Thai Healing Arts Sessions with Nephyr
Please read this before filling out the appointment request form
We might just talk. About what's bothering you, about what you eat, about aches and pains, about digestion and elimination, about relationships and exercise, and what your elemental make up is, and elemental imbalances are.
I might make you an Thai herbal formula, or tell you about one that is available for purchase elsewhere.
I might do focused bodywork on a problem area. It might be very very physically intensive, or it might be gentle and nurturing.
Your session might take 45 minutes, or three hours. It depends on the needs and flow of the day, and of course, how much time you have.
This is not a systemic relaxation, maintenance massage session. We might or we might not do bodywork; it depends. If you want a head to toes deep healing relaxation massage session, here is a list of therapists who offer this locally. What I offer is a bit hard to describe, and changes from person to person, tailored to your needs.
My work is therapeutically oriented, with most bodywork being spot specific unless a full body treatment is truly what is needed. I focus on the alleviation of suffering in a variety of forms. The lens I work through is traditional Thai medical theory and the tools I use are ancient Thai healing arts tools be it herbs, fire cupping, massage, stretching, dietary coaching or teaching self care practices or meditation. We will definitely begin by drinking tea.
Rates: It is important to read this as well before your session
In Thailand you can still find traditional medicine practitioners who follow the old customs of not having set prices for their work. This was, historically, one of the rules of practicing healing and spiritual arts. Recipients of the work understand that the healing arts practitioners need to make a living, keep a roof over their heads, buy their children school clothes, and all the other necessities of life, and the practitioners understand that they must not be motivated to practice medicine or give spiritual guidance purely for money. And so, in a culture where all of these things are understood, it works out. The traditional medicine practitioner goes into every treatment session with no idea if they will earn very little or very much, but if they are good doctors they treat each person equally, with compassion and good will being the primary motivators. And the recipients understand the efforts and needs of the practitioner, the years of training, the efforts and cost of providing care and herbal formulas, and so they honestly pay as much as they can for the work. Sometimes this is very little and sometimes this is very much and in the end hopefully everyone's needs are met.
In the west this system can be confusing. Westerners tend to feel ill at ease with not having a firm price and they worry about paying the wrong amount; too little, or too much. Or some think that no set prices means it is free or cheap, and they interpret this to mean that the work is not valuable. When we don't value healing arts, we are less likely to benefit from them. The system was never meant to make anyone feel worried, nor was it meant to undervalue a medicine practice. So in my attempt to bring this Asian custom to my work in a western culture, I offer loose rate guidelines. The truth is that I trust that you will think about what you can truly afford, how much you value your healing and my time, and find an amount that is given with joy from the heart.
For those who would like guidelines/suggestions of what to pay, think about this: The current average for a one hour massage is $90, most naturopaths cost about $125 an hour, therapists are $75 to $150, and acupuncturists range from $50 to $70, but can treat multiple patients at once. My sessions tend to last at least 2 hours, and most clients walk away with some herbal goodies. In the end, I gratefully accept what you are able to give, without expectation or judgement. I give a little of everything I earn to charity and to my teacher, who in turn gives to his teacher. The rest keeps a roof over my head and food in my family's pantry.