Effective Thai Yoga Therapeutic Day Treatment Protocols: The SomaVeda® Therapeutic Day Treatment Program
By Anthony B. James DNM(P), ND(T), MD(AM), DPHC(h.c.), PhD, DOM, RAC, SMOKH Academic Dean SomaVeda College of Natural Medicine and Thai Yoga Center (SCNM).
The list of both clinical and anecdotal benefits and medicinal claims for Traditional Thai Medicine, Traditional Thai Massage and derivatives is quite long. In one article I posted I listed over 40 clinically verifiable benefits and an equal number of traditionally ascribing healing benefits. The challenge I am faced with today is that what is actually the practice or practices that when a benefit is claimed is actually the basis for the claim? More than this, what are Effective Thai Yoga Treatment Protocols?
Traditionally in both urban and in more rural settings the idea of traditional medicine in practice was quite different than commonly found today. This is especially true for the kind of practice being driven by the “Tourist Thai Massage” level of practice. I define “Tourist Thai Massage” as an entry level of practice performed by practitioners with limited experience and training performed primarily on tourist for relaxation.
In the past it took literally years to be trained as a practitioner. Most traditional schools operated with an apprentice model with students often living in residence under discipline of master teachers and elders. Clinics and traditional medicine centers were typically open every day from about 6am. to 6pm. Clients, patients would show up early in the day and cue up to be seen and or receive the days treatment regimen.
There would be senior practitioner or practitioners, Doctors and therapist who would do intake and assessments including traditional Ayurvedic assessments such as taking the pulse and other vitals, direct observation and interviewing the prospective patient to determine best path to cure and then a series of treatment interventions carried out by several different practitioners throughout the day. Treatments received could be varied considerably from one patient to the next depending on the acute or chronic nature and particulars of their individual conditions.
Patients would come to the clinic, often having traveled far and with their whole family in tow, every day, all day until they were well, well enough, broke and or deceased. If successful they would then return home and get back to their life.
The list of traditional medical benefits experienced over time was based on a great deal of therapy received in intense delivery and or over a lengthy time. The benefits were based on patients receiving individualized, personalized and unique treatments delivered by expert practitioners and therapist in a consistent fashion.
The benefits were not authentically claimed by 45 to 50 minute, generic, one size fits all repetitious “rub Down” performed by entry level trained practitioners.
The SomaVeda® Therapeutic Day Protocol
The alternative to the generic “Back Rubs at the Beach” level of practice is the SomaVeda® Therapeutic Day protocol. The Therapeutic Day protocol creates the opportunity to bring all of the traditional benefits to bear for the particular patient.
A typical SomaVeda® Thai Yoga Therapeutic Day Protocol is a seven to ten day program. These seven to ten days are scheduled as closely together as the client and clinics schedule will allow. That could be consecutive days or with short break between sessions. But typically all sessions would be completed in one to two weeks.
The seven to ten sessions give a hands on consultation and treatment time of between nine to twelve hours! Contrast that to the typical Tourist Thai Massage of 45 minutes to maybe a long general type of session of an hour and a half. Nine to twelve hours over seven to ten different sessions and or days of therapy means that there is plenty of time to do all the intake assessments, interview, case history and rotation between the different therapeutic focuses a comprehensive protocol would have.
Each of the primary sessions in a SomaVeda® Thai Yoga Therapeutic Day program has a different emphasis and focus. The objective is to over time be as comprehensive and holistic as possible as appropriate for the client, patient.
The first session is what we call the “Discovery” session. This is where the new client comes in and we do an intake consultation and initial set of assessments including traditional Vedic based: Pulse, Tongue, Skin, Direct Observation, Dosha, Chakra, Sen Lines, symptoms etc. and if time allows a short general, non specific type of session. The short general session is a vital part of the traditional assessment and is not intended to fix anything!
Each subsequent session is progressively more specific to the patients condition or needs. The therapy it’s self is progressive and holistic. By holistic I mean that all aspects of the clients life which might be important in both the original causation as well as the resolution of the current primary complaint are fair game.
Therapeutic Day programs have emphasis on every area of health such as the physical, emotional/ mental/ psychological/ spiritual, energetic, environmental, nutritional, toxicities and deficiencies. Programs are true consultancies and are not meant to be performances of something that looks like Traditional Thai Massage. By performance, I mean Therapeutic Day programs have time and opportunity to actually address all of the relevant issues, not just spending the time doing stretching and or facilitated yoga postures repetitiously.
For example, it is not unusual to see that food, eating and or nutritional issues are the primary contribution to the current condition, syndrome etc. The SomaVeda® trained therapist might spend several whole days in consultation regarding food and nutrition issues without any stretching at all!
The same could be said for emotional and or mental , spiritual issues. Nine to twelve hours also gives time in therapy to bring in various adjunct therapies such as Pancha Karma, Nuad Prokhop Samun Prai, Jap Sen, Tok Sen as well as innovative complimentary therapies such as light, sound, music, herbs, aromatherapy, homeopathy, therapeutic prayers, personalized Yoga training and so much more. The goal is to bring an end to the pain and suffering not to do a stretching session!
It Takes Time to heal
Effective Thai Yoga Therapeutic Treatment Protocols
However, Thai Yoga protocols are not miracles and guaranteed to work on every illness every time! Only those programs that are sophisticated, comprehensive, holistic and integrate the proven traditional strategies can lay claim to the traditional and or clinical benefits. The SomaVeda® Thai Yoga Therapeutic Day Program meets all of these criteria.
I recommend that practitioners do whatever it takes to get sufficient education and practice to be able to offer more comprehensive, holistic protocols. From an ethical point of view, I believe it is unethical to make claim to the traditional benefits and do nothing similar in practice to what generates those same benefits.
For more information on how Effective Thai Yoga Treatment Protocols: The SomaVeda® Thai Yoga Therapeutic Day Protocol as well as educational materials by this author see the bookstore at ( http://www.BeardedMedia.Com ) If you think your friends would benefit from this information please have them subscribe to our newsletter!
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Disclaimer:
All Information about Effective Thai Yoga Treatment Protocols: The SomaVeda® Thai Yoga Therapeutic Day Protocol is presented solely as an opinion for educational purposes and is provided as an opinion for educational purposes only and not intended to be used for any therapeutic purpose, neither is it intended to diagnose, prevent, treat or cure any disease. It is not intended as a substitute for competent medical advise regarding any medical condition. Please consult a health care professional for diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. While all attempts have been made to ensure the accuracy of this information. The author and ThaiMassage.Com does not accept any responsibility for any errors or omissions.
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