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, Neuromuscular 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. 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?

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

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

*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. 

 

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. One pillow case.

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

Student Switch 

Demo & Practice: Prone

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

Student Switch 

Demo & Practice: 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°

Learn Side-lying Techniques!!

Circle time 

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

Discover, Discussion, Self-Massage & Partner Palpation 

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

*Demo & Practice 

Student Switch

Neck & Shoulders 360°: Prone and Side-lying - 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 Reflexology 

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

Demo & Practice

Student Switch

Demo & Practice

Lunch

Circle time

​Self-Massage Techniques 

Massage Demonstration

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

Medical Massage: As a Holistic Approach. 

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

Arms and Hands Continued....

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

Student Switch

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

Connective Tissue Therapy: Discussion 

Circle time 

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Sixth Class

November 21, 2025

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

Most Common Soft Tissue Pathologies

Today's agenda includes Head & Face

Circle time 

Kinesiology

Palpation

Self-Massage

Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation 

*Demo and Practice 

*Demo and Practice 

Positional Release Therapy

*Demo and Practice 

*Demo and Practice 

​Lunch

Connective Tissue Therapy

*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

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

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: 🕸🐌💧

Breath: The Power of Breath 🌬

NMT: Demonstrate the knowledge you've gained. 🧠 

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

Polarity Therapy: Blending it in.

 

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......

Dry Massage?

Use of towels?

Massage over sheet? 

Oil, Butter or Wax? 

Practice with Jojoba Oil 

Practice with Shea-Butter 

Practice with Coco-Butter

Practice with Coconut Oil 

Experience Essential Oils 

Choose a Combination 

Demo & Practice: 75 min Holistic Massage

Switch

Demo & Practice: 75 min Holistic Massage 

 

Circle time 

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Eighth Class (Final)

December 12, 2025

 

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 

Stretches (For a client to do at home) 

Self-Massage

Self-Care 

More strokes

Repeat of Strokes

 

90 minute Practice Holistic Massage 

Lunch

90 minutes Practice Holistic Massage

Your new Skills are of valuable use!!

Using your proper Body Mechanics and draping....

....You will know how to: 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 pathologies such as: Perifomis Syndrome, Golfer's Elbow, Frozen Shoulder, Rounded Shoulders, Tight Hip Flexors, Lymphatic Drainage, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, Adhesions, Neck Pain, Back Pain, Limited Range of Motion, Stress, Anxiety, Burnout, Depression, Low self-image, Grief, Loss and Loneliness.

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. 

 

Angel Walk Ceremony

 

​​​​​​Circle time 

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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 by instructor Nedra van de Reep is best described in detail here on this website. 

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

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What to bring & what to know?

 

1. 90x200 Bed Sheet Set (flat and fitted or two flat) & pillow cover.
2. One Large Bath Towel.
3. Three Thick Hand Towels.
4. A pillow if possible 
5. Notepad and pen/pencil or Note/Voice App.
6. Folder to put handouts in. 
7. 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. 
8. 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. 
9. 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. 
10. Fingernails must be cut and filed.
11. No rings or bracelets. (These often gets forgotten as they must be taken off to give and receive massage.)
12. 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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