This innovative and comprehensive course is designed to prepare the practitioner to safely and confidently perform traditional supine, prone, sitting and side-lying techniques and creatively integrate them into a fluid and effective two-hour session.
This curriculum devotes a significant amount of time to honoring and practicing the rich cultural and spiritual traditions on which Thai Yoga Massage was founded. The wisdom, elegance and insight from these Eastern threads will be woven together with knowledge from Western medical perspectives and practices through detailed explorations of pertitent anatomy and physiology, investigations into comparable disciplines such as chiropractic and physical therapy, and attention to cutting edge research in the massage therapy field.
In the final module the practitioner will have the opportunity, guidance and encouragement to refine their practice. Like an artist developing a masterpiece, each individual will engage in explorations and critiques to sharpen their skills, improve transitions, improvise new techniques, and intuit the appropriate pace and rhythm for each client's limitations and needs. Once the practitioner's movements have been distilled down into a distinctively unique flowing creation that they can recognize as their own, they will discover that Thai Yoga Massage is merely the artistic medium through which she can joyfully practice self-expression, communication, compassion... and humanity.
Format
The course will be offered in five four-day modules which will be spread out over several months to provide for maximum assimilation and practice time. Class size is limited to 20 people.
| Module 1: Thai Yoga Massage: Traditional Supine Techniques |
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This course introduces the students to the main patterns and themes of Thai Yoga Massage by exploring traditional postures and techniques in the supine position. In this module, students will begin to cultivate fluidity, rhythm, balance, flexibility, strength, and mental focus by practicing a series of yoga postures, meditation methods, and alignment principles that support specific Thai Yoga Massage techniques. From this practice, students will also develop a heightened awareness of their physical and mental patterning and learn to consciously integrate breath and movement with an emphasis on moving with an open heart and hara. These qualities will be further cultivated by practicing sections of traditional Thai Yoga sequences and eventually linking them together into a 30-40-minute supine session. Time will be allotted for discussion around the origins, influences, benefits, and evolution of this ancient healing art and students will gain perspective on how Eastern traditions, belief systems, and life-styles impact one's mental, emotional and physical well-being. The main goal of this course is to ignite the students' curiosity and imagination, cultivate valuable movement skills that can be immediately incorporated into their current massage practice, benefit their general health, and plan some seeds that will blossom with further investigation. |
| Module 2: Thai Yoga Massage: Traditional Prone Techniques |
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This course reviews foundational Thai Yoga Massage elements such as breath, fluidity, rhythm, balance and strength (presented in the previous course "Thai Yoga Massage: Traditional Supine Techniques") and further cultivates these patterns and themes by practicing traditional Thai Yoga massage techniques in the prone position. Students will eventually be able to link the prone techniques together and be able to perform a 30-40-miunte session. Relevant yoga asanas and meditation techniques will be taught and time will be allotted for discussion about the importance of cultivating a practice. |
| Module 3: Thai Yoga Massage: Traditional Sitting, Side-lying, and Sen Techniques |
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This course introduces sidelying and sitting techniques in a way that reviews, reinforces and refines the main themes and patterns introduced in the previous two courses. New concepts such as sen lines are introduced and integrated into a traditional sequence. |
| Module 4: Therapeutic Applications of Thai Yoga Massage |
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This course focuses on the treatment of common complaints such as headache, back pain, shoulder pain and knee pain. Students will first review relevant anatomical landmarks and explore current research regarding pathologies related to the above complaints. Then they will be introduced to restorative yoga postures, treatment points and therapeutic herbal practices that can be used to address these common complaints and alleviate pain. Time will be set aside to discuss scope of practice, Ayuervedic philosophy and specific case studies. |
| Module 5: The Art of Thai Yoga Massage |
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This course combines all of the themes and skills from the four previous courses in order to cultivate the theory and practice of Thai Yoga Massage as a form of art and spiritual practice. Discussions and explorations will focus on creating a personalized healing experience for each client through the cultivation and expression of intuition, improvisation, intention, presence, professionalism and communication. At the conclusion of the course, students will be able to artistically perform a fluid, rhythmic 2-hour Thai Yoga Massage session. |
Course Cost:
$1,800 Payment plans and Sallie Mae - Career Training Loans are available to those who qualify.
$360 Module 2 or Module 5 tuition.
The Instructor:
Sunny Klaber, CMT, MA graduated from the Boulder College of Massage Therapy and went on to study Thai Yoga Massage with a number of Thai Massage masters in Chiang Mai, Thailand. In 2002 she completed the requirements established by the Institute for Thai Massage to become a teacher of the Nuad-Bo Rarn style and has enjoyed teaching Thai Yoga Massage workshops around the country ever since. Her passion for yoga, dance, Buddhist philosophy, and massage come to life in her compassionate and graceful approach to this unique healing art. Sunny currently lives in Boulder where she runs a private massage therapy practice, teaches yoga and looks forward to frequent trips to Thailand where she leads adult Healing Arts focused journeys and continually finds new ways to deepen her practice. For more information about educational travel to Thailand please visit www.bodyandsolmassage.com 
