Dear Jennie, in addition to your work as Brand Director at OGNX, you not only love and live yoga, but also Thai yoga massage. Since this year you and your good friend Miri have been offering introductory courses at the Studi o Urbanyoga Munich for yoga enthusiasts who want to learn the art of Thai yoga massage. Can you capture the essence of the so-called Nuad Thai in a few words?
“ Healing touch ” – this is the translation of Nuad Thai , the traditional Thai massage and beautiful body work. The healing touch takes place on a physical, emotional and spiritual level. By using various acupressure techniques along the energy lines - similar to the meridians in traditional Chinese medicine - internal blockages are released and the energy is brought back into a steady flow. Muscle and connective tissue adhesions are dissolved and we stimulate our body's own healing power. By combining various yoga postures, traditional Thai massage practices, osteopathic principles and aspects of craniosacral biodynamics, each treatment can be individually tailored to the recipient. So I try to approach my counterpart with sensitivity, empathy and, above all, loving kindness and I look forward to every single trip.
What can your students expect from the introductory courses?
When we practice yoga, we usually practice in relationship to ourselves or the spiritual and are active. However, the best teacher is often our direct counterpart: In the full-day workshop, students can expect an introduction to Thai yoga massage and a playful experience that enables them to experience this direct "being in relationship" in a yogic context. The students are introduced to this wonderful, centuries-old tradition with a lot of mindfulness, fun and freedom. The interplay between passivity (recipient) and activity (giver) shows what depth lies in passivity, trust and letting go and also how much creative potential. Because the creative potential is mainly developed in receptive action and not only - as propagated by the performance-oriented worldview of the modern world - in active action. For yoga teachers or yoga enthusiasts, the Thai yoga massage is a wonderful experience, as it also discovers deeper structures of one's own body and can be understood.
How can one imagine a day with you?
The day begins with a gentle yoga practice and meditation to prepare the body and mind for the “sacred dance” of the Thai yoga massage and to switch the mind to reception. After a short theoretical introduction to the tradition of Thai massage, explaining the most important terms and techniques, we go straight into touching. Under the practical and verbal guidance of partner exercises, the students take turns taking on the role of the giver and the receiver. If you still feel like learning more, you can read what you have learned again in our script, which we distribute to every student, or register for our second part of the Thai Yoga Massage workshop.
When does the next workshop start and where can those interested register?
The next introductory course will take place on May 21, 2017 all day from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the Urbanyoga Munich studio. You can register at info@urbanyogamunich.de .
You can find out more about Jennie and Miri, their yoga and body work here: http://jenniferwallace.de , http://www.kooena.de/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenniferwallace.de
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Photo credits: http://www.vanith.de