Thai Yoga Massage

What is Thai Yoga Massage?
An ancient form of bodywork, Thai Yoga Massage developed first in India and then over hundreds of years in the Buddhist Temples of Thailand. Rooted in the Ayurvedic medicine of India, Thai Massage is simultaneously deeply relaxing and energizing, and provides the client with a unique experience of his or her structure, movement potential and energetic base.

A full body treatment, Thai Yoga Massage has the capacity to address a wide range of structural, physiological, and energetic conditions and goals. Sessions take place on a mat on the floor, with the client fully clothed. No oil or lotion is used. Practitioners, utilize their entire body as they guide clients through a series of yoga postures, while applying palm and thumb pressure along the body’s energy (Sen) lines.

Practitioner Bio:
Kaeli Abrahams Sutton, NCLMT, RYT, is the founder and Co-Director of Motion Center. Deeply intrigued by the way the physical form embodies and informs our “self”, she has spent the last 19 years investigating the interweaving of body, heart and mind.

As a modern dancer seeking a deeper connection to the structure and movement of her own body, Kaeli began to her study of yoga over 18 years ago. She has been a registered yoga teacher for the past seven years, and her practice deeply informs her Thai Yoga Massage sessions.

To further her understanding of the structure and function of the body, Kaeli attended the Muscular Therapy Institute in Cambridge, MA and became a Rhode Island Licensed and nationally certified Massage Therapist in 2001. She began her study of Thai Yoga Massage with Kam Thye Chow and the Lotus Palm School in 2005. A certified practitioner, she continues to study with Lotus Palm and is working toward her advanced practitioner certification.

Common Questions:
What should I wear to a session?
Please wear loose, flexible clothing, optimally without pronounced seams or pockets, which can be uncomfortable to lie on.

What if I'm not flexible?
Pillows and bolsters are used so that you can rest comfortably during a session, no matter what level of flexibility (or inflexibility) you have. You will find that the Thai Yoga Massage sessions help you gain flexibility and freedom in movement, as well as increase awareness of how and where to stretch your body on your own.

What if I'm already very flexible?
Thai Yoga Massage seeks to build balance in the body (and whole person). Individuals who are naturally (or through practice) very flexible often have parts of their bodies they have overstretched, and other areas that are stuck in chronic holding patterns. On a structural level, Thai Yoga Massage sessions help bring bring awareness to each of these areas, stretching held tissue and stabilizing hyperflexible areas. Additionally, focus on the Sen (energy lines) works to bring balance to the physiological and energetic bodies.

Will it hurt?
The stretch and pressure of the technique should feel satisfyingly intense, but not painful. You will work together with Kaeli to help find a supportive level of pressure and stretch.

Do practitioners really use their feet as well as hands in Thai Yoga Massage?
Yes! And not only do they use their feet and hands, but also their knees, forearms, thighs and backs.

This is quite different from Western/Swedish Massage in which a practitioner only contacts the client through their arms and hands. While it can take a session or two to get used to, you will find that the added points of contact allow you to be taken (and relax) into fully supported stretches. Additionally, the various parts used to perform the session allow for wider variation in pressure.