Certification in Traditional Thai Massage and Ayurveda
All of the courses offered are NCBTMB approved and Florida approved for continuing education for LMTs and Acupuncture.
Click here to learn about Ariela’s shorter 3 month immersion program
Certification Description
This premiere, 108 Hour interactive experience is one that will both inspire and heal you. Emphasizing the art of being a witness and compassionate, healing touch, we will explore the core movements, stances, hand techniques and rooted breath awareness necessary for a strong foundation in the Thai Massage practice.
This advanced training in Thai Massage and Ayurveda will be offered in seven consecutive months throughout the year. One weekend a month will specialize in a different aspect of the art.
- Thai 1: Introduction to Thai Massage
- Thai 2:Expanding Vocabulary
- Thai 3: Advanced Postures (seated)
- Thai 4: Energy Lines & Ayurvedic Applications (Lotus Palm)
- Thai 5: Ayurvedic Application
- Thai 6: Advanced Sideline Postures
- Thai 7: Thai Foot Reflexology
While it takes more than a weekend to truly develop a strong foundation and to honor the intricacies of the art, one may begin at any time during the 6 month period and attend as many or as little sessions at will. It is easiest to begin with Thai 1: Introduction to Thai Massage, but starting at any level has its specialty. Many students with a prior massage practice begin with Thai 1 or Thai 6.
18 CEs per weekend or 126 CEs for all phases (Florida and NCBTMB). Each weekend runs from 9:00 a.m. to 6: 00 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday and is located at the Florida School of Massage in Gainesville, FL.
This certification is approved by the Florida and National Board of Massage.
In phase 1, a strong foundation is cultivated with proper body mechanics, breath awareness and the development of applicable mental disciplines. You will learn the basic 1-hour sequence.
In phase 2, you will build on the foundation learned in level 1 and add many detailed variations to each exercise. You will also add the sideline sequence, offering additional angles to work with and increase your knowledge to enabling you to work more specifically and individually.
In phase 3, you will share in a more dynamic weekend of advanced poses that will accommodate more flexible or advanced yogis and athletes. You will develop skills in working with the upper body, which the traditional sequence doesn’t accommodate.
In phase 4, you dive into an Ayurvedic and energetic application. You will gain understanding so that you can cultivate intuition and deepen your awareness of what you are doing. You will learn marmas (points), lines (meridians), Doshas (constitutions), pulses and more. Level 4 is what brings the deepening of all aspects of the work together.
In phase 5, we will break down the winds and how they affect our emotions. How to choose postures to balance different constitutions and how to understand the importance of feeling each of the elements in our own body so we are practicing with Wisdom. In this class we breathe life into the sequence. We will learn to identify the Doshas, Vayus and Pulse points. A breakdown of some of the Buddhist foundations such as, Sila, Samhadi and Panya. Which of the foundations of all good thai practitioners.
In phase 6, we will learn a dynamic sideline sequence that utilizes the use of the feet and the ability to differentiate the lines within them. Sideline can be used during pregnancy and is also so dynamic that it is practical for the more athletic recipients. You can give very deep and precise pressure without tiring and can save your hands.
In phase 7, you will learn to give an hour long session on the feet alone, while still affecting the whole body through aware stimulation of the sen lines and marma points. Utilizing both dry and wet massage (with and without oil) as well as a Thai foot stick, to glide the lines and press the points with greater accuracy and precision then the hands alone could provide. The style we will be exploring is a method derived from Shivaga Komarpaj of the Chiang Mai school of Thai Massage, and is for everyone, therapists and lay people alike. This is a powerful healing tool that can be implemented on it’s own, or as an addition to the full body massage. No prior massage experience is necessary to be educated in this methodology.
Please bring loose comfortable clothes that you can stretch in. A full-size memory foam, thin futon or a padded blanket to be used as a Thai Massage mat. Snacks and Lunch (optional: we often bring food to share and have a picnic together). There will be a corner of the room used as an altar for sacred objects to help create beautiful space and to give you something all charged up to take home. (crystals, drums, flutes, art, flowers, cloth….)
Class will begin promptly at 9:00 A.M. both days, please be on time.
Upcoming Program Dates
Click here for dates
*One may begin at any phase.*
Please see Bodhi Sanga website or Workshops page for more information on upcoming programs.
Investment
$1800 if registering for all seven levels in advance
$280 if registering for each class individually
$350 for a single drop in.
Students who commit to all 7 class will get a discount, If you miss a class for whatever reason, it can be made up next cycle.
We are a small school and can not issue refunds. We DO grant credit for future classes.
Contact Ariela if you have any questions or need support in seeing if this program is right for you.
Contract for all 7 classes
I would like to further clarify the commitment for students receiving the discounted price because they are taking all of the seven courses.
There is limited space for each class so if you commit to attendance it is required that you pay for the class whether you attend or not. If something comes up and you miss a weekend or two out of the series. Ariela will honor your payment toward the next cycle.
The classes are ongoing so if something comes up and you miss a class your tuition will be applied toward the next round.
It is $1800 for all seven classes if paid in advance. If you miss a class or two, you will be able to make it up next cycle.
If you are making a payment plan of $280 per class this is a commitment that can’t be broken unless it’s an emergency. You will pay for the class and make it up next round.
If you are uncomfortable with making the commitment you can simply pay per class. It is $350 for a drop in this entitles you to take any class any time for however long
Graduation day is the last class. Students who have completed all of the seven weekends will be awarded a beautiful certificate they can put on their wall. We will have a beautiful graduation day. If you missed a weekend or two he will just graduate next round.
About the Instructor
Ariela began her teaching career in 1992 in the south of India educating prisoners and tribal villagers in the benefits and practice of Shivananda Yoga. Then she spent many years cultivating the Buddhist meditation technique known as Vipassana. Later in following her Tao she discovered the joys of improvisational contact dance. After graduating from FSM she discovered Thai Massage the perfect fusion of these techniques and practices. She is a certified Lotus Palm Practitioner (as taught by Kam Thye Chow) and has taught Thai Massage at the Florida School of Massage since 2004.
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