At the end of May, I attended a 4-day Visceral Manipulation course hosted by the Barral Institute. Instead of focusing on the container of the body (muscles or bones), we focused on the contents (internal organs) and explored their relational patterns via neural and vascular pathways. When we stop to think about it, life is housed and maintained by our internal organ systems while our muscles and bones serve to protect these structures. When we want to protect something that is precious, fragile or injured we will cover, shield or embrace it. The same holds true in our body. There are many associations between musculoskeletal pain patterns and visceral organ disharmony. A noted example is referred left-sided arm, neck, jaw or back pain felt during a heart attack. A lesser known example is right-sided shoulder and neck restrictions linked to the liver via the phrenic nerve. Left-sided sacroiliac joint pain can be related to the pylorus of the stomach as it sits at the level of L1. My instructor, Brandi Kirk, PT, CVTP, conducted a study, published in The Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, demonstrating the positive effects of visceral manipulation, on diastasis recti abdominis, a common post-natal condition. Needless to say, I am fired up to bring this powerful modality into the tool box of my practice. My goal is to truly effect health in a productive and positive way and this lens is a potent paradigm shift to how I view, listen and address the body. Thank you for your continued support as I evolve as a practitioner, I look forward to learning with you!