Spirit Winds School of Thai Massage

The Thai Method

Thai Massage blends styles from Asian neighbors passed down through the generations. Unlike the scooping and continuous strokes of Western massage, the Thai method uses point pressure, muscle stretching and compression, done in a rhythmic movement of gentle rocking. In Thai massage it is not just the hands that are used to free tension from the recipient's body, but the therapists feet, forearms, knees, and elbows as well. Be assured northern style Thai massage is never painful. Thai massage is applied on a mat on the floor, the work is done fully clothed and no oils are required.

Thai medical massage can move deeper into the mechanical functions of the body, working with deep muscle tension and joint mobility as well as nerve, muscle and ligament balancing.

Holistic Benefits of Traditional Thai Massage:

• Facilitates relaxation
• Heightens awareness
• Frees blockages in energy flow
• Invigorates the nervous system
• Relieves pain and muscle tension
• Increases ability to absorb nutrition
• Strengthens and rejuvenates the body
• Improves circulation of blood and lymph
• Increases flexibility (passive yoga postures)
• Gives a general feeling of well being assisting in balancing body, mind, and spirit.
• Enhances elimination of wastes and toxic debris from physical, mental and emotional strain

Thai massage can be particularly helpful in relieving:

Headaches, migraines, arthritis, whiplash pain, paralysis, numbness, sciatica, back pain and other conditions.

Schedule

Thai For The Table

Dates offered:
October 11-12
February 28-29
June 5-6
12 hours. 9am-4pm.

This workshop will provide students with Thai Massage techniques modified for use on a massage table. If you would like to incorporate some Thai massage into your current practice or you find it difficult to work in the Traditional Thai style on a mat, this will be a creative approach to Thai massage done on a table.

Tuition: $225.00
A nonrefundable deposit of $50.00 is required

Thai Herbal Massage

Dates offered:
March 13
May 17
November 6
6 hours. 9am-4pm.

This one-day class teaches the benefits of using steamed herbal packs and sauna with herbs from Thailand. The student will learn the specific properties of each herb and how to apply them during a massage. The heat of the steamed herbal packs deeply penetrates muscles and tendons, facilitating relaxation and therapeutic benefit.

Tuition: $79.00
A nonrefundable $50.00 deposit is required
Thai herbs will be available for sale in class.

Thai Deep Tissue

Dates offered:
April 19-23 SPECIAL EVENT Lek Chaiya
September 11-12 NEW
12 hours. 9am-4pm.

Thai Deep Tissue massage utilizes techniques from southern style as well as techniques from master teacher Lek Chaiya from Thailand. Deep Tissue Thai massage applies stronger pressure using knees, elbows, feet, heels and thumbs. In Lek Chaiya's style of massage there is a rolling over or "gentle twanging" of the muscles and nerves for deep release of tension and therapeutic benefit for conditions such as sciatica, back pain, numbness, paralysis, frozen shoulder and many other conditions.

Tuition: $225.00
A nonrefundable $50.00 deposit is required

NEW class of Thai Deep Tissue and Herbal Massage combined in one training.
8:30am-5:00pm
Tuition: $275.00
A nonrefundable $50.00 deposit is required

Introduction To Thai Massage

Dates offered:
January 24-25
12 hours. 9am-4pm.

This one-weekend introduction to Thai Massage gives a tantalizing taste of this ancient healing art. It will provide the student with techniques from all four positions of Thai massage (front, back, side and sitting). These techniques will form a solid foundation for practicing a one-hour session, and will give one an appetite for learning much more.

Tuition: $225.00
A nonrefundable deposit of $50.00 is required

Traditional Thai Massage Intensive
Levels I and II
Dates offered:
February 1-6(Level 1), March 14-19 (Level 2)
*Optional extra class: Thai Herbal Massage, March 13

May 10-23 (Level 1 & Level 2)
May 16 Break
*Optional extra class: Thai Herbal Massage, May 17

October 3-8 (Level 1), November 7-12 (Level 2)
*Optional extra class: Thai Herbal Massage, November 6

85 hours. 8:30am - 4:30pm.

This course will provide a strong foundation in the study of Thai Massage. It consists of 70 hours of class time and 15 hours of In-Clinic practice. We offer two structures for the Intensive program to accommodate those students who find it difficult to take the full Intensive course over 14 consecutive days. We have split the training into two segments, Level I and Level II about 5-6 weeks apart. It is necessary to attend both segments in order to receive your certificate. We also offer a program with consecutive training days.

Students completing this course will be certified in Traditional Thai Massage, Level I and II. The class covers 134 techniques from the northern style tradition. This is 3 to 4 times more than can be performed in a 1 1/2 hour session, giving a practitioner creative alternatives and flexibility in developing individually modified sessions. Northern style is a slow, rhythmic massage focusing on soft tissue, conducive of an ultimate meditative relaxing experience. It is a therapeutic approach to the body which never goes to a level of pain or beyond the clients limits of comfort. This course emphasizes the practitioner's body alignment and awareness while performing each technique, to ensure that students are receiving maximum benefit to their own bodies. This is the essence of the fascinating nature of this healing art, it benefits both the giver and the receiver in mutual exchange. As mindfulness is the most essential attribute of an exceptional Thai massage therapist, each class day begins with an hour of yoga and meditation lead by Janice Vitavec. We also, finish each day with stress management and relaxation techniques. All 4 positions (front, back, side and sitting) are included in this training, and are called levels I and II. These techniques are taught in the exact step-by-step sequence as the Institute of Thai Massage (ITM) in Chiang Mai, Thailand. This course is recognized by the Institute as a "Sister program", so people receiving this certificate may go directly to advanced training levels in Thailand if they so desire. Instruction manuals are included in the fee. The 15 hours of In-Clinic practice follows the 70 hour program. This is a valuable opportunity to integrate the techniques from levels I and II and to learn modifications and session routines by working on clients and fellow students in the Spirit Winds Clinic. This supervised practice makes a marked difference in the time it may take a student to gain confidence with the techniques and to begin to intuitively apply them in Thai massage sessions.

Tuition: $1,175.00
If full tuition paid 3 weeks prior to start date $975.00
A nonrefundable deposit of $100.00 is required

Special Events

Master Lek Chaiya and Janice Vitavec
Co-teach in Traditional Thai Massage
April 19-23, 2004
9 am-4 pm

Spirit Winds is proud to announce a joint training with Master teacher Lek Chaiya, founder of the Nerve Touch Institute, Thailand and Janice Vitavec, founder of Spirit Winds School of Thai Massage in Nevada City, California.

This rare and special event is being held in northern California at a beautiful retreat setting in the foothills of the Sierra mountains. Master teacher in Traditional Thai Massage is coming from Thailand to the West to co-teach a specialized training. A translator fluent in English and Thai will be assisting in the training, assuring that full detail and description is provided and that questions are thoroughly answered. This is a very special opportunity to study with a widely acknowledged and accredited teacher from Thailand within the USA.

Lek Chaiya has developed her own style of Thai massage unlike any other teachings in Thailand. She calls this form of massage "Nerve Touch" distinguished by its deep tissue approach to muscles, tendons and nerves for full body massage and specialized therapy. If you want to learn Thai massage for the first time this will be a very strong foundation for you. If you have studied Thai massage before but you haven't studied with Lek Chaiya then you would be learning an entirely new approach to this ancient healing art, this is an opportunity not to be missed!

Early registration is advised as there will be a class size limited to 10 people. Students will be selected.

Yoga and Thai Yoga Massage Training

September 20-24, 2004
Tuition: $550.00

Sanahal Sharma and Janice Vitavec

Presented by Spirit Winds School of Thai Massage, Nevada City, California and Swami Vivekananda Yoga Research Foundation (sVYASA) Bangalore, India

Sanahal Sharma has been teaching the Yoga Instructor Certificate Course at the Vivekananda Prashanti Kutiram for over 4 years. He was my teacher when I the studied at the Foundation in the Yoga Teacher training program in 2001, that is how we met. I am honored to be hosting him here at Spirit Winds School of Thai Massage. It will be Sanahal's first time to travel outside of India, it will be so exciting to pick him up at the airport and to be a part of his new experiences here.

We are planning to have a 5 day training that will be a combination of Raja Yoga and Traditional Thai Massage. The focus of the course will be on the yoga aspects with study in complimentary Thai Massage techniques. Whether you are a beginner or advanced in either Thai Massage and/or yoga this training will be a unique and beautiful learning experience. Sanahal will guide us through mantras, pranayama, asanas and meditation as taught at the Vivekananda Yoga Research Center.

If you are interested in any of our programs and would like to find out more, please Request Information.