by Amanda Loevner
Thai yoga therapy is an amazing experience for both the practitioner and receiving client, as it incorporates many aspects of healing. This is a deeply meditative technique and can result in a blissful state of being, similar to what one might experience after a good yoga or exercise class.
Thai yoga therapists provide gentle yoga-like stretches, acupressure and joint mobilizations, which are performed as a floor-based system of therapeutic yogic bodywork. The technique focuses on mindful movements and conscious communication to maximize mobility, clarify consciousness, and cultivate compassion. This work channels energy and subtle pathways through the client’s body, along with massage of the muscles, tendons, pressure points, and energy lines. This method combines yoga asana and massage to assist in reducing stress, soothing muscles, relieving aches and pains, and balancing personal energy.
Although Thai yoga therapy specifically targets maximizing mobility, it comes from a place of mindfulness, providing an opportunity to learn how to balance body and mind in a place of both strength and flexibility. The stronger and more flexible we remain, the more alive we are. This is done physically as blood flow makes its way into many parts of the body, increasing the distribution of oxygen from the lungs to every centimeter of the body.
Thai yoga therapy also teaches us how to clear our consciousness. We achieve this through this work by simply becoming aware. Finding awareness of the present moment, the self, and the innermost being. Awareness is the first step to change, which then leads to wisdom, and the more wisdom we gain, the more aware we can become. The more wisdom and awareness we receive, the clearer our consciousness. It is said that all human beings have this wisdom already inside of them; it is just a matter of ridding the distractions in order to see the clear picture. As our picture becomes clearer, we gain more understanding of the consciousness and begin to learn how we function best throughout our day.
When we cultivate compassion and caring for ourselves, we create the space for a healthy restoration of new cells and optimal growth in the body as our lymphatic system continues to eliminate waste. Thai yoga therapy helps individuals find that small thread of something they are compassionate about, and teaches them how to cultivate this compassion and work to increase the range of things they care about and the amount in which they care. As this process continues to grow, students become more interested in the present moment and awareness, leading to more healing and greater wellness.
Amanda Loevner is an occupational therapist, certified yoga instructor, and Thai yoga massage practitioner. Loevner provides Thai yoga massage at It Takes A Village Wellness in historic Port Jefferson. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call her at 631-561-9238.
