Thai Bodywork has Deep, Long and Strong Roots. It has been around for over 2,500 years. It is indeed not something learned in a weekend. It is not something learned in a week. It is not something learned in a year. It is not something learned in a lifetime. It is part of the bigger umbrella of Traditional Thai Medicine (TTM) and it is something learned in many many lifetimes, founded by many many people before.
You see, Thai Bodywork is and has been part of the Thai way of life since the time of Lord Buddha. Just like Ayurveda in India, it is part of everyday family life in traditional Thailand. It was shared by families with each other every single day. This is the same with Ayurveda; it was shared in family life every day. Treating the bodies in these ancient therapies is and was not something you paid to receive…it was something you shared among each other in order to keep the body healthy and nourished inside and out. Helping the family.
It is so like America to take these ancient deep beautiful therapies and turn them into something they are not. Yoga, Thai Bodywork, Ayurveda. Taking these ancient therapies and making them acrobatic, sexy and fancy steals from their roots. I feel disregard for the depth of them when I see this happening. Respect and deep understanding of the practice and lineage of these works needs to happen or we cannot be proud of what we speak and practice.
Know your teachers and therapists. Ask yourself if they are experienced and respectful of what they preach and practice. To read more about the practice of Thai Bodywork, read our previous blogpost found below.
It is here then that I am honored to thank the lineage of my teachers: Tanya Boigenzahn, Bob Hadaad, Om Rinraya, Jonas Westring and Master Pichest Boonthumme. Offerings to my Thai work from other Ayurveda, Yoga and Bodywork practices also comes from teachers Elysabeth Williamson, Indu Arora, Molly McManus, Deborah Adele, Ann Maxwell and Kathryn Templeton . I honor and thank every one of these lovely beings for adding to my path that will continue through this life and beyond. I am forever grateful for your passions and respect of lineages and work.
It is to all my teachers that I am forever grateful.
