thai massage class

i just returned from 12 days in a hilltribe village learning thai massage (pictures here). it was beautiful - the monsoon season brought towering bamboo and lush greenery everywhere. it was tough - we practised 6 hours a day. i had to fend off yet another bug with fever and diaharea. but the class was great. the village was a lahu village ( aminority formerly from, of all places, tibet) and the german who founded the school had recently died. daily i was able to practice yoga and meditation as well as learn massage. we ate very simple (and sometimes awfully plain) vegetarian meals 3 times a day. i woke at 6 everyday to practice yoga. unfortunately, being in a hilltribe is very loud. pigs, dogs, chickens, cats, rats - they're all constantly fighting and making noise at all hours. but it was really great, and not surprisingly thai massage is an art that requires a huge amount of practice and understanding. it was interesting to see that the same issues i deal with in my yoga and meditation practice came up in my massage practice as well. i'm excited to continue studying and practicing, but for now, i'm going to get a massage myself and eat some meat. Pictures here!