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For Your Body Type - An Ayurvedic Tradition
Healing Arts Press 2006 ISBN #089281184-6 Kam Thye Chow is the founder and director of the Lotus Palm School in Montreal, and the author of "Thai Yoga Massage" and "Tai Chi Chuan: Mindfulness in Motion". Emily Moody is an Ayurvedic educator, yoga instructor, and teacher for the Lotus Palm School. She has worked closely with Kam Thye Chow since 1999. The system of Thai Yoga Therapy is a blend of yoga, Ayurveda and martial arts, originating many centuries ago in the temples of Thailand. It involves leading an individual through a series of yoga postures while palming and thumbing along the body's energy lines and pressure points. This acts to relieve muscular tension, improve circulation, boost the immune system, and balance the body energetically. Each of the three basic Ayurvedic body types (vada, pitta, and kapha) are addressed separately. I was most impressed by the following passage from the foreword to this book (written by Dr. David Frawley): "One of the key concepts of the greater yoga tradition, and a concept central to Ayurvedic medicine and its constitutional types, is the need to adjust the teaching relative to the individual by considering each student's unique nature and the changing conditions of her or his energies, temperament, and capacities." Our lives are in a constant flux, and we need to be aware of that, and act/react accordingly. Energetic healing addresses our energy systems "in the moment", releasing energy from the past that we are still holding, allowing us to function at our best in the present. The book begins by going into the historical lineage that Ayuraveda and Thai Yoga Massage share - that of the Samkya Creation Philosophy. There is an excellent graphic accompanying the text that shows in very pure terms the flow of energy from unmanifested to the ultimate categorizing of energy as it is manifested. Using Ayurveda as its base, Thai Yoga Therapy helps individuals reach a higher state of harmony by body movement, breath work, and a balanced approach to everyday living. A large part of this is working with the five elements - Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether. These five elements combine to form the three vital forces, or "doshas", that are present in everyone and everything - vata, pitta, and kapha. All of our physiological and psychological processes are governed by these three doshas. Great detail is gone into in describing each of the three doshas, and the twenty attributes that they carry (based on work by the great Ayurvedic physician Charaka). The attributes work as a balancing of opposites: cold/hot, heavy/light, wet/dry, static/mobile, dense/flowing, soft/hard, smooth/rough, dull/sharp, gross/subtle, cloudy/clear. Healing approaches are indicated for each of the seven doshic types: Vata, Pitta, Kapha, Vata-pitta, Pitta-kapha, Vata-kapha, and Vata-pitta-kapha. The section on customizing a massage according to Ayurvedic principles is based on the three Gunas that determine an individual's mental nature: Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. There are excellent diagrams in this section relating the areas of the inner body concerned with the Dosha types and Kosha bodies. Also covered are the Vayus, the energies that control the direction and circulation of life force throughout the body. Included are photographs that show the positioning of the client and practitioner when working with each of the five Vayus. This is followed by a discussion of the Sen energy lines, with accompanying diagrams. Part 2 addresses the physical elements of Thai Yoga Massage. These elements include Mindful Awareness, the Rhythmic Rocking Dance, Bamboo Rock, Forward Rock, the Whirlpool Rock, and the working stances: Diamond Stance, Open Diamond, Kneeling Diamond, Archer Stance, Open Archer Stance, the Tai Chi Stance, the Warrior Stance, the Open Warrior Stance, and the Horse Riding Stance. Touch techniques discussed include palming, thumbing, using forearms, using elbows, using knees, and using feet. Emphasis is placed on staying connected. There is an in-depth discussion on Sen lines and Marma (energy) points. Included are diagrams listing the points on the human body, and a chart listing Marma points, their location, their therapeutic quality and related dosha. Breathing techniques are discussed, including Mindful Breathing, Synchronized Breathing, Directed Breathing, Double Breathing, Induced Breathing and Cooling Breathing. Approaches are given for each of the three Dosha types. With this background, the book moves into the yoga postures. Instructions are given for each posture, along with an accompanying photograph of the client and practitioner. Adaptations, benefits, precautions, Vayus activated and Ayurvedic tips are also listed. To compliment the breathing and body work, there is a section included on Ayurvedic nutrition. The ten principles for healthy eating are listed, as well as appropriate diets for each of the Dosha types. Also listed are seven steps to creating an Ayurvedic kitchen. Following this chapter is a chapter that cover lifestyle tips for each of the Dosha types. Included in the appendices are an Ayurvedic Consultation Form, an Ayurvedic Constitutional Test form, a Wellness Therapy Form (covering five sessions), and the Thai Yoga Therapy Sequence for each of the three primary Dosha types. I found this book to be well written, easy to understand and follow, and of interest to those practitioners who may wish to expand their practice, as well as those individuals wishing to become a client of a Thai Yoga practitioner.
Bonnie Cehovet
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