Victor Lai - Thai Massage, AcroYoga & Therapeutics

08/20/2025

Free this weekend and wanting to get and give massages for days?

We’ve had 2 last-minute cancellations for the 4-Day ZenThai Shiatsu training this Thursday-Sunday (starts tomorrow at 8:30am at The Shire). Join 18 other students at this gorgeous location by the Cowichan River for a bodywork and wellness immersion and tap into community and connection.

Reach out to West Coast Zenthai or myself - 1 partial scholarship available, and a reduced rate for previous ZenThai Level 1 graduates.

Zen Thai Shiatsu Massage Practitioner Training - Level 1 4-Day Summer Campout - 2025 Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island August 21 - 24 90-Minutes from Victoria, BC Bringing freedom of movement to the structural and energetic bodies… a 4 day immersion exploring the foundational skills and guiding pr...

07/17/2025

Oh look at that, I’m headlining! 😉

See you this weekend at Pachena Bay Music Festival!

Join me for an Acroyoga FUNdamentals Workshop, Saturday at 4pm in Tent 2.

04/11/2025

Ever been curious about the magic of Thai Massage? ✨

💆 I’m hosting a drop-in intro workshop TONIGHT and next Friday!

If you’re thinking: “Thai Massage? Sounds complicated!” or “I’ve never done anything like that before.”

Don’t worry! This workshop is designed with you in mind! Absolutely no prior experience is needed.

🇹🇭 Inspired by my two-month return to Thailand, I’m so excited to share the this beautiful, ancient healing art!

Tonight will be a gentle introduction where we’ll be learning in a relaxed and low-pressure environment, with a focus on exploration and understanding the basics so you can take a few techniques back home to heal those around you.

This is a fantastic opportunity to learn how to give a relaxing and therapeutic massage to your friends and family!

➡️ This is a two-week drop-in workshop, so you can join us for either or both sessions! No partner required, just bring your curiosity, a hint of playfulness, and a willingness to learn.

🗓️ Friday, April 11 and 17, 2025
⏰ 7:30p to 9:00p (please arrive 5min early)
📍 Axé Capoeria / Energia, Courtenay (across Blue Toque)
🔄 $20-$30 sliding scale.

Notes
• This is different than the ZenThai workshops we held at The Abbey last November – this is not a long sequence, and has a focus on direct pressure, practical skills and technique from Northern Style Thai Massage aka Thai Yoga Massage.
• There’s a community acroyoga jam before from 6-730p for $10, and several people will be joining us for massage after!

📋 DM me for the registration & payment link, or just drop-in!

Looking forward to sharing the beauty of Thai Massage with you all! 🙏

12/25/2024

It’s been an honour to share Christmas with Ajarn Sinchai, his wife and our Thai Massage cohort, learning from “The Blind Professor” for the last two weeks at his home south of Chiang Mai.

Ajarn (professor) Sinchai lost his vision at the age of 2 from a childhood virus.

In the 1960s, he studied at Lersin Hospital Bangkok, graduating from massage school 55 years ago with a style different than the general curriculum introduced by the Thai Massage Revival Project in 1983 that is now commonly practiced.

Ajarn’s interest in learning and healing continued as he took courses in rehabilitation and patient care. He relocated to Chiang Mai and served for 34 years at Suan Dok Hospital (now Chiang Mai University Medical Complex).

He’s a kind man, intuitive and sensitive beyond belief – he can sense subtle heat differences in adjacent areas of the body). He is generous with his wisdom, and playful in all of his 80 years.

Should you ever get the chance to learn from him, you’ll also hear the cuckoo clock and the cow sounds that mark the end of class.

Tonight we were about to leave after we received our formal certificates, only to be told his wife cooked us a full Christmas dinner of Khao Soi (a common Northern dish) and typical Thai sides like papaya salad and mango sticky rice.

We took it all in while Ajarn played the harmonica, then standing back, smiling and no doubt sensing the joy he brought to us all these past weeks and this night.

Big thank yous to Michael and Anna for the teaching assists, the original history write-up, and fellow students Deanna from Switzerland, Vasillis and Maria from Greece, Deanna from Italy and Serena from Canada for your presence and shared passion of this beautiful practice.

Merry Christmas ❤️🙏

11/20/2024

2 spots left for Unity Yoga’s Thai Bodywork Intensive!

I’ll be on Galiano Island again assisting Sue Horning (founder of the best little yoga studio, the old Unity Yoga & Tea House on Commercial Drive). Sue completed the Certified Advanced Practitioner and Teacher Training Program (CAPT 390 Hours) in Chiang Mai and can award certificates - no need to go to Thailand!

Dates: November 21-24, 2024

Come and learn a Thai Massage sequence that you can practice with a friend, partner, lover or perfect stranger! Therapeutic consensual bodywork is a great way to enjoy more connection to others, and to improve your skills in giving and receiving consensual touch.

We will be working in partners but also individually throughout the weekend, with emphasis on technique and correct alignment. Each day begins with yoga and includes demonstration, guided flows, and independent practice time. Yoga experience is an asset; beginners are welcome. Please bring a large bed-size mattress to work on. Textbook is provided.

This weekend provides 15 hours towards Level I and II certification (30 hours per level). Certificate awarded upon completion of qualifying exam.

Friday / Saturday 9:00-4:30 p.m. (Break from 12-1:30 p.m.)
Sunday 9:30-12:30 p.m. (Qualifying exam 2-4 p.m.)

Full weekend $449

Max: 12 participants

Accommodation is not included, there’s an AirBnB option nearby.

DM for details!

07/14/2024

A weekend of camping with live music, sound baths, juggling, yoga, ritual magic, breathwork, flamenco, cacao, didgeridoo, and more workshops for adults and kids (puppet making!) is happening next Friday at the Pachena Bay Music Festival!

Come drop by my AcroYoga Fundamentals class Sunday at 3pm and try out a ZenThai Shiatsu massage to heal those dancing legs.

Clara and others will represent and giving treatments all weekend - but sign up at the tent early, they always fill up!

Live music, camping, workshops and massage! on the west coast of Vancouver Island (just south of Bamfield) has all the things I love! July 19-21st! Can’t wait!

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We recognize the Huu-ay-aht First Nations sovereignty and authority over their ḥahuułi [ha-houlthee] (territory), we honour their cultural heritage and tradition, and we give thanks to their Chiefs, their Council, and each of their members, with particularly deep gratitude to the the beach keepers of Pachena Bay, for allowing us to spend time learning, being, and playing on their sacred land at Pachena Bay.

06/25/2024

💆 Six spots left for the August 8-11th Zenthai training and campout in the Skutz Falls / Cowichan area!

Locals Daiana, Siddarth, Sue (Campbell River) and I all completed this training in the past year and I’ll be assisting again. The four days were magic, facilitated by a heart-centred, knowledgeable teacher who always attracts a wonderful group of humans.

It’s the perfect complement to a strong Acroyoga practice. Getting massaged for 4 days isn’t bad either 😄.

Reach out to any of us and ask about our experiences, a demo, or a full bodywork session.

will also be at the Pachena Bay music festival!

Join our growing massage community!