Massage Education

Holistic Massage Course

Immerse yourself in the learning of Holistic Massage. Journey through the acts of stillness, movement, presence and touch in a safe and supportive environment. Holistic Massage treats mind, body, and spirit using a combination of modalities blended into one session.  The modalities that you will learn to use and combine are: Swedish Massage, Lomi-Lomi, Connective Tissue Therapy/Myofascial Release/Deep Tissue, Shiatsu, Reflexology, Polarity Therapy, Kinesthetic Awareness through Movement, and Positional Release Therapy. Through a guided intake with your fellow student you will learn about their pain, their physical and emotional stress, body concerns, possible injuries (past or present) and you can begin to formulate your work using the techniques you've learned. I will demonstrate a vast amount of techniques and step-by-step give you time to practice them. The amount of strokes taught will vary each day, as we want quality over quantity. I want to give each of you time where you can feel a connection to each stroke that can then be recreated outside of class. Not a "cookie cutter stroke" but a stroke with the power of its intention and your hands guiding it. We will discuss contraindications and practice different bolstering techniques that may assist your work and partner's comfort. You will also learn how to safely move their body into different positions on the table. The depth, direction and tempo of your strokes will be considered and therefore guiding you towards the modalities you will be using. Your techniques with vary by what you are told by your partner, what you are sensing through your touch, the non-verbal cues you look out for, and with what modality you are learning at the time. You will learn how to connect and transition from one modality to another and how to transition from one stroke to another, therefore creating your own unique DanSe of Massage. You will practice various ways to begin a session and end a session. Bridging together what feels right for you, in your way of becoming and staying grounded, with what is needed by the client. Self-Care and Body Mechanics will be tought as they are fundamental to your learning and long lasting physical and emotional health. This entire course, throughout all of its modalities, will concentrate on how to connect: mind, body, and spirit. A holistic treatment from start to finish. 

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Modalities and Moments that make up this course are listed in the following days below. 

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First Class

September 26, 2025

Introduction of Instructor and Students

Syllabus

Informational Hand-outs

What is the stroke with the deepest effect?

 

VIDEO: Qi Gong. A daily practice to balance and strengthen the mind, body, and spirit. This mindful movement is Qi Gong and this specific routine is to bring breath, balance, and awareness as well as to energize and harmonize the 5 Elements: Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, & Wood.

Shiatsu: An Introduction to the 5 Elements. Directional Flow of Energy, The Creation and Control Cycle. 

The Hara & the Qi: Practice working with the breath. Initiating contact. The Power of Stillness. The use of Gravity. Letting Go. 

*Active Learning 

Student Switch

*Active Learning

Lunch

🌱 Active Learning 🌱

 

Rest & Digest: Practice Abdominal Massage

Beginning a Massage Session / Initiating Contact: Compression techniques over top sheet, Rocking, Undraping, Applying Oil, and Strokes for Spreading Oil. Plus my favorite strokes to warm up the tissue as well as a great transition stroke.

🧤,🌀,💜💜💜,🍂🌬,🦋

Draping: How to drape long hair, How to drape for abdominal massage. What could the extra material of a top sheet/blanket/towel be helpful with?

Student Switch

Beginning a Massage Session: Initiating contact - Compression techniques over top sheet, Rocking, Undraping, Applying Oil,and Strokes for Spreading Oil. Plus my favorite strokes to warm up the tissue as well as a great transition stroke.

🧤,🌀,💜💜💜,🍂🌬,🦋

Draping: How to drape long hair, How to drape for abdominal massage. What could the extra material of a top sheet/blanket/towel be helpful with?

Circle time

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Second Class

October 10, 2025

 Today's focus is on the back. 

VIDEO: Muscles & Movements of the Back

 

Circle time

Energy Game. Connect with the science of our anatomy.

Movement Exercise: The directional flow of Energy.

Anatomy, Physiology, and Kinesiology: I make this easy and fun!! 

Skeleton & Partner Palpation

Body Mechanics & Table Talk: Understanding and using  your body, table height, sheets, face pillow (multiple uses), bolster, large pillow, different size towels.

Note: Please have Two Sheets. One to lay on and one to lay under. One Large Towel. 2 Small Towels.

Swedish Massage & Polarity Therapy

Prone/Face Down

Our focus today is on the back. 

How to work more deeply while giving a relaxing massage: Techniques to give a Deeply-Relaxing Holistic Massage 

("The 5 Basic Strokes")

1. effleurage
2. petrissage
3. friction
4. tapotement
5. vibration

Note: These 5 strokes are the basis for hundreds of techniques. In these 8 days, you shall learn a multitude of techniques with a purpose!! ✨️

​​Demo & Practice: Prone / Face Down 

Student Switch 

Demo & Practice: Prone / Face Down 

Lunch

The Power of Informed Touch

Swedish Massage: Supine / Face Up

How to work more Deeply while giving a relaxing Holistic Massage: Using specific techniques and the Power of Gravity.

A Deeply-Relaxing experience. 

("The 5 Basic Strokes")

1. effleurage
2. petrissage
3. friction
4. tapotement
5. vibration

 

Demo & Practice: Supine / Face Up

A multitude of techniques based on the 5 Strokes of Swedish Massage.

Student Switch 

Demo & Practice: Supine / Face Up

A multitude of techniques based on the 5 Strokes of Swedish Massage.

Adjustments of Body Mechanics & Self-Care 

Circle time.

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Third Class

October 24, 2025​​​

Today's focus: Neck & Shoulders 360°

 

Circle time 

Kinesthetic Awareness through Movement (KAM): Demonstration 

Anatomy, Physiology and Kinesiology: I make this easy & fun!

Discover, Discussion, Self-Massage & Partner Palpation 

Neck & Shoulders 360°: Prone - A multitude of techniques. 

*Demo & Practice 

Student Switch

Neck & Shoulders 360°: Prone - A multitude of techniques 

*Demo & Practice  

Lunch

Anatomy, Physiology and Kinesiology 

Neck & Shoulders: Supine Techniques 

Student Switch 

Neck & Shoulders: Supine Techniques 

 

Circle time 

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Fourth Class

November 7, 2025

Today's focus: Legs and Feet with a touch of Reflexology

Let's learn Side-lying Techniques!!

Circle time 

Anatomy, Physiology and Kinesiology: Keeping it fun and easy!

Blend all Five! Prone & Supine 

1. Polarity Therapy
2. Swedish
3. KAM
4. Shiatsu 
5. Reflexology (Introduction only) 

Bonus Recap

《Side-lying Techniques: Neck & Shoulders》

 

Demo & Practice: On Legs and Feet

Student Switch

Demo & Practice: On Legs and Feet

Lunch

Circle time

​Self-Massage Techniques

Massage Demonstration ~ 4 

60 minutes Student to Student Massage

60 minutes Student to Student Massage 

Be creative with what you've learned!

Ask me to repeat!

Circle time 

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Fifth Class

November 14, 2025

Today's focus: Arms & Hands

....added to what you've already learned.

Let's create Function out of Dysfunction!

 

Circle time 

"Creating a space for healing to take place."

The Parasympathetic Nervous System

KAM 

Muscles & Movement

Working with Gravity

Palpation

Massage Demonstration 

Demo & Practice: Arms and Hands

Student Switch 

Demo & Practice: Arms and Hands 

How Body-Mind Awareness has the Power to Facilitate Healing!

The Power of Presence & Informed Touch

Connection with the Breath

Lunch

Body Reading: What have you been told? What do you see? Walk in their shoes. What do you feel? 

Medical Massage: As a Holistic Approach towards Healing.

Positional Release Therapy: As a Holistic Approach towards Healing.

 

Arms and Hands Continued....

Demo & Practice - Supine: The Neck and Pec Connection with the Arms and Hands.

Student Switch

Demo & Practice - Supine: The Neck and Pec Connection with the Arms and Hands. 

Connective Tissue Therapy: Discussion for a future course. 

 

Circle time 

 

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Sixth Class

November 21, 2025

Doing techniques with a purpose in mind. How we can facilitate healing.

The Power of Intention 

Most Common Soft Tissue Pathologies

Today's agenda includes Head & Face

 

Circle time 

Kinesiology: Let's talk about our hips too! 

Palpation, KAM: Learning how to safely and securely open up the hips. 

Let's go back to the Back: Understanding its connection to the glutes and how the Glutes can also be the cause of low back pain. 

Swedish Strokes & Reflexology: Low back pain and it's connection to tight Hamstrings. 

An introduction to: Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation 

*Demo and Practice One technique 

*Demo and Practice One technique 

Positional Release Therapy Techniques

*Demo and Practice 

*Demo and Practice 

Discussion for a future course to continue your learning at Esoterra. 

​Lunch

Slowing down the Effleurage to Integrate Connective Tissue Therapy: Body-Mechanics, Hand Position, Power of Stillness, Power of Intention, Attention to Detail, Breath, and Transitions.

*Demo and Practice 

*Demo and Practice 

Pin & Stretch

*Demo and Practice

*Demo and Practice  

How to treat a cramp 

*Demo and Practice

*Demo and Practice  

Circle time 

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Seventh Class

December 5, 2025

Let's Breathe & Blend it all in...

 

​​Circle time

Lomi-Lomi Massage Demonstration 

Relaxation Exercise 

*Active Learning

​​​Show your knowledge & skills

Beginning a session: Initiating contact. 

Deep~Relaxation: Using the modalities & techniques you've learned. 

Draping Skills: How to keep a client feeling safe and secure while still being able to be effective in your work. 

Shiatsu: Flow of Energy ❤️💛🤍🖤💚

KAM: Kinaesthetic Awareness through Movement 

Reflexology: Those Four Powers & More.....👣 

Swedish: Using the multitude of learned techniques from this course based on the 5 stokes. 

🌀, 💜💜💜, C-🥛, 🍨, 🦋, 🍂 🌬, ⬇️⤵️⬆️⤵️⬇️🔄, 🔳, ↔️, ❎️, ♾️, ✴️, ⭕️, 🧤, 👣, 🦵,🙌,👊,🫴,🐺👎, 🤲, 💪, 🥪,🪶, 🐌,🐾,🌱,🏞, 🪮, 🖲, 🕸, 

Lomi-Lomi: Blending it in. 🌊🦥

Connective Tissue Therapy: 🕸🐌💧Show me how you can "Slow your roll" (from your introduction to a future course at ESOTERRA)

Breath: The Power of Breath 🌬

NMT: Demonstrate that one NMT technique to show the basic knowledge you've gained. 🧠 (This can grow your curiousity continued education into a future course at ESOTERRA.)

Positional Release: Demonstrate techniques you've learned on the hands, arms, neck, shoulders, hips, legs and feet.

Polarity Therapy: Blending it in.

Ending a session: Adding in a new sense of awareness.

 

 

Demo & Practice: 75 min Massage 

Demo & Practice: 75 min Massage 

 

Lunch

Circle time

Intake Questions

Body Reading

Beginning a session & Ending a session.

Draping.

Safely and securely opening up the hip.

Bolstering: Supine, Prone, Side-lying.

Bolstering for different body types.

Bolstering for Side-lying position.

7 points of Contraindications for Pregnancy Massage 

 

Who, What, Where, When, Why & How

 

Practice with......

Use of towels

Compression over sheets

Oil, Butter or Wax? 

Practice with Jojoba Oil 

Practice with Shea-Butter 

Practice with Coco-Butter

Practice with Coconut Oil 

Experience Essential Oils (100% Organic)

Choose a Combination 

75-minutes each Student 

Demo & Practice:Holistic Massage ~ Head to Toe

Switch

Demo & Practice:Holistic Massage ~ Head to Toe

 

Circle time 

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Eighth Class (Final)

December 12, 2025

Head to Toe!

All other students may choose to either observe, take notes, or mirror what I am doing with a partner who's on a table.

 

Circle time

90 minutes Demo Massage by Instructor! - A student will volunteer. If their are multiple volunteers than we'll pull a name from the sound bowl.

Circle Time

What more may I offer you in Holistic Massage? 

 

Kinesiology

Working with the Breath

Movement 

Basic Stretches (For a client to do at home) 

Self-Massage

Self-Care 

More strokes

More Repeat of Strokes

90 minute Practice Holistic Massage 

 

Lunch

 

90 minutes Practice Holistic Massage

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Your new Skills are of valuable use!!

Using the many learned strokes, the new Body Mechanics and your draping skills....

....You will know how to:  Create comfort and a feeling of safety for the client, Initiate contact, safely and securely open up the hips, treat or approach clients with various needs and concerns such as: From first time receiving a massage, to a holistic approach in treating soft tissue pathologies along with giving a space to facilitate the healing of: Stress, Anxiety, Burnout, Depression, Low self-image, Grief, Loss and or Loneliness. A space for one to drop-out and to drop-in to themselves. 

You'll know how to blend the learned modalities of Swedish, KAM, Deep Tissue, Lomi-Lomi, Shiatsu, Reflexology, Energy Palpation, Neuromuscular Therapy, and Polarity Therapy all in the support of Mind-Body Awareness of the Vital Life-Force. This, is Holistic Massage.

I am here to help you, guide you, remind you and support you in your journey. I truly hope to inspire your love of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork and give you the tools for a long lasting career. I look forward to seeing you for your continued learning of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. There is so much more to learn🌱.......

Circle Time

Angel Walk Ceremony

 

 

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Dates of Course

10:00-17:00 (Try to arrive 10 minutes early)

Friday, September 26th

Friday, October 10th, 

Friday, October 24th

Friday, November 7th

Friday, November 14th

Friday, November 21st

Friday, December 5th

Friday, December 12th

 

Sign up

Here is the direct link to sign up for this course. This course being taught in English, by instructor Nedra van de Reep, and is best described in detail here on this website. To follow the instructions and agenda of the course you must view both your Esoterra account with videos and here on my "First Class", "Second Class", etc....above. 

https://www.esoterra.nl/product/holistic-massage-course-amsterdam/

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What to bring & what to know?

 

1. Please arrive on time (a few minutes early) so we can partner up.
2. 90x200 Bed Sheet Set (flat and fitted or two flat) & pillow cover.
3. One Large Bath Towel.
4. Three Thick Hand Towels.
5. A pillow if possible 
6. Notepad and pen/pencil or Note/Voice App.
7. Folder to put handouts in. 
8. Wear Stretchy or Loose Fitting pants. No jeans, jeggings are fine, no skirts, no dresses - unless these are worn over the leggings. Wear clothes that allow full range of movement. 
9. I encourage students to be barefoot. You may want to wear leg warmers if you are prone to be cold. If you wear socks, they should be anti-slip. 
10. Simple Black t-shirt. Or a T-shirt that you don't mind the possibility of oil getting on. Be sure that it's not too loose (as this could rub against your fellow student's body). Be sure that it doesn't hang down to low from your chest. This would be considered clothing that is not appropriate for a professional learning environment. 
11. Fingernails must be cut and filed.
12. No rings or bracelets. (These often gets forgotten as they must be taken off to give and receive massage.)
13. Bring your own Water bottle!! There is a kitchen with coffee and tea always ready for you. You may use the ESOTERRA glasses and mugs but please clean up after yourself. All plates, cups, and silverware are to be rinsed and put into the dishwasher after use. If full, then please wash and dry by hand. All of your trash must be thrown into the garbage and please wipe your area of the lunch table after eating. 

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    KvK: 95916369 | Licensed Massage Therapist 

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