Trager® Psychophysical Integration – An Overview

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Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies

Volume 7, Issue 4, October 2003, Pages 233-239

Abstract

The following article is an overview of the Trager Approach from the perspective of an experienced practitioner. The main themes include: the passive movement in the tablework, active movement in Mentastics, the mental state of the practitioner – ‘hook-up,’ anchoring the client's awareness in feeling sensation, and the perception that physical change depends upon a change of mind. Milton Trager influenced a number of bodywork and lay practitioners with his infectious presence and energetic role modeling. When he finally started teaching his work to others he was already in his late 60s. Most of his students were quite a bit younger than him and did not fully realize the connection he provided to an earlier time. His emphasis on physical movement and ‘agelessness’ reflected the influences of the physical culturists of the early 20th century. The real genius of his work was his realization that gentle, rhythmical movement, performed with great sensitivity, could affect positive and long-term changes in the client. The principles he discovered in refining his work seem almost zen-like in application. The stronger the resistance in the client, the less the amplitude of movement imposed by the practitioner. Soft hands, supported by movement that is generated from the practitioner's whole body are more subtle and effective. The most powerful shifts often happen when the practitioner breaks physical contact giving the client space to integrate what has just been experienced.