We have all heard that cry, when a child gets Monday-itis and doesn’t want to go to school after a lovely weekend and has not completed their homework; wearing that outfit which fits at 7pm but by 9pm one can barely move; acne breakouts, allergies or preferences, vegan or omnivore, organic or not, chocolate for joy, booze for anger, pasta for comfort, gluten… AHHHHH! Food is almost an enemy to many people, but palpating the gut is one way to understand and soothe its issues.
As a child I suffered many gut problems including ulcers at 12, pain and bloating and a lot of much dieting from an obsessive mother. By the time I was in my 20s I had auto immune disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome, random allergies, fungal overgrowth syndrome and at the time western medicine gave me Prozac, as that was all they had to offer to another women complaining.
I was already a Thai Massage Therapist returning to Thailand annually to study and I found my body and mind to be much healthier when there. My triggers were gone, low stress, organic food, no dairy, no processed food, and lots of massage. Then I met Master Khun NI, and experienced her Chi Nei Tsang massage. I was fearful of having my pain and shame area massaged, I did not like people looking at my belly, yet with each treatment my physical and emotional issues were disappearing, and not returning. I was accused of having a face lift as my expression was now one of peace and joy.
become a thai massage therapist
This is a practical course, designed for both the therapist and the novice. I often have groups of people fly to Thailand to study with me who will not become therapists, they want to know how to help themselves or a loved one. What one needs to study this, is an interested mind, kindness and compassion for those in pain, and I prefer folks that have suffered in life, as experiential understanding is what the heart needs.
We will be working in levels, exploring the quality of the skin and the stories it tells. Where we have moles, lines, changes in sensation and deviation in skin quality, this tells the therapist how the body is reacting to its stresses. Scars on the belly, especially caesarean change everything, an appendix scar can cause left shoulder pain, a hip replacement can create constipation. Releasing the Psoas and back muscles through the belly means the muscle holds its correct position.
We trace the digestive system, learning where the organs are and how they feel. Easily and painlessly we cleanse organs and the client can observe this when they get off the table feeling full of vitality with rosy cheeks, pink lips and bright eyes. Not only from the physical accumulations of chemicals, poor absorption of food, reactions to allergens, but also the feelings we experienced when we were not old enough to understand, or there was not time to explore; the pain is too great, or there was no-one skilled enough to help guide through times when emotional intelligence was required. It is released hormonally with easy tears, during sleep, in dreams, and as the subconscious finds peace.
Felicity Joy has been a therapist since the 80s practising a range of different massages, iridology as a precise diagnostic tool, naturopathy to understand all the best of natural treatments, nutrition to negotiate the food industry and reclaim her own health. She returns to triyoga to share knowledge on how to have a highly functioning gut. Join her for her Thai Massage Intensive: abdominal massage level 1 workshop from 4th – 9th May. For more information and to book, click here.
