Thai Yoga Massage: A Dynamic Therapy for Physical Well-Being and Spiritual Energy »

Kam Thye Chow, author of Thai Yoga Massage and Tai Chi Chuan: Mindfulness in Motion, is the founder and director of the Lotus Palm School in Montreal. Emily Moody is an Ayurvedic educator, yoga teacher, and teacher for the Lotus Palm School and has worked closely with Kam Thye since 1999.

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.

Kam Thye Chow, originally from Malaysia, has published works on both tai chi chuan and Thai massage and has taught Thai massage in Thailand and throughout Europe and North America. Currently based in Montreal, he founded the first school of Thai massage to be accredited by the Quebec Massage Federation.

Visit the author's web site at lotuspalm.com/.

Midwest Book Review

Thai Yoga Massage offers an intriguing discourse on a little-covered technique...

Acknowledgments Foreword by Sudhir Jonathan Foust
Part One: The Philosophy
1. From Temple Art to Healing Art
2. Theoretical Foundations: The Sen Lines, the Doshas, and Western Medical Principles
3. The Dancing Meditation of Thai Yoga Massage
4. The Practitioner/Client Relationship
Part Two: The Practice
5. Introduction
6. Sitting Postures
7. Double- and Single-Foot Postures
8. Sen Work on Legs
9. Single-Leg Postures
10. Side-Lying Postures
11. Back-Position Postures
12. Double-Leg Postures
13. Abdomen, Chest, Arm, and Hand Postures
14. Session Closure

Appendix 1: Personal Health Questionnaire Appendix 2: Ayurvedic Constitution Questionnaire Resources Suggested Reading