About Raymond

In the summer of 1998 I had an epiphany, a transformation.

I've been giving amateur massages since age 15 when I found out it made me popular with the girls. I never got any complaints but I never thought I had any special aptitude. I have tried many trades and had a business once and I never found any of them to be anything but mildly interesting. I moved to Dallas in the spring of '97 from the southeastern Louisiana countryside to build Dallas' first downtown Bed and Breakfast with and for my sister. I met and dated a massage therapist. A couple of months into the relationship, I gave her one of my amateur massages after which she said (and I'll never forget it), "You're good. You should go to school so you can do this for a living". I said, "how much does it pay?" I enrolled in night school as soon as I could and though I was working 65 hours a week as a carpenter foreman, I went to night school two nights a week and every other Saturday for six months. I was attending massage school the way I had attended many other trade schools; I looked on it as an interesting diversion. What I didn't expect was that I would alter my life's plan. I learned that massage was a healing art, that it was about caring for others and that the nuance and variation and innovation were endless. The experience changed my life and now allows me to effect a positive change in other people and those around them. After 45 years I joined the ranks of the luckiest people on Earth. I found my passion!

I LOVE what I do.

In November 1999 I attended Wat Po Traditional Medical School in Bangkok, Thailand and graduated the Thai Traditional Massage program there. In December 1999 I graduated the course in Traditional Thai Massage at the Foundation of Shivagakomarpaj at the Bantautuk Traditional Medicine Hospital, Chiang Mai, Thailand. During my 105-day stay in many parts of Thailand I received more than 300 hours of Thai massage from more than 50 different therapist. Back in Dallas I learned Thai massage by giving free two-hour massages for six months and by turning my classroom notes into a three-hour how-to manual.

On October 10, 2002 I returned to Thailand for 90 days to hone my skills. I gave Thai massage to Thai massage therapists, Thais who received it regularly and tourists at my friend's massage shop. I gave an average of three hours a day and received an average of five hours a day from many different therapists. This last trip was an affirmation of the correctness of my massage techniques. I am currently teaching classes in Thai Massage; my goal now is to make Thai massage as available as Thai food. My next goal is to make Thai massage as popular as Thai food.

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