Acu Thai
Ayurvedic Yoga Massage
Please review the details here from a laptop rather than a smartphone
Thai Massage Training
AKA: Thai Yoga Massage, Nuad Bo-Rarn, Ancient Healing Way...
Over many centuries this Ancient Healing Way has made its way throughout many Asian countries. And in the past decade it has spread like a healing torrent throughout the west. Although its origins are in Indian Ayurveda, it has beautifully integrated many other gems of wisdom along its world travels, such as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Japanese Shiatsu which, when you see them work together, one cannot help but think they were always meant to be together. In fact, when one studies these complementary modalities with an eye for unity in harmony, it empowers the students of Acu Thai to become practitioners of this ancient healing way with greater depth and accuracy; not just with postural maneuvers and acupressure, but in the underlying elements that compose a much greater healing experience.​​
The Full Body Sequence
Acu Thai Level 1 & 2 Practitioner​
*****
Our Next Local (Cincinnati, USA)
Level 1 Training Dates Are:​​​​
​
Saturday 5/24 : 1:00 - 7:00
Sunday 5/25 : 9:30 - 4:20
​​​​
Saturday 6/7 : 1:00 - 7:00
Sunday 6/8 : 1:00 - 7:00
​​​
Saturday 6/21 : 1:00 - 7:00
Sunday 6/22 : 1:00 - 7:00
​​
Saturday 6/28 : 1:00 - 7:00
​​​
Scroll down for the amount of Investment and how to register.
​
Our Next Training Abroad is in
Bali, Indonesia
Level 1: Feb 18 - 28
Level 2: Mar 3 - 10
Includes fun and adventure in Bali!
After this practice reached Thailand and, thereafter, became known globally as Thai Yoga Massage (instead of Nuad Bo Rarn meaning "ancient healing way") it obviously took on more of a Thai identity; which, although deserving, caused a tendency to forget that its roots come from other and older modalities. Ironically, today TYM "traditionalists" typically like to keep the practice free of outside influences, even though the practice originated from so many outside influences. Nevertheless, the Thai influence is of huge importance and a tradition to preserve its influence is important too. After all, it is the Thai practitioners who continually refined many aspects of the practice and made it a global healing phenomenon.
However, as one having practiced and taught both Elemental Yoga and Thai Ygoa Massage in several countries over the past 25+ years, I see huge blessings to the practice often being forgone as folks (often not even from Thailand) think they are protecting it -in the name of tradition- when they are actually and adamantly extracting it from its many wise and ancient roots; even beyond Ayurveda, TCM and Shiatsu.
Furthermore, ancient traditions are not the only way this practice has become as great as it is. If tradition was the only way we should follow, then even the Thai influence would be defying its roots in Ayurveda. In other words, traditions are not meant to be etched in stone, never to be improved upon, but to build an ever improving pathway to a better future.
Even the west has brought an important influence. And that is safety! Albeit, this influence is probably due to so many people in the west being ready and willing to sue anyone for anything. But, nevertheless, and even in the west, I have seen practitioners take clients so deeply and quickly into TYM maneuvers that it is often more detrimental than helpful; nor are the majority of practitioners -adequately nor accurately- pressing along the channels and acu-points that provide that great release of both tension and energy; and would easily prepare clients to properly receive those deep stretching maneuvers.
Unfortunately, these overly deep stretches that are applied prematurely are due to one thing that never seems to escape all kinds of yoga traditions. And that is a lot of temptation towards showmanship; wherein the practitioner wants to use many fancy maneuvers that often create massive leverage, taking a recipient far deeper than they are ready, much less would find beneficial. But, Hey, it looks really cool, right!
​
I fell into that trap myself in my early days as a practitioner. In fact, it was all those cool TYM maneuvers that attracted me to the practice. But, just as it is in postural yoga practices, there is a huge, natural, but very faulty assumption that greater flexibility is the main goal of the postures. And yet a practice focused primarily on stretching maneuvers -while too often neglecting precise acupressure (or any acupressure altogether)- too often steals away from the greater healing magic enabled by more attention to precise acupressure. For greater flexibility is just one of many tools that are used to open and stimulate the meridians (channels, sen lines); wherein lies the true magic of this full body, mind & spirit "massage".
In fact, the greater traditional goal of TYM was to impart a meditative state of mind to the monks that developed the practice in their monasteries long ago. However, a meditative state does not rule out any intentions and implications for overall health. In fact, truly good and holistic health is in turn conducive to a meditative state, and vice versa. However, there is something far greater than health and meditation that the meridians also have an affect upon, and that is our Virtue (Character / Integrity) ~ And it is here that we (not depart but) press beyond the limitations often imposed upon the practice.
"Where there is a way, there is a limitation."
~ Bruce Lee​
I hope you can see from what is written above that tradition is to be respected and is ever-important, but it can also have limitations. It is such a typical human habit to think we can "hold running water in a bucket." All the while, the Taoist belief (that Bruce Lee clarifies so well in the quote above) implies that once you lock something into "a way". For a way is not the same as the way (the Tao). The Way is a flow and if you try to hold and contain it you kill it, such as life itself, and everything that gives life. Everything has Yin and Yang too. Tradition is essential to preserve it, but tradition can also deter it; though it need not be that way! And, as the Buddhists would remind us, there is a "middle way." And, the middle way can be a bridge that balances between the east and west, this culture and that, old and new, time-tested and experimental. ​
Acu Thai is a healing modality that is both deeply grounded in the meridian knowledge of Asana and Acupressure, but also reaches deeply into Elemental wisdom found throughout the world (but elaborated upon greatly in TCM and Ayurveda which refer to it as the Panch Maha Bhuta or Five Great Elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Space) as well as bringing in some sane modern and western influences; especially when it comes to safety, but also in terms of when modern medicine "discovers" something that the ancient way has known for ages. It can be frustrating and insulting when "modern" medicine claims to discover something that say TCM has known for age (all the while disparaging TCM), but the modern take on ancient ways can often add an extra layer of understanding (and in modern terms) to the ancient ways.
Acu Thai welcomes truth from wheresoever it may come. It embraces not the lamp, but the light; and turns unto it from whatsoever lamp gives the light; be it TCM, Ayurveda, Shiatsu, Thai or Toledo. Truth is truth and truth is One. Furthermore, such breadth of truth leads to depth. In other words, Acu Thai can go into very deep detail as to how it works the miracles that it does. And, again, it is precisely because it draws upon a diversity of wisdom, to enrich the tradition rather than isolate it.
Putting it all together:
Acu Thai precisely targets and opens the meridians to activate the elements needed to get us through any variety of life's challenges; and not just the physical ones. Often we do this by adding Resistance Stretching (rather than constant passivity as typical in traditional TYM) which is more safe and effective than traditional stretching. This also brings greater stimulation to the meridian while strengthening the muscle and shredding damaged/excessive fascia; that is usually the cause of blocked meridian energy. The body expels this fascial waste and leaves the meridians open, thus improving the function and efficiency of the organs while simultaneously bringing out the elemental/spiritual qualities (virtues) with which they correspond. Furthermore, Acu Thai often fosters an insightful conversation around the wisdom of the 5 Great Elements (Panch Maha Bhuta) which leads to strategies and practices one can incorporate into their every day life. Some even refer to it as massage psychotherapy, but it is in many ways much deeper as it works with one's whole being, whereas most psychotherapy is limited to working with the mind. ~But this topic opens a whole new dimension of discussion that would be too much to go into on this page. Nevertheless, here is another link where you can learn more about the power of Acu Thai.​​​
Local Acu Thai Training Investment
$1500
0% Interest Payment Plans Available!
Start making payments now and the monthly amount may be much less!​​​
To register and/or see more details about payment
Click Here​
Too Soon? Want to learn abroad?
We have an Acu Thai training in
Bali, Indonesia
February 2026.
​
Extend Your Training!
Whether in Bali or Cincinnati, you can extend your training. Or maybe you do your Level 1 training in Cincinnati and your Levels 2 & 3 in Bali (or vice versa, no particular order is necessary).
Seated Sequence + The 33 Keys
Level 2 Acu Thai Practitioner
​
Locally: (Cincinnati)​​​​
Saturday 7/5 : 1:00 - 7:00
Sunday 7/6 : 9:30 - 4:20​​​​​
12 Total Training Hours.
Not including short breaks on Saturday and time for lunch on Sunday.
​Tuition: $444
Sorry, there is no payment plan offered with this 1 weekend training.
*****
Bali: Level 2 is included with Level 1
and included in the single price of $1500
*****
Scroll down to read about Level 3 ~ "Adept"
Bali Acu Thai Training Investment
$1500
Yes! That's right! It costs the same to take the training in Bali
Plus Two Major Bonuses:
-
Lodging is Included!
-
Level 2 training is Included!
​
We are able to make this offer because the cost of living is a fraction of what it is in the US and we have our own yoga shala. In other words, we do not need to rent some other hall to hold the training. We also pass this savings on to you because, unless you live in Bali already, you will need to buy a flight to get this Island paradise.
Nevertheless, we want to help you manage that flight expense as well by also offering...
​
0% Interest Payment Plans Available!
Start making payments now and the monthly amount may be much less!​​​
To register and/or see more details about payment
Click Here​
​​​
About The Seated Sequence
Level One is a tremendous sequence and the one you will use most with clients. But there are 2 major reasons why you would want to add the Seated Sequence:
-
It is a much deeper dive into the meridians of the arms neck and shoulders and the maneuvers are more highly suited to clients who come to you with most specifically with neck and shoulder issues.
-
Your regular clients are going to like the variety this sequence brings to your routines. In fact, even you as a practitioner will enjoy the option of not always being limited to the foundational sequences of level 1, which are all with the client laying down.
​
About The 33 Keys
This segment of the training actually comes in segments. In other words, during breaks from the physical work of learning, practicing and refining the seated sequences we will utilize this time dive more deeply into some favorite and most utilized acupressure points; about 33 (out of over 400) of our fav's to be exact. However, we don't just boringly learn the points, we also give them life by telling many little healing stories with most of the points to help you get an idea of their power as well as to help you remember them. Such as..​.
​
Brandon L. who was scheduled for spinal surgery but, after utilizing the "Potent gate of Chi" along the Bladder line he was able to leave pain free and confident in cancelling the dangerous surgery he was scheduled for.​
​
R.B. looked us up after being diagnosed with "Long Covid". For 2 years she had a debilitating loss of energy. At her first massage we worked on sedating her "fight or flight" response thru the Triple Warmer meridian as well as opening and infusing her Spleen channels, which had all of its energy pulled from it due to the fight or flight response that was triggered by Covid-19. After her first massage she "finally had a good week" of energy for the first time in about 2 years. Thereafter, her energy continued to improve steadily. Whereas, up to that point, no other western modes of therapy had helped at all. Instead, they just drained her bank account; and with more tests than any actual therapies.
There are many stories like these, and an equal number of them are tales of emotional release, psychological issues, and spiritual development. However, those types of stories are more often associated with students who take their training to our next level...​​​
​​​​
You can take this training without having first taken either of the other Acu Thai trainings listed above. In fact, non of the trainings listed on this page need to be taken in any particular order. However, in order to be certified as a Level Three AcuThai Practitioner, you will need to complete all 3 levels of training. Nevertheless, the Vishwa Ayurveda 300Hr training (described at the link below) trains you to be an Elemental Yoga Therapist (RYT300) which you will probably find to be as advantageous in itself without even learning the Acu Thai segments that are included in this course. However, when you do have this course - in addition to Levels 1 & 2 - we consider you an "Adept" Acu Thai Practitioner as we have no doubt you will be working some miracles from time to time with your clients; and via many different modalities beyond massage therapy.​
​
The Vishwa Ayurveda training is far too much to describe here. So please head to this link to read all about it. Or go to this link to see when and where the next Vishwa Ayurveda training will be held.
​
​
Please Note:
-
Although reaching Level 3 does not require you to take all 3 courses in any order, if the only training you attend is "Neck & Shoulders + The 33 Keys" then we cannot grant a TYM Practitioner Certificate (neither Level 1 nor 2) because those weekends do not train you in the foundations given in the Level One (full-body) training. ​
-
To receive a practitioner's certificate you must also complete at least Ten 90 minute practice massages. One of these Ten must be with the instructor in which you will be given step by step feedback.
-
Students must demonstrate some standards of quality. We do not grant certificates just for showing up and completing the hours.
Apply to any of the trainings listed above by contacting Will at lotusyogatemple@cincyoga.com
Only accepting 12 Students