Governing Vessel Part I: The Spine

increase the effectiveness of your treatments with this unique evaluation & technique protocol

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Governing Vessel Part I: The Spine

Increase the effectiveness of your treatments with this unique evaluation & technique protocol for the spine. Learn how to apply this system to liberate the flow of the Governing Vessel, the primary information system of the body. The materials in this online video course provide a powerful protocol for activating the innate healing power of the body.

Who is this course for?

This course is for bodywork practitioners who want to take their treatments to a deeper level of healing and effectiveness. Whether you do massage, shiatsu, craniosacral, chiropractic, physical therapy, or another modality of hands-on healing, this course can increase the effectiveness of techniques that you already use, and also add new ones to your repertoire. Thousands of bodyworkers all over the world have studied with Saul Goodman in order to learn this powerful way of evaluating and treating the body. Beginners can also use this course to get started in bodywork and/or increase the health of their family and friends.


What are the unique things about this course?

This type of bodywork identifies precise mechanisms to access and work with the energy system of the human body. It is specific, unique, and effective. You will gain the ability to identify, activate, and restore life force. You can use these skills to increase the health and development of your clients to new levels of possibility.

Shiatsu Shin Tai, also called Life Force Recovery, offers practitioners an expanded perception of the body and how to increase the healing power of a person's system. They are trained to detect where energy is trapped and how to release and reintegrate it back into circulation. Practitioners find that it makes their work easier. They achieve better results with less effort.

Governing Vessel meridian

It is not the techniques alone which make this work so powerful; it is the comprehensive system of theory and evaluation that lie behind the techniques. This style of bodywork focuses on the flow of the central meridian, or energy flow, of the body: the Governing Vessel. In Chinese medicine, this meridian is the primary director of the human information system.

The Governing Vessel is the first energy current which develops after conception. It serves to govern the development of the other meridians, chakras, organs and the rest of the body's physiology. The spine itself is the material manifestation of this governing vessel energy. By working with the spine through a certain perceptual awareness, you will learn new ways to diagnosis and treat that touch the core potential of a person. This work activates the ability to not only heal, but develop and evolve.


Motion: An Evaluation Tool

One of the main evaluation tools you will study is motion. Shizuto Masunaga, a prominent shiatsu visionary, said that motion is synonymous with the basic life impetus. He also said that the Governing Vessel serves the basic life functions of the body. Shin Tai takes that a step further and explains that Motion = Life. The more motion we can introduce back into the body, the more life force becomes available for engagement in the present.

Motion in the body becomes your primary guiding tool to evaluate life force flow in the body. The motions we are looking for are subtle, specific, and act as to keys to reading the priority of the treatment. This work can literally make your work so much easier. You will be able to achieve more results with your clients in a shorter amount of time, because you learn where, when and how to work during a treatment.


What can this course offer you?

* You will expand your bodywork skills and thus your practice.

* You will understand the underlying physiology of what you are doing and why it liberates the flow of life force.

* You will expand into a new range of perception that will give you the capacity to give deeply transformative treatments and assist in your own self-development.


If you are not satisfied in any way with this course, just let us know within 30 days and we will send you a full refund.



What does this course include?

  1. An introduction to Life Force Recovery and overview of its theory
  2. Almost 2 hours of video instructions for a set of techniques to increase the flow of life force along the spine.
  3. A video demonstration of how to integrate the techniques into a comprehensive treatment.
  4. Close-up shots to see details of hand placement and proper body use.
  5. Illustrations to help understand the necessary anatomy and how it is affected by the treatment.
  6. Written materials to accompany each video. This will help you understand the applications more fully.
  7. You may download the videos for use on all your devices. Watch at home, listen when you are driving, take them with you when you travel.... it will be easy for you to access the materials from wherever you are.
  8. A private Facebook group for all course participants. This will provide an online community for you to share questions, experiences and knowledge related to Life Force Recovery bodywork. Consider it an extended 'classroom' for you to delve into the material more deeply than if you were just using it on your own.
  9. Bonus Opportunity: A recording of a live online demonstration and Q&A session that was recorded when this course first opened.


What people are saying about this course:

I have been using Shin Tai/Life Force Recovery work for over 25 years and have found it to be very effective in my Shiatsu/CST practice. Using it first is like getting 'the motor running', as Saul says. It makes the rest of the treatment flow better and my treatments are much more efficient and allow the receiver to make positive changes in their lives.

Liz Arundel, Shiatsu Shin Tai teacher; Edinburgh, Scotland

I've just finished going through the course for a third time and have downloaded all the videos. I have already started to incorporate this work into my treatments with great results. Thank you very much for sharing this with us. I'm looking forward to Module 2 :)

Karen Holton, Shiatsu practitioner, United Kingdom

I am looking forward to a refresher of the material! As you know I like this work very much for over 20 years, and the efficiency of it surprises me all the time as a professional bodyworker. Thanks for this great idea of online courses.

Hermann Grobbauer, Shiatsu Shin Tai teacher, Switzerland

I went through the whole course yesterday and used it on my client today - she was blown away. I usually bring some variation of these techniques into my sessions, but somehow being more intentional and beginning the session with it made a huge difference! I'm so glad you two are doing this. Thank you.

Gina Marks, Shiatsu Practitioner/Myoskeletal Therapist; Exton, PA, USA

How does the course work?

Once enrolled, you will gain immediate access to our online classroom. You will see a list of 7 sections, each with written materials and a video. You can go through them whenever is convenient for you and will have them for years to come. You can even download them onto your device so that you can listen/watch on the go.

All of the material is presented in step-by-step directions that are easy to follow. If you have questions, you have several options where to get input. First, there is a section underneath each video 'lesson' where you can ask questions. You can also chat to us & other students on the course facebook page. You can also send us a private email us at any time and we will get back to you.

Course Curriculum


  Introduction
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  Vertebral Rocking
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  Paravertebral Massage
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  Rib Rocking
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  Integration
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  Introductory Lecture: The Unique Aspects of Life Force Recovery
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  Bonus Technique: Rib Rocking Variations
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  Futon & Table Work: Specific Tips
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  Combining Life Force Recovery with Other Modalities
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  Live Q & A Session
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Your Instructor


Saul Goodman
Saul Goodman

Saul Goodman is the founder and former director of the International School of Shiatsu that has schools in 15 countries. He has taught shiatsu throughout the US and Europe for almost 40 years, and thousands of students all over the world have studied with him. His book "The Book of Shiatsu" has been translated into 10 languages.

Saul brings a synthesis of Eastern healing practices and Western physiology to this material. He communicates complex, unique information with clarity. His classes are full of the rich history of shiatsu, stimulating theory, and practical ways to move chi and free trapped life force in the body.

Saul is also the developer of Shiatsu Shin Tai (also called Life Force Recovery), which is an evolving form of shiatsu bodywork. Shiatsu Shin Tai offers a unique set of diagnosis and technique to reestablish the proper spatial relationship of the body by activating the client’s own inner healing power. Other books by Saul include an advanced instructional manual called "Shiatsu Shin Tai" and "Light Body Activation."


Frequently Asked Questions


Is this course for me?
This course is for you if you have an interest in using touch to increase health and well-being. The materials presented are unique to this body of work and provide a powerful protocol for practicing touch therapy. This course is for beginners or established bodyworkers. You can practice these tools to use with family and friends to help increase their health and well-being, or use them to take your practice to a whole new level.
I have already taken live Shin Tai classes. Will this course add anything to what I learned already?
This 'mini' course covers material generally given in the first day of the Shin Tai class Governing Vessel & the Spine. So if you took that class, the techniques will not necessarily be new for you. Having them presented on video so you can watch them again and again provides a great opportunity for you to understand and remember the material better. And if you adopt a beginner's mind, you may find you learn new things about each technique that you may have missed in class! The main value lies in the observation of the treatments themselves. To watch the techniques and the response in the receiver is one of the best ways to absorb a deeper understanding of what Life Force Recovery bodywork is all about. Take your time to observe Saul's technique and how he works with the body. It will pay off in increasing your skills, perception, and results.
I already have a bodywork practice (massage, shiatsu, craniosacral, chiropractic, etc.). Will this course bring anything new to me?
Yes, many times students in our courses are already bodyworkers. The unique theory and application of technique in Life Force Recovery can add to your repertoire and increase the effectiveness of the modality you already practice. In other words, you will learn ideas which can be applied to many kinds of technique and treatment. Plus you will learn new techniques which can be integrated into your treatments.
When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund.

Learning Shiatsu Shin Tai Online: A Potent Opportunity

Students of Shin Tai report that they achieve efficient, powerful results with their clients. They find fulfillment in helping others increase health and emotional well-being in such a natural way. Rather than acting as a 'healer' who 'changes' things that are 'wrong', they instead facilitate the flow of a receiver's own life force to do the work of healing.

So many people are struggling with physical, emotional and mental challenges. The barrage of stress factors that introduce compression into our systems seems to be escalating. Learning efficient, powerful techniques to open up the flow of life force is a potent opportunity for you to help shift someone toward vitality, rather than disintegration and deterioration. Bodywork is a critical point for expanding health and consciousness on this planet, and you can be a part of this movement towards a higher frequency of human functioning.

Learn to use touch to increase human health & consciousness

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If you are not satisfied in any way with this course, just let us know within 14 days for a full refund.