July 27-31|Czech

STAV HEALING

Ancient Norse Bodywork and Bonesetting

A Certification Course in STAV Healing

40-hour professional certification in the bodywork and healing practices of the STAV tradition.

Designed specifically for experienced bodyworkers, massage therapists, acupuncturists, Ayurvedic practitioners, and holistic health professionals who wish to enrich their work with traditional European healing methods.

What is STAV?

STAV is a 1,500-year-old Scandinavian martial and healing tradition originating from Norway and preserved within the Hafskjold family lineage.
The system contains:

16 stances based on runic principles
Breathing practices rooted in Norse cosmology
Martial arts, combative strategy, and body mechanics
Healing arts, including massage, herbs, structural work, chanting, and energetic influence
Seiðr, a form of Norse spiritual practice or shamanism

While “STAV” originally referred to the staff techniques of the Hafskjold family, the term today encompasses the full martial, cultural, and healing system.

This training focuses specifically on the traditional Norse healing segment of STAV.

Below is archival footage featuring our instructor, Kolbjorn Martens (appearing here under his former name, Ronayne Martens-Loderus), introducing STAV from a martial arts perspective. Immerse yourself in a spring afternoon before the turn of the century—soft air, sunlight, and a quiet breeze moving through the treetops. Enjoy.

Note:

While the video approaches STAV through martial training, the opening section offers valuable insight into the system’s origins and guiding wisdom. From 0:48 to 14:45, the video introduces STAV’s cosmology and lineage; from 14:49 to 44:42, the focus shifts to Rune Breathing, presented as a complete practice that offers a felt sense of Megan, the energy work underlying our healing program.

From 44:45, the five classes of STAV are briefly introduced; from 49:06 onward, the focus turns fully to martial staff training, which may be skipped by those primarily interested in healing applications.

Why Study This Module?

Contemporary manual therapists often work with highly effective techniques, yet much of Europe’s ancestral healing knowledge has disappeared with the rise of modern medicine.
This course reconnects practitioners with a functional, non-esoteric, hands-on healing system developed and refined over centuries of practical use.

You will learn methods that:

enhance joint mobility with precise, efficient mobilizations,
improve structural alignment and circulation,
help release long-held patterns in soft tissue and fascia,
integrate subtle energetic influence without relying on belief systems,
complement and deepen the therapeutic work you already practice.

This module is not theoretical or symbolic — it is applied, tactile, and immediately relevant for working practitioners.

What This Training Covers

This 5-day training provides a practitioner-level foundation in the Mått and Megan branches of STAV healing.

1. Mått — Traditional Bonesetting & Norse Bodywork

A highly practical hands-on system used historically by Norse warrior-healers.
Training includes:

Traditional Norse bonesetting

precise, single-bone adjustments
safe, efficient mobilizations without forceful “gross manipulation”
restoring joint movement, circulation, and nerve conduction

Deep pressure and tissue techniques

comparable in depth to shiatsu but grounded in Norse method
positional work to open joint space and structural compression

Mått is the core physical therapy component of STAV healing.

Megan — Energetic Transmission & Support Techniques

Megan enhances the physical work of Mått through:

breath-supported energetic transmission
cultivating practitioner vitality
guiding the client’s system back toward coherence
improving communication between body and nervous system

Megan is not abstract — it is trained through posture, breath, touch, and focused intention.

Auxiliary Practices Included

To support and contextualize Mått and Megan, the training introduces:

Herbal foundations of the STAV tradition
Rune breathing practices as preparation and grounding
Light chanting (Ljos Galdr) to support psychological release

These auxiliary methods deepen understanding but do not replace the primary focus on hands-on work.

Who This Training Is For

This course is intended for working professionals with existing therapeutic experience, including:

Massage therapists
Bodyworkers and manual therapists
Acupuncturists
Practitioners of Ayurveda, Tibetan or traditional European healing
Structural integrators, shiatsu practitioners, osteopathic-inspired workers
Anyone seeking to integrate robust, traditional European methods into their clinical practice

No prior knowledge of STAV is required.

About the Instructor

Kolbjorn Martens studied directly with Ivar Hafskjold and is the adopted son and second living lineage holder of the Jarl Class teachings of STAV. As a rare bearer of this intact Norwegian healing tradition, he brings an authentic, hands-on transmission of STAV to professional practitioners.

Alongside his lineage, Kolbjorn earned a clinical doctorate in Chiropractic Health Care and Plain Film Radiography, with post-graduate training in physical therapy and spinal biophysics. This combination of clinical expertise and traditional lineage allows him to teach STAV techniques with precision, safety, and depth.

Over decades of practice and apprenticeship, Kolbjorn has developed a practical, integrative approach that combines hands-on bonesetting, energy transmission, and mind-body methods. His teaching focuses on skills immediately applicable for experienced bodyworkers, massage therapists, and holistic health professionals, helping them expand their therapeutic repertoire with a rare, centuries-old system of Norse healing.

Retreat Details

General Schedule

TBA

Dates & Location

July 27 - 31, 2026
Prague, Czech Republic

Prague has stood at the heart of Europe for centuries, a meeting place of cultures, traditions, and knowledge flowing between North, South, East, and West. Known for its deep historical layers, alchemical heritage, and architectural continuity, the city has long been a center for learning, craft, and embodied wisdom. Hosting this training in Prague reflects the bridging of ancient Northern European healing traditions with a wider European context.

The retreat takes place in the COLORFACTORY SPA Hotel in Prague's Holešovice district. It is a modern, 4-star hotel known for its extensive wellness facilities, including a spa, sauna, and gym, alongside comfortable rooms. It offers a quiet location near the Exhibition Centre, with easy access to the city center via tram, making it popular for its relaxing atmosphere, friendly staff, and excellent value for money.

https://www.hotelfactory.cz/en/

Přístavní 340/2, 170 00 Praha 7-Holešovice

Please beware that accommodation and food are not included in the retreat fee and need to be booked separately.

Course Fee

Standard Course Fee: €950

Early Bird Fee: €899 (available for the first 9 participants)

Instalment payment options are available upon request.

*At checkout, use the full name, e-mail, and mailing address of the person registering for the retreat. (Payment details do not have to match.)

**Payment is accepted via Wise. Click to view our Refund Policy.

Early Bird Registration

The first 9 registrations will receive our exclusive early bird rate. Click here to secure your place and see if spots are still available.

Secure My Spot

To Enroll, fill out the form below:

We will email you payment instructions, after form is submitted. All payments need to be made via direct deposit via Wise. Click to view our Refund Policy.

Please check the box if this is your first training or retreat with Dharma Bodhi (Kol Martens).

I agree to the terms & conditions: https://www.bodyoflighthealers.com/terms

Enrollment is only guaranteed once payment is complete.