrie System of Pelvic Correction™.
Ted is also a Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming and
has studied T'ai Chi Chuan and Chi Kung since 1991.