THE TRAGER® APPROACH

Trager uses deep presence and gentle movement to “teach” the body/mind to release old, deep-seated mind and muscle memories.  Dysfunction is replaced by new, healthy experiences, patterns of greater flexibility and freedom of movement.

Your body can get stuck in the movement patterns and limitations it is accustomed to.  An old injury may cause a limp, restricting your movement. Even after healing, your body may not remember how to properly move again after having introduced movement patterns to compensate for the injury.

When we learn how to walk as babies, we use every muscle in our body to get up and move on two feet, and everyone in the room applauds!  The mind records that feedback as “I’m doing something right!” and programs it. Nobody ever teaches you how to stand in a way that requires less muscles, but of course there are easier ways of standing up.  Do you lock your knees when you stand up? That puts a lot of stress on your low back and your neck. But that’s how your body learned to stand and you don’t even think about it.

The Trager Approach involves guiding the body through a series of rhythmic movements which teaches the body/mind new and more fluid ways to move. Often, this re-patterning unlocks muscle memory and allows a wider range of movement.

You may ask how Trager is different from traditional physical therapy.  A physical therapist usually takes your injured body part through a range of movements.  What makes Trager different is that it focuses on the quality of the movement and ensures all body parts are moving in balance as a whole.  Trager also helps get rid of the fear and emotional trauma that has collected in the body as a result of the injury.  A Trager therapist does not force your body to make certain movements.

“Injured or fearful clients appreciate the fact that I only do what they’re ready for.  I work lighter and softer and smaller until the body/mind of the client says, ‘I can let you do that.’  Then and only then can we begin to make change.”

— Sage Madrone

This is important because when an arm feels lighter, you can swim faster; you’re not working as hard.  You’re allowing the muscles to move.  Golfers find their swing is more fluid, freer and faster.  Runners’ legs don’t get as cramped; they are able to disperse lactic acid more easily.  Their stride gets wider.  People often stand taller.

Non-athletes may feel that they can sit straighter, walk with more ease and feel “lighter” within their bodies, feeling a freedom of movement they have never known.  This feeling can also be achievable by differently-abled persons (stroke, Parkinson’s etc.) or by those in a wheelchair.

She isn’t inclined to brag about herself, but Sage was trained by Dr. Milton Trager himself.  In fact, for 15 years, she helped him teach his classes. She has been learning and teaching this form of bodywork for well over 40 years.

Sage keeps her skills up to date officially, aside from using the Trager Approach on many of her clients every day.

Trager can be conducted fully clothed. This makes it ideal for those who may be shy or suffer from emotional trauma.  Trager can help the recovery of someone who has been emotionally traumatized.

Deepak Chopra, MD said:  “Milton Trager’s work will benefit anyone wishing to lead a healthier and more dynamic life.”

Andrew Weil, MD said:  “Trager work is one of the least invasive forms of body work. It helps facilitate the nervous system’s communication with the muscles, so that it can be used as a method of rehabilitation.”

The spectrum of conditions that can benefit from Trager is huge:

• Athletes
• Anyone afraid to be touched
• Accident victims
• Illness
• Challenges with functional mobility
• Back pain
• Neck pain
• Want a better quality of movement in their body
• Want to live in a more comfortable body

When you come in, Sage will interview you to find out your current needs.  She will watch you walk or move to see your balance and quality of movement.  You will then lay on the table fully or partially clothed during the session.  Sessions are individually tailored to meet a client’s needs, so those in wheel chairs can be worked on in their chairs or on the table.

Part of the session involves “mentastics” (mental gymnastics) which is movement awareness.  Learning about your body’s movements transfers the benefits gained during the table work to your daily life of functioning upright.  Sage teaches you to incorporate your newly learned patterns into your daily life, making them yours.