Thai massage, sometimes referred to as Thai yoga therapy, Nuat Thai or Nuad Boran, is an ancient form of bodywork that incorporates yoga, acupressure and reflexology. In contrast to Western massage techniques, Thai massage uses no oil, and is performed fully clothed on a mat on the floor. Therapists use their hands, knees, elbows and feet to perform Thai massage. Several schools in North America offer certificates in the practice.
Spirit Winds School of Thai Massage and International Healing Center
Spirit Winds School of Thai Massage and International Healing Center is an accredited massage school located in Nevada City, California. The school offers certified training programs that range from Thai herbal massage (six hours) and Thai Foot Massage (15 hours) to full Thai massage certification training (275 hours). Certification is divided into four levels, each of which can be studied separately. Director Janice Vitavec studied Thai massage at the Institute of Thai Massage in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The school offers payment plans, and arranges room rentals for students in nearby homes.
Lotus Palm School of Thai Yoga Massage
The Lotus Palm School of Thai Yoga Massage, based in Montreal, also has centers in New York City and Toronto. The accredited school offers a Thai Yoga Massage Practitioner certificate (240 hours) and a Thai Yoga Massage Therapist Certificate (430 hours), as well as other programs. Founder Kam Thye Chow, a native of Malaysia, was raised with the Asian healing arts and customs. He founded the Lotus Palm School in 1995, and published a book, Thai Yoga Massage, in 2002. The Lotus Palm School's main campus is located in a 2200-square-foot facility in Montreal's Plateau/Mile-End district.
Thai Institute of Healing Arts
The Thai Institute of Healing Arts, in Arlington, Virginia, bills itself as the only comprehensive Thai medical education, research and treatment center outside of Thailand. The school is accredited in the U.S. and Thailand, and offers certification in Basic Thai Massage (40 hours), Intermediate Thai Massage (an additional 40 hours), and Advanced Thai Massage (an additional 40 hours). Teacher to student ratio is 1:12. The center also offers a teacher training apprenticeship that lasts an average of two years, as well as programs in Thai cultural immersion and in-depth traditional Thai medicine.
Thai Bodywork School of Thai Massage
The Thai Bodywork School of Thai Massage, in Evanston, Illinois, is devoted primarily to Thai healing techniques. Chuck Duff, a certified Thai massage therapist and instructor founded the school in 2001. Duff specializes in the treatment of chronic pain, and in teaching clients self-treatment techniques to alleviate pain. The school offers a Thai Bodywork Practitioner certificate (220 hours), as well as other topic-specific certificates, including a hands-free Thai massage program that avoids stress to the therapist's upper body. The school also offers a level-one certificate in Fundamentals of Thai Massage (20 hours) that requires no prerequisites.
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