All Smiles in the Land of Smiles!
The sun has risen on my seventh morning here in Thailand. I have nestled into the city of Chiang Mai (pronounced Chang My) in the north. A dear friend was at the airport to meet me. Julie and I have been sharing experiences for over 16 years now. We have witnessed the ups, downs and “in betweens” of one another’s lives, and still do. Friendship like this is a treasure and continues to enrich my experience to no end.
Julie is the reason that I am here in Chiang Mai. The past four years have seen her traveling here annually for intense study of Thai yoga massage under her masterful teacher. Julie’s dedication to this healing art is second to none. Having 15 years of experience as professional massage practitioner and extensive experience as a yoga instructor, her transition to Thai yoga massage was both natural and seemless. Not content to simply learn how to perform a Thai yoga massage, Julie is dedicated to embodying the art and soul of this craft which is evident to anyone who had the privilege of a treatment with her. Having been on the receiving end of her healing hands on many occasions, I can truly say that there is nothing else like it. Over a four year period of hearing Julie’s stories of her time training in Chiang Mai, I began to research the opportunity for me to travel to Thailand myself to participate in specialized yoga and meditation training along with advanced holistic studies of the human energy field. This is a powerful opportunity not just to study about the ancient eastern healing arts, but to submerge oneself in the culture.
Upon arrival in Chiang Mai I was greeted with fresh flowers, fruit, water and all the essentials. Thanks to Julie and her gracious and helpful comrade Don (a Canadian ex-pat who winters in Thailand), my telephone and internet communications were installed in a timely fashion and I was able to settle in gracefully within the first 48 hours. This sets the stage perfectly for the next 6 weeks of growth. I am truly blessed.
With the 12 hour time difference from EST, I am able to connect with my clients to conduct Clearing sessions in the morning and evening, leaving the days for study, exploration, meditation and food!
In preparation to begin my training I have just completed 2 full cleanse days along with a 2 hour Thai yoga massage, clearing the body of interference from environmental toxins and stress. This morning I began my yoga training at the Blue Garden with master teacher Remco. More to come on that.
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