Fiona Straathof |
Fiona graduated with a Master's in English Language & Literature in 2005 and completed a postgraduate teaching program in 2006. She taught in secondary and higher education from 2004 to 2017.
Yoga has been an important part of Fiona's life since the early 2000s. She has studied and practiced Raja Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Yin Yoga, and Restorative Yoga with dedicated and internationally respected teachers such as Lizzie and Judith Lasater. Her yoga and meditation practice has been her anchor throughout her adult life. When she gave up her career in higher education in 2017, she began working as a yoga teacher.
Gradually, her focus shifted from teaching yoga to practicing Thai massage. She attended her first Thai massage workshops in 2010 and began seriously studying this beautiful art in 2020. Fiona now works full-time as a Thai massage therapist in her flourishing practice and occasionally teaches yoga workshops and private sessions.
She has a solid foundation in traditional Thai massage, having completed several basic courses and participated in a 3-year Thai massage therapy program. She has also completed multiple advanced courses in Dynamic Thai and Chi Nei Tsang (abdominal massage). Fiona primarily studies with teachers from the Sunshine Network and has also started assisting them. She has studied Chi Nei Tsang and abdominal massage for women with internationally respected Thai teacher Pi Jem Thanachon.
In 2023 she began studying Osteothai (a combination of osteopathy and Thai massage) with David Lutt and has thus far completed 160 hrs of training.
Yoga and Thai massage are a way of life for Fiona. It is her dream and passion to spread the love for Thai massage in her hometown of Haarlem and beyond. Every day, she feels blessed to be living her passion, to be part of the sangha, and to connect with people through the art of touch. Fiona is caring, fun, loving, easy-going and always interested in learning new things and meeting new people.
CV
Bachelor & Master English Language & Literature, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (2001-2005)
Eerstegraads lerarenopleiding Engels, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (2005-2006)
Yoga teacher training:
- Therapeutic Applications of Restorative Yoga Level I&II with Lizzie and Judith H. Lasater (I'm a certified Relax & Renew® trainer) Munich & London (2018-2019)
- Online participation International Yoga Nidra Conference - Yoga International TT (2020) 30 hrs (2020)
- Yin Yoga Teacher Training (200 hrs)+ Advanced Yin Yoga Teacher Training (50 hrs) - DNYS Amsterdam (2017-2018)
- Advanced Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training: Creative Sequencing and Embodying the Elements (100hrs) - Daphne Koken DNYS Amsterdam (2017)
- Iyengar Yoga Teacher Training Iyengar Yoga Zeeburg Amsterdam (2014-2015)
- Raja Yoga Training (2005-2007) + Raja Yoga Teacher Training 80 hr module studying the Bhavagad Gita at La Borde Blanque France (2017)
Next to the teacher trainings I have followed numerous workshops, masterclasses and weekend trainings.
Massage training
- Osteothai for the Internal Organs 1 Lulyani school, school of Thai Massage & Osteothai (2024)
- Connecting the Heart & the Head weekend workshop Osteothai with Flora Bisogno (2024)
- Thai Massage with the Feet weekend workshop with Bojan Babic (2024)
- Lifting the Womb with Pi Jem Thanachon, Chiang Mai, Thailand (2024)
- Thai Massage for the Feet Old Medicine Hospital Thai Massage School, Chiang Mai, Thailand (2024)
- Osteothai for the Lower Back Lulyani school, school of Thai Massage & Osteothai (2023)
- Chi Nei Tsang (Alchemy of the Abdomen) with Kerys Williams from the Sunshine Network in Greece (2023)
- Chi Nei Tsang (Detoxing the Emotions) with renowned Thai teacher Pi Jem Thanachon (2023)
- Osteothai Principles and Overview Lulyani school, school of Thai Massage & Osteothai (2023)
- Osteothai for the Main Joints Lulyani school, school of Thai Massage & Osteothai (2023)
- Therapeutic Thai massage Thai Dee, 2 year programme, The Netherlands. (2022-23)
- Advanced Dynamic Thai massage with Krishnatakis of the Sunshine Network in Portugal (2022)
- Basic Thai massage course with Krishnatakis of the Sunshine Network in Greece, 90 hrs (2022)
- Nuad Thai, traditional Thai massage Thai Dee 1 year programme (2021)
- Introduction course Thai massage Thai Dee (2012)
Courses I have assisted
Basic Thai massage course with Krishnatakis of the Sunshine Network in Portugal, 90 hrs
(2023)
- 2-day Introduction to Thai Massage course with Bojan Babic at Yogamoves Utrecht (2023)
- 5- day Advanced Dynamic Thai with Flora Bisogno at Sunshine School, Chiang Mai, Thailand (2024)
- 2-day Dynamic & Osteothai with Bojan Babic at Yogamoves Utrecht (2024)
- 5- day Advanced Dynamic Thai with Flora Bisogno in Florence, Italy (2024)
Other courses:
Reiki 1, Reiki 2, Shin-Do (2017-2018) Nederlof centrum Amsterdam
Mediumship, Trance Energy Healing (2020) Spirituele Praktijk Miraja