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Published on August 5, 2007

Soft music mingles with the gentle sound of water flowing over the minimalist concrete wall in this pleasant, airy room. We sit in the lotus position, palms joined and breathe in and out while saying "Ohm".

Claire Bostock, our yoga teacher for the day, tells us to bend our torsos down and forward, stretching our arms as far as we can, and hold the position for two to five minutes.

As the second hand edges to the four-minute mark, expressions of pain are replaced by smiles of satisfaction on the faces of those who have successfully completed the first posture in yin yoga, a new take on the traditional exercise being taught at the Tria Integrative Wellness Centre in Bangkok.

Bostock instructs us to shake our legs a little before moving on to the next posture. For this, we sit with both legs stretched out in front of us and lean forwards to grasp our feet. Again, we are told to hold the pose for three minutes or longer.

We then rise to one knee, stretch the other leg behind us, rest our hands on our knee and stretch our torsos. We hold the position for three minutes before repeating the posture with the other leg. Bending is difficult at first, but after a few tries, the body seems more flexible and able to stretch further.

"Learn to recognise the pain. Is it sharp or dull? If it's too painful, then stop. Don't push yourself too hard," says Bostock.

Yin yoga is about stretching joints and connective tissue by holding normal yoga poses passively and for longer, explains the 31-year-old, who teaches three or four classes a day.

"It is recommended for those with stiff joints, and those who need something to complement normal active yoga. It's not meant as a sole form of exercise."

Bostock is a former marathon runner who was forced to undergo serious ankle surgery. After the operation she was barely able to move her ankle, until a friend recommended yin yoga.

"It's also very good for those who have problems achieving a serene state of mind. It's very effective in preparing body and mind for meditation sessions. If you lead a hectic life, yin yoga can help calm you down."

Yin yoga, as the name implies, gets its name from Taosim, and is part of a larger conception of yoga that can be called Taoist Yoga.

"Yin yoga works mainly on the spine and the hips where our most important joints and meridians lie," says Bostock, who learned the postures with American guru Paul Grilley.

Grilley has been practising yin yoga since 1980 and bases his philosophy on the writings of Dr Hiroshi Motoyama in Japan, who contends that the connective tissue running throughout the body provides pathways for the energy flows described by the ancients.

"By working with the connective tissues, yin yoga stimulates the meridian points and promotes the flow of the energy throughout the body, thus improving overall health," she adds.

Most of the 20 yin yoga postures are forward bends and each pose can be held for up to 10 minutes. An average one-hour class, says Bostock, features about 10 poses.

Yin yoga is relatively new to Thai yoga practitioners, according to former Nation staffer Vipasai Nimayabha, freelance writer for Thailand Yoga Journal and an Australian-trained instructor.

"The poses are very relaxing. Personally I find them too slow because I'm a very action-oriented person," she says.

Many people don't like the longer poses because of the pain but after a few sessions they admit to feeling more open, especially in the lower backs and legs, and sign up for more classes, says Bostock.

"Men often don't find the postures particularly hard but many enjoy it because it makes them sweat."

After graduating from university, Bostock began working her way up the corporate ladder in Singapore. She says she found the work stressful and initially joined yoga classes to relax.

"I realised there was more to life than banking and wanted to teach others to feel the way I do," she says.

Along with a masters degree in counselling from Australia, she earned accreditation from yoga centres in India, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Six years as a yoga instructor with Gaia Yoga Centre along with her time as a clinical counsellor at Adam Road Hospital has given her the experience to help clients suffering with stress.

Her counselling sessions at Tria Centre cover emotional issues such as eating disorders and addiction-related problems.

Among the stress-busting programmes offered at the Wellness Centre, which is located behind Bangkok's Piyavate Hospital on Rama IX Road, is one simply called Calm, which features a sensual oil massage and free-expression counselling.

Those wanting to take advantage of the centre's weight management programme will receive personal training in the gym, consultations with dieticians and chats with Bostock to help them get back on track.

"We operate on a philosophy that true wellness comes from three essential elements: biochemical, structural and emotional," says marketing director Nalin Vanasin, 33.

Programmes range from hydrotherapy, acupuncture, bodywork, beauty, age and weight management, detoxification, traditional spa services, genetic testing and medical diagnostics, as well as more unusual homeopathic treatments.

"No other wellness centre in Thailand can offer such a range of treatments and facilities under one roof," says Nalin.

Certainly, with its diverse services the Bt500-million centre is one of the largest and most advanced wellness facilities in South East Asia. It occupies 13,000 square metres of space and houses 20 medical consultation rooms, 40 bodywork rooms, and a 20-metre outdoor pool.

"In the States, doctors use their consultation skills to connect to patients, while in Europe the focus is more on advanced technology. I want to integrate both ideas," says Nalin.

The centre has adopted the "corporate wellness" ideal to cater for companies interested in team building for their employees, strengthening bonding through health activities rather than indulging in entertainment alone. Health-promoting Chinese tonics and wholesome snacks are served in a trendy corner bar, for example.

Tria's second phase for the centre will be completed this month and includes three restaurants offering healthy dining options - World Health Cuisine, Raw Food and the Tea Garden.

For more information, visit www.piyavate.com/tria.html.

Aree Chaisatien

The Nation