Entering the Temple is an internal pelvic certification course that includes:
- 5 online academic sessions
- 4 day in-person class
- Lodging and meal options
- 50 hour CEU certificate
- 2 options for mentorship
This course is designed to equip bodyworkers to ethically and practically incorporate pelvic floor treatments into their existing practices. Students will learn how to:
- Locate and palpate external and internal pelvic anatomy
- Evaluate and treat internal pelvic musculature
- Handle session logistics including intake, sanitation, professionalism
See below for full course content.
Location
Students from all over the world are invited to attend this training.
- Online academic sessions are held via Zoom
- In-person class in April will be held near Portland, Oregon*
- Self-study, case studies, and other homework are self-paced
*Changed to Portland from Corvallis, due to venue
Our beautiful venue includes:
- Beds available for rent
- Option for chef-prepared meals
- Nearest airport: PDX International
To register:
- Have a professional license in good standing (LMT, RN, NP, ND, midwife, etc)*
- Complete an application to request an interview
- Register for the class (link provided after interview)
*For those practicing in areas without relevant licensing boards, exceptions can be made for non-licensed individuals with professional experience and training in bodywork and ethics.
Note: this class is currently formatted for a female-only learning environment. In the future, Anna does plan to offer all-genders internal pelvic bodywork training for practitioners of all genders.
Course Content
Course objectives are met when students feel equipped to:
- Receive a new client, facilitate intake, and develop a treatment plan
- Respectfully communicate with clients about consent
- Ethically enter, navigate, and exit the internal pelvic cavities
- Assess pelvic floor tone and function before and after treatment
- Pursue comprehension and curiosity about pelvic pathologies
Course content includes:
- Orientation/overview:
- Common pelvic dysfunctions
- Benefits of pelvic bodywork
- Indications and common pathologies
- Pelvic muscle tension
- Uterine prolapse
- Cystocele and rectocele
- Urinary incontinence
- Considerations for pregnancy
- Postpartum care
- Contraindications
- When to refer to a specialist
- Pelvic bowl orientation and anatomy:
- Muscles and structures of the urogenital diaphragm
- Muscles and structures of the internal pelvic bowl
- Roles and rhythms of the pelvic floor muscle system
- Pelvic practitioner skills:
- Pelvic palpation and listening skills
- Entrance protocols for internal cavity work
- Assessments for the muscles of the pelvic cavity
- Techniques for pelvic bodywork
- Internal treatments for the pelvic floor
- Practitioner boundaries and self-care
- Business practices:
- How to talk with current and prospective clients about pelvic care
- Simple and detailed intake forms
- How to lead a pelvic intake session
- How to analyze paperwork data
- How to facilitate a pelvic bodywork session
- Scope of practice, liability insurance
- Business strategies, marketing practices
- Pelvic props, teaching tools
- Supplies and logistics: gloves, lube, pads, etc.
- Sanitation for pelvic bodywork
- Networking for support and a multi-disciplinary approach
- Ethics:
- Client safety and consent
- Communication
- Power dynamics
- Ethical responsibilities
- Boundaries
- Reverence
- Draping and privacy
- Trauma-informed care
Note: This course does not include any sexual or tantric practices.
Continued Education Qualifications
CEU certificates are issued to students for a total of 50 learning hours. This course includes 1 hour of cultural competency and 4 hours of professional ethics, boundaries and/or communication, as required by the Oregon Board of Massage Therapists for licensure renewal. It also meets the OBMT requirements for LMTs to provide internal pelvic cavity treatments.
Dates and Details
Pre-class Zoom dates:
- March 30, evening
- April 6, evening
- April 13, evening
In-person class dates:
- April 22: Evening meet and greet dinner
- April 23-26: Four day training
Post-class Zoom dates:
- May 4, evening
- June 1, evening
Registration deadlines:
- Early registration: December 31, 2025 ($400 discount)
- Regular registration: March 16, 2026
Applications are due 2 weeks prior, to allow for the interview process.
Investment:
- Early bird discounted rate: $2,395
- $300 non-refundable registration deposit paid by December 31, 2025
- $2,095 to be paid in full by March 16, 2026 ($400 discount)
- Full tuition rate: $2,795
- $300 non-refundable registration deposit paid by March 16, 2026
- $2,495 paid in full by March 16, 2026
Payment plans are available. A first come, first served BIPOC scholarship is also available. All tuitions must be paid in full two weeks prior to start of class. See refund and cancellation policies below.
Oregon Pelvic Bodyworkers:
Students should receive at least one pelvic bodywork treatment prior to class. If you live out of state, Anna might be able to connect you with a practitioner closer to you. If a bodyworker is not available, we recommend scheduling a manual therapy session with a physical therapist trained by Herman and Wallace. Pelvic floor PT is legal in all 50 states. Below are some recommended PNW internal pelvic bodyworkers, most of whom are graduates of Entering the Temple:
Leslie Stager in Nevada City, CA
www.lesliestager.com
Lynnea in Eugene, OR
www.eugenemanualtherapy.com
Hillary in Corvallis, OR
www.pacificnorthwestbodywork.com
Erika in Portland, OR
www.theyoniyurt.com
Machelle in Portland, OR
www.innerconnectionspdx.com
Andrea in Portland, OR
www.andreatlmt.com
Abby in Portland, OR
www.attunebodywork.com
Shannon in Hood River, OR
www.integrativehoodriver.com
Testimonials
Visit LeslieStager.com to read reviews from Entering the Temple graduates.
Adjacent Opportunities
Registered Entering the Temple students may have the option to observe and scribe for pelvic bodywork sessions prior to class, with Anna’s clients in downtown Corvallis. Apply here.
For additional insight, consider also registering for an external pelvic floor manual therapy class with Denise Foster Scott: Reclaiming the Pelvic Floor.
Mentorship and More
After training, mentorship programs are available with both Leslie and Anna. As you integrate training and gain experience with your own clientele, it is wildly helpful to have the guidance and insight of an experienced therapist.
Leslie’s mentorship program is offered via the phone and involves talking in depth through six case studies. Students receive support, insight, and advice in a one-on-one setting with Leslie.
Anna’s mentorship program is offered in person – near Corvallis, Oregon – in small group study cohorts. Mentorship includes case study analysis, supervised community clinics, and/or advanced pelvic education. Learn more and apply here.
Intermediate and Advanced Pelvic Training
After completing the Entering the Temple certification course, students are eligible to take additional training with Anna on topic such as:
- The Pelvic Fluid Vessels (Vascular, Lymph, Etc)
- Pelvic Ligaments, Fascia, and Scar Tissue
- The Pelvic Neuromeningeal Network
- Ethical Inquiry for Pelvic Bodyworkers
- Male Pelvic Bodywork Certification
TA and Guest Speaker Opportunities
Prior graduates of Entering the Temple are invited to apply to be a teacher’s assistant and/or a guest speaker. These are volunteer opportunities that allow graduates to:
- audit and review course content at no charge
- assist new students in their learning process
- enjoy camaraderie and reconnection with other grads
Graduates can complete an application here.
About Your Instructors
Leslie Stager, RN, LMT has been a foundational pillar for internal pelvic bodywork education for LMTs in Oregon since 2012. She has taught annually in Oregon and across the country, training hundreds of massage therapists and midwives in this sacred work.
Leslie’s career has focused on women’s health since the 1980’s. First as a labor and delivery nurse, then as a massage therapist and pelvic bodyworker, Leslie has passionately explored, practiced, and taught about the rhythms, rites, and mysteries of the female body.
She has studied pelvic floor therapy with physical therapists, chiropractors, and osteopaths, including Lee Morgan DO, Tami Kent PT, Bryan Baisinger DC, and Herman & Wallace.
Leslie is the author of Nurturing Massage for Pregnancy: A Practical Guide to Bodywork for the Perinatal Cycle (2009 Lippincott).
Integrative pelvic bodywork and maternity massage education are her legacy.
Anna Burnett has been a LMT for 20 years and specializes in osteopathic manual therapy and internal pelvic bodywork. Anna has been a pelvic educator since 2021 through the Pelvic Wellness Collective.
In addition to her commitment to pelvic bodywork mastery, Anna pursues ongoing training in visceral manipulation and neuromeningeal manipulation through the Barral Institute and is an IAHE teacher’s assistant. Click here to review Anna’s professional education and teaching experience..
Anna took Leslie’s Entering the Temple class in 2022, with a deep appreciation for Leslie’s comprehensive and practical approach to training. Anna thinks Leslie’s course is the best choice for professionals looking for a solid foundation in pelvic bodywork skills.
As Leslie moves into a noble and nourishing Cronedom, Anna is deeply honored and delighted to partner with her and take up the torch of teaching those who are called to this vital field of care.
Cancellation, Sickness, and Refund Policies
Registration deposit: Your deposit is non-refundable and non-transferrable.
Payment prerequisite: Your participation in this program is contingent upon the fulfillment of all payment agreements two weeks prior to the first day of class. If you are unable to complete payment, you are not eligible for reimbursement of any prior payments. This is considered a no-show.
In-person attendance: Late arrival or absence is not permitted during our in-person learning container. Late arrival or absences are considered a “no-show” and are not eligible for reimbursement. No reimbursement is available if you choose to depart from the program early.
Payment Plan Agreements: Students may choose to pay in full at the time of registration or request a monthly payment plan. Payment plan tuition amounts are due on 1st of each month, and divided into even amounts – based on the number of months remaining and the amount of tuition owed.
Available refunds: In the event of a student cancellation, paid tuition (minus the deposit) Is 100% refundable up to 3 months prior to the first day of class, 50% refundable up to two months prior to the first day of class, and 30% refundable up to one month prior to the first day of class. Paid tuition is no longer refundable within one month of the first class date.
Instructor cancellation: In the case of a total course cancellation due to insufficient registrations or unforeseen circumstances, you are eligible to receive a full reimbursement of funds paid (including the deposit).
Transferrable tuition: In the event you are unable to attend the program, your paid tuition might be fully transferrable to another student. Due to the intimate nature of this work and the careful application process, transfer requests must be made a minimum of two weeks prior to the first day of class. Decision on the acceptance or denial of a replacement student will be made by one week prior to the first class. Replacement students will need to pay their own registration deposit before they are eligible to inherit your paid tuition.
Exceptions: Refunds or credits may be available in the case of a genuine emergency or a serious illness. A doctor’s note or another verification letter may be requested. Allow up to two weeks communications and decisions about exception requests.
Payments: All refunds will be issued in the method originally paid, or via Venmo/Paypal/Square/Zelle, within 21 days of cancellation. Charges incurred by issuing refunds are the responsibility of the student receiving the refund, and will be deducted from the refund, unless the class is cancelled by the instructors.
Liability: Any expenses incurred by the participant from charges that involve travel, accommodations, or other expenses related to attending a continuing education class are the sole responsibility of the participant, as well as all risks associated with non-refundable, non-endorsable, non-changeable purchases.
Health Policy: It is the student’s responsibility to practice extra precautions in the weeks prior to class, to help minimize risk of potential illness. Due to the nature of our close contact and hands-on work, no one with symptoms of any potentially contagious sickness will be allowed to attend class. No refunds are available for sickness. We strongly encourage participants to minimize their exposure to all respiratory viruses in the week(s) prior to class. Avoiding large and/or crowded gatherings is wise. If you come down with an illness, contact us immediately to see if someone from the waiting list can replace your spot. A tuition credit for a future class will be made available to you, under these circumstances.
Apply here.
Internal pelvic CE pelvic floor CE pelvic bodywork continuing education LMT pelvic massage
“Do not try to save the whole world
or do anything grandiose.
Instead, create a clearing
in the dense forest of your life
and wait there patiently,
until the song that is your life
falls into your own cupped hands
and you recognize and greet it.
Only then will you know how to
give yourself to this world so worthy of rescue.”
– “Clearing” by Martha Postlewaite
Burnett Bodywork 