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Thai massage "ins and outs"

Hi everyone...I took a three day course by Mutki on thai..I love it..it's Thai on the table..I was wondering how to condense the routine into an hour? AND how much more does one charge for this modality?
thanks.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Charlene Gaffney on April 29, 2011 at 11:24pm

Hi Jackie!

I have been studying Thai Massage since 2009. I have 60 hours of training and have completed somewhere close to 100 full sessions on the mat now. I really enjoy it too. I integrate so many of the techniques on to the table (Although I find my self moving towards a Thai-based practice as I continue to learn and grow with it). I learned the basic Northern Style mat sequence in my first 20 hour training. I tried really hard to make it fit into the confines of a one hour session (same price as a regular session, $70) and it just did not work. I was wearing myself out trying to work at that slow, rhythmic, Thai massage pace. I finally realized that the best marketing strategy was to start the sessions at 90 minutes as, from my understanding, they are traditionally no shorter than this. I charge $110 for the 90 minute session and have not seemed to have a problem getting clients to try it. Leaving things out and working a bit more clinically was my approach to the hour session when I tried it. But again, it just wasn't comfortable for me. Do you plan on taking more training? I recently came across Mutki's advertisement and looked around his website. I thought his approach was interesting. Did you do a home study or find him on location? Any specifics on why you loved the class so much?

Permalink Reply by Shama Kern on April 30, 2011 at 3:47am

Jackie, I have been practicing and teaching Thai Massage for over 12 years and I have almost never done a full body session shorter than 2 hours. I just told my clients that this is the length of the session, and nobody ever questioned it or asked for a shorter session. I was never interested in condensing it into a shorter time frame since I could just not fit a decent session into one hour.

However I do specific therapy sessions within one hour. Then I just focus on one specific area of the body like neck/shoulders or hips or back. Thai massage is great for specific therapeutic work.

Regarding table work or floor work, I have always found that I can use my body more effectively on the floor in terms of body weight and ergonomics. The other factor is that I live in Thailand most of the time and here nobody uses tables for Thai Massage anyway. I know that a lot of Thai massage can be done on a table effectively. This is a western adaptation. Here in Thailand the therapists would have no idea what to do with a table:)

I always kept my prices at the lower end of the spectrum so that people don't mind paying for the two hour sessions. It still works out well for me since I have to find less clients if I do 2 hours sessions and it is easier to get repeat business and referrals that way in my experience. In the US there are big regional differences in what you can charge.

Shama

http://thaihealingmassage.com

Permalink Reply by Daniel Tautenhan on April 30, 2011 at 10:34am

Hello Thai Massage enthusiasts. I noticed a few posts about incorporating Thai Massage into hour sessions on the table and the idea of shorter sessions than the traditional 2+ hours.

I am teaching a Fundamentals of Tradtional Thai Massage: On the mat or table, in Hot Springs, Montana on Jun 25th and 26th. It is 12 hours and will give practioners practical insights and applications to incorporate their sessions. There are 4 slots still available.

My observation has been there are many therapists especially in the West, who are not comfortable sitting or kneeling or lunging for long hours on the mat/floor. Learning to adapt Thai Massage techniques into your current practice on the table is possible in any capacity whether you stick to a traditional routine of hybridize ( I call it Thaibrid-ize) your own.

Please contact me for more information.

www.dannyappleseed.com

503-490-8144

metta

Daniel

Permalink Reply by Shawn Maria Brinza on April 30, 2011 at 2:09pm

Jackie, I also have studied with Mukti, I use thai a lot in my sessions mat and table. I can do a great 12 or 15 minute session just as a warm up. For those folks that have a hard time letting go, a one hour thai can be done easily. Just remember you don't have to do EVERYTHING you learned about the arm or leg or navel, everytime you work one... I usually try to spend about an hour on the mat and another 90 minutes on the table. Its all in how you choose to lay out the session. Sometimes I just do table stuff and don't even use the mat. I just happen to Love the mat... I charge by the hour regardless of which modality I do. It makes my menu much easier to read.

Permalink Reply by Mike Hinkle on April 30, 2011 at 2:48pm

Hi Jackie. I took Mukti's class with Shawn. It should be included, as another day of training, in school. I loved it. The neat thing is, with all the moves he taught, it is easy to put a 1 hr or 1 1/2 hr program together from it. I personally like the floor/mat better as a client and therapist because it just allows each to totally interact with each other without the fear of height. But the table program can be just as nice with practice. Thai is a great modality! Mukti is at the World Massage Festival again this year at Western Carolina University in July for anyone wishing to attend!!! Keep the Faith!

Permalink Reply by Jackie Wilson on April 30, 2011 at 3:06pm

Mutki came to Omaha where I took his three day course..He was very thorough and the class was so much fun!

Thanks for all of your replies..I want to get at this right away and offer it, I was just not wanting to leave anything out, but , it would take hours! HAHA!..So, I will put together the routine probably in and hour and a half..that sounds about right.

Even tho I took the course "Thai on the Table" I'm thinking I would like it better on the mat for the same reasons you all mentioned. I think it would be easy to take what I've learned on the table and bring it to the mat. Any suggestions on a nice (yet inexpensive) mat to get? :) Any and all suggestions on offering Thai please respond! Thanks!

Permalink Reply by Shama Kern on April 30, 2011 at 11:03pm

Jackie, I bought a couple of good quality exercise mats in a sporting goods store and combined them with velcro at the bottom. Then I covered them with an attractive Mexican blanket. I have used this simple and inexpensive setup for many years. The mats were about $25.- a piece. The reason why I liked this is because it is very easy to roll up the mats and throw them in the back seat of a car. If you do any house calls, this is an extremely light, inexpensive and portable setup.

If you don't ever do house calls you probably want a more permanent solution. One inexpensive way is to go to a place where they sell foam and get a good size slab cut. It has to be good quality firm foam. Then you cover it with a sheet.

If you want to see what this looks like, I have a free Thai Massage video course where you can see my setup nicely. You can download it here: http://thaihealingmassage.com/info/free-thai-massage-videos/

Permalink Reply by Jackie Wilson on May 1, 2011 at 5:38pm

Thank you Gregory and Shama for the excellent information! You all have been very helpful! Shama, I am going to download that..thank you! :)

Permalink Reply by Rick Haesche on May 2, 2011 at 12:44pm

Hi Jackie

Welcome to Thai Massage! As a veteran Thai practioner and instructor, my enthusiastic suggestion would be to not charge for awhile until you are extremely comfortable and confident in not only the technique and flow, but also in your sensitivity to what is happening under your hands. This point often escapes LMTs that come to Thai Massage! It's different than deep tissue or swedish. Give it time.

And I wouldn't suggest offering a one-hour Thai Massage! This art requires and deserves space and time, and to condense and squeeze it into an hour session (and if you work at a spa or salon you will be doing 50 minutes) is to do a major disservice to the tradition and the lineage, and to further water it down. Slow down! Be easy!

This is, of course, my humble opinion, but I hope that it helps?

Good luck!

Rick Haesche

bodymind center for thai massage

www.bodymindthai.com

Permalink Reply by Shama Kern on May 5, 2011 at 12:33pm

Let me know how you like the free videos:)

Jackie Wilson said:

Thank you Gregory and Shama for the excellent information! You all have been very helpful! Shama, I am going to download that..thank you! :)

Permalink Reply by Jackie Wilson on May 8, 2011 at 7:16pm

Hi! The free videos were very good! Thank you! :D

Shama Kern said:

Let me know how you like the free videos:)

Jackie Wilson said:

Thank you Gregory and Shama for the excellent information! You all have been very helpful! Shama, I am going to download that..thank you! :)

Permalink Reply by Man Gong on July 28, 2019 at 1:08am

Shama Kern said:

Jackie, I bought a couple of good quality exercise mats in a sporting goods store and combined them with velcro at the bottom. Then I covered them with an attractive Mexican blanket. I have used this simple and inexpensive setup for many years.