Thursday, June 25, 2020

Khwan (ขวัญ)

The Khwan (ขวัญ) is a specific cultural and metaphysical phenomenon found among the people of Thailand and has no adequate equivalent in the Western world. The term is very difficult to translate. Among northern Thais, it is regarded to be the vital principle and essence of life. It is also frequently referred to as morale, or spirit. The physical body has 32 organs and each one has a corresponding Khwan, responsible for the function of the organ. However, the 32 Khwan are usually considered as one Khwan, that of a particular person. In Northern Thailand, illness is often interpreted as the dislodging of Khwan.
When the Khwan is strong, stable and in its proper place, the person is in good health, called „krop samsipsong“ (ครบสามสิบสอง) – „complete thirty two“. However, when one experiences intense emotion, such as fear, pain, sadness, anxiety, sickness, loss, or sudden shock or accident, the Khwan can become lost, or leave the body. It can also be caught by various malevolent spirits or damaged by black magic. All of this can result in illness, calamity, or even death.
A fetus and a baby are not thought of as a person until the Khwan is completely settled in the body. There is no precise time when the Khwan fully resides in the womb. The baby’s Khwan does not contain any part of the mother’s or father’s Khwan. Instead, the child’s Khwan is the reincarnated spirit of the ancestor by matrilineage (lineage of the mother). The ancestor’s „outside-the-body spirit“ Phii (ผี) transforms into the child’s „inside-the-body spirit“ Khwan (ขวัญ). It is believed that the child inherits the basic characteristics of the ancestor; however, affected by various experiences during lifetime, the child grows and matures into a new person. When the person dies and his/her Khwan leaves the body, it then transforms back to „outside-the-body spirit“, or Phii, and join the ancestors until the next incarnation. This is the eternal cycle of rebirth, which emphasizes the permanence of the spirit over the temporary nature of the physical body.
During pregnancy, Khwan can enter and leave the womb freely at all time, and even after the birth the vulnerable stage is not yet over. Khwan can leave the baby, and the other Khwan can replace it. For this reason it is not recommended to massage a woman in early pregnancy as this can disturb the residing Khwan. Children generally have weaker Khwan in the same way their Elements are still weak and immature, so they are more sensitive and prone to illness. They are believed to exist both in the spiritual and the physical world. For this reason in Thailand it is a taboo to touch the head of the small children as it can disturb their Khwan. As one grows older, both Khwan and the Elements become stronger; one experiences good health and is fully involved in the physical world. In the older age, the Elements become overused and the Khwan weaker, thus old people are more prone to illness again. Same like children, they reside both in physical and spiritual world, this time gradually moving in opposite direction, from physical to spiritual.
There is a ceremony carried out to affect the status of the Khwan. It is performed usually before a person goes on a long journey or faces a risky or unpredictable situation. In such case, the special offerings are prepared, appropriate incantation is performed, and a holy thread (สายสิญจน์ - Saaisin) is tied around the wrist to bind the Khwan to the body and prevent it from deserting it. In case of illness, shock or accident, if the Khwan already left the body, the ceremony is performed to call it back to the body in order to restore health. This ceremony is called Tham Khwan (ทำขวัญ) or Riak Khwan (เรียกขวัญ) – „to make, to strengthen, to call, to reinsure the Khwan“. Additionally, Khwan ceremonies are performed in any occasion which can cause mental instability, like returning home after long absence, wedding, ordination into a monk-hood, change of status or residence, welcoming guests, etc., in order to restore the psychological balance of a person and reconnect him/her with the family, society and divine forces.

Riak Khwan Offerings

Tuesday, May 12, 2020




Friday, April 24, 2020




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Tuesday, April 21, 2020

How Did Thai Massage Become What It Is Today ?



                                    Ajahn Dao, 1916-2013.



Sunday, April 19, 2020

Individual Online 8 Hour Lecture on Traditional Medicine of Thailand



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Saturday, April 6, 2019

One-on-One Training for Advanced Thai Massage Practitioners

This specific type of training was created for practitioners who have already studied Thai massage and have had several years of professional experience. It is meant for all those who still have doubts or questions regarding their practice, feel that something is missing, do not know with whom to study more or simply want to take their skill to the next level.
The main purpose of training is to introduce the wide spectrum of Traditional Medicine of Thailand which, until recently, wasn't available to the international Thai massage community and is still not available in massage schools across Thailand. The training teaches the spiritual foundation of Traditional medicine of Thailand, Traditional Thai Anatomy and Physiology and therapeutic procedures. It covers the following topics:
Wai Khru, Buddhism, the five roots of Traditional medicine of Thailand, the Theory of the Elements, manifestations of the Elements in the human being, Types of imbalances of the Elements, Khwan, Sen, Wind Gates, Points, Treatment of Layers, Bodywork pulse diagnosis, Abdominal massage, Oil Massage, Advanced massage techniques and more ... A profound knowledge of these subjects is necessary for the practitioner to be able to understand how the body-mind functions from the perspective of Traditional medicine of Thailand, how to make an accurate diagnosis and which specific therapy should be applied for healing. Without a deep understanding of this medical theory, one can face many difficulties in applying massage or any other therapy beyond the confines of simple spa/wellness service.
In addition, the practitioner is introduced to and trained in basic Reusi Dat Ton exercises. These exercises represent the primary and most important aspect of physical therapy. They form the foundation from which all other physical therapies have evolved. Reusi Dat Ton is the only system used to experience and understand the Thai medical theory in the practitioner’s own body-mind, before applying it to others.
The more technical aspects of the training are adjusted to suit the trainee’s current knowledge, constitution, abilities and needs. The teaching program is tailored to suit the practitioner’s current level of practice. Any ineffective techniques used by the practitioner are gradually replaced by techniques that match Thai anatomy and physiology and better suit his or her constitution and abilities. The aim is for each trainee to develop his or her own style of work and to practice with maximum efficacy and safety.
The trainee will develop an insight into the complex interconnection of different aspects of Traditional medicine of Thailand and how massage, as only one of the numerous physical therapies, was artificially torn from a wider medical structure, with the sole purpose of serving the wellness industry.
The teaching program also includes a demonstration of other physical therapies such as Tok Sen, Fire Cupping, Luk Bpra Kop and Scraping in order for the practitioner to understand how massage integrates these other therapies, the difference between the therapies, and which aspect of the body and mind each therapy affects. Overall, trainees will come to appreciate why these skills should be referred to as Thai Traditional Therapy and not simply Thai massage. Massage is but one single approach which belongs to the ocean of Traditional medicine of Thailand. All the information taught stems directly from the following Buddhist, Thai and Lanna medical texts: Dhatuvibhanga Sutta, Kalama Sutta, Maha Hatthipadopama Sutta, Kayagatasati Sutta, Maha Rahulovada Sutta, Girimananda Sutta, Vimuttimagga, Kam Phi Chanta Saht, Kam Phi Thaht Wiwawn, Kam Phi Thaht Wiphang, Kam Phi Roknithan, Kam Phi Samutthan Winichai, Tamra Nuad Meung Chiang Mai, Tamra Yah Lanna and other ...
All trainees are provided with an English language training Manual.
The training is held at Traditional Thai Therapy center in Belgrade, Serbia, or at other location, including abroad, by request. Center is located in the very heart of the city in a nice and quiet neighbourhood, about a 15 minute walk away from all the city’s major sights. In recent years, the city of Belgrade became a popular European tourist destination that is easily accessible from all major European cities. Belgrade has a rich history, offers a wide variety of interesting sights, and is also very well known for its charming inhabitants.
There are numerous affordable accommodation options which can be booked for the duration of the program, like Airbnb, hotels and hostels. 
The schedule for the one-on-one training program includes four hours of training per day, for a period of no less than three days.
For more details about the teacher and the training curriculum please visit

Welcome !

Tuesday, October 30, 2018


In this modern era, most of the people when inquiring about my teaching first come up with two common questions: „How much does it cost ?“ and „Do you give a certificate ?“ Rarely one asks the question which is, by my opinion, the crucial one: „What exactly do you teach ?“
Over the 20 years which I have spent in the world of bodywork I went through a typical evolution of a bodywork therapist. I was learning and learning, traveling, going from one training to the other one, from one workshop to the other one, and I was practicing, practicing, practicing ...Then one day I started to teach and share my experience, and during those times I have acquired all these certificates shown on the picture above. All that was only to one day realize that they don't matter at all. That for the real teaching you would never be granted certificate. When it comes to bodywork, to become a true, mature practitioner, it requires a talent to begin with. If you don't have a natural talent for touch, no amount of training and no certificate would make you a good practitioner. Further on, it requires practice, and we are talking here about serious practice. What is a serious practice ? Well, it is at least between 5 to 10 years of continuous practice; thousands of people going through your hands. Remember, every human being is different, and this is why it is the experience which makes you a great practitioner and not the technical knowledge. It is the way it has always been, and will always be, at least when it comes to bodywork. This makes very clear why a weekend, two weeks, or a month of training wouldn't make you a practitioner. You can just acquire a good foundation, assuming you are lucky enough to learn from a knowledgeable and experienced teacher. Afterwards, it's upon you to put what you have learned in practice, otherwise you'll forget it all. Certificate is just a piece of paper and if it holds a title, it is often a false one. Throughout my life I met many „certified“ practitioners of various disciplines, many of them maintaining practice which doesn't fit their certificate title at all.
Certificate didn't exist in ancient times. It is a modern phenomenon, invented in the process of standardization of knowledge; a product of our market oriented society, with purpose to introduce „instant reputation“ within the business environment. It leaves no space for questioning. It exploits our basic ego longing for recognition and feeling of importance. Certificate is gradually becoming a motif by itself, making this certification business to become much more prone to corruption. Today, it most likely doesn't reflect the actual knowledge and experience of its holder.
I never show my certificates to anyone. Got them out of a dusty box specifically to make this picture, and I immediately put them back to rest in darkness  It is this attitude people unconsciously recognize with me so they never ask about my qualifications. However, sometimes it happens, and it is usually someone from far away, who comes with a question: „Are you certified ?“
And I just kind of keep silent, not knowing what to say ...