EXCO 817 - MassageCo

1 credit
This in-person course will be split half and half between hands-on practice in massage and discussion around the context in which we are engaging touch, relaxation, and our physical selves. With a somatic lens, we can explore the ways in which our bodies express tension, joy, grief, and all the experiences in our lives which are often talked about in a disembodied context. What is happening in our bodies and minds when another person releases the contractions in our muscles for us? How are our relationships with our bodies shaped by identity, privilege and oppression? How has the Medical Industrial Complex influenced our understandings of health and care? Who is seen as deserving of medical respect and holistic healing? And… when you press on the middle of my spine, why do I feel it in my neck? As we engage with massage on a physical level (giving and receiving), we will strive to deepen our understanding of healing justice, musculoskeletal anatomy, the Medical Industrial Complex, consent, and the experiences that shape our relationships to physical touch.

Sab Hoenig
shoenig@oberlin.edu
Link to Syllabus
Link to Application