Hoffman Massage, Intuitive Bodywork & Energetic Healing
 Bronson Bertschinger teaching a Hoffman Massage course in January 2010 |
Hoffman massage is a system of intuitive massage, bodywork and energetic healing developed by Bronson Bertschinger. He has named the system of massage and bodywork after his African Grandmother, who was the first person to teach him massage at the age of 10. The main idea behind the Hoffman system of massage and bodywork is based on the facts that humans are very complex, consisting of material, emotional, subtle and spiritual energy. We are too complex to fit into a routine style of treatment as many massage schools teach these days. Hoffman massage uses techniques that are aimed to affect and balance many systems of the body in the one treatment. |
In many cases, problems that exhibit symptoms through the physical body, such as aches and pain or disease, are often result of more than one system of the body being out of balance. Hoffman massage has been developed with the understanding that the physical and emotional problems that we suffer from are the effect of more than one system of the body being out of balance. Therefore the idea behind Hoffman massage is that when you work the body, the practitioners aim should be to bring balance to all systems of the body, instead of focusing on the muscular system, skeletal system, lymphatic or energetic systems alone.
"The only real valuable thing is intuition." Albert Einstein
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Bronson also believes that intuition is a very powerful tool to being a great massage therapist or healer. The aim of our Hoffman massage courses is not only to teach people one of the most comprehensive forms of massage and bodywork in the world, but also teach people to develop their sense of touch and awareness so that they trust in and are guided by their intuition in a grounded fashion. This way you can take what you learn through Hoffman intuitive bodywork and energetic healing and develop it based on what skills and gifts you have as an individual Hoffman Massage has draws on the most powerful techniques and ideas behind many healing arts from all over the world. By using these techniques and ideas Bronson Bertschinger continues to develop Hoffman massage and different techniques of how to treat and heal people and bring balance back to the body. |
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Some of the healing arts that have influenced Hoffman massage include:
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Bronson Bertschinger giving a massage and cupping demonstration. |
Bronson has either studied, experienced or practiced all of these techniques, and combined what he has learned with what he believes the most powerful tool we have, intuition.
"To study and master all the arts of healing the physical body, mind, & subtle energy systems, would take us much longer than this short life we have in this body. We have been given the gift of intuition, we just need to cultivate it." Bronson Bertschinger
Bronson Bertschinger and the History of Hoffman Massage
The development of Hoffman massage is Bronson Bertschinger's lifetime of experiencing and learning manual, natural and medical therapies. Bronson was born in South Africa in 1974 and his journey in the healing arts began when Bronson was chosen to be a healer by a Shaman when he lived in Africa at the age of 3. In 1984, when he was 10 years old he was taught how to massage by his now deceased African Grandmother Helene Florence Hoffman and he has been massaging and learning about healing since that day.
Influence of Kung Fu on Hoffman Massage
Yang Mian System, an explosive, internal power based martial art from China, continues to have a large influence on the development of Hoffman massage. Bronson started training Yang Mian System in 1991. The Yang Mian™System is a unique martial arts system that teaches and promotes the use of internal energy(chi). Being an internal martial art, students learn how to generate chi based on the natural movement of the body, and express it as a combat application in a living way. The system conditions the body to be flexible like rubber, allowing explosive internal power to be transferred.
Unlike most martial arts Yang Mian System is not restricted by kartas or patterns that one has to perfect. Its based on a system called free movement, where you learn to move your body in a very fluid way releasing your chi whenever you choose to in a very powerful way. This system of martial art understands that kartas and patterns may limit you. Bronson incorporated this idea when treating a person with massage, bodywork and energetic healing. If you go into every healing situation with one set massage routine, you are very limited in what you can do. Bronson believes learning many techniques, learning how to touch, and learning how to be more intuitive is a much powerful way to heal people with massage and bodywork.
Yoga and Meditation and their influence on Hoffman Massage
In 1998 Bronson got introduced to Yoga, meditation and ancient Vedic philosophy. These have been the most grounding aspect of what Bronson has learned.
Bronson has been very analytical in the development of Hoffman massage. One of his favourite expressions from John R Cross is, "We can have our heads in the clouds when exploring these phenomena, but we must have our feet on the ground." The techniques and forms of healing Hoffman Massage teaches has been very carefully analysed with a very skeptical mind with the backbone of ancient vedic information.
Acute lower back pain for 10 years !
In 1999 Bronson started suffering from acute back pain. His attempt to fix it has lead him through many forms of healing of both eastern and western influence. Bronson always felt that the treatments he received were never comprehensive enough. Most therapies usually only focus on one system of the body such as the skeletal system, the muscular, the lymphatic system, mental or the internal energetic systems and the external energetic systems. Even though these are connected the intention in many therapies is not to balance all of them. The idea behind Hoffman massage is that all of the above can be the cause of a symptom of disease (dis-ease) in a person. So when you are treating a person we have to try and bring balance to as many of these systems as we can.
Thai Massage
Around 2002 Bronson was taught Thai Massage by Sean Stocker, a TCM Practitioner and Thai Massage Therapist. This was the beginning of Bronson's formal training in the healing arts of bodywork. He has since been trained in Thai massage with Bruce Bentley.
Influence of Brandon Raynor and Raynor Massage
One of the most significant influences on Bronson's respect for massage and bodywork was Raynor Massage. Bronson's training in Raynor massage started in January 2008. It was the turning point in Bronson's opinion of massage as a therapy. Previously to learning from Brandon Raynor, Bronson had given up on massage being able to help him with his pain, due to the lack of quality of massage being taught in the world today.
Sunset from Brandon Raynor's farm in Hawaii.
Bronson went on to work for Brandon Raynor and became General Manager, Head Teacher and Teacher Trainer of Brandon Raynor's School of Natural Therapies and they still work together today as great friends. Bronson has had over 400 hours of training from Brandon Raynor and is one of the world's most highly trained and qualified Raynor Massage Therapists.
Since his experiences with Raynor Massage, Bronson has embraced many other forms of healing and continues to develop his skills and knowledge constantly.
Bronson Bertschinger in Hawaii while working for Brandon Raynor and getting advanced training in Raynor massage
Dorn Spinal Therapy and Hoffman Massage
In mid 2008, Bronson was trained in Dorn Spinal Therapy by Barbara Simon, founder of Dorn Spinal Therapy in Australia. Bronson's understanding that the spine is strongly linked to the muscular, nervous, lymphatic, endocrine, energetic and mental systems of the body, drove him to learn a therapy that can effectively treat spinal misalignment's. Dorn Spinal Therapy is a great alternative to Osteopathy and Chiropractic. It is an effective, safe and Non-Manipulative Therapy to correct misalignment's in the spine and joints.
Traditional Chinese Medicine and Cupping Therapy
In 2008 and 2009 Bronson trained with Bruce Bentley from Health Traditions. Bruce Bentley is a TCM practitioner who was trained in China and has 35 years of experience. Bruce is one of the worlds most renowned cupping therapists, has traveled the world to research cupping therapy and was handed down the Buddhist traveling monk medicine system. Apart from learning Eastern, Western and Modern cupping techniques from Bruce, Bronson also learnt aspects of TCM and subtle ways of treating the body.
Conclusion
Bronson is constantly learning, studying and developing his skills not letting himself get caught up in one school of medicine or healing. When massaging the body you can be effecting Chinese Meridians, Marma Points acupressure points, Thai Sen Meridians, chakras, emotions, Reflexology points, myofascial meridians, anatomical systems of the body, the points of Bowen therapy, the subtle energy system and the list goes on. Bronson believes the body is too intricate to put the factor that is causing disease, down to one system of the body being in a state of imbalance. Therefore he treats the body in a comprehensive way, trying to bring balance to the entire body not just one aspect of it and being open minded to the existence of greater energies than himself.
