Thai Yoga Massage: A Dynamic Therapy for Physical Well-being and Spiritual Energy - Hardcover

Chow, Kam Thye; Chow, Kam T.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0892819375 ISBN 13: 9780892819379

Publisher: Healing Arts Press, 2002

Synopsis

An authentic guide to Thai yoga massage, a unique therapy that combines stretching, breath work, assisted yoga postures, and pressure point therapy.

· Includes more than 80 illustrations, 30 charts, and a complete series of postures for a two-hour full-body massage.

· Author Kam Thye Chow has taught massage in Thailand and throughout Europe and North America.

Until recently Thai yoga massage was virtually unknown in the West. It has its roots in both the ancient healing traditions of Ayurveda and Thai Buddhism. In this unique practice, the therapist gives a full-body massage that combines palming and thumbing along the Thai energy lines and pressure points with gentle stretching, movement, and breath work reminiscent of tai chi. Using his or her own hands, feet, arms, and legs, the practitioner gently guides the recipient through a series of yoga postures, creating a harmonious and therapeutic “dance” that leads to greater physical awareness, grace, and spiritual energy.

In this comprehensive guide for practitioners, Kam Thye Chow leads readers through every aspect of this dance--from its history and philosophy to a detailed presentation of a complete Thai yoga massage session. This important reference includes more than 80 illustrated postures, 30 charts and drawings, and a complete series of postures for a two-hour full-body massage that focuses attention on both the upper and lower body, which receive equal stress in the Western lifestyle. Information on contraindications, anatomy, and physiology integrates Western medical knowledge and theory with this ancient tradition. Massage therapists, physical therapists, nurses, and other medical professionals will find Thai Yoga Massage an important and innovative complement to their practice.

About this title

From the Inside Flap:

MASSAGE / BODYWORK

In the temples of Thailand, many centuries ago, a dynamic bodywork therapy based on yoga, Ayurveda, and the martial arts was born. In this unique healing system of Thai Yoga Massage, the practitioner guides the recipient through a series of yoga postures while palming and thumbing along the body’s energy lines and pressure points. Together these actions result in a comprehensive full-body treatment that relieves muscular tension, improves circulation, boosts the immune system, and balances the body energetically.

Thai Yoga Massage is practiced as a duet. Counterbalancing and levering the recipient’s body with his own, the practitioner works with gravity, breath, and directed touch to create a harmonious and therapeutic “dance” with the recipient that imparts physical vibrancy, grace, and spiritual energy.

In this fully illustrated instructional guide to Thai Yoga Massage, Kam Thye Chow, one of the world’s foremost teachers and practitioners, leads readers through every aspect of this ancient bodywork therapy--from its origins in Thai Buddhist temples and the theoretical foundations of its development to a detailed presentation of classic Thai Yoga Massage postures. Detailed, step-by-step photographs show the author performing each posture for a one- to two-hour full-body massage. Information on important contraindications and fundamental anatomy and physiology integrates Western medical knowledge and theory with this ancient healing tradition. Massage therapists, physical therapists, yoga practitioners, and others in the somatic arts will find Thai Yoga Massage an important and innovative complement to their work.

KAM THYE CHOW is the author of Tai Chi Chuan: Mindfulness in Motion, and his writings have been featured in Massage and Bodywork and other healing arts journals. Kam Thye teaches Thai Yoga Massage in Thailand and throughout Europe and North America. Currently based in Montreal, he is the founder and director of the first school of Thai massage to be accredited by the Quebec Massage Federation.

From the Back Cover:

“Only a true master of Thai massage could present this profound healing art with such clarity and precision, and make it so accessible. The spirit of loving-kindness that pervades Kam Thye’s method is essential for healing our world.”
--Swami Ramananda, President of the Integral Yoga Institute of New York

“With Thai Yoga Massage Kam Thye Chow establishes himself as one of the leading voices in the development and transmission of this ancient practice. A supremely accessible teacher, Kam Thye is masterful with detail and nuance. This book will open up the healing world of Thai massage to thousands of eager students.”
--Stephen Cope, author of Yoga and the Quest for the True Self

“A complete manual of instruction, Thai Yoga Massage is necessary reading for anyone interested in this indigenous healing art and its contemporary practice. Kam Thye Chow is a sensei of the art and spirit of his work.”
--Robert Noah Calvert, Founder of Massage Magazine and author of The History of Massage

“Kam Thye Chow is an integrator, one who brings the depth of an ancient tradition into practical application, adapting Thai massage to the needs of our modern lifestyle without losing its integrity. His book is like his work--masterful and full of love.”
--Rama Berch, President of the Yoga Alliance and founder of the Master Yoga Foundation

About this edition

• Publisher: Healing Arts Press
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0892819375
• ISBN 13: 9780892819379
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 160