Baan Hom Samunphrai A Small Herbal Health

Baan Hom Samunphrai offers training courses in Thai Traditional Massage and related herbal therapies at all levels in both Thai and English. Whether you're a complete beginner or an advanced practitioner, our teaching is very hands-on and personal, the teacher often instructing the student to work on her own body so that the exact pressure, position and sequence of the hands, elbows, knees etc. can be adjusted to perfection. Maw Hom also encourages the individual to discover his or her own strengths and strategies, as every healer is individually built and uniquely endowed. Age matters too, as do cultural habits--some 'Nuad Boran' positions are physically impossible for many westerners, for example, but that doesn't mean they can't be adapted to western talents. Indeed, if you're one of those who fear you may not be able to do it, come to us for support and encouragement. Equally, if you're a professional with years of experience come to us for renewal, tuning and, so important to all in-depth body-work, inspiration that really touches the earth!

The day begins at 7am with the students chanting a Pali invocation asking for help and protection from the Buddha and his personal doctor, Maw Chiwok--the latter sits garlanded with jasmine just below the Buddha on the shrine in our training space. This invocation is followed by one hour of Rasidaton, a Thai Yoga developed by another disciple of the Buddha, the forest hermit, Rusi--he usually sits next to Maw Chiwok in Thai medical shrines. Breakfast then follows at 8.

Courses are arranged in 5 day, 10 day or far longer periods if you have the time at your disposal, and restricted to a maximum of 8 students. The day begins at 7am with one hour of 'Rasidaton,' an ancient yoga-like warm-up based on the essential Thai Massage movements, followed by 6 hours of classes from 9am-12 and 1pm-4pm. Students can either live at the Centre in our full room & board accommodations or, if they are already established in Chiang Mai, join one of our daily courses. The rates vary considerably depending on the number of students in each class. Maw Hom welcomes Private Students, for example, but the charge must be higher because such students get her all to themselves and require a model too. One of the most productive options is to work as a 'Private Couple,' but the cheapest option is 5-8 students at a time working with Maw Hom and her three full-time Assistant Teachers. Indeed, we strongly recommend that students on tight budgets try to find at least 5 PLUs ("people like us") to launch the optimum class at the cheapest possible rate--the savings can be dramatic.

To facilitate the forming of groups, which is not at all easy for back-packers and others who are traveling alone or in couples, Maw Hom schedules a Special Reduced Rate Course each month in which every student is guaranteed a minimum rate. See our CALENDAR below for more details on these and other special courses.

Maw Hom often teaches in Baan Hom in the hot season. A French student learns to locate the Baan Uii Kham is sometimes used for teaching too. Here
because it can be air-conditioned. pressure points on her teacher's foot. Bang and Vichian demonstrate the art of foot massage.

Beginners often ask how much they can achieve in a particular course, whether 5 days or 10 days or more, and Maw Hom always answers in the same way--it depends on you. She does not follow a prescribed syllabus but tailors each and every lesson to your own needs--your age, your background, your physical type. She is also very strict about practice, and will never let you go on until you have shown her you have already mastered what has been taught, so you are unlikely to flounder or become discouraged. Students who have already done other courses are rarely disappointed, and true professionals, even those with years and years of experience in Thai Traditional Massage, come away with a new sense of confidence and inspiration.

The series of photos below were taken on the last day of a 10 day course. Maw Hom is regularly assisted in every minute detail of the teaching by Ajarn Bang (in black), Ajarn Vichian (in white) and Ajarn Nit (floral pattern), even when there are only 2 or 3 students in the class. In the top right photo the student's hands are being adjusted both by Maw Hom behind him and by his model, Ajarn Nit--i.e. two teachers working with a single student at the same time. This exists nowhere else in Chiang Mai.

LINK TO BREAKING NEWS: http://realtravel.com/chiang_mai-journals-j1637220.html . Visit this site for a nice review of a recent visit to Baan Hom Samunphrai--it may help you to understand who we are and what we do even better than the above photos. Be sure to click on 'Baan Hom Samunphrai' on the left of the site for a more specific review with more photos & lots of stars!

Baan Hom Samunphrai Live-in Training Courses range from Bt 1800 to Bt 2600 ($54.00 to $78.00) per day depending on the number of students and the type of accommodation selected--there's an additional webpage describing the accommodation options. Whatever fee is paid covers full room and board (3 meals) and 7 hours of yoga, training and supervised practice each day. All teaching materials are included. Students in training are also welcome to use the centre's facilities including the pool, the two steam baths, and our bicycles free of charge. Transportation to Chiang Mai is provided once a day, and extra 'day-off' outings to the Botanical Gardens, a Medicinal Herb Market, or a Village Healer, for example, can be arranged. The charges for a day-off depend on the number of meals, the transportation, if any, and the staff involved, but they usually work out to considerably less than a day of full training.

                       *   The Dorm Rate applies only to 3 or more students who are enrolled in one of our Special Reduced Rate Courses.
                       ** Dollar rates are calculated at 33 baht = $1.00.
                       *** A "Double House" is a private house for a couple. A "Single House" is a private house for an individual.

Maw Hom welcomes students who have special interests and/or prefer to work as a couple or even alone. The daily rate for a private couple in training is Bt 2400 ($72.00) per person per day in their own private suite or house with full room and board, the use of all the facilities and, of course, the full attention of the whole staff. For an individual student the rate is Bt 4200 ($125.00) per day. For professionals, working alone with Maw Hom can be a whole new lease on life, and rarely a season goes by without someone booking with her one-on-one from 1 to 10 day, or more. Maw Hom also has a number of individual students who aren't Thai Massage specialists at all but come to her for other reasons: a Dutch architect who wanted to validate his kundalini yoga experiences, a Reiki healer who wanted to touch the energy lines in a different way, a researcher writing a book on Nuad Boran who wanted specific demonstrations of the more subtle aspects of the method while at the same time talking about them in detail, a successful painter who at 56 wanted to explore another art.

Any student can also be accompanied by a non-training partner or friends and family, of course, who will be charged at the ordinary accommodation rate for meals and housing. Other activities for camp-followers can easily be arranged.

We also offer Training Courses in both Thai and English for those who already have accommodation in Chiang Mai. Fees include teaching materials, 6 hours of instruction & practice per day, and a healthy Thai lunch. Daily transportation is included for non-live-in students. All the Center's facilities including the Pool and Steam Baths are also available at no extra charge for any student enrolled in a training course.

The Baan Hom Samunphrai car picks up non-live-in students in Chiang Mai at either 6.30 am or 8.30am (not both!) --each day begins with yoga at 7am followed by the class at 9am. The class ends at 4pm with an hour off for lunch. Non-live-in students are also welcome to stay on after class to practice or to have steambaths at no extra charge. Our driver takes non-live-in students home free of charge as well, but only once each afternoon. He charges a total of 150 baht for additional morning pick-ups or evening returns.
Those non-live-in students who wish to join the Rasidaton (Thai Yoga) warm-up must arrive by 7 am. Breakfast at 8am (fresh yoghurt, muesli, toast, fruit, 'kaow tom' etc.) can be had by non-live-in students at the special rate of 100 baht .

CLICK HERE to see a CALENDAR of Baan Hom Samunphrai
COURSES including our monthly Special Reduced Rate Courses.