Illinois · August 17–21, 2026 —
Myofascial, craniosacral & somatic bodywork training near Chicago, IL
Five days, 35 hands-on hours at Garden of Yoga in La Grange, twenty minutes west of Chicago — myofascial release, craniosacral therapy and somatic dialogue taught as one integrated system, not three separate certifications.
This class is full. The page stays up because I return to this region — see below for what is next.
Practitioners who have completed this training
Every class finishes the same way — certificates in hand, and a different pair of hands than the ones they arrived with.
What Illinois requires
Illinois LMTs need 25 CE hours every two years, on a shared cycle ending 31 December of each even-numbered year.
This class is 35 live, in-person, hands-on hours — your full Illinois requirement with ten hours to spare, and all of it the hands-on technique training that online coursework cannot give you.
Worth knowing
Illinois also mandates specific subjects within those 25 hours: 2 hours of ethics, 1 hour of sexual harassment prevention, and 1 hour of domestic violence and sexual assault training.
My curriculum is not approved for any of those. You will need to take them separately.
NCBTMB Approved Provider #1002447 · 35 CE hours for licensed massage therapists
Requirements per the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.
The room
Monday 17 – Friday 21 August 2026 Waitlisted
Garden of Yoga
140 North La Grange Road, Suite 17, La Grange, IL 60525
gardenofyoga.net
A second-floor studio in downtown La Grange — wood floors, good light, and room to work around the tables. Access from Brewster Avenue or the lot behind the building.
9:00am – 5:30pm each day, with an extended mid-day break for lunch and integration.
An intimate practitioner setting — not a 50-seat seminar. Hands on from day one, with individual attention through every practice session.
Getting there
Flying: Midway (MDW) is about fourteen miles east; O’Hare (ORD) roughly twenty miles north. Midway is usually the easier run.
By train: La Grange sits on the Metra BNSF line — about twenty-five minutes from Union Station, so staying in Chicago and commuting out each day is genuinely practical.
Staying
- Downtown La Grange has a handful of options within walking distance of the studio.
- Oak Brook and Hinsdale are ten minutes away with more choice.
- Or stay in Chicago. The Metra BNSF line runs straight to La Grange, and for many people a week in the city is the better trip.
Five days in the room
What you’ll learn
- Myofascial techniques that sense subtle release and expansion in tissue — creating breadth and depth of sensation that help your clients connect and feel their bodies more
- Craniosacral skills — from palpating the cranial rhythm to full-session sequencing — where physical touch activates deep states of nervous system calibration
- Somatic dialogue: reading non-verbal cues, inviting client participation, and holding emotional release with ethics, safety, and trauma-informed presence
- A cohesive framework that recognizes the body as a totality rather than fragmented systems
Who it’s for
Licensed massage therapists, bodyworkers and manual therapists who already have hands-on experience and want the three modalities as one system rather than three separate trainings.
Previous hands-on bodywork experience is highly recommended — the class is paced at an intermediate level.
The five days
Day 1 — Unveiling the fascial matrix. Myofascial anatomy, adhesions and tensegrity, mechanoreceptors and their somatic implications, and palpation practice.
Day 2 — Myofascial release techniques. Working restriction at depth, and the touch sensitivity that finds it.
Day 3 — Craniosacral therapy fundamentals. Palpating the cranial rhythm through to full-session sequencing.
Day 4 — Craniosacral therapy techniques. Where physical touch activates deep states of nervous system calibration.
Day 5 — Somatic dialogue and emotional release. Reading non-verbal cues, inviting client participation, and holding what surfaces with ethics, safety and trauma-informed presence.
See the full day-by-day curriculum and the whole year’s schedule →
What students say
“Daniel did a great job at guiding us through the process of both learning the material and receiving the work itself. I felt safe throughout the training and able to ask questions to deepen my learning.”— Hailey S., practitioner
“I’m so deeply grateful and inspired by this work and what Daniel brings to the table. He guides us intuitively from the heart, through this delicate healing path. This is the upgrade I was looking for — for my own inner evolution and my clients.”— Margaret S., practitioner
“Exactly what I have been needing in my practice to support my clients. Daniel is an excellent teacher & was amazing at supporting everyone.”— Caroline C., practitioner
Who is teaching
For nearly fifteen years I’ve been unraveling the body’s mysteries as a therapist — working with the fascia, the nervous system, and the stories they hold.
My passion ignited when I began combining the modalities I’d been taught separately, and found the doorway into deep states of somatic release. I don’t just teach anatomy or techniques; I guide you into a deeper way of being with the body.
Daniel J. Wicker · NC LMBT #15677 · NCBTMB Approved Provider #1002447
Questions
Does this count toward my Illinois CE requirement?
Which airport should I fly into?
What are the prerequisites? Is this suitable for beginners?
I’m not a massage therapist — can I still attend?
How are hands-on practices managed?
What does it cost?
Not this date, or not this city?
I teach this training around the country through the year. You can see every upcoming date, read the full class syllabus, and watch a free introductory video — and I will let you know when something lands near you.