Thai Yoga Massage Certification Program

10 weeks in Thailand and Bali: January 11 - March 18, 2012

“We travel not to leave our homes, but to leave our habits.” – Francis Weaver

 

Our intention

This innovative and comprehensive cross-cultural certification program is designed to expand your personal understanding of health through the exploration and integration of ancient wisdom traditions and modern sustainability practices, both of which, will naturally invite you to develop a deeper relationship with your self, your community, and your environment. Guided and empowered by your unfolding inner wisdom, you will begin to embody your evolving perspective of health, and learn to safely and confidently offer professional therapeutic treatments in a manner that reflects the sacred origins of Thai Yoga Massage, and elevates the energetic exchange to an artistic expression of compassion, patience and awareness.

Our curriculum

As globetrotters and spiritual seekers ourselves, we recognize the powerful link between travel (expanding one’s global perspective) and personal/ professional development (opening one’s heart and mind).  That is why we chose to blend the potent essence of an expedition into wild, unfamiliar territory with a fresh, multi-dimensional Thai Yoga Massage curriculum. The success of our program can be traced back to an emphasis on direct experience, interwoven with periods of facilitated reflection, both of which unfold in some of the most unique, dynamic and beautiful natural classrooms in the world. Our students don’t just read about Thai culture, Buddhist philosophy or the art of Thai Yoga Massage. They are immersed in it, encouraged to experiment with it, and challenged to question if and how it can make a positive difference in their lives, and the lives of their future clients. The opportunity to personally explore ancient wisdom traditions and modern sustainability practices allows our students to develop a deeper relationship with themselves, their community, and their environment, which means that our curriculum does more than just train people to perform Thai Yoga Massage techniques. It empowers them to embrace and embody their unfolding inner wisdom, both on and off the Thai Yoga Massage mat.

 

Our students

The people who seek out and commit to this challenging immersion are ready and willing to change their lives. They have bravely left their homes, families, friends, identities and other attachments behind and opened themselves up to experiencing a new climate, a new diet, a new language, a new career, a new life-style and many new possibilities. They are ready to question their oldest conditioned beliefs and assumptions and expand their perspective on the true source of health and happiness. Our students are inspiring!

 

Our graduates

Our graduates literally shine as a result of their willingness to endure intense study and self-reflection for the purpose of self-transformation. On the inside, they are wiser and more discerning. They have confronted old habits and patterns, which their new environment and practices have helped to expose. They have adopted a new mind-set that better supports their evolving life and career goals. They have become more open emotionally, more focused mentally, and more connected to their creative and intuitive gifts. They have embraced change fearlessly and engaged fully in their own creative healing process. They have also developed a respect for human suffering and a great capacity for offering compassion.

As a community, they have forged tight friendships and become a modern extended family, depending on each other, nurturing each other, confiding in each other, learning from each other, and holding each other accountable through a variety of breakdowns and breakthroughs. Our graduates are rare souls who have the passion, intelligence and creativity necessary to become leaders in the massage therapy field and in their communities at large.

get certified now!

only 2 spots left for the 2012 class!

click to register


program details


dates
Jan 11-Mar 18, 2012


cost
$6875

have questions?
ask here

register
contact us

photos
see more

 


"The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him, he is always doing both."    
-
James Michener


element details

 

earth

location: Northern Thailand
dates: January 11-29
curriculum: Foundational Principles

  • Meditation / Yoga
  • Buddhist Philosophy
  • Traditional Supine Massage Techniques
  • Organic Farming
  • Earthen Building
  • Thai Cooking
  • Service Learning

water

location: Student’s choice
dates: January 30 – February 11
curriculum: Independent Study


fire

location: Southern Thailand
dates: Feb 12- March 3, 2012
curriculum:

  • Traditional Prone, Side-lying, Sitting and Sen Techniques
  • Daily Yoga / Meditation
  • Cultural Immersion  - Home-stay
  • Batik, Thai Cooking, Local Industry
  • Snorkeling / Kayaking /Nature Hikes

air

location: Student’s Choice
dates: March 4 -7, 2012
curriculum: Solo Retreat

  • Rest, reflect, rejuvenate
  • prepare final projects

ether

location: Ubud, Bali
dates: March 8-18, 2012
curriculum: Internal Forms / Artistry

  • breath, intention, visualization
  • communication, transitions, sequencing
  • balance, fluidity, and creative self-expression
  • cultivating a personal practice

 

Itinerary / Curriculum

earth : cultivating a solid foundation

In an effort to cultivate a solid foundation and sense of context for your practice, this introductory curriculum will devote a significant amount of time to honoring and exploring the rich cultural and spiritual traditions from which Nuad Bo-Rarn (known today as Thai Yoga Massage) has evolved. Through this process, you will begin to understand the Buddhist perspective on the root causes of human suffering.

itinerary includes:

  • Orientation and sight-seeing in Bangkok
  • A four-day silent meditation retreat in a rural village
  • Discussions about relevant Buddhist philosophy
  • Daily yoga practice
  • Three days on an organic farm learning about seed-saving, organic farming, earthen building and Thai cooking
  • Introduction to Thai Yoga Massage class – Traditional Supine Techniques (30 CE credits)
  • Nine days in Chiang Mai to explore and enjoy all of its international delights
  • A day of volunteering with abused elephants

water: going with the flow

The independent study element will provide you with the opportunity to explore, on a deeper level, the foundational principle that you resonate with most. At this point, you will have developed the basic language skills and cultural awareness necessary to feel confident navigating Thailand solo. The real test, however; is can you step off of the mat and into the unknown and continue to go with the flow?
options include:
  • A 10-day vipasana retreat at Wat Suan Mokh (or similar)
  • Study Thai Yoga Massage techniques at one of the local schools
  • Study Yoga at one of the local studios
  • Study Auyervedic Medicine at the Auyervedic Insitutute
  • Volunteer: with abused elephants, at an orphanage, or at an organic farm
  • Teach Thai Yoga Massage to tsunami survivors as part of the Zia Project

fire: transformation through tapas

This intermediate curriculum turns up the heat - literally and figuratively. Mixing the Andaman coast climate, with an accelerated meditation, yoga and Thai Yoga Massage practice schedule, means that you will be generating plenty of sweat! But this is exactly the kind of intensity needed for purification and transformation to occur. And if it gets too hot, don’t worry. You will never be very far from clear, blue, refreshing water.
itinerary includes:
  • A three-day home-stay: learn to batik, weave palm roof tiles, cook Thai food and more
  • Thai Yoga Massage class – Traditional prone, side-lying, sitting, and sen techniques (60 CE credits)
  • A two-day snorkeling break in the Surin Islands
  • Visit a Moken Village
  • Live in a floating bamboo hut
  • Nature hikes / kayaks

air: just breathe

At this point in our journey together, participants are encouraged to find a quiet place to rest and reflect on the rich and varied experiences that have exposed their conditioned habits, challenged their assumptions, and quite possibly catalyzed a radical shift in their global perspective.  This short solo retreat also serves as the perfect opportunity to prepare final projects ( 10-20-pages journal summary, and a 10-15-minute independent study presentation). We suggest that participants take an economical Air Asia flight from Phuket to Bali prior to or following this element.

convenient solo retreat options include:
  • Ko Phi Phi –  a short ferry ride from Phuket to an island paradise
  • Krabi – rock-climber’s heaven
  • Phuket – for those who are missing the sights and sounds of the city
  • Sanur – why not head to Bali early and enjoy the volcanic sands and some nasi goreng

ether: creative space ~ integral artistry

The final element is about developing sensitivity, refinement, and discernment. It is about cultivating intention, imagination and creative self-expression. It is about merging with breath, embodying grace, and radiating compassion. In short it is about becoming an artist and feeling at home in the creative ether. Under the guidance of local painters, musicians, chefs, dancers, poets and spiritual teachers, you will explore a variety of artistic mediums and then be given the space, time, guidance and encouragement to integrate the essence and inspiration from each medium into your personal Thai Yoga Massage practice. Through this process, you will discover that you are an artist and life is your medium.

curriculum includes:
  • Live in a beautiful family compound in the middle of rice fields
  • Daily yoga practice – focus on internal forms: breath, visualization, alignment, vinyasa
  • Try your hand at painting, beading, writing poetry, Balinese cooking, dancing, and ritual
  • Thai Yoga Massage class – Refine, Reinvent and Rejuvenate (40 CE credits)
  • Attend traditional Balinese kechak dance and gamelon performance
  • Receive traditional Balinese massage
  • Enjoy exploring Ubud’s fabulous markets