Jamie Kennedy

About

Jamie is a passionate Thai yoga* massage therapist whose approach is to listen intently to the body, respecting its range of motion and level of comfort in any given position. Working with the breath, Jamie allows his client’s body to guide the massage and its depth, enabling a deeply therapeutic and relaxing experience. His intention is to assess and address imbalances in body structure and musculature and work with the energetic body to remove blockages and restore equilibrium. Jamie says... Jamie is a passionate Thai yoga* massage therapist whose approach is to listen intently to the body, respecting its range of motion and level of comfort in any given position. Working with the breath, Jamie allows his client’s body to guide the massage and its depth, enabling a deeply therapeutic and relaxing experience. His intention is to assess and address imbalances in body structure and musculature and work with the energetic body to remove blockages and restore equilibrium. Jamie says connecting the body with the mind supports the body’s ability to heal, and empowers the body towards health and vitality. An attentive and empathetic listener who prides himself on being able to offer customised treatments to suit individual requirements, Jamie always checks in with his clients before commencing a massage. He works to get his clients to feel more connected to their bodies and to update their neural pathways to focus on any areas causing dysfunction. Jamie enjoys empowering people to regain control over their own health and encouraging them to listen to their own bodies to work to heal themselves. He doesn’t believe in bandaid fixes and after a treatment, often debriefs with a client to contemplate how they are feeling. After receiving his first Thai massage as a remedy for his own injuries, Jamie was instantly hooked and amazed at its effectiveness. In 2008 he studied with the Sunshine Network and Sunshine School founded by Ashokananda, who is credited with bringing Traditional Thai massage to the west. Jamie credits his master and renowned Thai yoga massage teacher Arjahn Pichest for much of his own techniques and his approach to working with the body. Pichest’s philosophy, attitude and teaching comprise full immersion in learning the art of feeling and sensing the tension in the body to bring about healing. The focus is on quieting the mind, learning to feel the body and work intuitively. Pichest is adamant, Jamie explains, that good comfortable posture for the therapist is crucial not only in self-care but also in the transmission of a good ‘feeling’ and receiving information ‘sensing’ in order to know where is best to work and to what depth is beneficial for the receiver. On a trip to India in 2010, Jamie studied the ‘Heart of Yoga’ at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandriam in Chennai to understand more about the yogic roots of Thai massage. Jamie is constantly intrigued and astonished by how amazing the body is, how it functions and has evolved over time. He also recognises, now more than ever, that when not connected to the mind, the body suffers and then eventually tries to reconnect, often using pain as a language to communicate. When not practicing as a Thai yoga massage therapist, Jamie’s interests are Ziran Qigong, Bagua, Xingyi, Tai Chi, Capoeira Angola and ancestral movement, along with the joy of being a father to his busy daughter. *For Jamie, the word yoga in Thai yoga massage reflects how he works and is closely linked to the origin of the word - to yoke or to unite the body and mind. Read more

Languages

English

Therapies

Membership of professional associations

• Australian Traditional Medicine Society (ATMS [member #27930])
• Thai Healing Alliance

Education and training

Level 1 Zenthai Techniques 36 hours (Zenthai Shiatsu endorsed by Gwyn Williams, 2019) Certificate IV in Massage Therapy (New School of Massage, 2012) Traditional Thai Massage Advanced Training 30 hours (Sunshine Massage School, 2010) Thai Massage 90 hours (The Sunshine Network, Feb 2008, Thailand) Traditional Thai Massage 90 hours (The Sunshine Network, March 2008) Traditional Thai Massage 60 hours (Sunshine Massage School, 2008, Thailand) Traditional Thai Massage Training (Thai Traditional Blind Massage Centre, 2008, Thailand) Krishnamachacharya Yoga Mandrim 160hrs (Heart of Yoga, 2010)