The Structural Essential series is a set of intensive soft-tissue technique courses divided into functional regions. Combining movement and manual techniques for the most efficient and long-lasting results, and using the latest research on the interaction between skeleton, muscles, joints, and fascial proprioceptors, this series of workshops will take you to a new level in therapy.

Designed with the busy manual therapist in mind, each Structural Essentials event gives you new understanding of the relevant area. The content will outline how the structural and functional anatomy relates to many common issues as well as to the rest of the body. Based on many new and established approaches this series will give you the skills in palpation, Body Reading and functional analysis needed for the modern multidisciplinary therapist.

Head, Neck and Jaw

The neck is a remarkable feat of biomechanical engineering, giving a combination of wide range of movement but maintaining a structural strength. It is often seen as the last site of compensation as it corrects for any alteration from below allowing the eyes and ears to orient to the horizon. Patterns can of course, work their way in the other direction and particularly from the jaw and its many possible patterns of movement and holding. This course will focus on key areas of the neck and jaw complex to allow you to build successful strategies to ease these potential problem areas alleviating the issues working in both directions and setting the body up for a longer lasting change.

Highlights include:

• The sub-occipital muscles
• The laminar groove and deep cervical muscles
• The muscular wires of the front of the neck – anterior scalenes and longus colli muscles
• Intra-oral work for the hyoid complex, the tongue, and the floor of the mouth
• The jaw muscles, TMJ, the palate and facial muscles

Note:  Anatomy Trains in Structure & Function course MUST be taken before taking the SE courses.

The Structural Essentials workshops are most easily absorbed in the order outlined below but you can do them in any order as time permits.

1. Arches & Legs – 3 days
2. Fans of the Hip – 2 ½ days
3. Abdomen, Chest & Breath – 2 ½ days
4. Tensegrity Spine – 2 days
5. Shoulders & Arms – 2 days
6. Head, Neck & Jaw – 2 days

Instructor Info:

Cristy Harper is originally from Victoria, BC, Canada, where she began her studies in Massage Therapy in 2003. Since 2013 she’s been following her husband’s military career across the country, with the most recent adventure to bringing them back to Victoria, BC. They are proud to support their country, and look forward to each move as an opportunity to grow and learn and embrace what each Canadian city has to offer.

Cristy’s fascination with human anatomy has fueled her educational endeavours, which lead her to certification in ATSI in Seattle Washington in 2011, followed by her advanced certification in Maine in 2014. She has also trained and certified in Neuro-functional Acupuncture in 2015 at McMaster University, has joined Tom and her colleagues for 2 human anatomy dissections in Tempe, Arizona, and has significant personal experience in natural bodybuilding, strength, and conditioning.

Teaching has always been something that she knew she would pursue. Since 2017, Cristy has been travelling extensively assisting & teaching Anatomy trains courses in Canada, USA, New Zealand, and Australia. A recent highlight was attending the 2018 Fascial Research Congress in Berlin where she was able to assist Tom and her colleagues, followed by having the opportunity to be present for the gathering of the greatest minds in fascial research.

Cristy hopes to continue to inspire the next generation of bodywork and movement professionals, teaching the Anatomy Trains Structural Essentials in Canada, and abroad, whenever the opportunity presents itself.

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it. Because what the world needs are people who have come alive.” Howard Thurman.