What to Expect From the ELDOA Course
Teaching the ELDOA course has been so rewarding. This form of exercise can change bodies so profoundly because people now have the ability to become their own therapists - taking their health into their own hands.
What I’ve noticed from teaching the ELDOA course is that when everyone starts to experience it in their own body, their demeanour starts to change, people start getting more relaxed and excited to learn more – and the energy in the room is quite remarkable.
With all the phenomenal feedback that I get from the training, I thought it might help to provide a detailed breakdown as to what this course is about.
Starting with Introductions
I always like to start the course with an introduction to share my personal journey and how I found ELDOA Everyone comes from different backgrounds and it’s good to know that there’s an osteopath in the group and there’s a Pilates instructor and a yoga practitioner, a chiropractor and a massage therapist – everyone comes from a different background.
It’s such a cohesive group and I always want to encourage everyone to share their own bodies of knowledge, experiences and opinions. It’s a great intimate, supportive and safe environment to grow, and to share with one another.
Discussing The ELDOA Program
The ELDOA program has evolved outside of Guy Voyer’s original Soma Training and has been broken down into 6 levels so that the integrity of the method is kept.
The Philosophy of the ELDOA is that “you are your own best therapist,” and I like to emphasize that throughout the course.
I also like to cover:
- How the ELDOA program became it’s own program of 6 modules,
- What/who influenced Guy Voyer,
- The General Anatomy and Biomechanics of the Spine,
- What an Intervertebral Disc is,
- And the Medical Approach to Back Pain vs. the ELDOA.
Learning the ELDOA as a Group
Now, you don’t have to take an ELDOA class before you take the training, but it does help. The more you practice, the more you get it into your own body and the easier it is to teach it to others.
We go into a group class right away so everyone experiences it first hand practicing a particular ELDOA. We cover 4 classic ELDOA levels during the two days – which allows you to make a huge difference in someone’s life and their posture. The experience is very much about practicing and getting to know different bodies because there isn’t a recipe.
By having everyone work with each other in the course - you’re working with different bodies all the time.
“Feeling the movements was key. And it was easy to understand and therefor simple to verbalize to others.”
– Joel Skinner, Team Canada Olympic Track & Field Coach
An Overview in Biomechanics and Anatomy
I like to present a bit more of a focus on the anatomy and biomechanics, because the anatomy might be new for some, but you end up feeling very comfortable with it. It’s a lot of problem solving – where you have this body in front of you, now how do you modify it and how do you go about helping this person?
I like to have a really hands on session with about 80% of the course geared towards practice and 20% towards biomechanics, anatomy and history.
Frequently Asked Questions About the ELDOA Course
What do we learn?
In ELDOA1 I will teach you four classic ELDOAs for the spine. While it might not seem like a lot of exercises – these classic levels will make a huge difference in your clients posture and wellness. There’s a lot of prepping in order to get someone into the correct position, you start learning the foundation of the ELDOA in level1 and that gives you the tools to build on.
One of the main reasons why Guy restructured the program was to allow for more time to get a solid introduction on how to teach the basics, how to get someone into a position and how to target spinal segments and deeper facial tissue with unparalleled specificity
How will it benefit my clients and I?
Guy Voyer’s overriding philosophy is that “you are your own best therapist.” So the goal is to be able to encourage your clients to do these exercises at home – even just doing one or two ELDOA exercises is beneficial.
So if there is someone who is a massage therapist, they can give their clients one or two exercises to help speed up the therapeutic process. A Pilates instructor can help their clients find more length through ELDOA. A Chiropractor can use it for their clients to create more freedom within the spine.
And for a movement educator, such as a yoga teacher or a personal trainer – that instructor can take what they learned and start their own ELDOA class or take what they learned and incorporate it into what they do with their clients at the end of a session or during. ELDOA is such a powerful movement that it’s beginning to be a stand-alone exercise class.
For more information on the ELDOA courses or how you can register for the next one – visit our information page.
See what previous students have to say about the course!
“Petra’s enthusiasm for the method is contagious! The educational component was adequate for a short session – and I liked the ability to observe many different bodies and instructing styles.”
- Anna MacIntosh, Movement Instructor/Coach, Toronto
“Petra is so motivating and professional. And just lovely! She clearly wants to share her passion for ELDOA and I am so grateful to learn from her. I’ll be back to keep evolving my knowledge and training for ELDOA2!”
– Lindsey Murray, Pilates and Movement Educator, Ottawa
“Warm, friendly, approachable + encouraging, enthusiastic instructor”
- Dr. Katarina Bulat, Chiropractor, Danforth East Wellness, Toronto
“I felt as though this practice is a way of life - not just an exercise method. I have more energy and I feel more aligned.”
– Danisa Misaljeviic, Pilates Instructor and Doula