Working with the Postpartum Body: Manual Therapy and Movement Practices with Michael Watson

This webinar series is focused on working with women postpartum, presented by Anatomy Trains Senior teacher Michael Watson.

This series is 4 x 2 hour webinar sessions, with a combination of anatomical principles and demonstrations on a live model for postural assessment, strategy, cueing, and manual and movement therapy for women postpartum.

Session 1: Goals & Principles of Structural Integration in the Postpartum Body

Duration: 2 hours

Part 1: Foundations of SI in the Postpartum Period

• Introduction to Structural Integration: Ida Rolf’s legacy
• Understanding postpartum physiology and fascia: changes in the body’s tensegrity model
• Why SI matters postpartum: the role of gravity, structure, and sensory awareness

Part 2: Core Goals of Postpartum SI

• Reestablishing core line and grounding
• Reorganizing pelvic-lumbar relationships
• Supporting myofascial decompression and hydration
• Enhancing somatic presence and psycho-emotional integration

Part 3: Fascial Adaptations During Pregnancy & Birth

• Myofascial elongation and shortening patterns
• Pelvic diaphragm strain and tailbone torque
• Scar tissue impact (e.g., cesarean, episiotomy)
• Visceral repositioning and breath limitations

Part 4: Body Mapping & Assessment

• Hands-on fascial listening
• SI-style body reading in standing and walking
• Identifying asymmetries in the pelvis, legs, and breath
• Postpartum timeline: when to begin and contraindications
• Practice Demo: Postpartum fascial glide tests and pelvic tilt assessment

Session 2: The Pelvis, Core & Breath

Duration: 2 hours

Part 1: Pelvic Floor Integration

• Layers of the pelvic floor: anatomy, fascial connections (via the Deep Front Line)
• Addressing pelvic pain, prolapse, urinary incontinence
• Re-establishing tone and lift without over-contraction

Part 2: Abdominal Wall & Diastasis Recti

• Fascial sheath of the rectus abdominis and transversalis
• SI strategies to support natural closure
• How to work without reinforcing splinting or bracing patterns

Part 3: Breath & Core Coordination

• Rib cage mobility and postural restoration
• Relationship between breath, pelvic floor, and thoracic outlet
• Breathwork as a fascial decompression tool

Practice Demo:

• Pelvic lift with breath awareness
• Fascial work around the pubic arch and iliacus
• Diaphragmatic decompression techniques

Session 3: Reclaiming Spine, Ribs & Upper Body

Duration: 2 hours

Part 1: The Breastfeeding Body

• Forward head, collapsed sternum, internally rotated shoulders
• SI techniques to support spine length and thoracic decompression
• Working with the intercostals, serratus anterior, scalenes

Part 2: Repatterning Arm & Shoulder Use

• Upper limb strain from carrying and lifting
• Fascia connections from shoulder to pelvis (Superficial Front/Back Lines)
• SI strategies for scapular release and clavicle opening

Part 3: Restoring Spinal Continuity

• Lumbar compression patterns from birth positions and carrying
• T12, sacrum, and coccyx relationships
• SI work to restore spinal wave and segmental articulation

Practice Demo:

• Rolfing-inspired side-lying spinal decompression
• Arm line fascial glide work
• Breast tissue and pectoral myofascial release (with consent & draping)

Session 4: Integration, Movement & Psycho-Emotional Recovery

Duration: 2 hours

Part 1: Fascial Integration through Movement

• From table to movement: why movement is crucial postpartum
• Gait, posture, and dynamic balance restoration
• Rebuilding the spiral lines: contralateral movement and rotation

Part 2: Psycho-Emotional Landscape of Postpartum

• Somato-emotional patterns in the pelvic floor and diaphragm
• Touch as safety: trauma-sensitive SI practice
• Listening touch and the importance of pacing

Part 3: Creating a Personal Integration Plan

• Mapping a 5–12 session SI sequence for postpartum clients
• Adapting the 12-Series or Principles Model
• Home exercises and movement prescriptions

Practice Demo:

• Standing wave exercise
• Embodied cueing for core and pelvic floor
• Partner touch practice: listening hands on sacrum

Previously presented live via Zoom, August 2025
Run time: Approximately 8 hours

Note: This course is designed for educational purposes only. Pilates and yoga instructors and fitness trainers are not legally licensed to perform some of the techniques presented. However, by gaining a deeper understanding of the conditions, anatomy, and therapy approaches discussed, movement practitioners will be better equipped to support their clients within the legal scope of their massage practice.