Newsletter
January 30, 2012
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
The 2012 calendar has been posted on Google and in Spreadsheet format. There have been a few changes for Essential Elements Biomechanic Focus and the addition of a Hand Skills class in Portland in October. This year we are focusing on getting new students up to speed so they can take classes with Frank and catching up students who have missed important components of the work, i.e. might have not had the opportunity to work with BMR or other critical material.
For new students, the way to start is definitely via Core Concepts and Skills. There are only two classes currently scheduled, one is February 3-5 in Spokane, and the other is March 30-April 1 in Portland. I have just confirmed the Portland class. I will not be able to take registration from February 7 through March 1, 2012. If interested in registering for this class, leave an email with the word registration in the subject- it will make it easier when I get back. I do not have email access during that time. You can also leave a phone message on 509 838-7939, but you will not get a return call until I get back. Don’t worry- the class is on!
For those who have asked about whether we will have the other regular curriculum classes, the answer is- if there is enough interest in an area, we can have a class- MP 2, Circulation, etc. The focus for this year is to make Frank’s classes more assessable so that when he teaches again, there will be more students that are prepared to take his classes. We also will have a few Training Intensives. I will try to get two dates before my India trip.
With Love and Respect,
Laurie
December 21, 2011
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Happy Holidays to all. Another year flying by…..
I hope the New Year brings health and prosperity.
We are winding down the year in lovely Spokane. This past year has been significant for Lowen Systems. Firstly, the book is a reality! We have gotten very good feedback from students and clients alike. Some of our practitioners have ordered several copies to gift or to loan to their clients who are curious about this work. Our students have all commented that it fills in some gaps in their understanding and gives a bigger picture about the scope of the work. If you have enjoyed this book, please help out and rate it if given the opportunity. I am sure that will help as Frank is hoping to get another book or two published in the future.
Secondly, Frank has made some interesting breakthroughs which help to bring together new and older work. The model is very exciting and connects the biomechanics, physiology as well as cranial mechanisms. For those who have not taken Cranial this year or the Foot and Abdomen class, there is a lot of new material that has emerged. The Cranial class did not at all resemble past Cranial classes, and the Abdomen course did not really include anything that was part of the original Fluid Pressure Dynamics Abdomen or it’s predecessor, Visceral Dynamics.
This does not render past material useless by any means, but the updates can certainly make even bigger changes in your current practices. On another positive note, there are fewer details to track when working in this way, and results are even more extraordinary.
To keep up with Frank, we have made some changes to the program so that more students will be able to benefit from these teachings. This will benefit new students as well as those who might not have taken a class in a few years. We have a Core Track which covers the skills and theories necessary to understand and perform the new work that Frank is teaching as well as being able to be successful in assessment and treatment using various forms of Lowen Systems work. This does not replace or nullify other classes that we have taught, but it is a way to hone in on what will make a student most successful if they wish to study Frank’s newest work. Other material from classes that have been previously taught but is not included in the Core Track will still be available in Practicum format or in a full class if there is enough interest.
The Core Concepts Class is still needed, and there are minor changes to introduce some other concepts that have become important. We are back to a 3 day format, with the third day focusing on things related to biomechanics.
The Essential Elements classes are integrated classes with techniques and theories from several classes. Level One is required for all students. There are discounts for those who have taken any or all of the Core Level classes (MP, BMR, CTF). There are two different Level Two Classes: Body Systems, which includes more assessment and material related to the circulation, neuro, hormonal, etc, and Biomechanic Focus, which includes material from MP2 regarding connective tissue as well as techniques and theory from BMR and BMRLE. We still have Fluid Pressure Dynamics Foundations, which is best taken after Essential Elements 1.
If you have taken classes in the past and are wondering where to start, give me a call or email. It is a good year to get the prerequisites taken, because Frank is not teaching new classes this year. He is still planning to do some Training Intensives.
Hope to see you this coming year.
With Love and Respect,
Laurie
November 18, 2011
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
The year has flown by, once again. It is November already and time to think about what we are thankful for. I truly feel blessed to have a lovely family and friends, albeit spread all over the universe, new friends and neighbors in Spokane, new and returning students.
I am truly thankful that Frank’s first book is actually done. I actually have seen it so I know it is true, and I guess it is officially released on November 22. It is available on Amazon at a discounted price.
I am thankful to have an interesting vocation and job with supportive peers and colleagues.
I have started to put the schedule on the Google calendar, but the spreadsheet is not yet current and won’t be until the dates are more secure. I do plan to have a few early Core classes, a few Level One Essential Elements classes, which is now the common starting point following Core. I also have put in a few level two classes, two Body Systems and one Biomechanical. If you have questions about how these fit in with what you have taken, please email. For those on my email list, you should have received some explanations and it should also be in older posts on this site.
The name of the proposed classes has been changed from Foundations (because I have too many classes with Foundations in the title) to Essential Elements. The price of these classes will be prorated if you have taken earlier classes which were included in this new format.
Have a lovely Thanksgiving.
With Love and Respect,
Laurie
September 16, 2011
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
This update is long overdue, but there have been some changes in progress and I wanted to wait until we had solidified at least some of them.
First announcement- Frank’s first book is going to print! I am not sure of the timeline from this point, but it is happening. The book will be available through North Atlantic books, and I believe through Amazon. It is really the story of Frank and the development of his work and is an easy read for patients, students and practitioners who do other forms of bodywork.
I have been looking long and hard (agonizing, actually) about how to simplify our curriculum without compromise. The following is what I came up with for our US program. It should work well for those who are just beginning as well as those who are continuing with and repeating classes. It might seem confusing, but I think it will work well.
We will still have Core at a requirement to introduce basic philosophy and usage of hands. The third optional day of Core will be a one day Biomechanics, which will include the basic terminology and some of the philosophy that was just included in the Biomechanics for the foot class, i.e. Frank’s take on Biomechanics. Following the Core Training is Foundations Level One, which is a three day class and also a basic requirement for advanced classes. There will be a discount offered for those who register for Core and Foundations at the same time, which will be applied to the Foundations class. Foundations Level One will teach some Manual Perception, some material from Connective Tissue Foundations, and some material from Biomechanical Regulators, well beyond the sampling of techniques form Core. This will ensure that all students who take more advanced classes have familiarity with the work upon which most of the other work was based, which is not the case at present.
There will be two separate second tier classes, one which will be more structural, and the other which will be more systemic. Students who are interested in pursuing Dynamic Manual Interface at an advanced level will want to take both classes- there will be little, if any overlap.
The second tier Structural will include more of the Connective Tissue Regulators, including some material from Advanced Connective Tissue, some material from Manual Perception 2 involving connective tissues, and more of the Biomechanical Regulators. This class plus Fluid Pressure Dynamics Foundations with either the Biomechanic part of Core and a one day Foot preview class or a 2 day foot preview class if the Biomechanics class was not taken as part of Core, would enable a student to take the Foot class.
The second tier Systemic will include a lot of Manual Perception 1 and some from Manual Perception 2, including cognitive associations and scar tissue, some of the basic material from Circulation, involving the heart and some neurovascular reflexes, material from Advanced Connective Tissues, involving membranes, and autonomics. Third level System class will cover material from Neuro and Circulation, and would prepare students for the Visceral and Cranial Classes.
All material taught to date will not be covered, but there will be available tutorial style classes to cover the additional material from Neuro, Circ. Neuro 2, Advanced Connective Tissue, BMR/BMRLE.
The Fluid Pressure Dynamic Foundations class will still be part of the program and will include some of the pulmonary dynamics piece. We will still do Hand Skills/Practical Integration, with the prerequisites for those just starting being: Core, Foundations Level One, Structural Tier 2 and Systemic Tier 2. The names of the classes might change- I haven’t gotten that far yet.
In terms of pricing, if you have taken MP, CTF, and BMR, you get Foundations One for ½ price. I do encourage students who have not taken these basic classes for at least 4 years to repeat, because there are some things that might be clarified or updated. If you have taken one of the basic classes other than Core, you get $100 off the price and if you have taken two of the basic classes aside from Core you get $200 off. I will also discount the other levels in a similar fashion.
I received great input from my teachers at the last teachers training when considering how to split the classes and what to include or omit. The grand result I foresee is better preparation for advanced classes and streamlining prerequisites to save students money. There are many techniques we are leaving out of the main class sequence and will leave it up to inquisitive and serious students to pursue this in small groups. We do want all of this to be available, but not all of this material is vital to understanding the work that Frank is currently teaching, and some might even be distracting or confusing.
Frank has said he will not be teaching any new classes this year but might do some training intensives. It is a good time, then, to catch up with the prerequisite work and be ready for his advanced classes.
I don’t know if there will be more interest in classes when the book comes out, so I need to be flexible. At this point, I would like to schedule Core and First Tier classes in Portland and Spokane. If you think there would be an interest in your area, please let me know as I am putting the schedule together. If you are receiving this from Google groups, please do not reply to it, but send an independent email.
I am looking forward to seeing some of you soon. There is still room in the Foot class in Portland, the Abdomen class in Spokane and the Cranial class in Spokane. These are all Fluid Pressure Dynamics classes with prerequisites.
With Love and Respect, Laurie