Body Logic is a bodywork system that releases muscle restrictions and realigns the proper alignment of the skeleton. Learning the system is a two-year process, according to Yamuna Zake, author of "The Ultimate Body Rolling Workout: The Revolutionary Way to Tone, Lengthen, and Realign Your Body." The system is based on Zake's theory that most people suffer pain and restricted movement due to faulty body alignment, which results in collapsed posture, muscle tightness and pressure on nerves.
Body Logic Defined
Body Logic practitioners use gentle traction to assess every joint in every range of motion to see where there are restrictions and why, explains Zake. These restrictions might be caused by tight or underused muscles, or by skeletal misalignment. The system teaches therapists how to relieve compression and tightness, which frees space around the joints and elongates muscles. "This is where the glide returns to your gait," says the Body Logic website. "Unless there is a very specific joint problem, the practitioner will try to work the entire body always trying to bring the entire body into balance," adds Zake.
History
Zake developed the Body Logic system after suffering a dislocated hip injury following the birth of her daughter. The rigors of childbirth traumatized the muscles surrounding her hip, causing the joint to become unstable, she explains. Using her knowledge of anatomy, physiology and kinesiology, which she gained while practicing as a yoga instructor, Zake healed her own body and developed the Body Logic system.
Training
The two-year Body Logic training program is divided into four sessions of five days each year. First-year students learn anatomy and alignment basics for the legs, back and spine, then move on to working on the front and side of the body, incorporating release techniques on the cranium, pelvis and arms. Second-year students focus on specific joints including feet, knees, hands, wrists, arms and the thoracic cage, plus more detailed cranial work, explains Zake. To become certified, each student completes several case studies and must perform a satisfactory session on Zake or one of her advanced practitioners.
Prerequisites
Many practitioners begin their training with Yamuna Body Rolling, a self-care system that is complementary to Body Logic. "We usually recommend Body Logic as a post grad training because of the extreme detail and precision needed to practice," says Zake. Practitioners often have a background in massage or somatic therapy.
Considerations
Some states require a massage license for any bodywork that involves hands-on manipulation of muscles. Check with your state massage board to determine the laws in your area before planning to take training in any body work modality. As of 2010, seven states -- Alaska, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Vermont and Wyoming -- do not license body work, according to the website NaturalHealers.com.
References
- "The Ultimate Body Rolling Workout: The Revolutionary Way to Tone, Lengthen, and Realign Your Body"; Yamuna Zake and Stephanie Golden; 2003
- Yamuna Studio: Body Logic
- Yamuna Zake; Yamuna Body Logic; New York, NY
- Natural Healers: Massage Therapy State Boards and Licensure
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