Polarity Practitioner Program
ASHA’s 12 Hour Vital Polarity Therapy Class April 2023!
It will begin with a 12 hour introductory class. This class is suitable for anyone interested in learning about Polarity Therapy, one does not need to be a Licensed Massage Therapist to attend the class. After taking the 12 hour class, students will have the basic skills needed to practice Polarity Therapy within any clinic/ spa/ healthcare setting. LMTs will receive 12 CE hours.
Date: April 15 +16, 2023
Cost: $325.00
Registration opens January 1, 2023
What is Polarity Therapy?
Polarity Therapy defines true health as free flowing energy, a balance of positive and negative, Yin and Yang, centrifugal and centripetal forces and, essentially, unrestricted movement. In a Polarity treatment, the practitioner addresses dis-easethrough therapeutic touch. Treatments activate the client’s parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest) which encourages self-healing. This allows the sympathetic nervous system (fight, flight or freeze) to disengage. The client can remain clothed or Polarity can be integrated into a traditional draped massage. The effects of a Polarity treatment can be transformative and long lasting. Site-specific relief can happen quickly, allowing practitioners to avoid repetitive stress injuries related to traditional massage.
Polarity Therapy is a holistic system developed by Dr. Randolph Stone DO, DC, from his study of Hermetic philosophy, Chinese medicine, Western medicine, the Egyptian mysteries and Ayurveda. Polarity Therapy incorporates the use of touch, nutrition, exercise, counseling and education. The work balances positive, neutral and negative energies, (Rajas, Sattwas and Tamas), the 5 Ayurvedic elements (Ether, Air, Fire, Water and Earth) and geometric lines of force.
The Four Courses
Polarity Therapy Foundations (prerequisite for the other three)
In this module, students will be introduced to Polarity Therapy, as a holistic healing system, and the three types of touch, Sattvic, Rajasic and Tamasic, the Five Elements and how they relate to bodywork. This class is designed to stand alone for those wishing to add Polarity Therapy to their practice or be a starting place to the other three Modules in our program. This is pre-requisite to the other three Modules, but each of those may be taken individually as well. (12 hours Vital Polarity Therapy Course + 20 Hour Foundations course)
Polarity Five Elements
In this module, students will be given a breakdown of the Elements, the Elemental triads and how they relate to bodywork. We’ll explore Polarity Triads and give/receive individual elemental treatments. (32 CE hours)
Treating Chronic Back and Neck Pain with Polarity (with a focus on client communication and fulcrums)
In this module, students will learn techniques for addressing root causes and symptoms of whiplash, lower back pain, neck disorders, shoulder pain and headaches. We’ll also discuss Fulcrums and effective communication with our clients. (32 CE hours)
Polarity Nutrition and Exercises (with a Pelvic Imbalance treatment and an introduction to Unwinding)
In this module, we will explore Dr Stone’s Polarity Yoga, diet and nutrition recommendations for vibrant health. We’ll be moving our bodies, practicing unwinding and learning techniques to address pelvic imbalance. (32 CE hours)
All four modules will be hands-on classes, with the majority of classroom time (approximately two thirds) being spent in demonstration, with students following with treatment trades. Enrollment in the Polarity Therapy Foundations course will include lifetime membership in the International Polarity Education Alliance (IPEA).
Upon taking Foundations, the other three courses can be taken in any order.
Pre-requisites
There are no pre-requisites for Polarity Therapy Foundations. This module is open to professional bodyworkers and LMTs, as well as others who are interested in learning a gentle and effective form of hands-on bodywork. CE credits will be granted to LMTs for use in licensure renewal. Polarity Therapy Foundations is a pre-requisite for the remaining three modules in this course. Graduates of ASHA are exempted from Polarity Therapy Foundations.
Instructor for this Program
Alex “Otter” Vernon graduated from the New Mexico School of Natural Therapeutics (NMSNT) in 2016. One of the classes he most connected with was Core Synchronism, an evolution of Polarity Therapy and Cranial Sacral Therapy discovered by Dr Robert Stevens. He completed the seven levels of Core Synchronism and continues to practice Core, Polarity and massage in Albuquerque.
Upon graduation from NMSNT, he became a teaching assistant in Polarity Therapy, Sports Massage, Myofascial Release and Massage Specifics. The following year he started teaching the Hot Stone Massage classes at the school. He continued teaching at NMSNT until it closed its doors during the pandemic in 2020.
Otter teaches Polarity Therapy at the Albuquerque School of the Healing Arts (ASHA), beginning with their inaugural program in the fall of 2021.
Otter is the father of five, a sometime carpenter, a practitioner of Capoeira (an Afro-Brazilian art form), a wilderness enthusiast, a mycophile, a dreamer, an artist, a musician and a lover of life. He lives in the North Valley of Albuquerque, New México with his partner, Hayley.
Polarity Practioner Program Course Schedule
Each module of this program is 32 classroom hours in length. The Modules will run on a Thursday through Sunday format, 8 hours of classroom time per day. Class will meet each day from 9:00am -6:00pm with a 60-minute lunch break.