Policies

These are general policies for continuing education workshops.
For the Thai Massage Professional Program complete policies please refer to the student handbook.

Class Participation

Students are expected to be present for the entire class. Classes at The Naga Center are very learning intensive with vast amounts of information being transferred each day. It is very difficult to catch up if you miss class. If you are enrolling in a class that you know you will be absent for any part of please contact The Naga Center to discuss. Certificates will only be given to students who participate in the entire class. If you are participating in a live Zoom based class you are expected to have your camera on unless otherwise instructed and be present for class; not driving, cooking, or otherwise disengaged from class.

Cancellation Policy

Due to keeping class sizes very small, students are responsible for full payment of the program whether or not the program is completed. Refunds are possible up to one month prior to the first day of the first class in September. Should you wish to un-enroll less than 30 days before the first day of the first class you may be refunded if, and only if, your space is able to filled by someone else. Should you wish to discontinue lessons after classes have begun you will be liable for any remaining debt for the full program. This program is very special and one of the special things about it is the small student to teacher ratio that allows for truly in-depth mentorship style training; this is only sustainable when students follow through with the program and financial commitment. Please take the time to consider this program carefully before registering. Ask as many questions as you like, schedule a time to chat with me if that will help, and let me know if you would like to be put in touch with students who have completed the program before you. Also, know that it is a serious commitment. Also, know that it is a serious course of study complete with assignments, memorization, exams and practice.. If you have questions or concerns about the work load, please contact me.

In the rare event that The Naga Center must cancel or reschedule a class, enrolled students have the choice to be refunded their tuition, or to have their tuition applied toward a future class.

Students traveling from afar are encouraged to purchase trip insurance as most flights can be refunded with proof of class cancellation, which can be provided by The Naga Center. The Naga Center is not responsible for monies spent in preparation for travel to and from classes.

The Thai Medical Theory for Bodyworkers online class tuition is not refundable to students who do not complete it, or do not finish with a passing score.

Please note that the cancellation policy changes for classes being taught by teachers coming from Thailand and other distant places. Classes taught by teachers coming from afar are non-refundable. Once you register for a class taught by a teacher who must travel, you will not be refunded should your plans change. This is because expenses involved in arranging travel for the instructor are not refundable.

Testing

Many classes at The Naga Center have a final exam. Certification is dependent upon passing the exam. I don’t do this because of any particular love of testing, but rather because Thai massage is an extremely physically intensive modality with greater potential for injury than most massage modalities. It is very important to me that I do not certify students whom I am not 100% certain will provide safe, authentic and competent bodywork. Non-massage classes may also have a final exam; for instance, my Online Theory class has a final exam; I am serious about passing students who will represent Thai healing modalities with satisfactory ability. Please note that certification in any class at The Naga Center is based on the judgement of the instructor. Some things cannot be quantified by a written percentage; the general attention to safety for example, is not demonstrable on paper and the practical exams are not scored in a manner that is quantifiable, but rather by instructor discernment.

 Behavior

Students are expected to be sober, clean, safe and respectful of one another and the instructor. Any student found to be attending class under the influence of intoxicating substances, regardless of the legal status of the substance, will be asked to leave the class and will not be refunded tuition (this is not a moral judgement against drugs, it’s an acknowledgement of the clarity needed for learning and doing healing arts work). Any student who the instructor finds to be sexually harassing or otherwise compromising the emotional and/or physical safety of another student will be asked to leave the class and will not be refunded tuition. Any student who is unable to work in a manner that is safe or who in any way compromises the safety of themselves or anyone else in the class will be asked to leave the class and will not be refunded tuition.  Please also be respectful of the close body contact nature of our work and arrive clean and nice smelling free of harsh chemical scents and undue body odor (that was a really hard sentence for this earth mama to write, but a necessary one - we really will be working very closely with one another and should not impose overly strong scents on each other even if we are sure that our perfume or sweat is the best). 

 Discrimination

The Naga Center does not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, gender identity or presentation, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, status, political affiliations  or any other such nonsense nor do we allow for such discrimination to rear its sad head in our classrooms.

Requirements

Many of my classes are extremely learning intensive with vast amounts of information being transferred. Students will often wish to set aside some time in the evenings to go over information learned that day.

Thai massage puts therapists in positions that are very different from those used in massage modalities that utilize a table. Specifically, there can be a lot of kneeling, half lunges and squatting. While Thai massage can often save your wrists and hands, knee problems can make doing Thai massage on the floor a bit difficult. If you have knee issues that prevent you from doing floor work, please let me know such that I can advise if the class you signing up for is one that will be more difficult. Most of the time we can differentiate instruction to meet the needs of a variety of students. Please note that Thai cupping and scraping requires that students be able to see the marks left by the tools. It is recommended that those with visual impairment make sure that they can see colors such as red, purple, and dark blue/black marks on skin, keeping in mind that skin comes in many colors and therefore the distinction can be subtle.

If you have any remaining doubts, or if you have physical limitations or a learning disability that we should know about, please contact me to chat about it ahead of time. Please also be sure to notify me if you are pregnant or sight or hearing impaired.

Wellness Protocols & Requirements

For in-person workshops

naj/nephyr here. I take wellness seriously, which is why I have spent my life doing all I can to help people to feel well. It’s why I teach massage and the rest of the beautiful traditional medicine learnings we share around here. It’s also why I take COVID-19 and other transmissible pathogens very seriously and will do literally everything within my power to protect my students, myself, and my family from preventable disease spread. I want the most vulnerable of students to know that they are considered and cared for. Healing arts classes should not hurt anyone.

My committment to you
All live classes will have:
• Air purifiers (CR boxes) with HEPA filters rated MERV13 (or equivalent)
• Excellent ventilation that is monitored with a C02 monitor where all can see it
• Far UV lighting at 222nm
(between purification, ventilation, and UV, I aim for well over 12ACH.)
• Air humidification - this does two things: helps airborne viruses to drop down, and supports healthy lining of the nose and throat, our first mechanical line of immune system defense against inhaled viruses.
• A supply of excellent N95 masks for those who need them
• A supply of COVID-19 lateral flow tests
• Hand and surface sanitizers will be plentiful in addition to herbs, magic spells, good manners and common decency

What I ask you to commit to
• Please only come to live classes if you are feeling well and have no reason to suspect that you may be sick or incubating sickness. If you do feel ill, reach out to me; we can chat about Thai medicine to help you to feel better.
• Use extra caution in the week leading up to class. Mask when out shopping, avoid indoor dining at restaurants and friend’s houses, skip the festival cuddle dome. Remember, we could have an immunocompromised person in class or living with someone in class.
• If flying or using other public transportation to come to class please wear an N95 mask or better elastomeric respirator while en route.
• Arrive wearing an N95 mask or respirator and maintain proper mask wearing throughout the course
• Test if asked to before coming and on-site (on-site tests will be provided)
• Make sure that you are fully up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations
• Come with kindness and compassion for all who are still doing what they can to protect themselves and others

If you have any questions or concerns about wellness protocols please write them in the extra text box of the registration form. I’m happy to go into the science of Far UV, explain what “12ACH” is about, or chat more about any of these topics.