The best way to learn Thai massage and Thai yoga is in an authentic school in Thailand such as Wat Pho. But not everyone can afford the luxury to travel overseas and pay for tuition as well. Even if you did, it might be inconvenient for you to go to classes for days or weeks. In that case, Thai massage videos are an alternative.
Videos vary in quality. But assuming the Thai massage videos you use are of excellent grade, you still want to weigh the pros and cons of this type of study.
The pros of Thai massage videos are:
- You can watch the videos again and again. No need to worry about forgetting your lessons. You can play the video every time you need to refresh your memory.
- You pay less than you would for traditional instruction. A video-based Thai massage course is more cost-effective for the teacher. They don’t need to spend money on classrooms, study materials and equipment. So their rates tend to be lower.
- You can do it at your own pace. Anyone who has ever studied massage in a class knows it is difficult to learn it all the first time. With videos, you don’t have to worry about catching up with others or if you are running out of time. You always have time.
Some of the cons are:
- You do not have the support and guidance of a teacher. In a Thai massage class, teachers watch your every move. They can quickly correct you when you make a mistake. If you have a question, they can answer you right away. Not so with videos. Further you should bear in mind that Thai massage was originally an oral tradition passed from teacher to student. With videos, you don’t have that.
- You lack the atmosphere of a class room. If you prefer the vibrant feel of a packed massage class room, you will miss this. You also miss out on the opportunity to do massage on various persons with different sensitivity levels, size, age, sex and so on.
You can view sample Thai massage videos for free in sites like YouTube or browse Amazon.com or other stores for videos for sale. Check your library if there is any available there.