HELLO! This is David Scott Lynn, Founder & Developer of DSL Edgework.
And YES, this Letter to You is LONG …
So if You do NOT like to read, if you are NOT interested in gathering a lot of information & perspective, if you prefer Sound Bytes over Sound Salads, You can probably SAVE Yourself Some Time & Energy and NOT read this thing. …
Although if You are a Text Scanner, I highlighted the most important words that I hope will catch your eye. … (That’s why I do that!)
YET … IF You Want To Be A Leading Edge Expert,
YOU Need To KNOW More Than Other Therapists Your Clients or Prospects Could Be Going To.
In an Info Age where people, such as your Prospective Clients, are getting FAR MORE Educated about the things & services they purchase, YOU need to offer better, deeper, more persuasive descriptions & explanations than other therapists or programs your prospects might be considering. You need to become more EDUCATIONAL to stand out among all the other Therapists & Teachers.
Many People Have TOO MUCH Information.
What They NEED Is More Insight & Wisdom.
MY MISSION is to Help & Support YOU in Providing that
Insight & Wisdom Along with Superior, Therapeutic Knowledge & Skills.
And *I* Want Happy & Satisfied Clients & Students.
So we should figure out sooner rather than later
whether my information & style works for YOU, or NOT!
PLEASE don’t think of the Letter to You as just a product description, brochure, or catalog listing. Think of it as an (approximately) 35 to 40-page “vertical eBook” or White Paper. It is meant to be INSTRUCTIONAL as well as INSPIRING and INFORMATIVE. You will learn a LOT about how and what *I* think so you can decide if what I’m doing is interesting and useful to *YOU* … Or Not.
There is a LOT of of wide-ranging depth to what we’ll be discussing here and in my programs. Meaning it will be difficult to become an Expert & Master without a LOT of Knowledge & Insight as well as Skills.
Again, MY MISSION is to Help & Support YOU in Providing that
Insight & Wisdom to Your Clients. That Way, when They or a Friend or
Family have a Soft Tissue Issue, YOU are the First Person They Think Of,
their Trusted Advisor.
The Merging of Linear, Rational Thought
with Mindful, Emotional Sensitivity
We DO strive for a Refined Balance between the Rational, Linear, Thinking processes and the Non-Rational, Experiential, Meditative or MIndful processes of Consciousness, Feelings, Emotions & the Thinking Mind. …
I find that we need them BOTH in pretty equal, and LARGE, amounts! And it helps to be able to seamlessly switch between the two modes as our therapy sessions unfold. …
But don’t worry, if you do NOT feel like You are strong in one area or the other, IF YOU ARE WILLING, we WILL work with You on that at YOUR pace. … Or even BOTH areas!
SO … if all the above is NOT a Problem for You …
PLEASE READ ON! …
In Times of Economic, Social & Political Uncertainty,
YOU Need an EDGE
— Preferably a *Leading Edge* —
to Keep Your Knowledge, Skills, & Wisdom In High Demand …
And HOW Would It Make You FEEL To BE That In-Demand Therapist?
Challenges & Opportunities for Massage, Bodywork &
Yoga Therapists in Our Current Environment
There are MANY Challenges & Opportunities facing us Massage, Bodywork & Yoga Professionals, and other Practitioners of musculo-fascial-related therapies.
-
- Mayo Clinic and Google are investing many MILLIONS of dollars into Massage-Bots with the intent to replace at least SOME Human Massage Therapists with Bots. …
- Artificial Intelligence is making robotic therapists far more attractive to many potential and even existing Clients (such as lower prices and fewer inhibitions about being touched). …
- Singapore has a Medical Company with EIGHT Clinics that are staffed primarily with AI-driven Massage-Bots for muscle therapy. …
- Recent Actions by the Orthodox Medical and State “Authorities” have attacked Whole Health Medicine, including interfering with musculo-fascial therapist’s Right To Practice. …
- Pandemics & Lockdowns put many of us out of business (including ME) by calling us NON-Essential for quite a while. And many therapists left the field altogether. …
- A faltering economy reduces discretionary income for a LOT of people. Unless the Prospect or Client views massage or bodywork as a NECESSITY, they might not be able to justify the expense. …
- Out-of-Control Inflation also means a lot of people have to cut back on their discretionary purchases.
///////
On The Other Hand …
-
- Thousands of New Millionaires are being created in America every month. …
- Estimates are that 97 MILLION AI jobs, with fairly high incomes, will be created over the next several years. …
- Many doctors are more accepting of and recommend “alternative” modalities, including massage. …
- More of the General Public sees how Massage / Bodywork / Yoga can reduce or eliminate excess muscle tension & stress and relieve much pain & dysfunction. …
- More Massage Schools realize how more medically therapeutic hands-on therapy can be. …
- Many Spas & Clinics say they can not find enough well-trained Massage & Bodywork Therapists.
//////////
So there is somewhat of an Even Split between the Positive & Negative forces facing us all today and in the near future. Those of us who have an Entrepreneurial Spirit and are willing to become Great Communicators will stand out among the crowd and will do Very Well if we apply ourselves.
THE TRICK is to make sure YOU are on the Right Side — the UP Side — of that Power & Employment Curve! These are things we’ll be discussing in my various Programs and on the Website & Social Media.
BTW, WHY Include YOGA Therapy & Practice in the Process?
You might wonder why I’m bringing up Yoga in a program that is to a great degree focused on Medical Massage & Myo-Structural Bodywork? …
The First Thing is I’ve found the Principles & Sciences behind them are almost identical and work like Hand-In-Glove with each other.
We’ll get more into that further below, but BRIEFLY, I was a Yoga Teacher long before I became a bodyworker. And I had the Good Fortune to study yoga with Joel Kramer, a Master Innovator & Philosopher who was a Major Contributor to the development of an American, yet Highly Conscious style of Physical, Mental & Relational Yoga. He was teaching this stuff way back in the 1960s and ’70s.
His & His Partner’s innovations were truly unique and I learned MANY Important Life Lessons in many ways. When I got into massage & bodywork a few years later, I realized most of those lessons and innovations were, with minimal modification, truly and directly applicable, and became ESSENTIAL, to my style of Bodywork.
Without those Life Lessons, it is hard to say whether I would have become the Innovator & “Expert” I became in the Musculo-Fascial Therapy World. AND, Yoga is something you can teach Online, just in case we have more Pandemic or Climate Change Lockdowns, which many politicians around the world ARE predicting.
I believe we should Maximize Our Skills & Possibilities in Life & Work, and knowing the Human Muscle System from the point-of-view of a Bodyworker AND Yoga Therapist can give You a BIG EDGE in attracting or keeping Clients. We want to become as ESSENTIAL to our Clients as possible.
And if You take my OPTIONAL suggestion and look into adding Whole Health Counseling into your practice as well, your knowledge about muscles & fascia will add to that too. And that is something YOU can do online, just in case we have further pandemics or lockdowns.
Do You LIKE to Read, Study & Learn?
If you do NOT like to read, and are not VERY Interested in the Sciences behind Massage, Bodywork & Yoga, then you probably will NOT find my work and teachings as useful to you as they could be.
I’ve even had people come up to me at conferences and say they read my booklets, and while they thought it was very interesting and probably works very well (it DOES!), they also said they did not want to Think as hard as they thought they would have to to use my Style of Therapy!
And YES, there is a fair amount of Rational Thinking to really do the “Homeopathic Interview” and Structural Analysis / Postural Evaluation in DSL Edgework.
On The Other Hand, other people, reading the same material, tell me they were glad they found someone who thinks the way THEY do. … Believe It Or Not, though, I will NOT be able to please EVERYONE! … But I can live with that!
We will cover a LOT in the program. But at the Purely Data Level, the most efficient way I know of to gain that extra knowledge is with, well, Reading. Watching videos can be very good, but it’s pretty slow. If you take my programs, you will receive a number of my publications which you can read when you are ready and find the time. (You won’t have to read them to complete the program.)
And we will be getting into some High-Level Philosophy & MIndset along the process. This means that if what you are looking for is just another Manual Technique for your Therapy Toolbox, this might not be the place for You.
JUST A NOTE:
I also believe My Story about how I learned and integrated all of the above, and a LOT more, can help YOU figure out how to BECOME YOUR OWN EXPERT in Your Own Right. And so you’ll hear some of that story below.
SO … It Looks Like You Are Still Here! … SO LET’S GO … !!!
… Are YOU Ready …?
To Start On YOUR Path to Becoming a
Leading Edge Expert & Trusted Authority & Advisor
in Neuro-Musculo-Fascial & Joint Therapy
in Your Community …?
… Utilizing Mindful Medical Massage,
Myo-Structural Balancing & Yoga Therapy?
Are YOU Pursuing A Path to Becoming Proficient at Successfully Treating Complex, Chronic, Difficult-to-Treat Neuro-Musculo-Fascial Challenges of Your Clients?
THAT is MY MISSION in Life, to Assist & Support YOU in Achieving that Status, that Level of Knowledge, Skill & Insight, for Yourself and the Benefit of Your Clients. …
And Your Future Prospects, including how to find them, too.
DSL Edgework has a FOUR+ DECADE (40+ YEAR) Reputation for getting People OUT Of Pain & Dysfunction who’ve had such Neuro-Musculo-Fascial & Joint troubles for Years or even Decades. And those Clients, and their Therapists, had tried MANY, if not MOST, of the many & various healing modalities available.
HELLO! This is David Scott Lynn and Thank You Very Much for Stopping By! …
After many years of dealing with Family Issues (elderly & sick parents), then COVID-19 issues, I am FINALLY getting back on, along with my Websites, to Social Media via Facebook, YouTube & LinkedIn too.
So now, with my Private Practice strictly limited to the most challenging Clients at this time, my **Main Professional Mission** on my Websites & Social Media Business Pages is:
To Support YOU,
a Soft Tissue Therapist (regardless of your preferred modality),
in Becoming THE Leading Edge Expert & Trusted Authority on
Explaining & Treating Soft Tissue Issues in Your Community.
With almost FORTY-FIVE YEARS of Experience successfully treating VERY challenging Clients in Private Practice, I’m now focusing almost exclusively on *Education & Mentoring / Coaching Programs* for Muscle Therapists.
AND So That You Have A CONTEXT To Hold All This In-Depth Information …
HERE is the Primary Focus of Our Work …
Is *C.E.M.&.N.T.* the NEW “Missing Diagnosis”?
C.E.M.&.N.T. is short for Chronic, Excess Musculo-Fascial & Nerve Tension & Stress. …
Also known as “Tight Muscles.”
This, we believe, is the Real, CORE Issue for many of the
Soft Tissue Issues our Clients are suffering from or dealing with.
And You will soon have an Entirely NEW Vision & Understanding of what The CORE is all about, as well! Learning to Recognize & Evaluate for C.E.M.&.N.T. and Provide *Deep, Radical Relaxation* & Release of “Tight Muscles,” is at the CORE of What *DSL Edgework* is All About.
The CORE consists of the External (left) and Internal (right) Muscles (in below illustration) of the Abdominal / Lumbar Region including a number of the back muscles. The CORE also includes the Pelvic Floor & Diaphragm.
As well, the Gluteal and Hamstring Muscles have a Great Effect on the CORE. This entire Complex of Muscles is central to our work with BIO-Structural Analysis, Postural Evaluation & Myo-Structural Balancing.
IMAGE AUTHORS: Anatomy & Physiology by Lindsay M. Biga, Sierra Dawson, Amy Harwell, Robin Hopkins, Joel Kaufmann, Mike LeMaster, Philip Matern, Katie Morrison-Graham, Devon Quick & Jon Runyeon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. The Image is from Oregon State University’s Online Pressbook textbook, Chapter 10-2 (direct link below). I highly recommend going to their site & downloading their comprehensive, FREE & well-written eBook. You can never have too many Anatomy Books! https://open.oregonstate.education/aandp/chapter/10-2-skeletal-muscle/
“You did for me in 4 hours what physiotherapy couldn’t do in 4 YEARS. … And, you gave me the tools to continue working on my own.”
~ Michelle Sands
Yoga Teacher • Montreal, Quebec
“Having had experience with many different bodyworkers, 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.”
~ Dr. John Bordiuk
Nutritionally Oriented M.D. & Yoga Teacher
Inner Balance Med • Wellesley, MA (Near Boston Area)
“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.”
~ Gary Fujinami • Doctor of Chiropractic
East-West Chiropractic & Acupuncture Center
Prescott, Arizona
In the DSL Edgework Education & Mentoring Courses on Becoming a Leading Edge Expert. You Will Learn …
1.) What is C.E.M.&.N.T.
2.) What Problems it Causes
3.) What Causes C.E.M.&.N.T.
4.) WHY it can (sometimes) be SO Difficult to Treat
5.) HOW to Work With & Resolve C.E.M.&.N.T.
6.) How to PREVENT it in the Future
7.) How to Protect YOURSELF (and Your Clients) from C.E.M.&.N.T. with Preventive, Self-Care Techniques?
When YOU can Explain such “Things” to Prospects, Clients, or Students in EASY to Understand, Common Sense Concepts, YOU Get Attention and Become The Memorable EXPERT. If or When they or their Family or Friends have Soft Tissue Issues YOU Become The FIRST Person They Think of, and FIRST Choice to Go To for Therapy.
And of course, being a Neuro-Musculo-Fascial Specialist will get you More Clients & Higher Fees.
I know. … If YOU are like ME, You got into this work NOT because you thought it would make you rich. You got into it because YOU Want To HELP People Improve their Well-Being in a More Wholistic Way. …
AND, if it can give you a Nice Work- & Lifestyle in the Process, GREAT!
With 45+ YEARS in Development (starting when I became a Yoga Teacher in 1976), *DSL Edgework* Reveals & Provides the Knowledge, Skills & Insights YOU Need to Become a Leader & Educator in the Field of Soft Tissue Therapy.
Finally, a Therapist who KNOWS the neuro-musculo-fascial & joint system, how it works, and how to heal or improve it, combined with yoga therapy, has a level of economic insulation just in case we have another Pandemic and/or stay-at-home Lockdowns. …
We will, in part, focus on what a Muscle Therapist can DO to transfer their Knowledge, Skills & Insights through ONLINE Offerings for their Clients.
And OPTIONALLY, combined with (an optional program of) Health Counseling, you’ll be FAR more valuable than someone who only knows the more usual methods of Metabolic & Lifestyle Health Coaching.
For EXAMPLE, How Many Health Coaches know that if your muscles are Too Tight, the hydrostatic (water) pressure inside the muscle cells will be so high that it pushes the water OUT of the muscle cells? And no matter how much water you drink, water cannot go back into the muscle cells until the muscle has RELAXED, reducing the pressure inside the muscle? …
You can add more dimension to most people’s Health Profile with your expanded knowledge of metabolic processes and how musculo-fascial tissues affect everything.
This DSL Edgework Pilot Program will include an Introductory Segment on Whole Health Counseling incorporating knowledge of the Neuro-Musculo-Fascial system FAR MORE than most (or maybe any) Health Coaches have any knowledge about or experience with.
Both Bodywork AND Yoga Therapy techniques CAN be taught Online. (The bodywork can either be in helping a Client with Self-Treatment, OR, if you have two or more people on the other end of the screen that can work on each other with your Guidance.)
NOTE: A few of the above-mentioned components, such as Health Counseling, will be introduced during this Pilot Program. For those who want a more Comprehensive Experience & Knowledge of all that, that will be in a separate program.
And Again, WHY the Yoga? …
I got into Martial Arts & ZEN Meditation when I was 13 years old, and started applying those things to everything I could think of. I started doing yoga when I was 19, in 1973. Then I went to my first Hindu Yoga Master, Sri Nerode, in 1975. After several months of visiting with him every few weeks, he offered me a job teaching Yoga in Hyde Park, Illinois, which I declined.
Instead, in 1976, I went to a One-month Residential Intensive with Joel Kramer & His Partner, Diana Alstad. Joel (now unfortunately passed on) was a Leading Edge Philosopher & Innovator in Physical / Mental Yoga.
Diana Alstad received a PhD from Yale in 1971 and was a professor at Duke University in the humanities. She is an author, lecturer, seminar leader and multi-lingual interpreter (French, Italian, Spanish) and also a leader in Women’s Studies and Feminism.
Together, they applied Joel’s Yoga Principles to developing Relational Yoga, which was developed initially for Romantic Relationships, but applies to relationships of all kinds, including business and therapy.
Yoga & Bodywork go together like Hand in Glove. AND, it just so happens, the Hands-On component of DSL Edgework (my system of therapy) was originally designed & developed based on many Principles & Sciences of Physical (Postural), Mental (Mindfulness), & Relational (Human Interaction) Yoga.
In fact, DSL Edgework was originally practiced with Clients as an Externally Applied Form of Physical & Mental Yoga.
Properly developed Yoga Strategies are good for Client Support in between therapy sessions and Client Maintenance after their course of therapy has achieved their goals.
Mindful Physical Yoga is also very good for a Therapist’s Self-Maintenance.
We will go into HOW to DO all of the Above in the DSL Edgework Basic Training.
“Application of these Teachings will take Yoga to new heights in the Western World. … The DSL Method is profoundly sensical.”
~ Lesli Hunter
Yoga Teacher & Student
Sedona, Arizona
“While DSL’s concept and execution of bodywork is nothing short of amazing, it is his approach to yoga that has been life altering for me. The profound yet subtle changes have reinvented not only my own practice, but the way I teach yoga as well. Of all the yoga techniques I’ve studied in the past 30 years, not only are David’s methods what I’ve been searching for, but the feedback from my students is equally as positive. I’m excited about teaching yoga again.”
~ Nan Araneo • Yoga Teacher
Rockport, Massachusetts
Former Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapist
TO BE CLEAR: There are many excellent methods of hands-on and yoga therapy out there. Most or all of them are Very Effective at treating many of the problems of many people. There is, however, a small percentage of people who do NOT respond well to those modalities.
DSL Edgework is designed primarily for those Clients who do NOT respond well to the common therapies. And rest assured, there are a LOT of them! And the Method works very well for people with less severe issues as well.
I, DSL, have used the DSL EdgeTouch Manual Technique, at least 90% of the time, for 40+ years. I have three other modalities I use in certain circumstances a small percentage of the time. And you will learn those too.
BTW, I am NOT searching for a bunch of DSL clones. You do not have to practice the way I do. Yet because the method is based precisely on the sciences of anatomy, physiology, & neurology of the human body, the Principles can be applied to any & all modalities.
That said, if someone DOES want to practice the way I do, that can, of course, be arranged.
If any of this interests YOU … Please Read ON …
YOU TOO Can Learn the Knowledge, Skills & Insights YOU
Need to Produce Those Results in Your Own Practice!
DSL’s Education & Mentoring Program
“With 18 years experience in the health care professions, I appreciate soundly re-searched & scientifically based approaches to rehabilitation. The DSL Method of BodyWork has expanded and refined my understanding and applications for achieving postural correctness and pain relief in less time. David has a unique way of reiterating known fundamental laws, redefining erroneous concepts, and instructing the participants through a successful treatment program.”
~ Al Cujas • Physical Therapist • A.T.C., N.M.T.
Former Instructor for the St. John NMT Seminar System
Winston Salem, North Carolina
“David’s understanding of the neuromuscular and myofascial system challenges everything I learned in school. Yet I have sent several difficult patients to him — those who were not responding to conventional methods. Upon follow-up, they were all found to be symptom-free and able to exercise without problem.
“In personally receiving bodywork from him, his manual skills are beyond compare. David has the perfect combination of sensitivity, knowledge and skill. Both in teaching and performing therapy, David is a great communicator — humorous and engaging, delightful to work with. His conviction, passion and dedication inspires me.
“David is, by far, the best teacher I have ever known. … Where DSL teaches, I will follow. Hope to see you there.”
~ Karen Rampino • Physical Therapist
Wellesley, MA
This 12-week PILOT Education & Mentoring Program is YOUR Opportunity — at a significantly reduced price — to help me Design the FIRST, Online “DSL 3.0” BASIC Education & Mentoring Program developed around YOUR Individual Needs & Interests. It will be part Private (1-on-1), and part Group.
MY OBJECTIVE for this PILOT Program: To See if I can, in 12 weeks, provide YOU with the MOST important things I knew when I first developed DSL Edgework, my Method of Mindful Neuro-Musculo-Fascial Therapy.
Can I provide YOU the most Important Foundational Lessons of FORTY+ YEARS of Experience & Study in about 40 HOURS over the course of 12 weeks? That’s 3 to 4 hours per week.
PLUS a PERSONALIZED, One-hour, Private Mentoring / Coaching Call with You EVERY WEEK. This is intended to Customize Your Learning Experience with me to Your Needs, Interests, & Learning Style.
And we can work on your Work- & Life-style as well, if you like. The Private Calls are, essentially, that we work with WHATEVER it is you want or need.
In about forty hours of teaching time, plus 12 1-hour, 1-on-1 Private Mentoring Calls, I believe I can teach you most of what I knew when I first developed this work into a successful modality. While I’ve made many refinements and additions over the years, the Basic Principles remain the same. I believe they are timeless principles, and will not change unless human beings evolve into something very different than we are now.
I’ve worked with Clients from all over the Country, and from several other countries. Most Clients say NO ONE does what DSL (that’s me) does. And it very often works when nothing else has, even after YEARS of them trying to get Relief. …
YES, there probably be a few therapists who use similar principles & techniques and CAN produce such results. But they are Far Too Few and Too Far Between. So there is a BIG NEED for more Therapists like YOU who can produce those highly specialized results.
“David is doing cutting edge work in the field of bodywork, and it would take 3 or 4 teachers to replace what he knows.”
~ Tracy Hall • Physical Therapist
Chico, California
“The DSL Method has been an eye-opening experience and has changed the direction of my work. David’s work is challenging because it is precise and logical, yet its openness inspires my own creativity. I have been motivated to study the physiological principles behind good bodywork in a new, more effective light.”
~ Lynn Barry • P.T.A., A.T.C., N.M.T.
Beverly Sports Medicine • Beverly, Massachusetts
“Through my years of experience in clinical practice and taking over 100 seminars in bodywork, I have found The DSL Method to be the missing link toward a greater understanding of human physiology and chronic reflex pain patterns. I endorse and highly recommend taking a course in The DSL Method.”
~ Kyle C. Wright, L.M.B.T.
Advanced Schools of Bodywork
Charlotte, North Carolina & Jacksonville, Florida
Please See my Testimonial Pages for More:
https://davidscottlynn.com/testimonials/
Again, this is about YOU Becoming THE Leading Edge Expert & Trusted Authority & Advisor in Your Community On Soft Tissue Therapy … with the HELP of DSL Edgework …
I Believe YOU Can BECOME the Therapist who can resolve the Difficult-to-Treat, Complex, Chronic — and often Acute — Soft Tissue Issues of Clients* no one else has been able to help.
- Client: One Who Is under the Protection of another. (from Webster’s Dictionary)
Please compare with “Patient”:Patient: 1. a person receiving or registered to receive medical treatment …
2. able to accept or tolerate delays, problems, or suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious.
Which would YOU prefer to be? A Client? Or a Patient?
This Shift in Mindset helps you set a new, higher standard for Yourself to offer a Client the Highest Standard of Care possible.
And Can Potentially Gain You Many Benefits Such As:
-
- More Clients. (Maybe even a Waiting List!)
- More Sense of Urgency for Clients to KEEP their appointments.
- Higher Fees per Session.
- More Respect & Appreciation from Your Community.
- More Opportunities to Expand Your Horizons.
- Utilize your New Knowledge in New Ways.
- You might even become “The Therapist’s Therapist”!
- More ability to control WHO you work with and WHEN.
- More Opportunities to Design Your Life- & Work-style the way YOU want.
- Longer-term payment packages for Client Commitment & Cash Flow.
Do You Ever Wonder if YOU Could BE That Expert? …
Do You Have DOUBTS that YOU Could BE that Person?
If So, Are You Ready to — LET GO — of Those Doubts?
Now, Here is the (Required) Lawyer Speak:
If you take any DSL Course, Program or Publication, I am making NO Promises nor Guarantees that You will make extra money or get more Clients or any other material benefit from any of my programs. We do NOT know how well you will or can learn nor apply what you learn. We cannot promise what Results You will get with Clients.
THAT will be up to YOU and how hard You work, study & APPLY the information. …
But there is NO WAY for me to know what you will do with what we teach. While we will do everything we can to provide YOU with The BEST Education possible, I PROMISE that I will Do My VERY Best to show You the Ingredients & Recipes. I can tell & show you what I did, I can give you many important Insights. But YOU must provide the actual applications of what You learn. …
We will provide the Ingredients, but YOU must DO the Cooking!
That Said, YOU TOO Can Have An Opportunity to Learn …
Better Answers to the Puzzles of Posture, Pain & Dysfunction
BUT … WHAT, exactly, Are We Dealing with?
We start with the idea of, and sciences behind, C.E.M.&.N.T. or Chronic, Excess Muscle & Nerve Tension & Stress.
We believe many, maybe most, problems in the neuro-musculo-fascial system & joints are caused by C.E.M.&.N.T. … And many metabolic problems, too.
Remember, many of the organs of the body are made of muscle too, and are subject to accumulated levels of stress & tension. For instance, the intestines are thin layers of smooth muscle. If they get too tense, the intestines cannot perform peristalsis (rhythmic, muscular contraction / relaxation) properly. That can lead to intestinal metabolic issues.
Restrictions in abdominal and chest muscles can interfere with proper, full movement of the diaphragm & lungs, interfering with proper breathing.
These restrictions can be produced by C.E.M.&.N.T. — Tight Muscles — in the abdominal and chest muscles.
Educating Our Clients on the nature of C.E.M.&.N.T. helps them understand what has happened to them, and can make it easier for them to let go into the therapeutic process. Many people, when their mind gains understanding, can then calm down, relax, and become more able to engage in the Therapeutic Healing Process.
You’ll also be learning about things like Engrams, which are the neurological basis for C.E.M.&.N.T. & much dysfunction. … Understanding the sciences behind engrams, synapses, and neurons helps YOU know why some Clients take a LONG time to get better, even though other Clients with similar symptoms get rapid results.
Yet Engrams are ALSO the very basis of ALL our Learning and Memory. So we NEED them!
When YOU understand how all this works, you gain more confidence in the process, and can better educate your Client(s). If YOU have more confidence and can share with them why, the Client will have more confidence as well.
IMPORTANT SIDE-NOTE — MUSCLE “versus” FASCIA:
FYI … For those of you who’ve been told you can treat the myo-fascia separately from the muscle cells (and there ARE some people out there teaching that) and that the fascia is being ignored … please take note:
When I use the word “muscle” by itself, I am referring to the entire neuro-musculo-fascial UNIT as a synergistic, integrated, whole system. Otherwise, I will use the terms “muscle cells” OR “fascial sheaths” or “deep fascia” when describing those elements in isolation.
You can see the three types of fascial sheaths in the illustration to the right:
- Epimysium
- Perimysiem
- Endomysium
There is also the very important distinction between the “deep myo-fascia” (fascial sheaths containing muscle cells) and “superficial fascia.” But when I say “muscle” I am NOT ignoring the fascial sheaths / deep fascia at all.
When it comes to Evaluation & Treatment of a Client’s Structure, I do NOT significantly distinguish much between Muscle Cells (generators of muscular, contractile forces and strength) & Deep Fascia (fascial sheaths of the muscle cells). Again, I treat them as an integrated, whole, synergistic system, NOT as separate tissues.
Yes, they have very different functions and anatomical descriptions, yet they are so closely intertwined & enmeshed with each other, it is nearly impossible to treat one without treating the other. And I believe it is counterproductive, or even dangerous, to think of them as significantly “separate tissues.” They are different, but NOT separate. …
The Superficial Fascia (as distinct from the Deep Myo-Fascia) is another conversation. Suffice it to say I do not see how the superficial fascia has a significant, direct effect on the joints & bones from a postural or movement point of view. Yes, it CAN have an indirect effect (neurologically and in “stickiness”) but NOT the way it is usually presented.
More directly, the superficial fascia is right on top of the deep fascia (the fascial sheaths of the muscle cells), such that only VERY light pressure is necessary to get to the deep fascia, which is Right There JUST under the skin and continuing on down to the bones.
In most places, unless you use an extremely light touch, you cannot treat superficial fascia without touching and affecting the deep fascia and muscle cells too.
I give several examples in my Courses & eBooks as to why I think Significant Errors happen when attempting to think of muscle and fascia as significantly separate tissues. … Different YES, Separate, NO.
My Science Classes (the most important of which are in the Basic DSL Program) DO go extensively into the anatomical, physiological & neurological differences between muscle & fascia.
… I Just Thought You Should Know!
Back to the Main Points:
HOW Do We Work With Muscles?
WHAT Is Different?
DSL Edgework Education includes the Basic DSL Release Technique of HOW to get stubborn muscles to Relax & Release. This technique is deceptively easy to learn and apply. It is designed to help you FOCUS more on THE CLIENT and what’s happening in their body rather than on delivering the technique itself.
It is slow, steady pressure, in ONE SPOT on the musculo-fascial unit, with very little lateral movement — NO cross fiber, NO slide & glide, NO stripping, NO deep, painful, or intrusive pressure — well within the Client’s preferred levels of sensation.
I do NOT usually work with the attachments, but perpendicular into the middle of the muscle belly.
With our NO Pain, MORE Gain philosophy, the Client should LIKE or be NEUTRAL about what they are feeling. They should be inviting the sensation, NOT fighting the sensation. If the Client is tolerating what their Therapist is doing, the Therapist is already too deep into the tissues.
But almost all the movement is either sinking deeper or backing out, with almost NO sideways work. At most, I change the angle of pressure, with slight adjustments of angle and approach, waiting to get a significant release of tension before moving deeper or to another spot in the muscle.
Clients tell me I actually get DEEPER than the Deep Tissue Therapists, AND I can stay in the tissues longer, AND I can find more “stuff” in their muscles. Because I WAIT for the tissues to relax before sinking deeper, so they are never fighting or resisting me.
I’ve very often been told by Clients that no other therapist had ever spent as much time in certain areas. Yet the Client always thought the Therapist should have. And the Client was RIGHT. They often needed MUCH more time in specific areas than they had ever been given.
By-the-Way … For most of the years of my practice, I’ve done THREE-HOUR SESSIONS. That’s because the Clients I attract NEED that much time.
Some therapists have asked me WHAT could I possibly DO for three hours?
WELL first of all, you do NOT have to do three-hour sessions for this to work. I’ve had Therapists (who were students of mine) who only used my Method for 10 or 20 minutes at a time. But they said it made ALL the difference in their results with certain Clients.
Yet some people have much accumulated tension & stress, and have been recirculating it for many years or even decades. When they find YOU, they will want to unwind, to release & dissolve, their tensions & stresses as quickly as possible. I’ve worked on people as much as 6 hours per day, ten days in a row! Because they want to get better ASAP and are VERY Motivated!
The Trick is to know when you need the technique, versus when other modalities are sufficient.
Now, here is a Primary Principle or Motto of DSL Edgework …
The DSL Therapy MOTTO:
It is easier to open the door before you walk through it, and you cannot peel an onion from the inside out. …
And each thin layer of the onion is a doorway to the next thin layer. … You do NOT sink in deeper until the layer you are on has started to release.
You FOLLOW, or Add Energy to, the Release of Tension You do NOT PUSH through the tension.
It sometimes takes time, sometimes a LOT of time. I’ve had Clients with a muscle SO tight that their doctor, AND their massage therapist (!!!), told them it was a BONE! Yet it was NOT! We give the Client’s musculo-fascial units the TIME it takes to Relax & Release, to Let Go thoroughly.
Knowing your Anatomy REALLY well helps this a LOT.
“I learned more anatomy from David in 5 weeks than in 4 YEARS of medical school.”
~ Todd Mangum, MD • Web of Life Wellness Center
Salt Lake City, Utah
“David’s seminar was a great functional anatomy review for me. It has given me new insights into my patient’s chronic postures and how to help them better. It is a great adjunct to chiropractic and bodywork.”
~ Leanne Apfelback • Doctor of Chiropractic
Chicago, Illinois
But when a Client feels a muscle start to let go that’s been “tight” for years or decades, even if very slowly at first, it is a Welcome Relief. Especially if they’ve been told it was a bone and that it could NOT relax!
Many Clients ask why more Therapists don’t DO this? The thing is, the Therapist has to slow down enough to REALLY FEEL what’s happening in their Client’s bodymind. My observation is many, if not most, therapists do not have the patience to do that.
IN THEORY … Now that I have told you all that, maybe you could just run with what you already know? What do you need ME for?
Well, Good Question! … Truth is, it’s very possible. I’ll discuss this further below. But it’s all about knowing how the BodyMind works well enough that you have the CONFIDENCE that the Scientific Principles MUST at some point begin to work in your and your Client’s favor. Some people take a LONG time to get better.
Another *DSL Motto* is:
“Knowing How They WORK, Tells You HOW To Work Them!”
WHERE To Work & WHEN?
We will ALSO focus on BIO-Structural Analysis, helping you evaluate your Client’s Posture & Structure and decide which muscles are MOST important to work on, and in what sequence.
This is about a specific Formula of postural analysis I use that, for some reason, very few muscle therapists have figured out. I learned it from a man — Daniel Blake, founder of Structural Bodywork — who had been directly trained by Ida Rolf, founder of Rolfing® AKA Structural Integration.
But after becoming a Rolfer, Daniel started doubting some of the Basic Principles of Rolfing, so he left the Rolf Institute to develop his own methods, even traveling to Europe and India in the process.
I had, in 1982, been thinking of moving to Boulder, CO to attend the Rolf Institute. But when Daniel came to Chicago to teach his Method of Structural Bodywork, and it turns out I decided I agreed with Daniel’s disagreements with Rolfing. So I took his program instead.
And DSL Edgework has, in several areas, almost opposite views from Rolfing of how the body works, and why it goes out of alignment and develops pain. … So that saved me from having to move to Boulder!
Like NMT, MFR, Deep Tissue, Somatics, Hellerwork, and many other therapies, Rolfing works extremely well for many people and many issues. … DSL is for those Clients those methods have NOT worked for.
There are several other Essential Elements of DSL Edgework you’ll be learning as well.
MY JOB is to move you as far toward Expert Status as you are willing and able to go, depending on Your Motivation & Commitment to learning the work.
In this Pilot Program, each week, we will address (approximately) one of the following Elements of DSL Edgework…
“David’s evaluation segment allows me to quickly target all parts of my client’s structural dysfunction. The lab once again confirmed that working with the body, instead of forcing it, yields the most dramatic results. This course is well worth the time and study.”
~ Suzanne Kuro • Physical Therapist
Roselle, Illinois
“I utilize The DSL Method of postural analysis and tension release techniques with my clients on a daily basis. My staff massage therapist and I will be attending whatever courses David offers in the future.”
~ Eric Cutting • Doctor of Chiropractic
Amesbury, Massachusetts
WHAT MOTIVATES ME (In Part)
REGRETTABLY, over the years, I’ve had many conversations with Massage, Bodywork & Yoga Therapists around the country who successfully did Great Work for their Clients. Yet most of them could not, with Confidence, handle the more complicated problems of many of their Clients. They said their massage, bodywork, or yoga therapy schools did NOT give them the necessary education to do so.
I’ve even talked with Physical Therapists who’ve said the Education they received from people like me and the Schools of Advanced Bodywork of Kyle C. Wright (in Charlotte, NC and Jacksonville, FL) is superior to what they learned in PT school.
And to my DISMAY, I attended a 6-month, 750-hour massage therapy school in 2015 that had a reputation for being a VERY advanced source of therapeutic massage education. Yet I was appalled by what they did NOT teach us.
I’ve also met many Therapists & Trainers who were in so much pain they were thinking of quitting their profession or were already on the way out. And the statistics on the number of therapists who leave the profession for this reason is pretty shocking. Some of them even said the teachers at their massage or other types of schools did NOT know how to help them!
After 45 years doing this work myself, you might imagine this had me VERY distraught. It became part of My *Mission In Life* to DO something about this. Great Muscle Therapy is FAR more Valuable and Important than most people, including many Therapists or Physicians, realize.
There are a LOT more Elements of Motivation for me, which you will hear if you want to, but that gives you a start on what makes ME tick!
WHO Is *DSL EDGEWORK* EDUCATION For?
SO … My Education & Mentoring Programs are for those Therapists who want to Upgrade their Knowledge, Skills & Insights to the *Next Level,* learning to treat Complex, Chronic, Difficult-to-Treat, Neuro-Musculo-Fascial problems of their Clients.
They will also know how to provide Self-Maintenance for their Clients and themselves.
*DSL Edgework* is also fully applicable to Prevention & Performance for whatever their Clients’ Objectives are, even if they are not currently impaired or suffering. I’ve worked with Musicians, Golfers, Polo Players, Martial Artists, Vocalists, and so on, and they all got positive improvements in their performance.
I’ve even had Corporate Executives have major Emotional Breakthroughs from JUST receiving hands-on bodywork!
The whole area of EI / EQ [Emotional Intelligence / Quotient] is an area I’m paying a LOT of Attention to, especially with Artificial Intelligence taking so many “non-emotional” jobs away from white-collar workers.
I can work with Massage & Bodywork Therapists, Yoga Teachers or Therapists, and Physical or Occupational Therapists. I’ve also worked with Personal & Fitness Trainers as well.
PERSONAL TRAINERS & STRENGTH TRAINING
Personal / Fitness / Pilates Trainers often become more Enlightened when they realize many of their Clients’ issues with pain & dysfunction are NOT from muscles that are “too weak,” but are Too Tight and Over-Shortened. They discover what I call “pseudo-weakness” that is really just deficiency from being Out-of-Balance muscle fibers, NOT TRULY “weak.”
Meaning the Trainer has to reverse his or her strategy more toward Relaxing, Releasing, & Lengthening muscles [such as Yoga AKA Conscious Stretching] rather than “strengthening” them. They realize that for a time, “strengthening” is actually counterproductive or even harmful. This insight, of course, improves their results with their Clients.
I can also work with Physicians who want insights into how to work more effectively work with and refer Patients to Soft Tissue Therapists. While few Physicians will want to DO the work, they can become better equipped to recognize & prescribe for a diagnosis of C.E.M.&.N.T.
While there are of course some differences in treatment applications, most of the Basic Principles & Sciences of *DSL Edgework* apply to every style of Bodywork because we are dealing with the Fundamentals of how Neuro-Musculo-Fascial & Joint units really WORK, and how they develop BodyMind Breakdowns.
… AGAIN, A *DSL Motto* is:
“Knowing How They WORK, Tells You HOW To Work Them!”
Basically, anyone who works with muscles can benefit, regardless of their modality. That’s because we go VERY deeply into the Medical & Physical Sciences of the Psycho-Neuro-Musculo-Fascial & Joint Systems, and everything they affect or are affected by.
I say “Psycho-” because most events, positive or negative, in the musculo-fascial system involve the Mind & Emotions. OR, the mind can, via Mindfulness, help influence the heightening of performance or healing of neuro-musculo-fascial issues. …
“Psycho-” does NOT necessarily mean anything pathological.
And MY experience & knowledge of Mindfulness comes from starting in Martial Arts & Zen-style Meditation when I was 13 years old (1967). Then doing 3 to 4 HOURS of Yoga many days a week for months on end when I first became a Yoga Teacher in 1976 and over the next many years. And that was JUST my Personal Practice at home alone. But THAT is where I learned what REALLY makes a muscle release. It is ALL an “internal process & experience”!
The *REAL* FOCUS Of DSL THERAPY
NO Therapist has ever relaxed or released the musculo-fascial tension in another human being’s body. You cannot “make” someone to relax. When successful, it is because the Therapist produced conditions where the Client’s CNS (Central Nervous System) & Brain felt SAFE enough to RESET their muscle tonus and neuro-tension levels down to a more “normal” and relaxed state. …
It is important to learn the differences between Muscle TONE and Muscle TONUS.
We go into that in the Basic Course and some of my eBooks.
This relaxation process is INTERNAL to the Client’s BodyMInd. The Hands-On Therapist is the EXTERNAL Facilitator. … Yoga Postures also serve as “external facilitators” for a Client to Explore & Release, or RESET their muscle tonus & tension levels.
It is important to learn why a tight muscle, or a trigger point, or “nodules,” and the like are NOT “THINGS” that are “stuck” in the Client’s body. And it is NOT our job to “get IT out of there.” Those “things” are in reality dysfunctional processes the bodymind of the Client is DOING. It may be a sub- or unconscious doing, but it is a neuromuscular action producing those rocks, knots, or cables in the Clients’ soft tissues.
Getting “IT” out of there is something the Client learns to Stop Doing.
Relaxation is the “Stopping of DOING Tension.”
Relaxation is not an action, it is the Stopping Of Doing The Action of muscle fiber contraction.
We let the Client’s nervous system do most of the work. (Not because we are lazy. We just know how *Radical Relaxation* REALLY works! And sometimes, LESS really IS more!)
All of THAT is a Critical “Mindset Shift.”
In the Minds of Both Therapist AND Client.
TENSION RELAXATION & RELEASE TECHNIQUE
One of the relatively Unique Features of my *EdgeTouch* Tension Release Technique is we do NOT focus primarily on “fixing muscles” or “breaking adhesions” in fascia and other such interventions. We are not really, primarily, “treating the muscles” and/or “breaking adhesions” or whatever. Those very ideas tend to cause some Therapists to work to intrusively or aggressively.
What we are REALLY focused on doing is using manual (hands-on) or stretching techniques to touch, contact, or stimulate the skin & musculo-fascial units (muscles) in a way that we are triggering a “neuro-conversation” between muscles and the CNS (central nervous system) & Brain, which of course includes mental & emotional processes.
We work very slowly and use a *No Pain, MORE Gain* philosophy. We do NOT “Go Deep” into the tissues UNTIL the Client’s tension levels and pain start to relax. We do not PUSH the Release of tension, we FOLLOW the release, thin layer by thin layer.
And the more we can encourage our Client to develop a more Mindful or Meditative State, the better it all works. Attention, by itself, can reduce excess activity in the nervous system, sometimes significantly.
PARASYMPATHETIC & POLY-VAGAL NERVE SYSTEMS
And the Parasympathetic Nervous System — responsible for internal, self-healing processes of rest, digestion, regeneration, healing, and immune function of the body — responds best to weak to moderate stimulation of the nervous system. Strong to very strong sensations (such as during exercise) reduce or even STOP parasympathetic functions.
Of Course, many people have heard of the Vagus Nerve or the Polyvagal part of the nervous system. It is, among other things, responsible for many other emotional experiences originating in the viscera (internal organs) of the body. While some people believe the vagus nerve needs to be stimulated, sometimes it needs to be UN-stimulated and calmed down.
Along with specific relaxation of specific muscles and nerve pathways, we work in ways that encourage the CNS & Brain to relax the entire nervous system at the same time.
It Bears Repeating, a *DSL Motto* Being:
“It is easier to Open The Door before you walk through it,
and you cannot Peel An Onion from the inside out.” …
We help the Client Experience and Work with their “Edges” or Limits of Pain, Fear & Resistance. They should be INVITING the sensations, NOT FIGHTING the sensations. And it is NOT about what they can TOLERATE …
If they are “tolerating” the work, it is TOO DEEP!
THE ACTUAL RELEASE TECHNIQUE
I have a very Specialized Approach — in both Hands-On work and Yoga postures — most Clients & Students say very few Therapists use. And I’ve worked with Clients & Therapists from all over the world.
The technique involves very slow, steady pressure on very small groups of muscle fibers within a muscle belly, for LONG periods of time, with very little lateral movement, not moving sideways too much until there is a significant relaxation of tension in the muscle cells. NO “cross fiber,” slide & glide, or “stripping” of the muscles.
(Amazingly, many therapists get BORED doing this technique, even though they KNOW it works. So they start moving around too much before there is sufficient release of tension in the muscle tissues.)
CLIENT EVALUATIONS
Working mindfully within their Present Moment Edges and limits of sensations (which often change a LOT even within a particular session) requires a Higher Level of Communication between Client & Therapist. From the initial intake conversation, we encourage Close, Detailed Communication. We will in the DSL Edgework Educational Programs discuss the *Homeopathic Interview* and BIO**-Structural Analysis & Postural Evaluation.
(** “BIO-” refers to the Awareness that there is a Metabolism and a Mind with Emotions operating behind the musculo-fascial & skeletal structure.)
(* Homeopathic means “treatment by similars.” The “Homeopathic Interview” encourages the Client to Dig Deep into their health history, uncovering old, sometimes VERY old, events possibly contributing to anything happening them today. We help them “connect the dots” from the past to the present, which can in many cases, by itself, initiate a healing process. And of course, you have more information on which to form your Customized Treatment Strategy.)
I’ve had Clients who had events LONG ago they thought were causing their pain or dysfunction. Yet over the years, various doctors and / or therapists told them they had happened too long ago and could not be their problem.
WRONG! … It is amazing how the residue from very old, traumatic events can still affect someone years or decades later.
So the Client had stopped talking about it to anyone, including ME, at first. But now and then a Client will mention or remember one of those things they had either suppressed or even forgotten about, and it COMPLETELY changed my treatment strategy for the better!
This is one reason I tell Clients stories about other Clients’ Experiences to help “jog” their memory.
STRUCTURAL / POSTURAL EVALUATION
My Method of BIO**-Structural Analysis & Postural Evaluation, which muscles to work, and in what sequence, and for how long, is not commonly known or practiced, if at all. Yet it produces excellent results in developing uniquely Customized Treatment Strategies for each Client in each session. (We do NOT encourage “doing the routines” except in very special situations.)
A major difference is most muscle-related problems are NOT about muscles that are “Too Weak” or Strong, but about muscles that are Too Chronically Short or Long. Many pairs of muscles are Locked Long or Locked Short. Determining which muscles are in either state is a Core Element of the DSL Edgework Process.
This method applies to various kinds of Pain, Poor Posture, Lost Range of Motion, feelings of Weakness, Stiff Joints, and so on.
The Primary Components of DSL Edgework:
- BodyMInd Breakdowns / C.E.M.&.N.T. — How Psycho-Neuro-Musculo-Fascial Excesses & Imbalances Cause Pain & Dysfunction with Chronic, Excess Musculo-Fascial & Nerve Tension & Stress. …
- Reducing C.E.M.&.N.T. is Our “Primary Target” of therapy.
- Dissolving Neuro-Muscular ENGRAMS, the neuro-foundation of memory patterns, including the ones accumulating and holding on to your or your Client’s Pain & Dysfunction.
- You’l receive a deep understanding of the Neuro-Muscular, Myo-Fascial & Psycho-Muscular physiology & neurology of C.E.M.&.N.T. so that you will know how best to work with the muscles.
- Mindful Medical Massage Therapy — The Basic DSL Manual Release Technique for Effecticient Tension Release
- Effecticient = Effective + Efficient
- BIO-Structural Analysis, Postural Evaluation & Strategy — Determining WHICH muscles to work and WHEN. This is about advanced studies in structural anatomy, functional kinesiology & physical forces (such as tensegrity [resilience] & hydrostatic [water & buoyancy] forces).BIO refers to the Living, Breathing Human behind the musculoskeletal structure
- We will examine what I call the Homeopathic Interview. This is your interview to get the Health History of your Client. It also helps them dig out past events they might not remember or understand.
- It is amazing how long a Client can go before they remember certain high-impact events that can completely change your therapeutic strategy. Yet some of them had been told by their doctors or therapists that VERY important events in their lives did NOT matter!
- You help them Connect-the-Dots of their health history. Sometimes, that in itself starts their healing process.
- Myo-Structural Bodywork & Balancing — Using the DSL Manual Technique, with Mindfulness, to bring the Body & Posture Back to Balanced Function at the Micro (muscle cells & fascial sheaths) and Macro (posture & structure) levels.
- Restoring Myo-Structural Homeostasis & Balance
- Releasing the Natural Forces Built into Your Body at Birth
- Working WITH Gravity, NOT Against it
- Posture-based, Myo-Structural Yoga Therapy — Using “Let-Go Yoga” Postures Therapeutically.
- Includes YogasAnalysis: How to match and adapt yoga postures to a Client’s myo-structural needs
- In-Depth Medical & Physical Sciences — Medical Research Explaining, Assisting & Validating What We Do, including Neuromuscular & Myofascial Physiology & Neurology
- Self-Care for Therapists & Clients — “Tools” for Clients AND Therapists to Recover & Stay Healthy including Yoga and Tai Chi-based Movement & Exercise Therapy.
- Also support Clients and Therapists in using Massage Tools for Self Treatment & Maintenance
- Whole Health Principles & Practices — Muscle Therapy within a Greater Context, e.g., Elegant Anti-Aging. … This gives you Greater Insights beyond what the typical Health Coach can provide. Opens new doors for working with your Clients in a wider range of services.
- A Wholistic Philosophy, Psychology & Science of Being Human —
Underlying Everything We Do including Your MINDSET
These weekly Elements of the Course will start you down the path to learning & using DSL Edgework. Some of You will be able to “run” with what you learn here, as I did. Some people have a Natural Knack for this kind of stuff and can pick it up quickly.
Other Therapists might need or want further Education and/or Mentoring. If so, there will be a separate Masterclass on each of the Primary Elements of DSL Edgework in the near future. They will be developed based on the feedback from YOU, the initial Participants.
- There will be a separate program & charge for each Optional Masterclass. The first people who go through those as Pilot Programs will get a Super Great Price.
MY INTENTION, however, is that by the end of THIS 12-week program, you will know the most important parts of what I knew when I first developed this method of therapy, and was successfully treating people. To Restate that …
- FULL DISCLOSURE: Obviously, DSL Edgework has a LOT of material to teach. It goes VERY wide & deep. For ME, it’s been a Life-Long Study. Yet, my intention for this program is to get YOU started in a way that YOU can begin applying the basic principles & skills immediately, in the first week, in their most simple — yet VERY effective & efficient — forms. My intention is you will know, approximately, what I knew when I initially developed this work.
- In the Very First Session, You will learn about the Basic EdgeTouch Release Technique and sciences behind it so that you can begin using and experimenting with it immediately.
This is, in part, why I’m including — for THIS Pilot Program — the Weekly, Private, One-on-One Skype, or Zoom, or Phone Calls so I can make SURE you understand the Knowledge, Insights & Techniques as soon as possible.
In the future, the personal calls will NOT be part of the program OR will be at significantly added cost. (The national average for one-on-one Coaching is currently $214 per hour. Business Coaching starts at as much as $500 per hour.)
On DSL 3.0: The DSL Method is, after more than FORTY YEARS of Development, now in its Third Generation of Concepts, Techniques, Skills & Insights.
DSL 1.0 … The Fundamental Principles, developed from the late 1970s to the early 1990s, remain fully intact with little modification, only refinements, clarifications, and more in-depth scientific understanding.
The Essential Elements of the DSL Method of (then called) Psycho-Muscular Release & Structural Balancing were based in great part on my extensive experience with Physical / Mental & Relational Yoga.
- It was doing several hours a day of yoga postures with a deep mental focus, where and how I learned what REALLY makes a muscle Release & Relax, to Let-Go of its tension & stress. After getting into massage therapy, and applying the yogic principles to massage & bodywork, the DSL Method of Bodywork was originally presented as an “Externally applied form of Physical / Mental Yoga,” wherein the therapist worked to “recreate” the “yogic experience” for the Client with hands-on, manual therapy.
- I first did the EdgeTouch Release Technique because when I had been doing a LOT of Yoga (like 3 and 4 hours per day), I used the super-slow approach I learned from my Primary Yoga Teacher, Joel Kramer. We stayed in specific postures for a LONG time, with very little outward movement. And our Objective was NOT to “push deeper” into the stretch. The movement WAS dynamic, but at very subtle levels, often imperceptible to the naked eye.
- Our “objective” was to use the stretch to FEEL the muscle as deeply as possible. The BY-PRODUCT of doing so — the ACT of Deep Feeling — was that the muscle would relax & release, usually a LOT more than if we had been attempting to push deeper into the stretch.
- The Primary Focus is on Reducing C.E.M.&.N.T. by supporting the Client in discovering Deep, Radical Relaxation. You are not “relaxing the Client.” You are setting up conditions for the Client to discover how their own bodymind produces the desired changes, the relaxation of tension levels of their muscles. It is their own BodyMind doing a Great Reset of their neuro-musculo-fascial units.
- Relational Yoga refers to the quality & depth of attention & communication in the interactions between the Client & Therapist, such that a supportive environment is produced facilitating the Client being able to Focus on, Relax, & Release their tensions and stress.
“David’s work is amazing! A year ago I was hardly able to move due to severe back pain (this was not the first time). The doctor prescribed, once again, physical therapy and though I practiced these PT techniques for months, my pain grew stronger and my ability to move lessened. I then hired David Scott Lynn and within a short time I not only felt relief, but my standing, walking, sitting, and moving postures had improved. Now, 12 months later, I seldom feel pain and move with ease, freedom, and flexibility; moving in ways I never imagined were possible a year ago. Thanks to David, I have a daily pain-free yoga, standing, walking, and sitting practice, and I have new methods to share with my students. David’s knowledge is extraordinary! David’s techniques work!”
~ Diana T. Kyricos
Kripalu Yoga & Pilates Instructor
Chelmsford, Massachusetts
In the early days, David’s Clients included three Presidents as well as Executive Board Members of the AMTA and several founders of major massage schools in the country.
“David is an “important leader in the field of BodyWork.”
~ From a Workshop Brochure from the
National Holistic Institute • Emeryville, California
“The students in Heartwood’s approved Massage program felt that The DSL Method was the most valuable work in Heartwood’s massage curriculum. Many students felt that David’s work instilled a sense of competence in their ability to do massage & bodywork. It is an open ended system allowing and encouraging students to continually improve their work through active practitioner/client exchange. I have personally found that, based on feedback from clients, The DSL Method is on par with, if not superior to, the other major bodywork systems available today.”
~ Rex Dippre • Massage Therapist
Arcata, California (Former Director of Admissions @
Heartwood Institute, 1989-1992)
DSL 2.0: From the mid-1990s to the late 2,000s, an In-Depth Scientific Perspective was developed & integrated into DSL Edgework.
This was focused in part on a Therapist being able to converse with a doctor or medically trained therapist (such as a physical or occupational therapist, kinesiologist, or exercise physiologist) about our methods of therapy, and the Doctor or Therapist would KNOW that YOU, the Muscle Therapist, KNEW what you were talking about and that it fit with known scientific, medical knowledge. …
- This also produced a deeper trust in the Client if they knew their doctor or other therapists approved of the therapy.
Now, here is the “Secret” not many Therapists know:
- It’s not really a “Secret” in that it is “hidden” in plain sight if you look from the correct point of view. Here’s how it worked for ME …
- Even though I had some early successes using this technique, I had significant doubts about it for a couple of years. Or rather, insecurities. At first, Clients wanted MASSAGE, not “steady pressure in one spot” for extended periods of time. … But I was changing my treatment paradigm. And they could leave all their clothes on, which I preferred. And there was no need for messy oil or lubrication. … But many said they preferred to just get regular massage. That is, of course, Understandable. (I was pretty good at it, too.)
- Yet I believed they were being deprived of certain substantial benefits they would gain by using my “new method.” But I FIRST had to convince MYSELF that it was truly worth it.
- At one point — I remember the minute it happened — I decided to just STOP doing “regular massage” and just specialize in my new method. This forced me to REALLY get good at it and understand it, and why it worked, to the fullest. Otherwise, I would not be very convincing to a Prospect that I had an answer for them. so I really dug into doing the work and learning the sciences.
- Yet SOME Clients needed three to six sessions before they even start seeing significant improvement. Although they usually know in the very first session that “something is different” about this therapy.
- That Scientific Knowledge gives YOU, the Therapist (as it did ME), the CONFIDENCE that the Principles MUST be working in that they are based on scientific, physiologic reality. This allows a therapist to persist in a treatment strategy even though the results are not always showing up right away. And some Clients need a LOT of time before their nervous system & brain “decide” to “RESET” and go along with the “new program.” Or more accurately, DE-programming of their muscle’s habitual tensions.
- It is important to remember … NO Therapist has ever relaxed or released the musculo-fascial tension in another human being’s body. When successful, it is because the Therapist produced conditions where the Client’s Central Nervous System & Brain felt SAFE enough to RESET their neuro-tension levels down to a more “normal” and relaxed state. …
- This is INTERNAL to the Client’s Own BodyMInd. The Therapist is the EXTERNAL Facilitator. … Yoga Postures also serve as “external facilitators” for a Client to Explore & Release, or RESET their own tension levels.
- THAT is the Critical “Mindset Shift.”
And Here is the Bigger Picture I’m Inviting You to Participate In:
Now, with DSL 3.0 …. we are working to Expand the Knowledge & Skills of Soft Tissue & Manual Therapists to a much wider & deeper range of people & possibilities. This includes more complete education of The People of America on the Immense & Little Known Value of the Soft Tissue Work we do. …
- I want YOU — IF You are Willing — to be at the Forefront of that Initiative.
You are NOT expected to become a “DSL Therapist.” I’m not looking for a bunch of DSL Clones. Yet because this work is a thorough, deep dive into fundamental principles & sciences of the human bodymind, you can apply this knowledge to whatever style of bodywork you wish to practice. …
HOWEVER, if you DO want to work the way DSL (that’s ME!) does, that CAN be arranged.
Customizing & Personalizing Your PILOT Program Experience
For THIS Pilot Program, I will be designing the content of the weekly Instructional Videos & Presentations as we proceed around your input & feedback. … This is so I can make sure the program is well designed for the needs and YOU the other students, rather than my “good ideas” of what I might think is right.
THAT is one reason why I’m charging such a low price for the program.
It now costs $27,000 to go to the Rolf Institute in Boulder for their Foundational program. I believe I can give you a GREAT Education & Mentoring Experience for one-third or maybe even a quarter of that.
But in THIS program, it will be much less than even that. And if you are highly self-motivated, you might get all you need with just the Basic 12-week Program.
You will receive 2 to 3 hours per week* of Educational Material on DSL Edgework in which YOU will learn MOST, if not all, of what I knew when I originally developed this therapy. (While you won’t yet have my many years of direct experience, such as doing FOUR HOURS of yoga postures per day 5 or 6 days per week in the 1970s, or THREE Hours per day in the 1980s, you will have access to the vast amount of the Lessons and Knowledge & Insights I gained over those years.)
- RE: 2 to 3 hours … That assumes you watch videos or read at more-or-less “normal” rates of speed.
- This does NOT include the 2 or more hours per week in the Group Zoom Conference Calls. We will go more deep into the Topic of the Week and I’ll answer any questions or address any concerns anyone has. As I said, I won’t close the call until al questions are answered. HOWEVER, if I will be covering the Question in a future week’s material, I will let everyone know that. … (They will be recorded if you cannot make the call.)
This material will, in part, be delivered via video or other presentation form (such as PDFs) that you can view at your convenience. We will also have Group Presentations & Discussions on Skype, Zoom or other such platforms. …
- They will be recorded in case you cannot make the online event.
You will also have access to my eCoaching software, where you can contact me via Web-based eMail and ask me any questions, or make any comments if you want. (I only ask you to be reasonable and not ask book-length questions.And if you ask something I will be talking about in a future video or presentation, I will let you know that.)
THIS Pilot Program will include a one-hour, One-on-One, Private Mentoring / Coaching Call with me (DSL) on Skype, Zoom or Telephone (or other platform) EVERY WEEK for 12 weeks.
Our focus will be to customize our work together to help you refine your Manual Therapy & Structural Evaluation Skills, and find your Best Niche(s) of Clients and Communicate with them about your Knowledge, Skills & Insights … to the people who NEED to KNOW about You and Your Skills. This includes a Marketing & Communication Channel, and COULD be Internet-based, but there are other possible channels. …
- If Needed & Desired, in the Private, 1-on-1 Sessions, we will also focus on your Personal Vision & Purpose in Life, and Designing Your Business to Support that Vision.
- I have over 40 years started 8 different therapy practices, most in different parts of the country or at different times. Back in 1985, I even got a practice going in Acapulco, México, starting with ONE contact. …
- It was going well till the earthquake hit.
- So I should be able to help with ideas & resources for all that.
Sorry to be Repetitive, but again, Future Programs will NOT include this One-on-One feature, OR will be a LOT more expensive. This is Your Opportunity to benefit from my forty-five+ years of experience in the industry at a FRACTION of what it would normally cost.
- The average price for one-on-one coaching nationwide is now $214 per hour! Business coaching starts at around $500 per hour. If I were charging that lower price, it would be $2,500 just for the 12 one-on-one coaching calls.
- And as I keep saying elsewhere, I think it makes sense YOU think about becoming a Health Coach as well. There are many reasons to do that.
- Please think of it this way: if I can JUST help you increase your price by $10 per hour for 6 hours of therapy per week, Xs 48 weeks, that’s $2,880 per year, and you’ve paid off the course in a year.
- If you decide you want to do this work full time, say 24 hours per week, at an extra $10 per hour, you pay off the course in 12 weeks.
- On the other hand, several people around the country charge $100 to $145 per hour for similar (but not really the same) Therapy. At 24 hours of therapy per week, that’s $115,000 to $167,000 per year.
- One of my friends in Sarasota, Florida, now unfortunately passed on to the Next Life, was doing EIGHT 55-minute therapy sessions PER DAY, 5 days per week. He was booked up 5 or more weeks in advance. NO Insurance. He was charging $145 per 55-minute hour. He had a small office and a part-time receptionist. … You can do the arithmetic. … He told me he used some NMT (NeuroMuscular Therapy) plus what he learned from me — the DSL Method — in a weekend workshop in 1993 as his Therapy Method.
- He was doing this for around 40 years till he was in his 60s.
- AGAIN, I am NOT saying YOU will make that much money. It all depends on how much motivation and dedication you apply to the process of becoming a Leading Edge Expert Therapist & Trusted Authority. … Yet the POTENTIAL is there.
To Support YOU in Such Objectives …
My Plan is to be Fully Available to all Program Members from Noon to Midnight (Arizona Time) on Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays. It is during those times I will be having Phone or Zoom calls and / or eMail interactions with all participants.
NOW, I have NO idea how fast this program will fill up. So, for the first FIVE people to sign up, we will operate more on a Tutoring Basis, One-on-One. After the Sixth person signs up, we will move to the Group Format but still have individual, 1-on-1, private calls every week.
STILL UNDECIDED?
NEXT is a FAR more in-depth Resource with a LOT of information about DSL Edgework and MY Path to becoming known as a Highly Qualified Therapist. It’s a long read, but if you want to know more, here it is:
https://davidscottlynn.com/pro-training/expert-neuro-musculo-fascial-therapist/
You can read some Great Testimonials at:
https://davidscottlynn.com/testimonials/
FINALLY, if you are interested in taking this program, we should TALK ON the PHONE or SKYPE or ZOOM and discuss the possibilities. If it seems like we are a Good Fit, then you can enroll. If not, hopefully, this will have given you some ideas of what’s possible in Your Future as a Soft Tissue Therapist.
Thank You Very Much for Reading!
David Scott Lynn
CELL: 480-209-4383
David Scott Lynn is DSL …
DSL is Your Hi-Touch Uplink to Your Inner-Net
Inner-Net: Your Psycho-Neuro-Musculo-Fascial Units