Lauren Berry
Lauren Berry chose to describe his work in structural engineering terms.
To him, the body was nothing more mysterious than an engineering problem, and it can be “fixed," or brought into harmonious balance, by physical manipulations based on sound engineering principles. Since he worked as a construction engineer for much of his life, Lauren Berry has a background for his claims “The muscles are the main machinery of the body.”
Lauren was described in the 1980’s by Robert Gray in his book “The Colon Health Handbook” as perhaps the ‘greatest of all manipulative healers of our time.’
Lauren would most likely disagree with that as he avoided the word ‘healer’ and when asked would describe himself as a good mechanic.
For those that witnessed his work, often the word magician came to mind.
Once a student of The Berry Method® becomes competent in this unique approach to massage therapy, Lauren’s principles behind the magic become apparent.
Lauren became aware that each muscle has a relative position within its surrounding tissues (muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones) where it functions at its healthiest efficiency. This position is determined by those surrounding structures which create a ‘groove’ within which each muscle fits. He came to understand that tissue can become misplaced and distorted within its relationship to its surroundings and get out of its groove. A good portion of Laurens magic included simply applying this body of knowledge and ‘putting things’ back where they belong. Lauren addressed the muscles, tendons, and ligaments as the "guy wires" of the body. He found that their distortion was often the major contributor to mechanical problems of the spine and extremities.
He also believed that everything in the body is innately programmed to self-correct. However, if your natural center of gravity (located in the pelvic girdle on a line between the fifth lumbar-sacral articulation and a point approximately two inches below the navel) is off balance, then everything above and below becomes distorted in order to adapt to a new center of gravity. This situation interferes with the body's ability to maintain itself.
Therapists who study and practice The Berry Method® use precise massage techniques that include soft tissue manipulation. Some of the goals are to relieve spasms, correct distortions, and release adhesions in the connective tissue, skeletal muscles, and the smooth muscle of organs. These techniques stimulate the body's natural inclination toward balance and ease in its structure and function. For example, such corrections can quickly restore a knee to full, pain free mechanical function or relieve back discomfort.
