Vedic Thai Yoga & Balance

Vedic Thai yoga delves deeply with balancing the elements within the mind-body-heart connection. "The elements are the 'foundation of the whole body and the foundation of life and durability,' and they provide the critical link between symptoms and treatment." (Traditional Thai Medicine, Salguero,p45). Foundational texts Caraka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita are based on theories of the mahabutas (proto-elements) and doshas (humors) and have defined classic Ayurvedic tradition. I am simply a student in life that studies, practices what I can and shares.

In Thai etiology, the elements within and without can be upset by: "climate change, food intake, emotional or psychological factors, heredity, allergic reactions, environmental factors, astrological factors, and sorcery, among other influences, and they can be therapeutically manipulated through the use of dietary regimes or medicinal herbs." (Traditional Thai Medicine, Salguero, p45). The earth element can get imbalanced from structural components ie. physical accidents, injuries, surgeries. It is not normally easy to bring the earth element out of balance, it is specific. Poor diet, toxins, and accidents can imbalance Earth. Eating too many cold, sweet, and heavy foods can imbalance the water element within. Dehydration, lethargy, or agitated fire / wind can imbalance water. Too much sun time, fevers, anger, or too many hot foods can imbalance the fire element. Fire can be agitated by lack of water or living in too much cold and dark climate.

Vedic Thai yoga works to rebalance the elements through the energy channels through various chirothesia and annointing methods and yoga therapy embeded within Indigenous Traditional Thai Medicine and Ayurveda (ayurveda includes the roots of Yoga). Thai Medicine incorporates practices for internal and external balance. Two etilolgies are embraced. There is healing emphasized on healing the internal with aide of the elements and doshas. This draws from the tradition of Ayurvedic and Yogic tradition and Theravada Buddhist traditions and Chinese Medicine. So we have the side of Indigenous Traditional Thai Medicine that counsels moderation and balance, and then we have 'demonological healing arts' that focuses on spirit allies. There are many other spirit medicine practices used in Indigenous Thai Medicine and Vedic Thai Yoga ie. I use chet and haek (reciting magical healing incantations over the body with ie. a sacred plant, and other tools are used that are sacred to the giver. ie. Bpao is similar to chet and haek except the incantations and energy are blown onto the receiver. Tok Sen is benificial for blockages, stagnation, and poor circulation and aids the flow of Wind. Mantras / prayers are utilised with Tok Sen, Bpao, and Chet & Haek work. Sacred hoop ceremony work, drawing from my ancestral family Dakota/Lakota/Nakota tribes guide deeply root me. This is vital for me to say briefly how I honor and tap into One with Earth Mother and Father Sky with respect. The dance of yin and yang / giver and receiver also is a guiding light.

I don't take it lightly when I speak, describe, and write words that I use as a practitioner of Vedic Thai Yoga, yogini, herbalist, and ULC Minister. Spirit Doctors in Thailand are very special and so I practice only what I know is grounded with the earth and sky and the elements playing within and around my Self. It is practiced with honor and respect with guiding ancestral hands.

Homage to your Teachers, bow

PANNAVUTTHI KARETE TE, DINNOVADE NAMAMIHAM

There are many ways to read the body-mind-heart connection too.

Bpan-ja in-see- Five senses diagnosis; hear (listen), sight (watch skin tone), touch (hot/ cold), smell, taste (most skip).

U-ta-ri-ya - New Food; what a person eats and craves can be an indicator

Ga-ri-sa -old food;(asking if the receiver is pooping well)

jap-cheep-pa-jon- pulse diagnosis; General pulse (overall wellbeing check, heart rate variability check) / Constitutional pulse (individual's core elemental constitution)/ Imbalance pulse (used to determine which elements are strong / weak/ predominant)/ Organ or system pulse reading (tuning into organs temperature ie. if the stomach is too cold.

I mainly work with Bpan-ja in-see, jap-cheep-pa-jon (general and constitution pulse), and then I also ask about diet,j smells of the body, and BM rhythm for sure. Our body can tell us a mess load of information in regards to balancing and harmony with Nature.

One can also look at the tongue, eyes (ie. iridology, I do not practice but may in the future), face, and menses (which I do check for women), to know about the balance of the body.-mind-heart connection. For example, PMS with gas, bloating can be a wind imbalance. PMS with temperature swings hot and cold can be a fire imbalance. The blood can be bright red. A water imbalance with menses can have depleted diet or diarrhea. These are just to name a few ideas of ways I ask questions with counseling so I know what elements to help rebalance through ceremony, chirothesia/ annointing, and yoga therapy.

Now there is also Spirit Thai Diagnosis. As Minister / Yogini I use the diagnostics of Bpan-ja-in-see and Constitutional pulse; and do pay attention to prayers, blessings and listen. This is when it is really important for someone to ground with the sacred hoop / medicine wheel so both giver and receiver can pay attention to any deities, spirits, and kwan (life force). There is Divinatory diagnosis (astrology, palmistry, numerology, geomancy, and other esoteric forms of Thai Medicine. As an intuitive, I tend to use tarot and runes, but I am looking into adding medical astrology with my herbal practice in the future and palmistry. Besides that, as I continue as student to old Shaman ways globally, I will add what feels right in my gut to give with complete respect walking the Path.

These are some very important roots to Thai Medicine and Vedic Thai Yoga and only briefly talked here, but I have to help you understand more about how I am as a giver of Vedic Thai Yoga, Vedic driven Yoga Therapy (hatha, ashtanga vinyasa, yin), Herbology, and how I touch and respect Thai Medicine as a ULC Minister.

It is to be understood, I do not practice secular massage. I respect when people need secular massage, but I would refer. It is not place to participate with that world. My life's work is embedded with the life as a yogini, ulc minister/ priestess, and herbalist. The Thai Medicine that I do participate with honor and respect are: herbal medicine, check on nutrition, (but not as a nutritionist, it is to understand the imbalance

), divination (runes / tarot), spirit medicine (mantra, incantations), herbal compress (disperse qi), marma chikitsa (flower essence & plant use for qi dispersement), cupping, guasha, chet and haek, bpao, chi nei tsang (abdominal qi). And again the sacred hoop work fits into divination and incantation and spirit medicine support. Palmistry and Medical Astrology may be included in the next couple years. And the Ayurvedic influence of working with the Vayus (wind), koshas (sheaths), doshas (vata/pitta/kapha); and use of shat karmas (hatha yoga purifications), kriya support (ie. jala neti), mantra and mudra support (blessings/ ritual gesture), pranayama/ pratyahara/ dharana support is utilised.

Homage to the Dharma (life purpose) with a bow to You as the listener

SVAKKAHATO BHAGAVATA DHAMMO DHAMMAM NAMASSAMI

OM SHANTI

blessings and love and respect to You, all Teachers, Ancestors,

lotus anwen wachiwi sagebrush (satya)