You already know the abdomen matters. Let's give that knowledge a framework.
The abdomen is a crossroads of many of the body's systems that influence how we move, digest, breathe, and feel. It's an area where physical tension, digestive function, and our overall sense of well-being intersect. Working with the abdomen can have effects that extend beyond the area itself. Yes, abdominal massage can address digestion and reproductive function, but it can also influence the body, mental and emotional wellbeing as a whole. Abdominal massage isn't simply an extra technique to add to your toolbox. It's an important part of understanding and supporting the body in all of its interconnectedness.
Abdominal massage is often barely covered in bodywork education, leaving practitioners without the knowledge and skills to work confidently with this essential area.
I've created this online intensive to give you a foundation in abdominal massage that you can bring into your existing practice. Through technique demonstrations, video lectures, and detailed written material, you'll learn to approach the abdomen with confidence, understand what you're feeling beneath your hands, and develop a clearer sense of what you're doing and why.
whether you’re a…
Massage therapist
Physical therapist
Acupuncturist
Other hands-on practitioner whose scope of practice allows for bodywork
This course will help you expand your understanding of the core and its connections throughout the body.
The most comprehensive abdominal massage training on the internet
The most comprehensive abdominal massage training on the internet
Welcome to
The Online Abdominal Massage Intensive
The abdomen requires a different approach
The abdomen houses many of our vital organs, with layers of muscle, fascia, and other connective tissue surrounding and protecting them. The layers of tissue play an important role in protecting the organs, and when the body senses a threat, it may respond by creating tension. Pressure that feels appropriate when working on the back or other areas of the body may be too much for the abdomen, particularly when applied too quickly.
This is why abdominal massage requires a thoughtful, gentle, and educated approach. We need to be able to recognize when our pressure is too much, adjust our touch, and work with the body's responses rather than push past them.
In this course, you'll learn structured sequences that provide a foundation for your work, support abdominal assessment, and encourage general circulatory flow. These sequences are useful starting points, giving you a framework to build on as you develop your skills. You'll also learn to pay attention to what you're feeling beneath your hands and adapt your approach accordingly, so your work can respond to the person in front of you.
Ultimately, we want to create the conditions for the body to feel safe enough to soften and change. With patience, understanding, and respect for the body's protective responses, we can approach abdominal work in a way that is both effective and supportive of lasting change.
What makes the Abdominal Massage Intensive so different?
Learn at Your Own Pace
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This is a self-paced course, so you can work through the material on your own schedule and return to lessons whenever you need a refresher.
I recommend completing about one hands-on module per week. This gives you time to practice the techniques, develop your palpation skills, and integrate what you're learning before moving on. Some techniques may click right away, while others take more time and repetition.
There's no required timeline. If you'd rather move through the material more quickly or take longer between modules, that's completely fine. The goal is to give yourself the time and space to develop your skills, not just get through the videos.
Everything You Need
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The online intensive includes a combination of video demonstrations, lectures, written lessons, and downloadable resources to support your learning and hands-on practice.
Inside the course, you'll find:
19 learning modules covering abdominal anatomy, Chinese Medicine concepts, assessment, consent, contraindications, and hands-on practice.
25+ technique and instructional videos to help you see the techniques demonstrated and understand how to approach abdominal work.
3 video lectures exploring concepts that inform your hands-on practice.
7 downloadable PDFs to support your learning and provide resources you can return to.
Detailed written material and pictorial references to help you understand the concepts and anatomy behind the work.
Two recorded abdominal massage sessions demonstrating how to bring the material together in practice.
A private Facebook group where you can ask questions, share experiences, and connect with other practitioners taking the course.
A certificate of completion when you finish the course.
Lifetime Access
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You'll have lifetime access to the course, so there's no need to rush through the material. I recommend working through about one hands-on module per week to give yourself time to practice and integrate what you're learning. You're welcome to move faster or slower depending on your schedule and experience.
Is the intensive for you?
For bodyworkers craving a deeper understanding of abdominal massage — who haven't found traditional bodywork education sufficient in this area — The Abdominal Massage Intensive blends thousands of years of traditional wisdom with contemporary, evidence-based care to provide both hands-on and theoretical education.
This isn't a surficial introduction. It's a structured online immersive designed to take you from curiosity to confident, informed practice. There is plenty of opportunity for hands on practice, with over 25 technique videos.
It might be for you if…
You finished your training and realized the abdomen was barely covered, if at all.
You're curious about the body-wide connections that often show up in the core, but haven't had a framework to work with them confidently.
You've got clients asking about postpartum recovery, digestive discomfort, or menstrual cramps and you're not always sure whether to treat or refer them elsewhere
You're ready to specialize, but you want training that actually prepares you for it, not another weekend workshop that leaves you where you started.
You show up for birthing clients and want to be able to support them more deeply postpartum
If any of this sounds familiar, this training was built with you in mind.
By the end of this training, you'll be equipped to:
Practice abdominal massage with confidence for postpartum recovery, menstrual cramps, and gut health support
Recognize the body-wide connections that often manifest in the core
Know how to assess what's appropriate to work with in-session as well as the contraindications to look out for
Bring an intuitive, informed approach to abdominal work in your existing practice, whether or not you choose to specialize further
What our alumni have to say…
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I would highly recommend this course to anyone interested in exploring the abdomen and furthering their somatic education. Caitlin was an extremely skilled, smart, intuitive and compassionate teacher. She provided a lot of experience, technique and inspiration. I learned so much. I have been a bodyworker for 15 years and wanted to gain more knowledge about working with the abdomen, and that I did. I feel a lot more confident and educated about this part of the body on a physical, energetic and emotional level and excited to integrate this knew knowledge into my practice for both my clients and self. Thank you.
- Betsy Ansara, Nomadic Nurture, Vermont and Martha’s Vineyard
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Caitlin's warm teaching style and experiential wisdom are such a gift! This was my first experience with TCM, and Caitlin beautifully conveyed big concepts in a digestible manner without watering down the depth + complexity of this fascinating modality. This course was dynamic, featuring engaging lectures and plenty of time to practice the abdominal techniques. I can't say enough about Core Connections, it is such a special offering! Thank you Caitlin!
-Marisa Hall, Ayurvedic bodywork + health counselor, Montpelier, VT
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Caitlin is incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about abdominal therapy. She's kind, relatable and fun to learn from. She creates a calm and supportive learning space. With such attention to detail, intuition and passion about her work, this is the most I've taken away from any a CE course. I am already applying it to my own sessions. Thanks, Caitlin!
-Shannon, Flora Bodywork, Mid-coast Maine