News

Faces of Bodywork: Josh Erickson

By Mary Murphy

Spring 2026

SP_26_FacesOfBodywork_Main_JoshErickson_1600 — Josh Erickson says being a lifelong learner is critical for professional growth. Image courtesy motographycandids.com.

• Education: Colorado School of Healing Arts and Yoga Teacher Training (2005); Advanced Anatomy Trains Structural Integration Practitioner certification (2020–2025); NASM Certified Personal Trainer (2024); Fellow of Applied Functional Science (FAFS), Gray Institute (2025–2026)

• Began practicing about 20 years ago (2005)

• Owns Josh Erickson Massage in Denver

Area of focus: Specializes in integrating structural bodywork with functional movement training to address chronic pain and movement dysfunction; works with clients with chronic pain as well as high-level athletes.

Massage & Bodywork: Can you share the journey that brought you to where you are today?

Josh Erickson: I’ve always been curious about health, energy, and vibrancy—how to find them in myself and how to help others discover them. My bodywork practice has run alongside an arsenal of movement practices, and weaving the two together is how I’ve tried to come to some sort of understanding. Every time I go looking for answers, it leads to more questions.

Yoga teacher training turned into massage school. Massage school turned into Anatomy Trains Structural Integration. Structural integration work often needed support through strength and stability, so I pursued personal training certification through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), studied FAMO Fascia Movement with Karin Gurtner, then went deeper into functional training. Each answer led to the next question, and that curiosity continues to shape how I work today—integrating manual therapy with movement training to address chronic pain and dysfunction at the root.

M&B: Can you tell us what feeds you on a personal level?

JE: I like movement and games of all types and how they almost feel like a shortcut to human connection. I’m excited about the Movement Games class I’ve been co-teaching, which combines games from dance, martial arts, elementary school PE, and athletic development into a fun, sweaty mess that’s been a blast to put together.

There’s something about creating a space where adults can rediscover play— human connection happens when people drop their self-consciousness and move together.

M&B: Any advice for people just entering the profession?

JE: Never stop learning. The people I know who thrive in this field feed their curiosity, and that sustains them.

M&B: Who is someone you look up to?

JE: I look up to so many teachers and mentors that it would be impossible to name them all. I stand on the shoulders of giants. Karin Gurtner, who developed FAMO Fascia Movement and wrote Anatomy Trains in Motion is at the top of that list. She is a perennial student and a sweet and authentic person.

M&B: What is something unique you wish people knew about you?

JE: I’m a backpacker and traveler at heart.

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