Trager approach

The Trager approach is a form of somatic education. Proponents claim the Trager Approach helps release deep-seated physical and mental patterns and facilitates deep relaxation, increased physical mobility, and mental clarity. The founder, Milton Trager, called his work Psychophysical Integration. He was an athlete, dancer, and bodybuilder. He began doing bodywork with no training and later worked under a variety of practitioner licenses, including an MD earned in Mexico followed by 2 years residency in psychiatry. Trager wanted western medicine to appreciate the mind-body connection in healing challenging conditions such as postpolio, Parkinson's, and other neuromuscular conditions. Doctors referred patients to him and were pleased with the results, but the medical approach to these conditions did not fundamentally shift away from medication and surgery as he had envisioned. Late in life, at Esalen Institute, he was encouraged to begin teaching, which he did for the last 22 years of his life.