Thai Massage with Miss Wanna

One reason I wanted to come to Thailand was to learn Thai Massage.  I thought that it would be a perfect suppliment to my yoga practice/teaching, particularly with giving hands on adjustments to people. I also thought it would be quite a useful skill to offer to others. What I found was so much more!  

Thai Massage is healing. Each session begins with a prayer for the person's health and happiness, which is then extended to the wishes of the health and happiness of the world. The massage giver then works in a meditative and mindful manner. Throughout the session the muscles are stretched and energy (prana or chi) is moved. Thai Massage is about cleansing and releasing blockages that create tension and disease in our bodies. In fact, human touch might have been one of the first remedies for disease. Our bodies have incredible intelligence. They are able to care for and heal itself, if we allow for it.

My first massage course was with Miss Wanna. I heard of her after researching the internet and she definitely lived up to her reputation.  She was kind, warmhearted, and patient.  She was also bright, bubbly, and always laughing/joking. But the moment she started to massage her voice would grow very quiet and she would look directly into your eyes as she spoke, as if transmitting ancient wisdom right into you.

Having a 3 day private class was great! I met and shared my course with Norbert, from Italy. The benefits of the small personal class was that Miss Wanna was able to perform all of the postures on the both of us, so that we could experience them ourselves. Then we had lots of individualized, hands-on practice time.

In her studio.

Thai massage is done all on the floor.

Practicing on Norbert

Me and Miss Wanna

Fresh Juice Smoothies

My first few morning in Chiang Mai started off with yoga classes at Namo and delicious fresh fruit smoothies!

SO MANY FRESH TROPICAL FRUITS!

Mango smoothie. What a beauty.

Then I was off to my Thai Massage course. More on that soon!

Sitting by the Moat

Ok, ya'll. Chiang Mai is gorgeous.

Chiang Mai, which means "new city", was founded in 1296 and was once the center of the Lanna Kingdom. Today, it is still surrounded by the remains of an old city wall and the original moat.

But what really makes this city stunning (at least for me) is the incredibly serene and almost timeless atmosphere. There are narrow roads and little dark shops-- people sewing or reparing or crafting things, old people smoking and children playing.  There are people on bikes and bicycles, stopping at the countless food and juice stalls. There are temples on every street that visitors are welcome to wander freely in. It's a really special city.

The moat.

Chiang Mai is a perfect city to spend a relaxing afternoon picking up snacks and finding a spot under some shade to read a book. You can really take your time and savor things here.

At a food cart.

Meatballs on a stick

and THIS. New addiction: THAI ICED TEA.

It's basically chai tea, but with condensed milk!

And I'm finally getting through the Game of Thrones series! Oh, it's GOOD.

First Day in Chiang Mai

The street I stayed at during my first week in Thailand!

I spent my first full day in Chiang Mai getting my bearings around the city. I would be spending the next three weeks here, taking a couple of Thai Massage courses. I rented a bike (which is 50 Bhat or 1.80 USD per day) and rode around the city. 

First stop, FOOD.

For breakfast I ate at a local restaurant by where I was staying, very much away from the main tourist area. I was surprised to find that a full meal came out to be only 30 Bhat or 1 USD! The cost of living here is quite inexpensive, and well worth the quality!

The next stop was getting my first Thai Massage.  There was a blind massage school nearby, so I decided to go there. It was particularly difficult communicating, since all of the staff were blind and very few spoke English. But everyone was nonetheless so kind and recieving the massage was GREAT! It felt as if I went through a yoga class, but didn't have to do anything. Thai massage is yoga for the lazy!

The front of the blind massage school.

Next I took my bike to Tha Pae Gate, in the old city.  I bumped into the two other couchsurfers I was staying with, Shine and Frida from China.

Shine and Frida, decked out in Thai gear!

The wall

For lunch, I found an small market. Here are some pictures of some of the fresh and delicious products and produce.

Couchsurfing with Shayne

These little alters are all over the streets in Chiang Mai

Arriving in Thailand, I met my couchsurfing host, Shayne. Originally from Australia, he has traveled all around the world and is currently working as a volunteer in Chiang Mai.  Shayne was genuinely interested in helping others, as well as sharing/learning from each other. He really embodied the Couchsurfing spirit! Shayne was the perfect host, so accommodating to myself and the other surfers who were staying with him.  The first night he took us to a CS dinner to meet other travelers.

I am so glad that I decided to Couchsurf during this trip. I highly recommend it to people who are traveling, as it can be a really great way to connect with people and get a local experience. I've met some really genuine, kind, and open minded people through this venue.

at the CS dinner

Shine and Shayne

Singapore Airport and Arriving in Thailand

After leaving India and Alexis, my solo journey began. It started out rough, as I got motion sickness from the bus ride to the airport. It did not feel good to be alone! But I was able to make it to the airport just fine.

From Kochin to Chiang Mai, I had a 4 hour stop over in Singapore at the BEST airport I have ever been to. It was quite a culture shock actually. I was surprised to suddenly be surrounded by so much luxury and technology. The airport was like it's own little city, with all kinds of high end stores and restaurants among many other things. Here's a glimpse of a few things that were in Terminal 2.

Indoor Orchid Garden, complete with a Koi Pond. All the plants were real.

In the Orchid Garden, a GIANT glass flower bouquet.

Rooms and floors with gaming consoles. Completely free to play.

The airport had several places people could watch sports games or movies.

There were even prayer and meditation rooms.

Everywhere were touchscreens for patrons to rate their experience. Even in the toilet, which I rated excellent. :D

I was happy to spend my layover in Singapore. It was the perfect comfort after my not so comfortable beginnings. The plane ride to Chiang Mai was smooth and I couldn't help but get a good feeling as I saw my first glimpse of Thailand through the plane window.

Gorgeous view from my window.

Sawatdee kah Thailand!

Last Day in India

Our last day in India was spend getting a morning chai at Teapot Cafe and then to an Ayurveda clinic to recieve an oil massage and shirodhara. The shirodhara is a technique where oil is continuously poured over the forehead (on the third eye) for an hour. I litterally felt all the tension in my mind and body flow away!

Last pictures in India...

Last chai in India... FOR NOW!

kittens and drinks

gurl power grafitti

My first trip to India was more than I could ever hope for. I am grateful for the experience, and even more grateful to have been able to share it with such a good friend. Alexis and I made memories for a lifetime. We had so many meaningful and life changing conversations. And I will always remember singing songs and spending nights laughing until we cried. I couldn't of had a better travel compaion for India.Karma's Baby 4ever.Boomaste.

The first 6 weeks in India marks a third of my journey before I make my way back home to California. I'm looking forward to everything that is to come!

Back to Fort Cochi

After some time staying with Jay, we went back to Fort Kochi for our last week in India. We spent our days relaxing about and eating amazing food. Alexis decided to take a overnight trip to Varcala, a nearby beach, while I decided to stay in Kochi and buy/send some gifts home.  Here are some pictures of some of my fravorite resturants and cafes.

I just loved the simple country style ambiance here.

This was so good. Banana, pancake thingys, honey, coconut milk, and a pot of chai.

Some savory crepe-like thing with a fresh tomato curry.

 

Presenting our drinks!

With another couchsurfing friend from Argentina!

This is a little cafe on the very tourist friendly road, Princess Street.