Thai 308: The Artistry of Thai Massage

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Dates: February 22-23, 2014. Time: Saturday & Sunday 10:00am-7:00pm Teacher: Shai Plonski Location: Still Light This course sheds light on the true heart of Thai massage mastery: creative instinct. In any massage, the practitioner faces hundreds of choices—between postures, palpation techniques, rhythm, acupressure, and the overall balance of energizing and relaxing techniques—all of which must be optimized for the recipient’s benefit and enjoyment. For the true Thai massage artist, these choices are ultimately expressed as a deeply engrained inner knowingness. But how can students work to achieve the same elegant, effective, and effortless massage without feeling overwhelmed by the options? How do we move beyond the structured format of classroom learning to find personal creative inspiration and a deeper, perhaps limitless potential in our practice? Through hands-on practice, case studies, and group discussion, this course helps students to find and cultivate their inner artist by harnessing the powers of deep focus and creativity. Students will gain the ability to:

• Use careful questioning and listening during the interview process to set a clear therapeutic intention, to settle on a flexible massage plan, and to start the session in the best way possible for the individual client; find the confidence and practical skill to begin the massage in any position the client’s needs may dictate;
• Effectively balance the client’s spoken concerns with their own inner knowingness about that individual’s physical and energetic needs;
• Go beyond their comfort zone, exploring the opportunities, limits, and challenges of alternative sequences—first through guided practice ‘models’ and then through free practice;
• Problem-solve sequencing challenges with fellow students through case study group work;
• Effectively and gracefully distill all of their skills into any length session, from 30 minutes to two hours; and
• Apply their creative instincts in an exciting final massage, addressing a real-world client’s immediate concerns.