Overview
The Naga Center endeavors to relieve a bit of the suffering in the world through mentorship style education in the art and practice of traditional Thai bodywork and herbal medicine taught with passion, authenticity, and integrity. Here students find a warm and welcoming space for in-depth studies designed to help them begin or fine tune their professional massage practice as specialists in an ancient and complex healing arts modality.
Studies at The Naga Center are steeped in a connection to a rich history, an understanding of cultural exchange and reciprocity, and a focus on the traditional medical theory that is the foundation of the bodywork.
Cohorts at The Naga Center are deliberately kept very small (usually 8 or less) and there are only two to three instructors with most classes being taught by me, naj/nephyr. This creates a uniquely warm and intimate mentorship learning environment in which we form a strongly supportive and bonded little community. Cohorts and teachers become sanghā, supporting and helping one another in class and maintaining relationships well beyond the end of their training.
Authenticity
I am dedicated to teaching Thai massage and medicine as it has historically been practiced in Thailand. Thai bodywork is taught through its traditional context as a physical therapy within the greater umbrella of traditional Thai medicine and Thai medical theory is taught within the historical Thai medical system. I do not overlay Ayurvedic, Chinese, or western medical concepts on Thai physical therapies.
Conscientious Business Model
The Naga Center business model is committed to a triple bottom line in which community and environmental impact are factored equal to or greater than, finances. Choices from massage mats to bathroom soap always account for environmental footprint. Respecting lineage, I make donations to my teacher whenever I can. Respecting life, and with the belief that healing arts means healing the planet and caring for all beings, The Naga Center makes a habit of donating to refugee aid organizations, animal welfare organizations, and environmental protection organizations whenever possible. You can read about my relationship with charity tithing here.
Licensure and Continuing Education
The Thai Massage Professional Program preparing state massage therapy license candidates is state accredited as a licensed private career school through the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission.
Continuing education classes and programs are designed to meet the needs of bodyworkers with years of experience, even those who have studied Thai massage for decades, as well as those who are completely new to the world of bodywork. For licensed massage therapists I am an approved providers of continuing education through the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB). Some individual classes may still be in process of approval from the NCBTMB, so if you require that stamp, please double check.
Gallery from around The Naga Center
