MOVING MEDITATIONS
with Rissa Wray, LMT #29057
cultivating movement in stillness and stillness in movement.
with Thai Massage
Yoga
Mobility
and Strength Training
Events
saturday, November 15th • 4-6pm
at Solely Therapeutic Massage and Wellness
2963 46th Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33714
Join Rissa for the perfect holiday event for couples this November 15th from 4-6pm at Solely Massage in St. Pete! The end-of-year holiday season is always hectic, so give yourselves the gift of this mindful and meaningful experience together and stay grounded through compassionate touch. At this extra special workshop, we will take time to envision how we’d like to end the year together while cultivating connection through interactive massage and stretching techniques from the Thai tradition 🙏 Prepare to face the end of 2025 with gratitude and resilience.
Sunday, November 16th • 11am-12pm
at Mastry’s brewing co.
7701 Blind Pass Rd, St Pete Beach, FL 33706
Join teacher Rissa Wray and live music with DJ Pat Keane for an extra special yoga jam in the lovely outdoor yoga space at Mastry's Brewery, Sunday, November 16th from 11am-12pm. Bring your own yoga mat, towel, or blanket and meet us at Mastry's for a well-rounded yoga class featuring Hatha Yoga, Thai Yoga, and Mobility techniques at an easygoing pace. Admission includes one complimentary beverage from the tap (select wine, beer, or kombucha)!
past events
Thai Massage with Rissa
Serving the Portland Area
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).
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.
Each session is catered to the individual needs of each client - whether athletes, working people, retirees, yogis, or people with special conditions. 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.
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.
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.
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 recovering from injury or surgery
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!
Schedule a Session:
Yoga with Rissa
practice with rissa in portland, oregon
Thai Yoga & Mobility
Thursdays at 12pm
at Dear Yoga, 1675 SE 6th Ave suite C, Portland, OR 97214
Gentle Vinyasa
Thursdays at 9am
at Elk Rock Yoga, 5975 SE 52nd Ave, Portland, OR 97206
Rissa specializes in…
Hatha Yoga
Rissa’s practice is informed by Indian Hatha Yoga, Ashtanga-based Vinyasa, Yin, Restorative, General Ásana practice, and Patanjali’s Yoga Philosophy. She has been teaching since 2014!
Thai Yoga
Also called Reusi Dat Ton, this yoga lineage is rooted in the Thai healing tradition, and involves self-massage, joint mobilization, and the philosophy of Theravada Buddhism.
Mobility
Rissa is also certified in Functional Range Conditioning (FRC), which is a western style of joint health optimization, informed by current exercise science research, and is the creation of Dr. Andreo Spina.
Rissa’s yoga practice and teaching are informed by Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga, Thai Yoga (Reusi Dat Ton), Functional Range Conditioning (FRC), and even Neigong (chinese internal body method) principles.
Reviews and Testimonials:
“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.”
“[Rissa’s Mobility] class has helped my hip and pelvic mobility more than anything in the last 2 1/2 years since I started my practice”
“This was my first ever yoga experience and it was simply quite lovely. I took [class] with Rissa and she was such a sweet and encouraging instructor… Her cues were really helpful and she smoothly transitioned everyone from various poses during class.”
Rissa has taught in many different settings:
As a licensed massage therapist, she can provide expert hands-on assistance
from intricate arm balances to modified mobilizations, rissa’s got you covered
Some of her most impactful teachers include:
Ajahn Pichet (Thai massage, Buddhism, and Thai healing)
David Wells (Thai yoga)
Nephyr Jacobsen (Thai healing history and philosophy)
Dr. Shyam Ranganathan (Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and Yoga Philosophy)
Donato Helbling (Budokon Yoga and Breathwork)
Douglas Nakamoto (Neigong, Taijichuan, “Internal Body Method” informed by Douglas’ years of study in martial arts)
Strength Training
Strength coach Rissa Wray guiding client through modified deadlift.
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! 😉
about rissa
Rissa Wray is a healing arts professional from St. Petersburg, FL who specializes in Thai massage, yoga, and strength coaching. She’s worked with individuals, couples, and groups to help people move better and feel better - actively and passively, alone and together.
Rissa has been practicing Thai massage for 13 years, and has taught this form of bodywork to everyday couples, partners, and friends for about 11! 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 Portland/St. Pete/Tampa Bay area and beyond!
Schedule via Setmore:
See what people have to say about working with Rissa:
CONTACT
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