August 2001   Twin Cities WELLNESS  "Exploring  the 21st Century's New Medicine"

Thai Massage—Sun Moon Studios, Mankato, Minnesota Experience Thai yoga bodywork at Sun Moon Studios MONA CENICEROS EVERYONE’S DOING AND talking about yoga, and books and workshops on energy medicine are selling fast. Can a wave of interest in Thai yoga bodywork (which combines these two) be far behind? Although Thai yoga bodywork, sometimes referred to as Thai massage, is well known and practiced in California and other parts of the world, it's still hard to find in Minnesota. At Sun Moon Studios in Mankato I practice Thai Bodywork. This modality is as healing for the giver as the receiver and involves pressure point work on the energy meridians or sens of Thai traditional medicine and assisted yoga poses. The New York Times has dubbed it "lazy man's yoga," but it is so much more than that. It is an ancient practice that came to Thailand with Buddhism and the Indian Ayurvedic influence. Although no longer limited to the temple monks who practiced it as long as 2,500 years ago, Thai massage works with the central nervous system to stimulate alpha brain wave pattern, the state of consciousness between wakefulness and sleep. Benefits include relaxation, increased flexibility, release of blockages, and energy balancing. In Thai bodywork, practitioners make clients more aware of their breath and areas of tension where the flow of breath is impeded. Practitioners themselves are trained to use their own breath and bodies for deeper concentration and awareness. Picture this… There's thousands of years of knowledge to share with you about the practice, but the best way to learn about it is to experience it first hand. Let me, a certified Thai yoga bodywork practitioner take you through a imaginary session at Sun Moon Studios in Mankato: You will enter an airy room filled with natural light and lay down on a thick mat on the floor covered with a fresh white sheet. You will be comfortably clothed and, before we begin, I will softly chant a prayer at your feet. Thai bodywork begins with the feet and involves foot massage, rolling the ankles, sometimes cracking the toes. Next I will apply pressure with my thumbs and palms up the energy meridians of your legs. This is done at a meditative pace. Thumbing and palming are followed by gentle rolling of limbs and assisted stretching, moving into many well-loved yoga postures. Thumbing, palming, rolling, and stretching is repeated for arms and trunk. You will begin on your back, but will also lie on your side and stomach. I will work on your body by using my own. Thai bodywork practitioners have to be in good physical condition. They lift clients, squat and kneel over clients, and use their hands, feet, and bodyweight in the work. Your session will last from one-and-a-half to two hours. It will end with an eye pillow filled with lavender and rosemary placed over your eyes while you are bathed in the vibrations of a gong and singing bowls. After a Thai bodywork session you will feel energized as well as deeply relaxed. Until very recently, classical Thai massage was transmitted from master to master, within a temple environment as part of a spiritual discipline, although variations of the massage were practiced within Thai families as a healing art. Wat Pho, one of Thailand’s most famous monasteries is the site of Pho’s Traditional Medical and Massage School, a center for research and teaching. An internet search will reveal that the practice is gaining popularity and that training is available in the United States from several sources. If you like yoga, and are interested in practices to improve the health of your human energy system, I suggest you treat yourself to a session of Thai yoga bodywork. Mona Ceniceros has a Master's Degree in Health Science. She owns Sun Moon Studios, offering yoga classes, yoga teacher training, and bodywork modalities in Mankato, Minnesota. Home | Wellness? | Writers Info | Subscribe | Links | Contact Us P.O. Box 897 Stillwater, MN 55082 tel: 715-259-3385 or fax: 715-259-3386 email: info@tcwellness.com © 2001 Twin Cities WELLNESS newspaper. All rights reserved.