Asian Bodywork Therapy, A Love Story

by Lauren Paap, MAOM, L.Ac., Dipl. Ac. & ABT (NCCAOM)®, AOBTA®-CP, CH
July 28, 2022

In 1999 I was faced with a health crisis that eventually led me to try Acupuncture and to radically change my diet and relationship with food. I was determined to find an avenue to support health and healing instead of just symptom management. The philosophy and language of East Asian Medicine stretched my worldview, ultimately leading to a paradigm shift in body, mind, emotions and spirit. Within a year I was feeling healthy and vital, with a newfound fascination with East Asian Medicine, also known as Chinese Medicine.

As a child I was intrigued with ancient civilizations and origin stories, thinking I would follow a similar career as Indiana Jones – university professor, archaeological digs, writing for national geographic, with a little action and adventure sprinkled in to add to the mystery and keep life interesting. However, as a young adult I learned about human suffering and decided I must learn to be part of the solution. In college I studied Psychology, however it did not satisfy my desire to understand what it meant to be human. As a kinesthetic learner and person of action, I went on a 25+ year mission to alleviate human suffering by working with vulnerable populations, including homeless women, children and families, as well as persons living with developmental disabilities, mental illness, and trauma. 

After 20 years I did not see the trend (people, planet, policy) improving. I started to question if the solution lay in changing our external world or our internal world. I became keenly aware that while I could list my external accomplishments, I had a harder time qualifying my interpersonal impact, never mind the quality of my internal life. I decided to embody the change I wished to see in the world.

Founded upon the deep knowledge that our mental, emotional, and physical health are fundamentally intertwined – East Asian Medicine seemed to fulfill my hunger to learn a practical way of understanding the world. The lens of East Asian medicine brought a fresh perspective to all areas of life, including business, politics, and of course the health and healing of all living things. For three years I quizzed my practitioner, integrating the wisdom gained until I imagined becoming a practitioner myself.

At the time, the logistics of attending Acupuncture school seemed inaccessible, but thankfully I learned about an Asian Bodywork Therapy school that was about to start a new cycle of training.

The training at Acupressure Therapy Institute exceeded the national standards for Asian Bodywork Therapy (ABT) and earned the reputation of a high caliber school and training program. While I had not yet heard of the Bodywork branch of Chinese Medicine, there was no way I was going to miss the chance to learn this new way of thinking – so I quickly filled out an application, scheduled an interview, and enrolled before ever experiencing an Asian Bodywork Therapy session!

Like many decisions that come into focus after a moment of inspiration, the trajectory of my life changed. Over lunch one day, one of my classmates told me that she found herself through her ABT studies and practice. As my studies continued, I also developed a greater understanding and appreciation for what it means to be human.

I felt as if I was both the garden and gardener – setting an intention for who I wanted to be in the world and tending the garden of my body, mind, emotions and spirit. In this process I have learned that sometimes weeding is as important as planting. In this way we create from a sense of intention rather than perpetuating old paradigms by default.

Learning to become a practitioner felt like learning to work with magic each and every day. Each person is the instrument and your trained hands become sensors, assessing the condition of the body's many layers – muscular-skeletal and energetic pathways (meridians) – within the energetic anatomy. Connecting to the energetic feedback from your trained hands guides the treatment session and forms the basis of informed touch.

I still remember my first class, where we learned how to touch and relate to gravity and the earth. It became the benchmark for all future classes that even my Acupuncture training could not rival. Yes, I did eventually go back to school to learn Acupuncture, which fed my desire for an expanded depth and breadth of understanding. However, it also deepened my appreciation for Asian Bodywork Therapy. For all the tools available to a trained acupuncture practitioner, nothing rivaled the power of touch, especially touch designed to work with the person’s electromagnetic field.

In the United States, Asian Bodywork Therapy is less well known and is often confused with Massage Therapy. While the academic structure and hours (500-1,000) are comparable, the training content is more similar to that of Acupuncture. 

Historically, there are many lineages of ABT, including Acupressure, Shiatsu, Tuina, and Medical/Clinical Qigong. To create cohesiveness in a foreign land, the American Organization for Bodywork Therapies of Asia® (AOBTA)® was formed more than 30 years ago to establish national, professional standards, and to represent the many Forms of Asian Bodywork Therapy. ABT is a unifying term, serving as the umbrella for the profession of various East-Asian lineages that share a common foundation in Chinese medicine.

Due to the work of the AOBTA® and our professional community, the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM)® recognizes Asian Bodywork Therapy, Acupuncture, and Chinese Herbology, as three distinct branches of Chinese Medicine. Additionally, the US DOE recognizes the distinct ABT professional entry-level curriculum. 

I developed a profound sense of awe for the historical, legislative, and educational landscape of ABT across the nation while serving as President for the AOBTA®. While it was practical and deeply satisfying to cultivate my private practice while attending Acupuncture school, I did not expect to fall more deeply in love with Asian Bodywork Therapy. It expanded my appreciation and gratitude for those who protected these beautiful traditions. Unless you have tried it, it is hard to convey the tenderness and magic of an ABT session.

With a desire to deepen my ABT skills I continued my postgraduate studies with Barbara Blanchard, founder and past president of Acupressure Therapy Institute (my alma mater). After several years of apprenticeship, we discussed plans for me to reopen the Acupressure Therapy Institute (closed due to Barbara’s retirement in 2011) and to carry on her legacy. We made it official at the end of 2021, before her departure from our earthly plane in early 2022. It was not an easy decision to reopen the school without her, but this knowledge is much too precious a gift not to share with others – so that others too can discover for themselves the healing that lies in their hands, hearts, and wisdom centers.

We are preparing to launch our first class in 2023!

I invite you to participate in this unique opportunity to learn this ancient healing craft.

With love and light,

Lauren

Lauren Paap, MAOM, L.Ac., Dipl. Ac. & ABT (NCCAOM)®, AOBTA®-CP, CH
President and Director of the Acupressure Therapy Institute