
Why training to become a BSR practitioner could be the best thing you ever do
Having recently completed the 2022/2023 training course at the Body Stress Release (BSR) Academy Europe, as a tutor I felt inspired to share some of our experiences and to give you a better idea of life at the Academy. Becoming a BSR practitioner is definitely a life-changing experience. It presents a rare opportunity to step away from your day-to-day life to immerse yourself in learning a technique that will not only change your life but the lives of your future clients.
In the words of one of the founders of Body Stress Release, Gail Meggersee, the vision of BSR is “to be a catalyst for the dynamic upgrading of peoples’ lives… In BSR, we empower people in their lives, through helping to restore the natural self-healing capacity of the body.”
We were delighted to welcome the first group of students to our new home at Hall Farm Cottages in the beautiful Norfolk Broads in November, following a two-year break. There were six students from the Netherlands, one from the UK, and one from Germany. The students and teachers loved the new venue.
Hannah, the host at Hall Farm Cottages, could not have done more to make us feel welcome. Nothing was too much trouble, and she made sure that everyone was comfortable and had everything they needed to make their stay the best experience possible.
The Norfolk Broads are located in a beautiful part of Eastern England with miles of inland waterways to explore, surrounded by beautiful open countryside. The students and tutors enjoyed trips to some of the stunning stretches of long sandy beaches and some even ventured into the sea for a bit of cold-water swimming! From October through to February, a particular stretch of the Norfolk coastline becomes a nursery for the Atlantic grey seal colony who give birth to their young there. We were able to walk along the dunes at Horsey beach and it was incredible to see so many seals on the beach at one time.
Our midterm break falls at Christmas, so we all went to a local pub, The Swan in Horning, to have a traditional British Christmas dinner before everyone headed home for the Christmas break and a well-earned rest. After Christmas we joined in the fun of the local Christmas panto, Puss in Boots, in Horning village. There was plenty of laughter and we all had great fun. The students made the most of the opportunity to speak to many of the locals during the interval and even got a special mention at the end of the panto, as the cast were delighted to have ‘gone international’ with their audience.
Hall Farm Cottages has a private footpath down to the local river from where you can explore the waterways, take in the ruins of St Benet’s Abbey, and visit the local village of Ludham. Heading in the other direction takes you into the village of Horning which is also right on the water. Norfolk is renowned for its enormous skies, and many of us enjoyed evening walks to appreciate the night skies which are so bright on a clear night due to the lack of light pollution.
Local homes rent out their swimming pools on a private hire basis. Some students sampled two or three before deciding on one, which they then hired out for an hour a week for the duration of the course. There were also outings to many of the local pubs, restaurants, and cafés to sample the local fare, day trips to local forests and holiday resorts such as Cromer. and trips into Norwich itself, all of which are within a reasonable distance by car. Norwich is a vibrant city in which everything is within easy walking distance. It has a thriving market square and the magnificent cathedral (founded in 1096 and built using Normandy stone shipped from Caen) is definitely worth a visit. A famous local saying is that Norwich has a church for every Sunday of the year and a pub for every day.
The course runs over a 16-week period and students start palpation on the very first day of the course. Over the coming weeks, whatever they learn in Anatomy (be it osteology, myology, or arthrology, etc.) is linked to the technique they are learning, as the course is designed to build the student’s anatomical knowledge at the same time as their technique skills develop, all under the careful guidance of the tutors. There are, of course, other lessons each day which include Client Management, Philosophy, Technique Theory, the Principles of BSR, and Communication. The students were very supportive of each other, and this was reflected in how they worked together to achieve their impressive results.
The Apprenticeship takes place during the last two weeks of the course, where students have the opportunity, under supervision of the tutors, to work on clients. The students put in a huge amount of effort to find their clients through chatting to locals, distributing flyers, and getting an article printed in a local magazine. The Apprenticeship is an exhilarating time for students, especially when they get the wonderful feedback from their clients.
We celebrated on the last evening of the Apprenticeship with our traditional braai (BBQ), where everyone was able to let their hair down and relax before the more formal graduation ceremony the following evening. This ceremony was held at the Wroxham Hotel which overlooks one of the many waterways. The students were presented with their certificates and newly designed perspex nameplates before entertaining us with an incredibly funny presentation of the A to Z of BSR. The students also gave each of the tutors a gift – a beautiful cushion with the BSR logo and branding.
My fellow tutors and I are all very much looking forward to hosting the next course at Hall Farm Cottages, which will run from Monday 30th October 2023 until the graduation ceremony on Saturday 9th March 2024, (with a three week break for Christmas). Although we have already started the interview process, we are still welcoming new applications.
If you have been contemplating training to become a BSR practitioner, you will find it a life-changing experience and one you will not regret. I qualified nearly 30 years ago and still love every day in my practice. It is a privilege to be able to share my client’s healing journeys and to share my passion for BSR with future practitioners. A copy of the Prospectus, with further details of the BSR Practitioner Training Course, is available by emailing paul@bodystressrelease.co.uk.
(For those in the Norfolk area interested in signing up as clients for the Apprenticeship, it will run from Monday 26th February 2024 to Thursday 7th March 2024, although clients will only be able to book in nearer the time.)
Finally, I am delighted to welcome our newly qualified practitioners to the BSR family. May they all have long, fulfilling, and happy careers as BSR practitioners.
With lots of love and gratitude,
Tracy Highton
Body Stress Release Practitioner and Tutor at the Body Stress Release Academy Europe
P.S. – if anyone fancies a holiday in the Norfolk Broads, I can – of course – highly recommend Hall Farm Cottages! https://hallfarm.com/