Thai Massage Professional 629 Hour Training Program
for students preparing to apply for state licensure
Next Cohort
September 2025 - July 2026
Welcome to The Naga Center’s Thai Massage Professional Program, a hybrid distance and in-person course of lovingly guided study in the beautiful art of traditional Thai bodywork. Here students find a warm and welcoming space for in-depth mentorship style studies with Naj designed to help them begin 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 strong grasp on the wonderment that is the anatomy and physiology of the human body. It is our delight to guide those working toward massage therapist licensure through the profound experience of learning Thai bodywork, both traditional and modern health sciences, and the singularly unique art of touch therapy.
This hybrid online/in-person program unites students from a variety of locales in sweet supportive shared learning. Hands on workshops are held in a peaceful environment surrounded by nature and jars of herbs, while online classes are interactive and create a vibrant and caring community that feels surprisingly close to the in-person experience.
A few lovely points
• Classes are small with cohorts of 6 to 10 students
• Mentorship style training with Naj
• Designed to be accessible to students who live far away
~ Hybrid training blends interactive online classes and hands-on in-person workshop intensives
• Ten month program
• In person classes are in a beautiful space surrounded by nature. Online classes are held in a setting of your choice, pajamas welcome.
In addition to extensive training in theraputic Thai massage students learn
• Thai herbal bodywork therapies including herbal compresses, liniments, steams, poultices and salves.
• Thai visceral/abdominal massage
• Traditional Thai pre-natal and postpartum care
• Relationship between Buddhism and Thai healing arts
• Traditional Thai medical theory as applies to Thai massage
• Modern medical health sciences of anatomy, physiology, pathology, and kinesiology
• Thai cultural practices, ways, and view and oh, so so so much more.
Instructor
I am Naj; your primary instructor for this program. I am the director, founder, instructor, and dish washer of The Naga Center, which I started in 2005. Basically, I am the Naga Center (and much of this website is written first person, in my voice). I have been a massage therapist since I was 21 years old (born in '69, so you can do the maths), and have been traveling to Thailand regularly since 1998 to study traditional Thai Herbal medicine and bodywork and lived there for two years while writing my books on Thai medical theory and herbalism. You can learn bunches more about me, and also learn about Claire and Jim who will be lending a hand with this program, here.
Oregon Massage Licensure
This program meets Oregon pre-licensure massage training requirements and is a state accredited program licensed by the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission.
Oregon state requirements to apply for massage license
• Minimum of 625 hours of training that break down as follows:
• 300 hours of Massage theory and Practical Application (including clinical practice, business development, communication, ethics, and sanitation)
• 200 hours of Health Sciences (including anatomy, physiology, pathology and kinesiology)
• 125 hours in subject of choice as relates to Massage and Health Science
• Proof of CPR certification
• Must be 18 years of age
Contagious Disease Mitigation Protocols
In support, ally-ship, and protection of our disabled, immunocompromised, vulnerable, and careful (full of care) community, all in-person workshops still follow strict and science based disease mitigation protocols. This is ongoing until postings such as this are removed.
Please make sure that you read the entire Infectious Disease mitigation protocols before registering.
