Project Description

PROGRAM INFORMATION

BIODYNAMIC FASCIAL INTEGRATION.
2023 Intake is now FULL and underway!
Your application will be for a start date of Spring 2024 OR Spring 2025
Program Director & Lead Instructor, Heather Gittens RMT

The Biodynamic Fascial Integration Program takes the practitioner on a journey through anatomy, structure & function, using an approach that is osteopathic, considering all the tissue layers & relationships between them near and far. We challenge the participant to bring the subtle body to the forefront, allowing the tissue response to guide the treatment. The first 3 courses lay the ground work for the entire 10-course module program.

**For license manual therapists within a regulated Health Care Profession only.

COURSE MODULES

  1. Cranio-Fascial Therapy
  2. Visceral Connections
  3. Fascial Mobilization Principles
  4. The Cervical Region
  5. The Lumbo-sacral Region
  6. Advanced Cranial & TMJ
  7. The Thoracic Region
  8. The Extremities
  9. Advanced Visceral Connections
  10. The Tie that Binds – A Culmination of the Series.

PRE-REQUISITES:

  • Introductory level of Myofascial treatment. (in-school program is accepted)
  • preferred 2 years of experience with a full-time practice as RMT, PT, Osteopath or other licensed manual therapy
  • preferred past continuing education course experience with Natale Rao and/or Heather Gittens
  • a willingness to experience and fully participate in each of the presentations.
  • a willingness to change perspectives and possibly beliefs formed of the human body
  • a willingness to stay open to learning, reviewing & expanding one’s understanding of the body & manual therapy.
  • a willingness to practice the skills learned in each workshop prior to participating in the next workshop

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SERIES:

  • a series of 10 course-modules over a 2+ year period
  • each workshop is CMTBC accredited (if applicable)
  • each workshop runs for 3 days
  • Each course is instructed by Heather Gittens RMT and will be held at the Bodhi Tree Teaching Centre in Surrey, BC. Natale Rao RMT has retired as of November 2021 and sadly passed away in August of 2023. His contributions will continue to be felt throughout the series now and in the future.
  • All courses are 3 days long with the hours of 9:30am-5:30 pm. We pace each course in a manner that maximizes your energy for the day to allow for as much retention & mindful participation as possible. Courses will run during some weekdays so you must be prepared to plan your work week around it.

WHAT IS BIODYNAMIC FASCIAL INTEGRATION?

  • BFI is an approach to treatment that integrates our knowledge of structural anatomy & function throughout the whole body as well as the relationships between the various tissues and how they present within their Biotensegrity . Understanding the fascial anatomy is key!
  • The tensegrity or Biotensegrity within the fascial network having continual tension and compression allows for our body to fulfill its purpose yet requires a symphony of movements to be present to give us the harmony and ease we all strive for in our physical being.
  • The therapist assesses for mobility & ease in the tissues and understands when & how to integrate techniques such as Fascial mobilization, Visceral Mobilization & Cranio-Fascial Therapies to induce a change, increase mobility as well as a sense of ease in the body. Often the patient has a greater sense of well-being, increased quality of sleep, digestion, and movement to name a few benefits.

WHO DEVELOPED THE BFI SERIES?

  • The BFI Series, as we know it today, was co-founded and created by Natale Rao RMT and Heather Gittens RMT. In approximately 2007 Natale took a self-proclaimed, 6-month sabbatical to read, reflect & create a framework for a more in-depth program that was based on the courses they we were already co-instructing. Years before they had both studied and been inspired by the teachings of their mentor, Claudia Scrivener (MSc. PT) and these teachings were instrumental in the vision. While Heather was working on being a new mother, Natale tested the Series under the name of Integrated Fascial Therapies. Once Heather was able to direct her energy to co-instruct the full series, it evolved into what it is today & it was during that time it became clear that a new name would better represent the fluidity and integrated network of structures & tissue types we were working with. Biodynamic Fascial Integration was then established.

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE BFI PROGRAM?

  • The Series is for licensed manual therapists only such as Registered Massage Therapists, Physiotherapists, or Manual Osteopaths.

HOW LONG IS THE PROGRAM?

  • The BFI Program is always evolving. Currently it is 10-course modules over an approximately 2 ½ year process. Each course is 3-days long and involves lecture portions, demonstrations, lots of hands-on time as well as periodic guest speakers and optional participation in cadaver labs at Somatic Explorations.
  • In its entirety, the Program is approximately 200 hours of mandatory classroom time. The certification portion is currently optional and will add approximately another 50 hours of dedicated, focused work.
  • Because all participants are licensed manual therapists, all the education in the BFI Series is within their scope of practice and implemented immediately. There is no way to quantify this portion of learning but is surely very impactful to their practice.

CERTIFICATION PROCESS – WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

  • We are very excited to now offer our students the opportunity to become Certified in the Biodynamic Fascial Integration approach. In no way does it change one’s scope of practice as designated by their licensing college but will create a recognition publicly of their studies and accomplishment.
  • Certification can and will only be provided through Bodhi Tree Teaching Centre, its Program Director, Heather Gittens RMT or any other lead instructor given this authorization.