1. How old were you when you learned Thai massage?
I was 37 years old when I took my first Thai Massage course.
2. How many years did you spend studying Thai massage in a Thai school?
Thai Massage is a lifelong study. I have learned in different school, took different programs. The shorter programs were a 30 hours course and the longest was a 600 hours course for thai Massage instructors. On top of that I have spent countless hours studying with Thai Massage masters such as Pichet Boonthume and Nah-Jah. I studied Thai Massage for thousands of hours all together.
3. School name? What have you learned from different teachers?
My first course was a 60 hours course at the Old Medicine Hospital in Chiang Mai which gave me the base for my practice.
I also studied at:
the Wat-po school in Bangkok
TMC school in Chiang Mai. (GCT600 hours program) - I was an affiliated teacher of TMC until it closed last year.
LoiKroh School in Chiang Mai. I studied over there Thai Yoga and Thai style oil massage.
Sunshine school in Chiang mai. I took many of the advanced courses and studied with the late Kam Tye Chow, Ralf Marzen, and Noam Tyroler.
Noam Tyroler is the author of the most comprehensive book ever compiled on Therapeutic Thai Massage called ‘Thai Acupressure For Orthopedic Disorders’. I have attended his training (60 hours) for three time and became a certified instructors for the techniques shown in his book.
I studied also with the renowned herbal medicine and Thai Massage teacher Homprang (120 hours course)
I studied for many weeks with Pichet Boonthume, a unique Thai Massage master who lives around Chiangmai.
I’ve studied Thai meridian lines with Felicity Joy in Chiang Mai.
I took many one-on-one classes with the great Nah-Jah. She is probably the most knowledgeable person I met in this field, She has a humble appearance but her knowledge is vast and is a great healer.
4. How many years did you practice?
I started practicing immediately after my first course and practiced intensively for about a year before starting to charge for my sessions.
5. What practical Thai massage methods or techniques have you learned?
Thai Massage techniques can be basically divided into two basic types: Pressing and stretching. Pressing is done usually using thumbs but also elbows, forearms, knees and feet.
Stretching, which is sometimes called passive yoga, is yoga-like application of different stretches for the recipient.
There are two main levels for Thai Massage: Relaxation and Therapy. Thai Massage for relaxation aims to open energy channels, improve circulation relax the joints and lengthen the muscles.
Therapeutic Thai Massage is a method of solving a range of physical problems. Fot example: Headaches, stiff neck, lower back pain and knees issue (just to name a few).
6. Can you tell us, why do you like Thai massage?
I first fell in love with Thai Massage because it was like a meditative dance and because I thought the stretches were really cool!
My interest in the therapeutic level started when a painful knee issue that the doctors did not know how to solve was resolved after one (!) therapeutic Thai Massage session.
7. What can a high-quality Thai massage bring to a client?
A deep sense of relaxation and communion with the body
A profound sense of energy flow in the body
A more supple, flexible body.
A relief of chronic physical pains and other issues.
8. Can you share your most profound customer experience?
What experience did you solve for the customer or what did you bring to the customer?
Sometimes it happens to me when my spirit and the client’s become one. It is an amazing experience and I’m incredibly happy I was fortunate enough to experience it.
In few cases I was able to solve a serious physical issue that bothered my client for many years. For example, a Russian friend of mine who suffered from severe lower back pains had the problem almost disappear after just one session.