“I didn’t even know how happy I was until a friend of mine who’s known me my entire life, six months into it was like, ‘Man, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so happy.’ ”

Before Jonathan Primack discovered massage therapy, he spent years wondering what he wanted to do with his life. Raised in New York, he grew up working in the restaurant industry and had earned a college degree but hadn’t yet found a career that truly resonated with him. When he moved to Portland in the late 1990s, he was ready for a change.

A friend had once told […]

Structural Bodywork invites students to look beyond a single muscle, symptom, or area of discomfort and consider how the body organizes as a whole. Instead of assuming that one structure is the cause of a problem, this approach explores relationships throughout the fascial system – including how the feet, legs, pelvis, spine, and upper body may influence one another.

Offered as an elective at East West College of the Healing Arts, Structural Bodywork brings together myofascial techniques, visual body reading, movement, client collaboration, and practitioner body mechanics. Students explore different territories of the body while learning to work with greater curiosity, responsiveness, […]

“The work is not about creating one ideal posture or imposing a specific shape. It is about efficiency, adaptability, and options.”

When Jay Williams graduated from East West College in 2021, he already knew he wanted to help people create meaningful change through bodywork. What he didn’t yet know was how much one area of study would shape the direction of his career.

After graduation, Jay returned to East West to take the Structural Bodywork elective. He expected to add new techniques to the massage foundation he had already built. Instead, he encountered a different framework for understanding the body—one that looked beyond […]

“My instructors at East West helped me realize that I could still feel smart and capable while learning things that didn’t come easily to me. I might need to approach things differently, but I could do it — and that’s something I’ve carried with me throughout my massage career.”

For Anne Nutwell, massage therapy offered the kind of career she had been looking for. After nearly a decade in data entry and office administration, she wanted work that felt more active, connected, and meaningful—work that would allow her to build genuine relationships and make a positive difference in people’s lives.

As she explored […]

Neuromuscular Therapy offers students a way to work with greater focus, precision, and curiosity. Instead of looking only at where discomfort shows up, this approach helps students consider the larger patterns that may be contributing to it — from trigger points and referral patterns to movement habits, muscle function, and client participation. It is targeted work, but it is also collaborative work, asking both practitioner and client to pay attention to what the body is communicating.

Offered as an elective at East West College of the Healing Arts, Neuromuscular Therapy brings together anatomy, palpation, movement, client communication, and applied kinesiology in […]

“Ayurveda taught me how to listen—to myself and to my clients in a deeper way.”

For Kira, graduation wasn’t the end of her journey with East West—it was the beginning of something deeper. After completing the program, she continued to grow as a practitioner, following her curiosity, refining her skills, and discovering new layers within her work. Over time, that growth led her back to East West—this time as an instructor.

In the years after graduation, Kira developed both her practice and her perspective. One thread remained constant throughout that evolution: Ayurveda. She found herself returning to it again and again, drawn to […]

Ayurvedic Massage offers something many students and clients don’t realize they’re craving until they experience it: warmth, rhythm, nervous system support, and a more connected way of caring for the body. Rooted in Ayurveda, the ancient healing system of India, this work invites a different perspective—one that focuses less on chasing symptoms and more on restoring balance, building awareness, and trusting the body’s own intelligence.

Offered as an elective at East West College of the Healing Arts, Ayurvedic Massage introduces students to foundational Ayurvedic principles through Abhyanga, a gentle, choreographed warm-oil massage designed to calm the nervous system and support the […]

Craniosacral Therapy has a way of surprising people — in the best way. Many students are amazed by how much can happen when they slow down, tune in, and bring focused attention to the nervous system.  As one student put it: “Wow! I didn’t expect that to be so powerful.” 

Offered as an elective at East West College of the Healing Arts, Craniosacral is a favorite for students who want to deepen presence, build confidence, and refine intuitive listening. In this Q&A, our Craniosacral Therapy instructor, Cyr Zeeberg-Foote, breaks down what it is, how it’s different, and how the elective strengthens […]