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How Do I Get Started Studying Thai Massage?

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Thai massage has a lot of background and complexity. Many will recommend going to Thailand and Chang Mai to study and I think that’s a great option for those who can afford it. As a long term 16 year practitioner massage therapist and yoga teacher I’ve my own thoughts on education and what I see in the western marketplace.

If you want quick and easy I’ve got a few options. Would you like a Free Thai massage workbook?

Would you like 250+ hours of video instruction you can access immediately?

I pride myself on the best of simple easy instruction for western students who want to get started whether they are licensed therapists, yoga teachers or amateurs who want to help friends and family.

What about a 10 day drip course on back pain? I show you a single technique each day for 10 days and walk you through a simple sequence for upper back and neck pain in addition to low back pain.

First I recommend if you’re a westerner that you possibly study with a western teacher to study and learn the basics. Mat based Thai massage clothes on includes lots of use of your legs and feet and you’ll need to be able to use your body in Thailand to be able to perform sessions and add nuance that Thai teachers can give you.

Second I think that western clients and therapists have different context than Thai practitioners and receivers. Thai teachers will never teach you how to sell your work and market it in a western marketplace. Most of what I’ve done as a western teacher and practitioner is help students translate the work in a different cultural context.

The bodywork itself is amazing. Western students are still confused about how to learn it how to practice it and even more how to sell and package it. I’ve gone through those same issues so it’s easier for me to translate that to an American mindset.

I’d like to point out that it’s also good to study with different teachers so you understand what you like and almost more importantly what you do not like. How does the teacher make you feel? How does the therapist make you feel? In the end I think those things are extremely important.

My social media is extremely active and you can learn on any of my channels. Follow me wherever you are for ongoing interaction. If you need to message me you can even do so in video on instagram if you would like.

Thai Massage Is The Best

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Lately things have been hectic with classes and business plans. We’re hopefully going to have videos of the sequence used in the Free Thai Massage Workbook available sometime in November. In the midst of all the teaching and sharing I’m amazed at how advanced such an ancient tradition is.

I gave a demonstration to massage students at a school in Houston yesterday and heard a loud laugh. I looked around and asked what was funny and everyone’s eyes went to the door. I looked behind me and saw a student gazing through the window at my demonstration with this look of complete amazement. Thai massage doesn’t often Look like other kinds of massage. 😀

Robert Gardner Wellness Thai massage cobra

I wrote a brief article for Massage Career Guides about Thai massage as well. It’s been wonderful to share this ancient healing art.

Massage marketplace and schools

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Tyrone Chuang and I are great friends who met through our love of Thai massage. I recorded a conversation we had about Thai massage, massage in the marketplace and the role that acroyoga and massage schools have in influencing bodywork culture.

If you’re a massage therapist I recommend listening to this one. Tyrone recently got his massage license after attending massage school locally in Austin, Texas. He’s way ahead of the curve when it comes to bodywork and the anatomy he learned in school has heightened his skill set.

What do you teach?

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When students ask me what I teach I typically tell them bodywork or Thai massage. If they ask more questions I say that I teach yoga, yoga therapy and help people with back pain. I do whatever I can within my power to heal and help others do the same. As a human, I’m a flawed, errant and odd individual but therein lay my divinity, I embrace that duality.

Thai massage and yoga aren’t different things to me. They’re just two sides of the same coin. The person I am, always is. What do I teach? All that I know. Come learn. We only have 3 openings left in the Thai massage class this coming weekend. Click here to register.