Trager Approach promotes increased physical mobility and heightened mental clarity. A majority of patients also notice a more responsive dream state, and more lucid dreaming after a Trager session, sometimes for weeks later. This may be partially caused by nervous signals traveling backwards from the limb being maneuvered toward the brain, instead of originating from the mind as a motor command, and effectively resetting that neural pathway to an “empty” state.
For people who are too sensitive for regular bodywork and find pressing and rubbing uncomfortable, or for people who are excessively ticklish, Trager can be an effective way to remove these types of “armoring” that the mind forges in response to negative physical and psychological stimuli.
The body is rocked gently using a rhythmic tempo and focusing on including the entire body. Then, each limb and joint as manipulated through a series of movements. One interesting phenomenon that arises through Trager Approach is the patient may start to "help" the practitioner with the movements unconsciously. Generally the practitioners will immediately stop and hold the limb in position while guiding the patient verbally to try to empty the limb of all conscious movement, much like a state of deep relaxation. Trager Approach is often combined with other massage modalities due to it's ability to bring the patient into a highly receptive state, allowing deeper relaxation and "resetting" the muscles to be comfortable in their new, relaxed form. Because of it's non-intrusive style, Trager is perfect for elderly and disabled patients. It has been described as "massage from the inside" because the movement of the joints passively stretches muscles and tendons.
