with Rissa Wray - Thai Massage Therapist,
Yoga & Mobility Teacher, Conflict Coach
“Rissa is a true Healer and beautiful soul. With a calming presence and quiet patience she helped me deal with back pain and flexibility issues and become aware of the way my body speaks to me.”
-Peter, Mobility, Yoga, and Thai massage client
Bring your yoga mat and meet Rissa through the back gate at Pee-Pa’s Garage Craft Brewery for a well-rounded outdoor yoga class in Pinellas Park! Rissa’s classes feature techniques from Hatha yoga, Thai yoga, and Mobility. Class is from 11:00am-12:00pm and is offered by donation. It’s a monthly community event you don’t want to miss!
NOW featuring a Kids’ Zone Arts & Crafts area facilitated by nanny/babysitter Maria Morrow for kids of all ages! Materials will be provide but participants can also bring their own crafts, creations, games, or entertainment devices. First child $10, each additional $5.
Thai massage, also called Thai Yoga Massage, is the folk bodywork of Thailand. It features assisted range of motion and compression along sen (energy pathways of the body) in order to balance the flow of lom (“winds,” or animating movement). Each session is catered to the individual needs of each client - whether athletes, working people, retirees, yogis, or people with special conditions. The therapist uses their hands, thumbs, elbows, knees and feet to apply pressure to your muscles and leverage range of motion in various positions. This type of massage can be both relaxing and energizing as it helps to reduce stress while restoring ease of movement. For these sessions - which take place on a futon-like mat on the ground - clients should wear comfortable clothing in which they can stretch and move around easily.
Great for Athletes
For those with pain and soreness related to overtraining
Thai massage aids in relaxation recovery
Access range of motion passively, with some active prompts
Great for people with Special Conditions
For those who need extra care with gentle assisted movement
Sessions are fully-clothed for extra security and comfort
Assisted range of motion is scaled to each person’s capabilities that day
Great for Working People experiencing fatigue
For those stuck in a rut, too tired to go to the gym or run/swim/bike/walk
You know what you need to do, but are too tired to do it!
Get support and receive passive assisted movement as you plan and prepare for more physical activity
Great for Retirees or those nearing retirement
Alleviate pain, stress, and tension
Maintain range of motion
Help keep you moving!
WHAT TO EXPECT IN A SESSION WITH RISSA:
Range of Motion + Compression. Efficiently and effectively releasing tension to free up better movement in the body.
Wearing comfortable clothing in which you can stretch and move around easily.
“Playing Dead” (aka relaxing your body) - there’s no need to help unless otherwise prompted by the practitioner!
Noticing how the techniques feel to different parts of your body - any patterns in your thoughts or emotions. Try to practice non-attachment, letting go of tension, effort, and resistance.
Keep in mind that receiving is a skill! Between the practitioner’s techniques and how you are feeling that day, we are trying to find your edge - the extent to which you can release into discomfort. Too much discomfort can cause the body to contract and reject the therapeutic techniques; too little might not elicit the desired effects. Together, the client and practitioner try to find this “edge” - not too much, not too little.
We often move too fast, too soon - or not at all - and overlook important modifications our bodies need to maintain capability. It's a common misconception that something is structurally wrong with your body and therefore you can't move in certain ways or engage in certain activities. Really, it's a matter of not overwhelming your tissue's capacity to bear a certain load.
Lots of factors affect our capacity, including (but not limited to): genetics, personal history, stress level, sleep, diet, economic, social, and environmental factors. Other times, pain has become chronic and the nervous system hyper-sensitive. In these cases, turning the volume down on the pain is an important factor in determining the volume, load, and duration of strength training sessions.
And why strength training? Because the body structurally adapts to demand! Which means passive and low-demand (i.e. massage and stretching) modalities do not challenge the body enough to adapt long-term. If you don't move it, you lose it - but that doesn't mean you can't gain it back! 😉
Come experience why clients say this the most effective type of bodywork they've ever received! Rissa has been studying and practicing Thai massage exclusively for eleven years (including four trips to Thailand), while most just dabble in the art. Click below for more information and to sign up for a session with Rissa. MA67263
Practice one-on-one or in a small group or class setting by appointment with Rissa Wray. Sessions take place in the comfort of your own home, work environment, or outdoors (if the weather allows). Rissa has in-depth knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and common structural distortions, so you're in good hands.
Cultivate closeness in a customized Couples' Massage Instruction Session! Thai massage is perfect for couples to learn how to give and receive because it is designed to be as comfortable and intuitive as possible. Learn adaptable touch techniques as you help alleviate pain and tension in your partner's body - and vice versa!
Create relationships where it’s safe to disagree so each person can express their authentic needs, experiences, and concerns without fear of punishment. Most people actively avoid conflict - especially in the workplace - so, cultivating a safe space where conflict is not seen as something bad or wrong is essential for honesty and efficiency.
Rissa Wray is a healing arts professional from St. Petersburg, FL who specializes in Thai massage, yoga, and conflict competency skills. She’s worked with individuals, couples, and groups to help resolve the conflicts in the body, mind, and relationships.
Rissa has been practicing Thai massage for 12 years, and has taught this form of bodywork to everyday couples, partners, and friends for about 10! Rissa has also been teaching yoga since 2014 with experience in Hatha, Ashtanga, Flow, Restorative, and Thai Yoga - the yoga lineage of the Thai healing tradition.
Rissa loves to offer one-on-one sessions, group classes, workshops, retreats, and popup community events in the St. Pete/Tampa Bay area and beyond!
See what people have to say about working with Rissa:
Join our mailing list to receive news, updates, and special offers.
