Partner Workshop Exploring Thai Bodywork

Practice the foundations of traditional Thai Yoga Bodywork in this hands-on partner workshop. Designed for beginners, this class introduces the essential principles and techniques of this ancient healing art in a supportive and accessible environment.

Thai Yoga Bodywork traces its roots back more than 2,500 years to India and has evolved within Thailand through influences from yoga, meditation, Ayurveda, and traditional Chinese medicine. Often described as "assisted yoga," it combines mindful stretching, acupressure, rhythmic movement, and breath to encourage relaxation, improve mobility, and support the body's natural balance.

Guided by facilitators Anne & Liz, who trained with Nichaporn Drinkwine at Healing Thai Massage in Rhode Island, you'll be introduced to the Chaloey Sak Style of Traditional Thai Massage. This lineage emphasizes skillful stretching, acupressure, and the application of the Sen Sib (Ten Energy Lines), a traditional system believed to support the flow of vital energy throughout the body. The practice aims to release tension, improve circulation, restore balance, and cultivate a sense of ease in both body and mind.

Throughout the workshop, you'll practice the art of giving and receiving support with your partner (register with your mom, friend, partner, or anyone you're comfortable exchanging touch with). You'll learn proper body mechanics, clear communication, informed consent, and techniques that are both effective and safe. By the end of the workshop, you'll have a short, simple partner sequence that you can practice at home and practical skills you can begin using immediately.

What You'll Learn

• Communication and consent practices for partner bodywork

• Proper body mechanics to work comfortably and safely

• Basic techniques 

• Hands-on practice 

This workshop is ideal for beginners, yoga practitioners, caregivers, and anyone interested in learning a mindful, therapeutic approach to movement and touch. No prior experience is necessary.

Cost: $25-$40 per person, free for Unlimited Class Membership Holders

**Must be 18+ to register

About your facilitators:

Anne Esguerra (she/siya/niya)

My yoga journey began in 2009 with heated power vinyasa and deepened into yoga therapy through Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy (PRYT) in 2011. I’m certified through PRYT and the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT), and in 2013 I founded Integrative Life Therapy—a space for care, connection, and embodied learning.

As a first-generation Filipino American, I root my work in Kapwa—the belief that I am because you are. I’ve never resonated with the individualism often found in wellness spaces. Instead, I focus on how healing happens in relationship—with ourselves, one another, and the systems we move through. Healing isn’t linear or solitary—it’s collective, embodied, and deeply human.

Liz Kovarsky (she/her)

I began teaching heated power vinyasa yoga in 2011, but after a while, I realized something didn’t feel right. I shifted to sliding-scale classes, gentler styles, restorative, and trauma-informed yoga—but still felt unprepared to teach the deeper dimensions of yoga as a holistic, collectivist practice rather than the commodified Western version focused solely on asana (physical yoga postures).

Challenging life experiences and reflection on my own privilege and gaps in awareness led me back to school, where I eventually became a licensed clinical social worker. Frustrated by the charity-over-solidarity dynamics in the nonprofit sector, I founded Electric Cottage Collective in 2024—a space dedicated to collective wellness and resisting grind culture. I am excited to share what we’ve learned about Thai Yoga Bodywork as another way to engage in relational healing and support with the hope of contributing to our collective growth. Join us in exploring together!