"The Roots and Philosophy of Dynamic Manual Interface "is a personal account of the development and evolution of Frank Lowen's hands-on therapy. A former program director and popular instructor at the Upledger Institute, Lowen begins with his own history and an account of the unique events that have shaped his career. Originally schooled as an artist, Lowen developed an interest in alternative medicine and bodywork. He describes his training at the Upledger Institute (which led to teaching positions and directing the institute's visceral manipulation program) as well as his work with Jean-Pierre Barral, described by "Time "magazine as a top healing innovator in the new millennium.
Lowen goes on to describe the emergence of his own techniques and new findings that have become the basis for his Dynamic Manual Interface (DMI) method. Implementing light touch, DMI works with tissue movements, rhythms, and relationships not addressed in other manual therapies such as craniosacral therapy and visceral manipulation. DMI also incorporates new techniques for feeling and resolving tension patterns based on Lowen's discovery of correlations between the hands and different bodily systems. Results of this approach, explored in the book, include restored balance, accelerated healing, decreased pain, and improved mental clarity.

Based on the premise that movement is essential for life and any restriction will affect our health, visceral manipulation starts with the core, the viscera (organs), and extends throughout the entire body to address pain, structural imbalances, tensions, and restrictions. The practitioner uses specifically placed manual pressure that promotes normal movement, tone, and internal movement of the organs, their supporting structures, fascia, nerves, and blood vessels. The ultimate goal is improved health by allowing the body to perform and move optimally.
Illustrated with nearly 100 instructional photos and anatomy drawings, "A Pathway to Health" begins with general information about visceral manipulation, describing the method, goals, philosophy, and history of the practice. The book also explains the evaluation process and what a patient can expect to experience during and following a treatment session. Author Alison Harvey covers each major structure of the body including the organs, fascia, muscles, bones, and nerves, and discusses the causes of dysfunction. The second half of the book focuses on each system of the body, presenting physiological information and treatments as well as case studies. Harvey also explores emotional issues and their effects on the body and gives an authoritative summary of current research in the field.

The body possesses an enormous memory, a record of all the experiences of human life. Fears, anxieties, traumas, and physical and emotional shocks imprint themselves on the body and remain there in a dormant state until they are roused by an event or encounter. They may manifest under a different form or in a different place - a fearful incident may transform itself into a stomach ache or a headache, or even a chronic disease - pain creates its own path. In particular, psychological and emotional stresses affect the functioning of the internal organs.In "Understanding the Messages of Your Body", Dr. Jean-Pierre Barral explains the relationships that exist between our organs and our emotions, to allow us to free ourselves from the effects of present and past tensions and traumas. The book opens with an explanation of how body-mind therapy works, and goes on to propose therapeutic models based on examples from Dr. Barral's clinical practice. The second part of the book serves as a reference for emotion and organ typology, and Dr. Barral gives detailed analyses of various "types" of human personality and the physical-emotional complexes and related organ dysfunctions that accompany them. He also offers abundant advice and encouragement to improve our physical, psychological, and emotional health, and recommends physical exercises, psychotherapeutic approaches, and dietary plans that can be used by both professional therapists and lay people.

Based on Dr. Croibier's everyday clinical experience, this book provides critical tools for examining patients in order to determine what the course of treatment should be. Written for manual hands-on therapy students and practitioners that include osteopaths, physical therapists, and chiropractors, the book explores in depth the osteopathic diagnosis process that aims to identify an abnormality and to discover factors that may be causing the dysfunction. Drawing a comparison between diagnosis in classical medicine and osteopathy, Dr. Croibier explains that the osteopath focuses on restoring the conditions of good health rather than simply addressing the consequences of disease. Enhanced with more than 175 full-color instructional photos and illustrations, the book describes the manual hands-on assessments and general evaluations that lead to a diagnosis. Manual assessments include objective observation, diagnostic touch, palpation of the affected areas of the body, visualization, and "listening" (a hand placed on a specific part of the body to determine tissue functionality). Based on Dr. Croibier's recommendations, the manual therapist also performs a patient intake and interview; general evaluation that analyzes the patient's symptoms and general state; examination of posture and equilibrium; and observation of individual characteristics, such as constitution, temperament, and body type.