Life's too short not to feel good in our bodies.
About
Thai Massage & Bodywork is based in Marquette, Michigan, but travels throughout the U.S., Canada, and Costa Rica, teaching group and private continuing-ed courses as well as giving bodywork and breathwork sessions.
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Our specialties are compression-focused Thai Massage, Thai Abdominal Massage, Chi Nei Tsang, Self-Massage, and Breathwork. Exploring, opening, and restructuring the body and breath are powerful tools for making lasting changes in our physical and mental bodies. In short, we aim to provide the space and opportunity for opening and healing on all levels, and for all ages and capabilities. Our motivation is to help people move through this world with awareness, grace, integrity, and a bigger smile.
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CHRISTOPHER’S BODYWORK
​Traditional Thai Therapeutic Massage is a full-body, holistic workout that involves the physical, energetic, and emotional bodies. Like other Eastern forms of healing, Thai massage is based on the idea that the body’s life force flows along channels within the body, and blockages in the flow of this life force or energy manifest as discomfort and disease. When energy is flowing freely along these channels, we feel energized, relaxed and healthy. By taking this ancient form of healing and adding the benefits of breath work, Shaolin Tendon massage, Cranial Sacral Therapy, deep tissue massage, meditation, and loving kindness, Christopher has developed a unique style of bodywork which is deeply transformative for both the physical and energetic bodies.
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The sessions are 3 to 5 hours in length (usually 3 hours) and take place on a mat on the floor. The client remains clothed, except for occasional herbal compresses and oil used on a bare back. By using hands, elbows, knees, and feet, Christopher assists in releasing stagnant energy from main acupressure points along meridian lines. Christopher shares breathing and surrendering techniques throughout the massage, and clients participate fully by breathing consciously and staying present in their bodies.
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BREATHE
Combining the deep bodywork and breath work greatly assists in moving and releasing energy, and enables a body to feel more free and light. Every session is different and is tailored to what that person needs at the time. The massage often leaves the realm of the physical body and taps into the emotional and spiritual worlds. Many people experience emotional releases (crying, laughing) as old tension, emotions, and congestion come to the surface. This style of bodywork is intended for people to make some shifts in their bodies and in their lives, or at least discover new things about themselves. It is very helpful for relieving chronic physical ailments and latent emotional conflicts.
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SMILE
Christopher shares breathing and surrendering techniques throughout the massage, and clients participate fully by breathing consciously into the area being worked on, staying present, and disappearing all at the same time.
MEET CHRISTOPHER
In 1993, I walked away from my successful construction company in Evanston, Il, gave away or sold everything I had accumulated, and traveled to Costa Rica. On my return a year and a half later, life seemed to have stood still, but now I knew there was so much more than the illusion I had been absorbed in. This began my heart-opening journey into massage, bodywork and self-rediscovery.
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For the past thirteen years, I have traveled annually to Thailand, spending 1 to 2 months, not only to get my own body worked, but to continue my study in both Thai massage and Life. I have worked with many teachers there, but I always return to Master Pichest Boonthumme.
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I feel we all have a bag of “issues” that burdens us; some of us carry bigger bags than others. I am here to continually look through my own bag, and clean out what no longer serves me. Going through this process helps me feel brighter, healthier, and more capable of loving unconditionally. Receiving and giving bodywork helps me accomplish this.
I am passionate about assisting people in opening up their bodies, emptying the bags that weigh them down, and making life more effortless. (It’s easier than we realize!) Providing three to five-hour sessions combined with breath work has proven to be very transformative in this regard.
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I am grateful to be able to witness the incredible power of deep, ego-less, spirit-connected bodywork and breath work in transforming peoples' realities.
About Chris Ray Massage Style
Christopher shares the essence of what makes his style of massage unique.
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Thai Massage With Support Straps
Christopher Ray shows the patented system of straps he developed to support his Thai Massage practice.
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The Breath
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Christopher Ray shares the intro he uses to prepare clients for his 3-hour bodywork sessions.
The breath is the key to this deep bodywork.
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It’s impossible to exaggerate the power of our breath.
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Our breath is our essence, spirit, life force, and catalyzer of all our metabolic processes. How we breathe reflects how we approach life. The way we breathe is the way we feel. 70% of our daily toxins, congestion, and funk is released via our lungs (Kravitz, Judith; Breathe Deep Laugh Loudly.) The other 30% is released via urination, defecation, and perspiration. We truly believe that if we all breathed fully and with awareness, this world would need fewer doctors. Once Chris began to incorporate breath coaching during his Thai massages, the effects of the massages soared to a new level of phenomenal. Getting clients to breathe deeply, consciously, and directly into the area being worked is probably one of the most powerful things we can do for them. We do not heal people; we help people access their breath so they can heal themselves. I believe the effects of bodywork — whether they are long– or short-lasting, potent or negligible, painful or painless — are essentially dependent upon the quality and character of the receiver’s breath and mindset.
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Working the Psoas;Thai Massage style
​The Iliopsoas muscle group is part of the “core” of our bodies and plays a vital role in our balance, posture, digestion, and mobility.
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Thus, it’s an important area to keep balanced, healthy, and strong. In this video, Christopher Ray briefly shows how the psoas can be massaged. He is showing the positioning here, but know that typically he would spend about 15-30 minutes running the full length of the psoas on each side
Working the Hamstrings; Thai Massage style
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There are many ways to accomplish the same task! Here, Christopher Ray shows a few different ways to massage the hamstrings.
The idea is to first find positioning that is comfortable for you, the practitioner. Then, from your toolbox of comfortable options, use the method that is appropriate for the body you are working with, based on the degree of congestion and their size and flexibility. Always clear congestion layer by layer, knowing that ultimately your ‘destination’ is to clear the tension close to the joints.
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See courses for more information and a schedule of classes.
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Sitting on calves
Sitting is a great way to massage. Easy for the giver; effective for the receiver.
Sitting techniques can be used all over the body. In this video, Christopher Ray shows a few ways you can sit on the calves. As always, have the person breathe fully into their calves and find an expelling, surrendered exhale.
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Benefits of Abdominal Massage
Christopher Ray explains why it’s important to include the abdomen when doing massage.
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Benefits of Deep Bodywork
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Lasting effects
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Relieve chronic ailments or imbalances (physical and emotional) in a short amount of time
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Feel more grounded and content; Less irritable and anxious
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Improve flexibility and athletic performance
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Help detoxify the body and boost the immune system
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Slow the aging process
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Experience bigger smiles and many, many more benefits
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do sessions require at least three hours?
Basically, because everything is connected. For example, if Christopher works on a block in the leg, much of the energy moves down and out of the knee & foot. However, some of it will move up into the back. Subsequently, the back and neck will also need attention to completely move the energy up and out of the body. Also, Christopher moves slowly, spending enough time on each point, allowing his client to breathe into the area and the muscles to release a layer of congestion. Christopher continues to hold or work the area while the client breathes into it again, the muscles and fascia release more, etc… If the massage is shortened, Christopher is unable to work as deeply and there is significantly less benefit received.
Many people have thought that three hours would feel too long, but almost everyone is shocked at how quickly the time seems to pass.
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What makes Christopher’s bodywork unique?
The length of time spent and therefore, the holistic, full-body results. This allows Chris to go deeply into areas of the body which normally are not given enough time. Even people who have significant experience receiving bodywork are impressed with how different they feel after one of Christopher’s sessions.
Breath work. The addition of guided breathing completely shifts the depth of the massage.
The meditative environment. Christopher invites a space which allows many people to access a world beyond their thinking mind. This is the place where the most powerful healing occurs.
The combination of tending to the physical and energetic aspects of the body.
The learning environment. Most people discover new things about their body and go home with ideas for keeping their body feeling better.
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How many sessions do I need?
Certainly this varies for everyone. Many people feel significant changes after the very first session. However, when someone really wants life-changing effects which hold, they will typically get three to five sessions every five to seven days.
The first massage or two generally cover the entire body. Subsequent sessions may involve several hours working deeply in one area.
