Thai Yoga Massage with Yogini Annie

Annie Foster- yogini

Yesterday I had the good fortune to receive a Thai Yoga Massage from my friend and fellow fitness enthusiast Annie Foster.  Annie and I met at a theatre I worked at a couple of years ago and, like me, has branched out from the fine arts into a fitness career.   Annie is being certified through Lotus Palm Massage School at the Integral Yoga Institute here in New York City.  She is also a certified yoga instructor.

So, what is Thai Yoga Massage?  It is AWESOME.   Kam Thye Chow, who started the Lotus Palm school, began teaching Thai Yoga Massage as "a safe method of integrating the Eastern approach to body, mind, and spirit with the Western understanding of the physical body".  Through a series of different yoga based moves, the massage leads your joints through a complete range of motion.  After the 90 minute treatment, you feel refreshed, aligned, and reawakened.

Unlike a traditional massage where you lay on a table and someone massages your muscles, Thai Yoga Massage is done on a padded surface on the floor.  Annie had me set up two yoga mats with some towels and blankets for padding.  Another difference from traditional massage:  Thai Yoga Massage is done fully clothed.  I wore what a would wear at yoga class--loose fitting pants and a top.

After the set up, Annie put on some ambient yoga music and got to work.  We started in an upright cross legged position, and I was amazed that Annie used her own body to prop up my back, my arms, and my legs to make me incredibly comfortable and relaxed.



Annie demonstrates how Thai Yoga Massage works on her website http://www.yoginiannie.com/

My fave move was the thunderbolt, where I was on my stomach and Annie had my feet almost touching my low back- very aerodynamic.  I don't know if you all remember when I injured myself earlier this year doing Insanity, but when Annie got to the deep muscles in my butt and lower back I felt all that old pain come to the surface and just release.  It was incredible.

Thunderbolt pose.  I mean, look at his face!  This is good stuff.

The best part?  Annie can come TO YOUR HOME!  You don't have to even leave to experience all the wonderful benefits that this service has to offer.  It felt like a custom yoga workout that someone else did for me using my own body.  Annie is professional, soothing, and very well versed in what each move does for your body.  How can you reach her?  Email her at yoginiannie@gmail.com, check out her website at http://www.yoginiannie.com/ and read her blog at http://yoginiannie.blogspot.com/ .