The Laboratory for Anatomical Enlightenment.

My experience with Anatomy Study on Human Cadavers in Boulder, CO.

I am still struggling to find words for the experience I had in Boulder, Colorado last week at the aptly named Laboratory For Anatomical Enlightenment. I was most certainly enlightened, and in many ways changed forever in my perception and awareness of human anatomy as I know it.

With the expert direction and guidance of Master Dissector Todd Garcia and and human fascia pioneer Thomas Myers (Anatomy Trains), a group of about thirty bodyworkers, LMT's, and movement professionals from around the world were led through a hands on and in depth dissection of 5 individual human cadavers, who's bodies were willingly donated for the purpose of education and advancement of human knowledge.

Who ever coined the phrase "Beauty is only skin deep", had clearly never removed anybody's skin before. To see the beauty and design of the ornate structures that exist just beneath the surface of the human form is to give a whole new appreciation for the complexities of the intelligent systems that operate to keep us upright and engaged in the world around us.

While I have taken away a great deal of practical anatomy from the experience of meticulously dissecting each muscle layer from its surrounding fascia, and observing the complex connections between distant parts of the body. I have also come away with an entirely new appreciation for the beauty of what it is to inhabit a body, and the life force that animates us and drives us to survive and thrive that comes from something much more than medical science is willing to admit.

While in my practice I am constantly seeking knowledge and desiring to be as well-versed as I can on all the latest science, I am also reminded why I became a massage therapist in the first place. I desire to provide a level of care that is uniquely tailored to every client's individual needs and life circumstances. WE ARE NOT ALL THE SAME, and my experience with medical doctors and insurance-dictated care is that they are constantly trying to fit us into a model that simply does not work for the vast majority of individuals. This is not to discredit the amazing potential of medical science, or the great minds and practitioners that do exist within that world, but rather to improve and build upon their work and to offer the best possible care I can offer. Each and every one of us has a unique interface with our environment, and each and every one of us deserves to seen for who we are and how we got here,.

No doubt, the practical knowledge I gained in those 4 days has already enhanced my practice and my work with clients, from which I hope you will be able to benefit! Look out for new classes and offerings from Arrow//Spine Manual Therapy.

-Brian Romanelli, LMT