Ashland Institute of Massage

Spend six months immersed in massage therapy studies in beautiful, progressive Ashland, Oregon.

Ashland Institute of Massage is a small school with a big vision - educating head, heart and hands for a holistic integration of Self and skills. Celebrating over 20 years of stellar massage training, we offer an extraordinary education for massage therapists in a small-school environment and gorgeous locale.

Our 650-hour intensive massage program is for self-directed people committed to learning the foundations of massage therapy. This program integrates the human sciences of anatomy, physiology, kinesiology and pathology with the technical practice of Swedish massage, clinical assessment and treatment skills and a variety of eastern and energy-based modalities. We emphasize core integration--the development of you as a person and a practitioner--through self-awareness, ethics and professional development. Our program meets the hourly and curriculum requirements for massage training in many states and our graduates have been licensed in Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Georgia among other states.

Our Vision

Ashland Institute of Massage strives to integrate body, mind, and heart in our programs, believing that a mindful, holistic program creates a mindful, holistic practitioner. We believe that massage, as a healing art, has the potential to deepen the connection with universal healing energy. We honor the essential spirit in each of our students and support students' varied interests in applying their education, whether in private practice, a medical environment or a spa setting.

We are committed to:

• Maintaining a culturally creative learning community comprised of individuals with diverse backgrounds, beliefs and interests
• Developing professional massage therapists who hold highly to the values of integrity, accountability, respect, compassion and ethical practice
• Creating a space for learning that is safe, fun and interactive

Educational Philosophy

We recognize that students enter the program with their own learning preferences and bring to their practice a diversity of skills and life experience. We believe that scientific understanding, clinical skill, self-awareness, intuition and the ability to be present with your client are all important aspects of a competent practitioner.

• We value the integration of body, mind, and heart in learning and in practice
• We teach human sciences with the practice of massage therapy in mind
• We model professional, compassionate attitudes and a commitment to ethical interactions with our students, colleagues and clients

Location

Ashland Institute of Massage is located in Ashland, Oregon, a picturesque town of 20,000, nestled in the southern Rogue River Valley at the confluence of the Klamath, Siskiyou and Cascade mountain ranges. Ashland has a sunny climate with very moderate rainfall. This progressive, health-conscious and safe community is home to the nationally renowned Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Ashland is known for its small-town ambiance, superb restaurants, abundant music and theater, and access to incredible outdoor recreation opportunities. Hiking, skiing, kayaking and mountain biking are all easily accessible from town. We are 1½ hours away from Mt. Shasta or Crater Lake National Park, 2½ hours from the Pacific Ocean, and midway between Portland and San Francisco.

Program

We offer a 650-hour professional massage program, with an emphasis on Swedish massage and clinical assessment and treatment skills using modalities such as neuromuscular therapy, myo-fascial release and orthopedic massage. We introduce students to energetics, cranial-sacral therapy, polarity and Thai massage. We have two schedules available: a 6-month intensive day program and a 10-month evening/weekend program.

Courses

Human Science - 216 hours

• Anatomy and physiology
• Kinesiology
• Pathology

Massage - 316 hours

• Introduction to palpation
• Swedish massage
• Clinical assessment and treatment
• Neuromuscular & deep tissue therapy
• Thai massage
• Hydrotherapy
• Energetics
• Shiatsu
• Polarity
• Myo-fascial release
• Cranial-sacral therapy

Professional Integration - 118 hours

• Core I - ethics
• Core II – professional development
• Supervised clinic
• Practical review

Our Invitation

We invite your curiosity--take some time to consider how Ashland Institute of Massage may be in service to you in your development as a massage therapist. We welcome a conversation to respond to questions you may have. If you are interested in our program and would like to find out more, please Request Information.