Unusual Esalen® Massage Positions
With Elke Bartsch
In our early training, we all met positions like the frog and the twist.
Some of us explored them with curiosity, and then set them aside as the years passed.
Without regular practice, these movements slip quietly out of our repertoire — not from lack of interest, but simply because everyday sessions rarely ask for them.
And yet, within Esalen® Massage, unusual movements can open something fresh.
They interrupt familiar patterns. They bring giver and receiver into the present moment.
When we guide a body into a new position — slowly, safely, with listening hands — the mind softens, and a gentle reset becomes possible.
These larger, passive movements offer deep support — the client simply lets go while we guide them into a different shape. As the body settles into a new orientation, its three-dimensional alignment shifts, and a fresh perspective opens. It’s the same body, simply differently placed — and our hands find a new entry into the flowing language of Esalen Massage.
From there, we follow the new angles with touch, integrating strokes and quiet presence. And when the client returns to the original position, something has subtly changed — a shift in perception and proprioception that feels quietly invigorating.
This workshop is a place to bring these movements back into your repertoire.
We explore them step by step, repeat them, and feel how they work in real time.
Together we rebuild confidence, ease, and flow.
The invitation is simple: come explore, enjoy the practice, and have fun discovering what your hands remember.