I was a newly certified Trager Practitioner and my mentor suggested I travel to southern California for a course with Milton while he was still with us.
I boarded my flight and realized my neck was bound up and I couldn’t turn to look right or left nor up or down. I was upset, how could I take advantage of this time with Milton if my neck was frozen? When I entered the classroom, Milton asked all participants to lay down on massage tables; he wanted to feel each student’s neck. Now I was embarrassed to show him my stuck neck. He came to my table, slid his warm, soft hands under my neck and said one word, “Stiff”. He quickly put my cranium down and moved on to another student.
I figured he’d seen me as a hopeless case. I lay there, stewing in my own despair for what felt like an awfully long time, wondering if he would ever return. He did come back and once again, his large hands, so like warm soft mittens, cradled my neck. I felt my cranium release down into those knowing hands. To my absolute astonishment and with his playful guidance, my neck bobbed from side to side, up and down, slowly at first and then faster. I had a miraculous range of motion. I felt so free, so happy and so grateful. I absorbed the rest of the course like a sponge. Even now, if I close my eyes, I can recall his hands: soft and certain--and my own trust.
I endeavor to carry Milton’s legacy in my current practice to each client. I particularly appreciate clients who are experiencing anxiety. The Trager Approach is so respectful and gentle and invites the release of deep healing patterns. My experience includes hospice situations; adults with dementia; stressed children and teens; individuals facing major transitions, Parkinson’s, MS and depression, and those wanting optimal health.
I maintain a private practice in Santa Fe, NM. I also love teaching kids to swim and offer aqua aerobics classes for adults at the Santa Fe Community College. As a grandmother of seven I knit when I can.