Authentic Thai massage courses?

[everetteRuisy]

Just back from travelling in Thailand and India and having spent the last few months being fantastically bent all out of shape on a variety of Thai beaches, Ithink I have finally found my calling in life!

Since I left Uni I haven't been able to get excited about anything for so long. I went travelling because I didn't know what else to do with myself and never knew how much I would fall in love with the lifestyle and culture in Asia!

I almost signed up for a course to learn Thai massage in Chiang Mai but my visa (and money!) was running out and I just couldn't do it.

Anyway, now I wish I had pulled all the stops out and found a way, because I'm worried if I sign up for a course back here in the UK it will be all watered down and westernised and my interest will disintegrate.

So does anyone know of a brilliant and authentic Thai massage course that I could do in the UK?

Thanks
John

 

[IVY X]

The London School of Thai Yoga Massage with Kira Balaskas, she is great!

 

[Silly Sunshine *Re-add!*]

I agree with Ju79 Kira is a great teacher and has been practising and teaching in UK for some time. I did a course in the 90's and it was excellent.

Luv Binah
x

 

[webjunkiee]

Google produced this:
School of Thai Yoga Massage- [link=http://www.thaiyogamassage.co.uk/contact.html]http://www.thaiyogamassage.co.uk/contact.html[/link]
Kira Balaskas - School of Thai Yoga Massage- [link=http://www.thaiyogamassage.co.uk/tutor.html]http://www.thaiyogamassage.co.uk/tutor.html[/link]

The London School of Thai Massage- [link=http://www.lstm.co.uk/]http://www.lstm.co.uk/[/link]

for other Thai Massage Links, [link=http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=London+School+of+Thai+Yoga+Massage&meta=]http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=London+School+of+Thai+Yoga+Massage&meta=[/link]

 

[NeoftNecobmEt]

Hi John,
I can't comment on the quality of training (because I have no idea), but if cost was an issue it occurred to me that it might be cheaper flying to Chiang Mei (incl flights, transfer to Chiang Mai, the course, living expenses, accomodation etc).
Warm regards

Henry

 

[canizzy_123]

Hi
I trained at Das replace in Chiang Mai 13 yrs ago and so have had a taste of 'authentic' training. I have since trained with the british school of thai massage in Lyme Regis. A wonderful course run by Niclaire Skye. I have been working as a thai therapist for four years now and love it as a therapy. I wish you well on your journey with this amazing massage.
Alison

 

[fairiedancer2]

Hiyas Awaverley, welcome to HP.

 

[Jessica A]

Sawadee Ka, I absolutley adore Thai Massage too & studied the 2 weeks course in Chiang Mai TMC last year (also feel I found my calling)...however its not recognised here (it is in Oz & USA)....Are there any ways around this does anyone know? I cannot afford the Thai Massage courses offered in this country & am gutted by it.
Any ideas?
Many thanks,
Lynsey

 

[Ronnie]

Interesting. I did the course in the Southern Style at the Wat Pho Massage School in Bangkok and I'm registered and insured for Thai massage through Embody. Do you have Anatomy and Physiology quals?
x
Henry

 

[acynqjsg]

There are other insurance companies that will insure Thai. Try IPTI or Towergate or Ecology(has changed to different company recently). Or check out T.H.A.I(Thai healing association international). They have some schools rgistered which rae in Chiang mai. If you approach embody with a course registetered withTHAI then you may have more luck. Hope this helps. Alison

 

[mariia]

Hi John,

If you don't want to (or can't!) go back to Thailand right now to train, I can recommend some very authentic courses in London through Inspire Massage Workshops.

They do one day taster courses in Thai Foot Massage and Thai Herb Compress Massage (and also Indian Head Massage) which unlike a lot of other UK schools offering workshops, the tutors have actually trained in Thailand and really know their stuff. This is a great way to start if you want to get into it slowly without committing too much time and money at the beginning. If you find you like their teaching style, and like doing the treatments, you can go on to study their full Diploma in Traditional Thai Massage which they do over about 6 months I think.

Have you already qualified as a massage therapist? Do you have A&P?

I think without this you would still be able to do the Thai Foot and Indian Head workshops, and then if you went on to get insurable massage qualifications, they would be able to give you a practitioners certificate for the workshops you had already done.

If you are already qualified, I would recommend starting with the Thai Herb Compress Massage workshop as I did it recently and I LOVED it. The best treatment I have learnt in ages and my clients go mad for it! It is basically combining massage, stretching, acupressure and a hot herbal compress (made in Thailand and filled with aromatic herbs which have a variety of benefits). The treatment is based on Oriental medicine and works as a great detox as well as helping with other physical and mental ailments. Also when I had the treatment done on me I was amazed how much of an energy boost I got from it.

Anyway good luck with it!
Janey

 

[cpxzysgv]

Hi,

This is to let you know that Harald Brust (Asokananda) was also the teacher of Kira Balaskas from what I can remember. He wrote a book called The Art of Traditional Thai Massage ISBN 974-210-508-1 I don't know whether it's still in print but it's a very good book and I obtained a copy via Kira, plus some great charts on the energy lines. Unfortunately, i never took a course with Harald, wish I had now.

Luv Binah
x

 

[zellparis]

Kira Balaskas is great - she did have a book out on thai massage and a basic sequence etc a few years ago, maybe have a look at that and see what you think. I remember seeing it in dillions/waterstones in bloomsbury a couple of years after I had done her course in london.

 

[medecinespky]

Hiyas Deisegirl, welcome to HP.

 

[KEVO]

Hi

I have done courses with gateway workshops and highly recommend them they offer lots of massage courses and i believe they offer thai foot massage.

Janey be careful with the company inspire massage. A friend of mine told me of a terrible event of late where her friend was attending an ITEC massage course she booked on her website. The class was told they could take their exams in July and they found out they could not as the venue had not been registered with ITEC!

I am not sure if this is legal to advertise that you opffer itec courses when you are not even registered yet. Also she said people were complaining to itec as they felt that some students had been bullied and some of the course material was not up to scratch. Luckily a police women was on the course and i have heard she is looking into this as fraud. it makes me very sad to hear that this can go on and i guess you just have to be careful where you train and make sure before hand what they tell you is true. it is great there are forums like this were people can be warned of such events.

I do hope that she can find somewhere else to take her exam and find a better tutor so they can start their new careers. i wish there was a special body that could keep control of such situations and strike people from insprire massage courses off the register so students could be spared such a terrible situation and nasty experience.

i wish them the best

rach m

edited to remove the name of the person as this might be libellous.