On Becoming A LEADING EDGE EXPERT On Evaluation & Treatment Strategies for Long-term Chronic, Complex, Difficult to Treat Problems of the Psycho*-Neuro-Musculo-Fascial & Joint System

* Psycho-: Refers to "breath, mind, soul" and "psychology" ... because the MIND & EMOTIONS participate in, or can greatly influence, MOST of what muscles DO or WON'T do ... but they SHOULD Do.

In DSL Edgework, along with Precise Knowledge & Skills with the Physical Musculo-Fascial Structures, You will Learn to Engage the MIND of the Client as much as they are ready for. Because THAT is where the Deepest Levels of RADICAL RELAXATION of C.E.M.&.N.T.* originates.

• * C.E.M.&.N.T.: Chronic, Excess Musculo-Fascial & Nerve Tension & Stress 

Knowing HOW It* Works — TELLS You How to WORK It!

"Having had experience with many different body-workers, David’s technique is certainly unique. There are levels of healing he achieves I’ve never seen before. This is clearly a result of a vast knowledge of anatomy and physiology combined with decades of hands-on experience."

Quote from Dr. John Bordiuk • Nutritionally Oriented M.D. & Yoga Teacher • Wellesley, MA

"I have worked with many soft tissue therapists over the years. David Scott Lynn is the only one educated and skilled enough to do what I want with full confidence that the job will be done. My patients definitely feel the difference."

Quote from Gary Fujinami • Doctor of Chiropractic • East West Chiropractic & Acupuncture Center Prescott, Arizona 

YOUR Most Important ASSETS in Your Therapy Work Are Your Knowledge, Your Skills, Your Insights & Your WISDOM. ... Please Allow ME to Assist & Support YOU in Taking Your Best Assets to YOUR NEXT LEVEL, or even Higher!

PLEASE NOTE: The Information presented in DSL eCourse-work can become very complex for SOME people. If you are not very interested in or inquisitive about sciences such as anatomy, kinesiology, physiology, neurology, physics, & related "linear" data, if you do not like lots of information or thinking deeply about such things, if you do not like to READ, my eCourses might NOT be for You.

And some people have told me “This all sounds Great, but I just don't want to Think this hard."

Fair Enough! … I Completely Understand! ... And I do NOT want to Waste Your Time. DSL Edgework is NOT for Everyone.

If by the time you're done reading through this website, you are STILL not sure but still interested, start with my eBooks and see what You think.

(The LINK to My eBooks <<<CLICK HERE or in the header up above.)

It Is NOT ALL Linear Thinking, However ...

We DO have a BIG focus on Meditation & Mindfulness, AND we are definitely into having emotional & intuitive depth & interaction in what we do. But it's kind of a 50 / 50% balance, Rational Thinking & Linear Analysis on one hand and Non-Rational Feeling & Intuition on the other hand.

Being able to switch or shift between the two Modes of Mind at will and rather quickly is of Great Value in many aspects of Life, especially in DSL Edgework and our Method of Therapy in general.

And behind it all, Emotional Connectivity is what makes Relationships, the World, and Therapy, go around!

And ONE of the processes we work with is a NON-Hindu, NON-Religious approach to the Yoga of Relationship! ... It is based more on Western, Transformational Philosophy & Psychology somewhat similar to what Ken Wilber and his Integral Institute provide. The Yoga of Relationship, developed by my Primary Yoga Teacher, Joel Kramer, and his Partner, Diana Alstad, was originally focused more on Romantic Relationships. Yet the Principles apply to just about every kind of Relationship.

NOW ... if you're a person who has a desire to become more scientific-minded, OR more mindfully intuitive, or BOTH, we CAN work with that too. That's because there will be a LOT of Personal, 1-on-1 Contact with me, and I can tailor everything for where you are at in life, and where you are going.

Personally, I went from being a Structural Steel Ironworker to a Yoga Teacher to a Mindful Massage Therapist. I couldn't do that successfully if I was "stuck in my head" all the time!

So I might be able to support YOU in doing something similar.

( PLEASE NOTE: That Level of Contact will be in the FIRST, and possibly ONLY, Pilot Program of 12 Participants. After that initial Pilot Program, it will, most likely, be Group Mentoring / Coaching, and much less or NO 1-on-1 Contact. OR, it will be a much higher price. )

We encourage & support the development of BOTH ends of the mental / emotional spectrum.

The World and the People in it certainly need more Balance between those two modes of Mental Mind & Physical Being with the Emotional Self as the Bridge between them. (NOTE: It's MOSTLY Bridge!)

And as a BodyMind Therapist using Massage, Bodywork & Yoga Therapy, YOU can help people enhance their Emotional Intelligence and more effectively merge it with their Mental Intelligence.

EI + IQ = HIQ or Human Intelligence Quotient

• There is MUCH less chance of AI & Robots ( "MassageBots" ) taking our jobs, too, if we have the Data Processing side of Mental Life more balanced with the Meditative, Sensitive, Emotional Side of Life. But Mayo Clinic & Many Others have ALREADY invested millions of dollars and are already implementing MassagBots at Mayo Clinic! So they ARE coming Right NOW!

MY PROMISE TO YOU:

( ... And Full Disclosure for Complying FTC & Legal Requirements here ... )

Since there is no way for me to know how motivated you are, how well you absorb & apply more scientific or linear thinking, OR engage in the more meditative / emotional side of life, and such, I do NOT Represent, Promise, nor Guarantee that you will be successful at "Becoming An Expert" or making more income, or getting more Clients from what you learn in my eCourses, eBooks, or Personal Consultations.

What I DO Promise is to do MY BEST to Support You in learning what’s here and getting the potential results from my eCourses, eBooks, or Personal Consultations. If YOU are sufficiently motivated and willing to put in the time and energy, I CAN help YOU get started on that path.

SO ... if you truly want to get Maximum Value from my programs, videos, eCourses, or eBooks ...

I can Provide the Ingredients. And YOU will DO the Cooking!

Thank You For Reading! — DSL

My Basic Premise for this NEW Pilot Program

My Mission In Life ...

One of my Missions In Life is to participate in the Whole Health Care Revolution of many more Human Beings returning to a more Natural, Internal Approach to the Whole Health of Body, Mind, & Spirit.

As well, I want to help the Massage, Bodywork & Yoga Therapy Community become more well-known and appreciated by Many More Americans!

In Addition, I've had many Clients, including Therapists who became Clients, ask me how come NO other therapist ever worked with them the way I do? Or there were a few widely experienced Clients who had maybe one or two therapists over the years who worked somewhat similarly to me.

Truth is, there ARE a FEW therapists out there scattered around the world who do a FEW things similar to what I do. Yet they are Far Too Few, Too Far Between, & Too Hard to Find!

Then the Client often asks if I have trained any other people in my Methods?

Well, the ANSWER is, unfortunately, NO. Not in a long time, that is. While I taught a number of people in various places around the country way back in the 1990s, I had been very busy from 2012 to 2018 taking care of my Elderly & Sick Parents, then dealing with being Shut Down by COVID-19(84), writing several books, and other such things.

So YES, I did train a number of therapists around the country back in the 1990s, but that was 30 years ago. So most of them are probably retired by now.

BUT NOW ...

I'm ready to LAUNCH my FIRST Fully Online Education & Mentoring Program.

Now, the Marketing Experts say I'm supposed to pick a Very Narrow Niche of People to focus my marketing on. And it DOES make sense from the point of view that Designing the Program for ALL Massage Therapists at ALL levels has many Challenges & Problems.

As you'll read below, though, I have designed this Foundational Program to be VERY flexible, VERY customizable, and VERY adaptable for whatever level of Therapist comes my way and is interested in and motivated toward learning about what I'm offering. That's because MUCH of the program is 1-on-1 Contact via Zoom, telephone, or other such ePlatform, as well as weekly Group Coaching via Zoom (or whatever the best platform turns out to be).

SO HERE'S THE DEAL ...

My Marketing is Primarily Focused on Massage Therapists who give a Great Massage and are Very Successful at it.

Yet they want to be able to do Higher Level-Evaluations & Develop more Targeted, Relevant Treatment Strategies for their Complex, Long-term Chronic, Difficult-to-Treat Clients.

When I first started doing Structural Bodywork, I chose to focus 100% on that small group of Clients who were NOT responding to the more traditional methods of therapy such as NMT, MFR, Rolfing®, Deep Tissue, Shiatsu, Tui Na, and so on. I figured FOCUSING on that group would make me FAR more competent MUCH faster.

You DON'T have to be exclusively focused on that relatively small market, as I was. You can mix as little or as much of how I design my own sessions as you want. But at least you'll have the therapeutic tools when a more complex case comes in your door.

Although it DOES take some TIME and EXPERIENCE to really learn the work, especially Structural / Postural Evaluations.

As I have said, most of my therapy sessions have been three or more hours long. Yet, I have had students who successfully used the DSL Edge-Touch Tension Release Technique for as little as ten minutes at a time, as I have myself on occasion.

HOWEVER, don't be fooled by the marketing. Whether you are a recent graduate from a Massage Therapy School, or an Advanced Rolfer or NMT / MFR Practitioner, or whatever, I will, within reasonable limits, adapt this Very First Pilot Program to YOUR interests & needs, based on our 1-on-1, Personal Communications & Interactions on Phone, Skype or Zoom from the VERY BEGINNING of the Program.

Introducing My PILOT PROGRAM ...

While I've taught most of my work Live & In-Person to many people over the years, and I have helped a number of therapists with various aspects of therapy online or on the phone, I have NOT taught it ALL online before. So in exchange for a Super Low Price, YOU are going to be helping make sure the program works very well for most people, and get the "bugs" worked out of the delivery technology.

And Because this is a First Time Pilot Program, and I am asking YOU for your input, feedback & interaction along YOUR interests & needs, the PRICE is going to be about HALF of what I plan to charge in the near future. And THAT price is a FRACTION of what it costs to go, for example, to the Structural Integration (Rolfing®) School in Boulder, Colorado. (The Rolfing Basic Training is $25,499 now!) ...

And as you'll read about on my BIO / History page on this website, the Rolf® Institute did NOT teach what I wanted to know how to do ... !!! ... Which really surprised me when I figured that out. But it took some time working with several Rolfers before I realized it.

• PLEASE READ: "Why I Did NOT Become A Rolfer" at THIS LINK.

Yet YOU WILL be learning the Foundational Material of my work in the DSL EdgeWork Education & Mentoring Program.

My Objective is for YOU to know the Principles & Practices I knew and was using when I first got known as an "expert" way back in 1989 and had been getting Excellent Results with Clients for several years.

I want YOU to be able to sit down with a neurologist or orthopedic surgeon, explain what you do and the sciences behind it, and have them KNOW that YOU know what you are talking about!

And WITHOUT the Roll The Eyes Factor that so often happens when an Alternative Health Practitioner attempts to "explain" things to the Doctor.

So take look around this website. There is a LOT of information about my work on the Home Page of this site, and on the page with My BIO / History ... My Life & Work Story, <<<CLICK HERE if you've not been there yet.

And don't forget to check out my Special Report #1 on Challenges & Opportunities for Massage, Bodywork & Yoga Therapists in 2025.

LINK to Special Report #1 <<<CLICK HERE

And Please Check out my videos on YouTube.

YouTube LINK >>> DSL EdgeWork

Then Get In Touch with Me. (Use the "Get In Touch" button at the top of these web pages.) Let's TALK and see if I can Help YOU with Your Practice.

BELOW, you'll see the Curriculum Modules listed with Descriptions.

And if you've NOT been to the DSL Home Page where you will learn a LOT about what DSL Edgework is and how it works, Please Click This Here Yellow Button with the Red Text:

DSL Edgework: Mindful Medical Massage, Myo-Structural Balancing & Yoga Therapy

THIS IS A "PILOT PROGRAM" — It will most likely be a One-Time Opportunity to get access to DSL EdgeWork at HALF the Price I will be charging in the near future AND it will very possibly have a lot less Individualized, 1-on-1 Attention in the future.

Yet I want to make sure everything works right, that I am giving participants (hopefully that includes YOU!) the Relevant Value they need and want, and they are moving through the course as best as possible.

While I will not have much in the way of Rigid Rules, I do want to make sure my Educational Videos & PDFs, along with the Group Coaching Sessions & Private 1-on-1 Calls, and eMail Q&A, DO THE JOB. ... So I'm going the Extra Mile in this PILOT PROGRAM and making it as affordable as possible.

While there will be Group Interaction via Weekly Zoom Calls (or other appropriate platform), each participant will go through the program more-or-less as an Individual, with individualized attention, at their own pace. However, the weekly calls can be VERY valuable in expanding all of our perspectives.

You'll have access to videos, PDFs, and such for the Core Information, which you will keep. We will do Group Coaching on (probably) Wednesday nights on an Ask Me Anything basis. (I am flexible on which night we choose, so I will put it up for a vote.)

And I will not close the group call for the night until ALL Questions are answered. (Although, sometimes, my Answer might be: "We will cover that topic in Module #??")

You will also have a Weekly, 1-on-1, Private Zoom, Skype or Phone call with ME, about an hour in length, but for THIS program, I will not be very strict on time limits. I will probably leave 30 minutes between each call in case we go over an hour per call.

I'm more interested in you learning what you need to learn than in sticking to a precise schedule. And of course, the Instructor learns a LOT in the process too, if they are Paying Attention!

And as you will see, Paying Attention is a CORE, Primary feature of all this work.

And from the Mentoring & Coaching Perspective, we will cover whatever you need to move ahead in your Life and/or Practice.

This PILOT PROGRAM might be the only time I do it with this much Flexibility & Individualized attention. If it goes well, I might not do as much, or any, 1-on-1 in future programs. Or it will be an additional charge.

Though I've not taught a LOT of DSL EdgeWork online before. I HAVE taught enough online that I know most of the work IS teachable & learnable online for motivated participants.

I've even coached Therapists through an entire bodywork session on the PHONE!

Yet I am NOT sure how quickly ALL participants will be able to grasp the concepts & applications. And many or most participants will be very different in how they learn, and how fast they learn. And I want NONE of them Left Behind!

So this will be a CUSTOMIZABLE, "As WE Go" Education & Mentoring Experience for the Participants. I will adjust and modify any of it depending on the Feedback I get from YOU, a Participant.

AND, as I said, I will be working with Participants on a 1-on-1 Basis to a Great Degree. That way I can gauge how well you are learning and applying the Method of Therapy. And I can make sure the program is geared to Your Individual Interests & Needs to the greatest degree possible.

THEREFORE, below is a TENTATIVE List & Description of the Modules and Is, Based on Your Input throughout the program, Subject To Change. ... That includes the Module Names AND Content of each Module and the Order they show up in. And the order might be different for different participants.

The CORE, Fundamental Information will be the same, but HOW it is delivered and the sequence might change, depending on your particular situation. And you might give me some New Ideas of what should be in the course!

Because I'll also be working 1-on-1 with you, I will offer any Participant to Request I provide any Module in a different order than is presented here if it works better for You. And I will modify the content as necessary if it fits in with the overall Method of Therapy.

The Purpose of the Pilot Program, then, is to engage YOU, the Participant, in helping make the program Relevant & Accessible for and by all of the Participants. And that should help make the Program more accessible & relevant to Future Participants, even if it is more structured.

One of my Objectives is to help the Profession expand and develop its reputation & desirability with more of the American People. And maybe someday we will go International!

That Development Aspect is also why the Pilot Program is about HALF the Price that it will be in the near future.

HERE ARE THE MODULES:

• Basic DSL Release Technique & Mindful Mindset for Successful Myo-Therapy

This is THE Primary Manual Therapy Technique DSL has used about 90% of the time for more than forty years. The technique achieves significant results in relieving tension, stress, & trauma in muscles that had for MANY YEARS or even DECADES resisted ALL attempts to get them to Relax, Release, & Let-Go. The Basic Release Technique seems TOO simple at first, yet there are MANY important subtleties & nuances in how to use it and how it works.

The Biggest Factor in successful therapy is  MINDSET: knowing where the Client's and Therapist's Minds should be focused, and what REALLY makes a muscle Let-Go of tension. We will also go deep into the study of the medically proven physiology & neurology of WHY this technique works as well as it does.

Developing the Science-Based CONFIDENCE that it works makes a HUGE difference for a lot of people. Even I had doubts at first until I saw it was NOT just a fluke that people were getting better. Once you see it and try it, you'll know why that sometimes takes some TIME to get the hang of it.

Frankly, sometimes, this Technique takes longer than I would like. On the other hand, sometimes people get such GREAT Results so FAST it is remarkable.

Yet I gained a lot more confidence that my Technique works so well after learning that the medical science was clearly behind me. I was not just "getting lucky." ... And I hope YOU will gain that confidence as well. ...

And when people have been in pain for many years or decades, they don't care if it takes a few extra weeks or months for it to work. Especially when they have been living with it for YEARS or DECADES! But with some people, YOU need to be able to transfer YOUR Confidence over to the Client so they can & will stick with the process.

And this content should give you the ability to immediately start using the technique with your Clients.

• Myo-Structural Decompression & Balancing — Standard Series

I prefer not to work with generic "protocols" or "recipes" or a pre-formatted "To Do List." You might have heard the term "One Size Fits NO One." A standard protocol can be helpful for many Clients who have very similar issues, such as the Rolfing® "10-Session Recipe." But in very complex cases, recipes are FAR less useful and very often counter-productive.

Yet in the early stages of learning DSL Edgework, it can take some time to thoroughly Learn & Apply the Structural & Postural Evaluation Principles for developing custom-designed Treatment Strategies, especially when a Client with very complex issues shows up (such as in multiple car accidents when hit from different directions). Yet there IS a Common Pattern Of Treatment for Effective Myo-Structural DE-Compression & Balancing that most people can benefit from.

It is based on my 44 years (so far) of working with such Clients. I observed patterns of misalignment that were VERY common. As in, MOST people I've worked with had over-shortened abdominal muscles, hamstrings, and gluteal muscles. So I found many of the people I worked with, even the extreme cases, benefited from at least half a dozen sessions focused on that common distortion pattern.

(Which is the OPPOSITE or what many people teach, by the way.)

You will learn how to work with that pattern so you can immediately start using the DSL Method during your learning process.

This gives You, the Therapist, "something to do" for the Client while the Therapist goes through learning the How To phase of the DSL EdgeWork Structural / Postural Evaluation. ... And by performing the Standard Myo-Structural DE-Compression & Balancing Process with each of your Clients for several sessions, you'll develop your FEEL for how the DSL Release Technique actually works. ...

And so will your Clients!

This Module will cover some of the Basic Sciences & Principles behind Structural / Postural Evaluation to get you started on how DSL views the BodyMind and how it breaks down. That gives you some of the Big Picture so you will know WHY & HOW the Standard Series works.

For Example, we will have a detailed discussion of the Anatomy & Kinesiology of the Abdominal Wall and how it has a MAJOR effect on Posture & Breathing. Many people will get Great Results JUST from your releasing of their ABs.

There are Health Care Practitioners who ONLY work with The Breath. And YOU can provide a significant change in a Client's Breathing Patterns far beyond just "teaching them how to breathe."

• BodyMind Breakdowns & C.E.M.&.N.T. 

This module Educates YOU, the Therapist on many of the problems emerging from C.E.M.&.N.T. — Chronic, Excess Musculo-Fascial & Nerve Tension & Stress. It includes the Physiology behind it, Why & How muscles tighten up in the first place, and what to DO about it all. ...

And just ONE explanation for PAIN is ischemia & hypoxia, which both contribute to oxygen deprivation of local muscle tissue and cause pain. Dr. John Sarno wrote of this in his books on Healing Back Pain and related titles.

And C.E.M.&.N.T. contributes directly to ischemia & hypoxia.

Knowing such things and how they happen and break down expands the mind of the Therapist and prepares them for the Challenges of CONFIDENCE that the Basic DSL Release Technique can be so effective for so many things. And Educating Your Clients in how it all works gives them more confidence in the process, especially if they are a Client who needs a lot more time than others do. Which does happen.

And Educated Clients who know how to work with the DSL Process very often get better, faster results, too.

• Self-Care & Massage Tools

This module is one of the modules I'm not really sure where it should be in the sequence of modules. If there are Participants who have a lot of their own neuro-musculo-fascial problems, we might do it sooner than later. That way, they can start healing their own Soft Tissue Issues from early on.

Where this is in the sequence of modules will depend in great part on my first 1-on-1 Phone, Zoom, or Skype Call with You and the other Participants.

Some of the Program Participants might be among those Therapists who have suffered from over-stress of their OWN Neuro-Musculo-Fascial systems. And they are at risk of having to leave their chosen profession due to physical stress or trauma. Or they have Clients who are suffering the same. Or they want or need an ongoing self-maintenance program right away. We help them develop various things they can do on their own, including effectively using massage tools, when there's no one around to help them.

Surprisingly, most of the videos I've seen on using Massage Tools do NOT show a LOT of the things I do with them, even for my own self-treatments. But years ago, I was in pretty bad shape and had no one to work on me. So I had to figure it out myself. Thankfully I found those tools! And I will show you what I know!

These are things YOU can teach Your Clients, increasing your VALUE to your Clients! You could even do it remotely if necessary. You just need a video camera or smartphone.

SO ... if you ARE a Therapist who has significant Soft Tissue Issues going on, we can get this module in the sequence sooner rather than later.

And it IS possible I will be doing a different sequence of modules for each participant, depending on their current situation.

• BIO-Structural Analysis & The Homeopathic Interview

Orthodox Medicine tends to think of "structure" as the bones & joints and maybe the ligaments, and only occasionally and minimally do they focus on the muscles. There seems to be a strong bias against assessing muscles & fascia as a primary cause of or at least a participant in many musculoskeletal troubles. Maybe that's because, with few exceptions, they do not have great skills in recognizing, evaluating & treating excess musculo-fascial tension.

Ida P. Rolf (of Rolfing® fame), however, expanded the view of "structure" quite a lot when she started addressing the soft tissues — muscles & fascia — as far more integral to the structure of bones & joints. (Unfortunately, I think she went WAY overboard, elevating the fascia as of higher importance than muscle cells. In my view, muscle cells and deep fascial sheaths are of EQUAL importance.)

OUR understanding of "Structure" is far more "wholistic." There is a Living, Breathing, Feeling, Thinking Human Being above, behind, and within the musculo-skeletal structure. It needs to ALL be accounted for.

The prefix BIO- (meaning Relating to Life & Biology) in BIO-Structural refers to the fact that there IS a Living, Breathing, Feeling, Thinking Human Being behind and operating the musculoskeletal structure, with a lot of physiology, neurology, & metabolic processing going on behind the scenes. They keep the structure living, breathing, blood pumping, standing or sitting up straight, and going.

For some Clients, there is also a LOT of emotional, mental, & psychological stuff going on that sometimes needs to be accounted for.

Our understanding of the Bone & Muscle Structure and the Physics of what makes a Structure "stand up" without falling down, is critical to observing stable proper posture & fluid movement. We learn about the physics of physical structures, combined with how the nervous system controls everything to stabilize the body and move it all around.

This Study Incudes:

• Advanced Structural Anatomy

• Structural / Functional Kinesiology

• NeuroMuscular & MyoFascial Physiology

• BodyMind Philosophy & Neurology

• Structural / Physical Sciences (Physics, such as ...)

• Gravity
• Leverage
• Types of Structures
• Mechanical Advantage
• Vector Forces

• MATRIX Thinking & Seeing — Connecting The Dots

I'm sometime shocked how many physicians have told their patients that an injury they had many years or decades ago could not possibly be causing the Patient a problem today. Or that a "tight muscle" cannot be that big of a problem!

But there are MANY people whose Body or Life IS controlled by traumatic or injurious things that happened to them many years or decades ago. Sometimes they have even forgotten about it!

Yet many of them have been "trained" by their doctor or therapist to discount those "old" events. Very often, they won't even mention them to you unless you probe REALLY deeply. Some people take a LONG time before they tell you, or even CAN tell you, REALLY important stuff.

And YES, a "tight muscle" CAN be the cause of many very big problems.

The Homeopathic Interview & Health History

The Homeopathic Interview is about digging into and unearthing a Client's past & current Reality & Health History to better understand what's really affecting them right NOW. All too often, events in the distant past are currently having a BIG effect on them. Unearthing and Knowing these factors — and Connecting the Dots — can explain a LOT of things and can help the Client RE-Associate parts of their BodyMind that have become DIS-Associated, and affect better possible treatment strategies. ...

The relevant Homeopathic Principle is that Like Cures Like. If a Client can in their mind recreate an old scenario that closely matches the original traumatic event, the mental / emotional recognition of that old pattern can in many cases trigger an internal, Awaress-generated RESET of those chronic patterns in their BodyMInd.

We will look into the various aspects of Homeopathy that apply to such psycho-neuro-musculo-fascial therapy. (There is a LOT more to Homeopathy than just the little white pills some homeopaths prescribe.)

• Myo-Structural Balancing & Postural Evaluation

Knowing WHICH muscle, or which parts of which muscle, to work, and WHEN, is a VERY important aspect of Therapeutic Bodywork & Yoga Therapy for complex soft tissue issues. Because the SOURCE of the problem is NOT always where the Client experiences the problem. The pain is often in the REACTIVE muscles, not the causative muscles.

A deep understanding of advanced structural anatomy & functional kinesiology help determine the Locked Short Muscles, which are usually the muscles causing the most problems and are the first musculo-fascial units to work with.

Recognizing the Locked-Long Muscles, and leaving them alone for a while, helps avoid throwing the Client further out of balance when systematically releasing their myofascial structure. And very often, though it is counter-intuitive, the locked-long muscles are the ones that hurt the most. Yet they very often get the most attention for the wrong reasons, and the Client gets WORSE!

So you have to be able to explain to the Client why it's NOT a good idea to work on the locked-long muscle(s) very much until the structure is well on the way to being rebalanced. EVEN if those muscles hurt the most.

There have been a few times I broke that rule to give the Client some instant relief. Very Often, I GREATLY regretted doing that! It's NOT always a problem, but enough that I am VERY cautious about it.

( Years ago, I used to call myself the Wrong Muscle Guy! ... Yet it usually turned out to be the RIGHT Muscle in the end! )

• Myo-Structural Balancing Strategies

On Becoming a Neuro-Musculo-Fascial DETECTIVE . . .

Once you have a Basic Understanding of "What's Going On" in your Client's BodyMind, it is time to figure out how to apply the information: What To Do, What NOT To Do, and When to Do (or NOT do) It. This is done mostly by:

1.) Advanced Knowledge of Structural Anatomy & Functional Kinesiology

2.) Many Case Studies giving you a wide-ranging view of what can show up in people and what the various possibilities are.

CAUTION: This is NOT an Exact Science. The sciences ARE very precise. Yet there are so many possible factors, that you will become a Neuro-Musculo-Fascial DETECTIVE.

We will start with using MY Own Case Study as a Prime Example. That's because I had a very complex situation of severe pain & scoliosis that was far worse than most of the Clients I ever worked with!

Beyond the physical & medical sciences, sometimes it does  often take a Moment of Intuition to "figure it out." And you are NOT always right. Even I don't always "get it right."

Sometimes there is a process of elimination going on. Sometimes, Clients have OLD compensation patterns covered up and HIDDEN by NEWER compensation patterns. So when you release the NEW compensations, sometimes the OLD compensations come up with a vengeance.

And YES, I WILL put my Ego aside and tell you about the times I got it WRONG! Because very often the MOST learning happens when you are talking about what did NOT work! So you CAN learn from MY mistakes.

But your ability to prioritize the possibilities in Structural Analysis is greatly enhanced, and intuition almost always works better when your Intuition is Well-Informed by the FACTS.

• Let-Go Yoga Principles & Practices

Many Clients get Surprisingly Great Results JUST from a properly designed & applied set of Let-Go Yoga Postures. Practicing a custom-designed Series of Yoga Postures between therapy sessions can enhance and maximize as well as speed up a Client's results. DSL has several unique nuances making DSL's Let-Go Yoga System more effective than much of how yoga is more commonly taught. It also helps the Therapist with their own Self-Maintenance.

It is NOT just "Tips & Tricks." It is about DE-Constructing Physical Yoga down to the Fundamentals of HOW YOGA WORKS.

To Start, we cover using yoga postures to recreate the hands-on version of the Myo-Structural Decompression & Balancing Process offered in the 2nd Module above. In this yoga approach, it starts with a simple, 3-posture process that is surprising in the positive results produced by JUST those three stretches!

There are of course many more possible stretches or modifications. But we can get started there, and some people get amazing results JUST with those three stretches.

To be fully transparent, I sometimes think I should have THIS module come first in the program, to be the very first module. That's because my whole Therapy System, INCLUDING the hands-on, manual work, is based on my Original Yoga Practice.

Again, that question will be more fully resolved when I have my initial conversations with the Participants in the program. It will depend in great part on Who Shows Up!

• Advanced Neuro-Musculo-Fascial Physiology & Neurology

Knowing the Bones, Joints, Muscles & Fascia is a Big Job. Individually, there's only so much they can do within their inherent, internal constraints. But when you start adding all the different muscles working in concert with each other, the potential range of actions are almost infinite. Then, when you add the nervous system into your thinking, it's like Playing with a Deck of 52 Wild Cards! The possibilities are essentially infinite! That makes analyzing the human structure a little complicated, to say the least.

What we will do is study & understand the most fundamental principles of the nervous system, especially the Parasympathetic, Sympathetic, & Poly-Vagal systems. We learn about the Gamma / Alpha systems, and Golgi Tendon Organs & Muscle Spindles. And don't forget Renshaw's Cells! We do it all in the context of treating the neuro-musculo-fascial system as precisely as possible. We start with all that and see how far & deep we can go. Yet you WILL learn the most important elements.

In truth, it is more likely I teach these elements by spreading them out through the entire program, as they come up. So THIS module might be distributed throughout the whole program. That is part of the Purpose of the Pilot Program, to figure such logistic details out.

• Adjunctive Release Techniques

There are three Adjunctive Manual Tools or Techniques used VERY occasionally, maybe 10% of the time in total. But when you need them, there they are. The most used is the DSL Neuro-Fascial Release Technique (similar to Skin Rolling in NMT, but we apply the NO Pain, MORE Gain Principle there, too), used to reduce irritation in the Superficial Fascia, the deepest layer of the skin.

We also use Traction, and "Rocking & Rolling" on some occasions. What rocking & rolling the joints does is set up a "Pattern Interrupt" that "confuses" the nerve system, which often makes it spontaneoulsy "give up" its tension patterns. Traction de-compresses the joints while slightly stretching muscles. But we do it with "The Edge" ( NO Pain, MORE Gain ) Technique so as to not trigger a "stretch reflexive reaction" causing the muscle to react with a contraction.

• Advanced Structural Anatomy & Functional Kinesiology

Once you have the Basic Principles of Structural / Postural Evaluation down, and know how the primary postural muscles work or breakdown, then we start diving deeper into the many other muscles and factors to continually expand your knowledge & perspectives.

FULL DISCLOSURE on Anatomy & Kinesiology: Knowing the Anatomy & Kinesiology of the musculo-fascial & bone structures is of Great Importance. For some people, it is the most challenging, because there are SO many possible muscle/bone relationships in the body. We can NOT get into them ALL in great detail. There just will NOT be enough TIME.

We WILL go into great depth in a FEW of the most common, major, structural distortion patterns we work with in Myo-Structural Balancing.

You will learn the FORMULA, Perspectives & Principles for Postural Evaluation & Structural Analysis. THEN, you will be able to use that formula, with a great anatomy book or online program, on your own. You'll be able to do a similar analysis on ANY muscle/bone relationship in the body, as you need it.

Admittedly, SOME people prefer to have a Guided Tour of all the muscles. I have provided Live, In-Person workshops doing that, but they took several DAYS by themselves. And everyone needed a model skeleton such as provided by Jon Zahourek's Anatomy in Clay® Learning System.

If enough people want me to do one of those Guided Tours, an A&K Masterclass, online, I can do so. But it will be a Separate Program with a Separate Price.

• Internal / External Ergonomics & Design

Very Often a Client's Issues arise from the way their environment at home or work is set up, or the way they use equipment at the gym. It occasionally happens that unless the Client makes certain changes — like the re-positioning of their computer monitor, or maybe it's how they're lifting weights at the gym — they will keep re-triggering and reinforcing their Negative Habit Patterns. Sometimes, you need to make an on-site visit (to view them in their REAL LIfe) to figure it out and even RE-Design how they have everything set up.

Sometimes, no matter what you do to their environment, their body cannot adapt until their internal, musculo-fascial tensions are relieved. A person who is always searching for "the right shoes," or the "right mattress," or "the right pillow," has to realize it is how their body is NOT conforming to the shoes or mattress or pillow that is a MUCH bigger problem. And until their muscles are more relaxed & balanced, giving them more fluidity and resilience, their body will resist conforming to their environment.

This is a lot about educating them, as well as SEEING what they are doing, or not doing, that increases their problems. It might also give you insights into which muscle groups are really causing the most problems and in need of more therapy.

• Common Pathologies Revisited

An Extension of the C.E.M.&.N.T. and BodyMind Breakdowns Module, we take those principles and examine a wide range of pathologies in the light of neuro-musculo-fascial issues to see what can be done about them.

• Philosophy, Psychology & Science of BodyMind Therapy

DSL EdgeWork operates on a number of Philosophical Principles that direct and motivate how we think, feel & operate in the world. One philosopher said people and their behavior are controlled by their Philosophy in Life. But if you don't know what your philosophy really IS, you cannot do much about it.

Yet sometimes, our philosophy was unconsciously selected by our deeper psychology, and even our physiology, sometimes long ago. We examine a few of DSL's Core Philosophies to see how they can influence how we think, feel, and operate in our Life & Work. And sometimes, we assist our Clients in such a Self-Exploration, as well.

To be Fully Transparent, I would prefer to start the whole program with this module to establish a Common Mindset for us in the program. Yet I know a lot of people want and need to get right into the actual manual therapy. That's why I teach the Edge-Touch Tension Release Technique right at the very beginning. But if people are interested in this, we will work some of it in as we go.

Just let me know if the Philosophical Component interests you that much.

• Psycho-Emotional Perspectives & Integration

Understanding or knowing about our thinking & emotional processes and the physiology / neurology behind them can expand our perspectives beyond just looking at posture and structure, as important as those are. The Polyvagal & Parasympathetic Systems are a big part of this Module.

In polyvagal theory, the Vagus nerve is responsible for the more highly evolved emotional perceptions and responses of our BodyMInd. So we should know something about THAT!

The Parasympathetic system controls the rest, digestion, healing & regerantion of the BodyMInd.

Another Major Element of DSL Edgework is the work of Alfred Korzybski. He is the man who promoted the idea of Colloidal Tissues "absorbing" various nerve inputs and being remodeled by those nerve inputs, and storing negative neural patterns.

AND, another name for the Colloidal Tissues is ... FASCIA!

It so happens that Ida Rolf, founder of Structural Integration and highly focused on fascia, was a trained chemist and studied with Korzybski. He also had some very important observations of human life and produced some philosophical theories that are foundational to my Philosophy of Life and DSL EdgeWork.

One of his principles was Time-Binding. That it is our job, as fully actualized Human Beings, to condense our Knowledge, Skills & Wisdom, "package" it, and hand it off to the "Next Generation." That hand-off could be from Teacher to Student, from Parent to Child, or from Therapist to Client, or Coach to Athlete, and so on.

And THAT is what allows each generation to start out at a higher level than the previous generation. When people Time-Bind, they are Advancing their Civilization. When they STOP Time-Binding, civilization begins to fall apart.

So I approach this entire eCourse as it being MY JOB to "Hand Off" as much as I can to YOU so YOU can go beyond, get better than, what I have done in MY Life and make your own unique, creative contributions to society.

We use our teachers NOT to just conform to what they taught us. We use our teachers as springboards to go BEYOND what they taught us.

I am also very focused on the development and interactions of AI (I prefer to call it Augmented Intelligence rather than artificial intelligence) and EI (Emotional Intelligence or Emotional Quotient). I believe there is a VAST market of Potential Clients, especially in the corporate world, executives who are recognizing the value of EI in doing their work as well as in their private life.

I think we can use Massage, Bodywork & Yoga Therapy to help people explore and greatly expand their emotional sensitivity and integrate it with their mental activity.

My Formula is that AI + EI Enhances HIQ or Human Intelligence Quotient.

Even Harvard Business Review has many articles and books on the ever-increasing Value of Emotional Intelligence in the Business World!

With the proper focus, DSL Edgework can play a BIG part in helping people explore & unleash their Emotional Selves.

1. Structure of the Musculo-Fascial-Tendinous Unit:

A. Fascial Sheaths — Protection & Transmission — Colloidal Structures.

Tissue Extensibility / Flexibility — Hyaluronic Acid / Fluidity vs. Strength.

Hydration — Water Binding Capacity.

B. Fascial Sheaths Become Tendons Becomes Periosteum

(attachment points to bones) — Force Transmitters / Protectors.

C. Muscle Cells — Actin / Myosin Units — Force Generators

Muscle Cells + Water Pressure + Fascial Sheaths = Action

E. Proprioceptive Nerves —Sense of Position & Movement.

Golgi Tendon Organs & Muscle Spindles — Tonus Inhibition.

Renshaw’s Inhibitory Spinal Cord Cells — Reflex Arcs.

F. Proprioception vs Sensation Perception — Pain Creation

G. Pseudo-Weakness — Active / Passive Insufficiency

2. The Health / Fitness Spectrum & The Hard Body Mythology 

A. Tone, Tonus, Resting Tonus, Tension — Trigger Points.

Relaxation vs. Tension vs. Chronic Tension vs. Contracture.

B. How Fitness, Exercise & Tension interfere with Health.

Health / Fitness Balance — Sympathetic / Parasympathetic.

C. Why NO Pain Means MORE Gain in Therapy & Daily Function.

The Goldilocks Principle — Edge of Pain, Fear, Resistance.

Reflex Arcs — Non-Conscious Resistance.

D. Sympathetic / Parasympathetic Function

Hyper-Activity, Reticular Formation — Emergency 4-Fs.

Internal Self-Healing — Arndt-Scultz Law.

Neuro-Musculo-Fascial Law.

E. Myo-Structural Balance — Strength vs Length, Short vs Long

F. Strength vs. ROM vs. Flexibility vs. Resilience

G. Neurological Skill Development & Neuro-Muscular Facilitation Without Tension Accumulation

H. Tension Reduction Strategies & Deep, Radical Relaxation

 3. How Healthy Muscles Work — Neuro-Musculo-Fascial Structure:

A. Posture, Fascial Water Bags, Hydrostatic Buoyancy

Interactions of Muscles, Bones, Fascia, Gravity — Tensegrity

Internal Water Pressure — Bags so Water Can Walk Around

B. Hydration & Muscle Cell Strength

Cell H2O Volume, Strength & Skin Tone (Wrinkles)

C. Freedom of Action, Flexibility & Resilience

Balanced Actin / Myosin Muscle Cells — Reciprocal Inhibition

D. Maximum Range-of-Motion & Strength via

Maximum Deep, Radical Relaxation — DE-Contraction

E. Nutrition & Detoxification via Increased Relaxation

Blood / Lymph Circulation

F. Muscular Influences on Respiration & Digestive Function

4. BodyMInd Breakdowns — When Bad Things Happen to Good Muscles:

A. Repetitive Action, Intensity, Loading & Tension Building

Habitual Neuro-Musculo-Fascial Patterns

B. Neuromuscular Discombobulation (AKA Discoordination)

Sensory-Motor Amnesia — Familiarity of Action — Violinist vs Violist

Does Pain Necessarily Mean Damage?

Stair Step — Attention / Distraction — Thinking Mind as Observer / Moderator, NOT the “Controller” — DE-Sensitization

C. Human Osmotic Pressure & H2O Displacement in Muscles Intracellular

Extracellular Water, Lymph & Pain

D. Stabilization & Protection from External Forces.

More Habitual Patterns — Consistency.

E. Jammed Sarcomeres vs Normal vs Over-stretched Sarcomeres

Active Insufficiency vs. Passive Insufficiency & “Lost Strength.”

Pseudo-Weakness

F. Joint Compression, “A-neural Issues,”

Inflammation (or lack thereof) — Joints / Muscles vs Blood

G. Chemical Buildups & Nociception (Pain Sensitivity)

H. Cascading Sympathetic Overload — Vagus Nerve

Law of Generalization — Accumulating Injury & Trauma

5. Psychological & Neurological Elements:

Control Circuits of the Psycho-Muscular System

A. When Does the Heart Muscle Relax & Regenerate?

B. Radical Relaxation & Relaxed Action — Vagus Nerve

C. Sensory-Motor Amnesia — Desensitization

Descending Sensory Pathways (worth the whole course by itself)

D. Cerebral Cortex & “Creation” of the Pain Experience

E. Alpha / Gamma Integration & Muscle Tension / Relaxation

F. “Muscle Memory” — Neurological Basis of Memory

Pattern Interrupts

6. Final Session RECAP, Principles of Therapy, Q&A

That's your Tentative Overview of the SCIENTIFIC CONTENT of the School of Hard Knots! — I Promise you will know more about this “stuff” than most Practitioners do. …

Even many Physicians don’t know some of this. Or they will say something like "I remember something about that way back in medical school!" But they never USED the Concept in their practice!

My Intention for this Pilot Program is to give you the Education & Insight you need in order to BE where I was when the DSL Method was up and running and I was successfully treating and training other therapists with great results. It is also FAR MORE than what I knew when I taught that first group of already practicing therapists at Heartwood Institute. (You can read about that on the BIO/History page.)

BIO / History of DSL & DSL Edgework <<< CLICK HERE

I have learned a LOT since then, but all the Fundamental Principles are still the same, with a few critical additions that I WILL include in this Pilot Program.

You will have the information I had, and you will know my Foundational Perspectives & Insights I was using when I became a "successful" Therapist and Instructor. And a LOT of people thought of me a an "Expert."

From there, your SKILL development will depend on how well and how much you apply what you learn, delivering therapy in the treatment room, which I of course have NO control over. After the Pilot Program is complete, I will be available on a Mentoring / Coaching Basis to give you more insights and help, but you have to USE the work to REALLY Understand & Master it.

I will be Available at NO Extra Charge for ONE MONTH after the program is complete. Beyond that, I will work with you at a more than reasonable rate.

One area that can be challenging is applying the principles of Structural Anatomy & Functional Kinesiology to my Method of Postural Evaluation. I will be giving you the principles of postural analysis, and a lot of examples. Yet there are so many possible variations as to what you will run into with your Clients, there is no way we can cover even a large fraction of them in a few modules.

To master it for all body parts and all situations will require you to study the anatomical & kinesiological factors on your own, beyond the scope of this Foundational Program. ...

If you wanted me to personally guide you through most or ALL the muscle / bone relationships, the Anatomy & Kinesiology, of the body, that would take a LOT of time. My intention is for you to understand the Principles & Formula enough that you can get a great anatomy & kinesiology book or online program* and use the Principles to study and learn all the many details of more muscles on your own.

(* I have several books and programs myself and I'm STILL looking things up all the time, there is SO much to know!)

CONTINUING EDUCATION MASTERCLASSES ...

HOWEVER, if after the program is complete, enough participants who want to study such material with my direct support, I can produce a Masterclass on whatever topic, such as "Anatomy & Kinesiology Applied to Postural Evaluation." To go over most of the muscle / bone relationships in the body might require about 3 hours per week for about 12 weeks, maybe less. The very first one of those Masterclasses would be a Pilot Program too, as I do NOT know for sure how well that can be done online. So the cost for a Pilot Masterclass would be VERY reasonable for the first group.

One thing for ME on THIS Pilot Program ( School of Hard Knots ) is to see what areas we might want to produce Supplemental Masterclasses.