Join us for this beautiful 6-day course, where you will learn the foundations of Thai Yoga Massage from an experienced practitioner and teacher, Alfonso Cazenave (Karuna Bodywork).
Mindful touch, human connection, blissful relaxation and lots of fun will be the main ingredients of this course, together with 100+ Thai massage techniques. Add to that a gorgeous setting of the Mediterranean island of Corfu (Arillas) and healthy vegetarian food and you have the perfect recipe for a fabulous time!
This course will provide you with all the tools you need to be able to offer the most relaxing Thai massage sessions (lasting between 1 to 2 hours, as needed).
The program includes:
➡️ the principles of mindful touch: how to touch in a way that is pleasurable, reassuring and relaxing: how to “talk” and “listen” through your hands
➡️ the ergonomics of safe, effective and effortless bodywork: how to care about your own body while caring about someone else
➡️ the Thai energy lines system in contrast with actual Western knowledge about the so-called myofascial meridians: a map of the body that can be understood (and not just memorized!)
➡️ the basics of palpation: how to understand what you are feeling when you touch
➡️ a tried and tested set of Thai massage sequences in different positions: supine (face up), prone (face down), side-lying and sitting
➡️ over 100 techniques that are pleasurable, effective and safe to apply even if you are not experienced, as they are adapted to the characteristics and needs of Westerners
➡️ solid foundations on which you can build your further learning
The course will be mainly practical. You will work in pairs (and sometimes in small groups) and have enough time to explore and practice the techniques (always with the support of the facilitating team) with different partners, so that you can experience different kinds of touch and get very precise feedback.
The facilitators – Alfonso & Ageliki – are committed to ensuring the best possible conditions for learning, exploring and enjoying, by offering their caring presence and passionate engagement in the process, lots of empathy and respect for different characters and learning styles, a no-rush policy, probably a lot of bad jokes and hopefully some good ones too 😉
We start the day with meditation and yoga, to prepare the mind and the body for a full day of learning, touching and sharing.
This course will be in English (don’t worry: you can get help in Greek / Spanish / Polish and other languages if there is something you don’t understand).
All participants are welcome, regardless of your age, experience (or lack thereof), etc.
Here is an example of what Thai Yoga Massage in its contemporary approach may look like:
🌄 VENUE
The venue will be the lovely Liana Apartments in Arillas, Corfu which hosts a high quality practice space. A 10-minute walk from the beach, all rooms offer a view of the sea and are surrounded by a beautiful lush garden with avocado trees and other tropical and Mediterranean plants which are lovingly tended by Iliana.
Arillas is one of the most beautiful villages in Corfu, situated at the North-west of the island. It features dramatic landscape and a long beautiful pristine beach. Not to mention the most magical sunset!
⏰ DAILY SCHEDULE
7:00 wake up
7:30 meditation
8:00 yoga / movement
9:00 breakfast
10:00 massage class
13:00 lunch break / free time
16:00 massage class
19:00 dinner
20:30 free practice time
22:00 beginning of Noble Silence (until 9 am)
The schedule may be subject to change according to the needs of the group.
FACILITATORS
Alfonso Cazenave (Spain, 1977) is a passionate bodyworker and massage teacher. An experienced massage therapist and teacher, he is the founder of Karuna Bodywork and co-founder of Przestrzeń na Przepływ (“Space for Flow”) in Warsaw (Poland).
Since 2008, he has taken innumerable courses in different forms of bodywork, both Western and Eastern, traditional and modern, evidence-based and alternative, adding up to thousands of hours of studying. He spent almost one year in Chiang Mai learning Thai massage under the guidance of different teachers and legendary masters. In 2014 he opened his own school in Warsaw (Poland), where he lives. Since then he has been working intensively and developing as a massage therapist. He has developed his own style of work, which he calls Contemporary Thai Massage: a blend of Thai massage, Osteothai, Wuo Tai and more. He is a renowned Thai massage teacher in Poland. He also teaches yoga and movement classes.
Ageliki started studying Thai Massage in 2012. She has taken various long trainings in Thailand on Traditional Thai Massage, Therapeutic Thai Massage, Osteo-Thai, Abdominal Massage and Integrated Craniosacral Therapy. Nowadays she mostly works as a Craniosacral Therapist but still loves offering mindful touch through Thai Massage.
She is a certified Yoga Teacher and passionate for dance for movement.
💎 INVESTMENT
450 euros (early-bird registration) until April 1st
490 euros from April 1st
The price includes:
– course manual
– daily Thai massage classes (36 hours in total)
– daily meditation and movement sessions ( 9 hours in total)
– certificate of participation
Accommodation is offered on site in 2bedroom apartments . Participants have a choice of shared room or private room. All apartments have a fully equipped kitchen, free wifi, and all rooms have a private balcony with sea view. There is a bio market just 50 meters away and many restaurants and cafes close by.
Shared room 25 euros/ night
Private room 35 euros/ night
👍 OPINIONS
www.facebook.com/karunabodywork/reviews
The foundational course in Contemporary Thai Massage was a wonderful 10 days of diving into mindful touch and mindful contact with others. The teaching team create a unique atmosphere, ideal for deep work. Each detail of the course was very well prepared, its program was perfectly designed. I wholeheartedly recommend this course! — Tina Rutkowska
I got much more than I could have expected! The team was very professional, knowledgeable, caring, mindful and friendly. I felt safe, supported and listened to. I am grateful for the knowledge, the safe space, the massage practice, the singing, the meditation, the yoga and the feeling of community, and also for the chance to spend some time on my own, in silence. There was space for everything. This was a very important experience for me, the beginning of a new path. My most heartfelt thanks! – Maja Miśta
I have had the opportunity to participate in a 10-day course, a few weekend intensives and some individual tuition with Alfonso. All of these have been very satisfying experiences for me. Alfonso shares his knowledge in a very straightforward way, while at the same time paying attention to details. The atmosphere at his courses is always friendly and easy-going, which makes learning very effective. Alfonso and his team make sure that each of the participants gets as much attention, help and support as he/she needs. Not only do they share their knowledge generously, but also they emphasize the importance of compassionate presence and respectful humility when working with another person. This multidimensional approach is very valuable whether we want to learn how to give mindful touch to our loved ones, or we want to make massage our professional path. I am very grateful for the chance to collaborate with Alfonso and I wholeheartedly recommend his courses to anyone who wants to do something good for her/his own body and mind. – Monika Olga Górska
ℹ️ INFORMATION AND RESERVATION
For information & reservations contact Ageliki at theholisticweb@gmail.com
SPOTS ARE LIMITED to ensure the best conditions for learning, including individual contact with the facilitators.