Internship Program


Students who have completed a course may intern that same course again as many times as they want, at no extra cost, as long as there is space!

FAQ: Are there any classes I cannot intern for free? Jump to that answer here.


Shivagakomarpaj Lineage


This institute closely follows the traditions of its Thai lineage, named for the Father Doctor of traditional Thai medicine, based at the Shivagakomarpaj Institute (she-va-ga-ko-mar-pi) or "Old Medicine Hospital" in Chaing Mai, Thailand.

Once you take a course at the "Old Medicine Hospital," afterward you are generally welcome to keep coming back, to continue practicing with whomever wants to partner up with you, including other students, instructors, and the occasional member of the public once your skills have really improved. Return to a class enough times, and eventually you start assisting, and learning more as you help the new students. It is a process that naturally takes place for those eager to learn, and is generally encouraged, because the only way to truly learn and appreciate the depth of Thai massage is to simply do it, over and over again!

Internships are therefore considered an invaluable opportunity and part of the learning process, as it allows students to see, hear and experience foundational instruction repeatedly to hone their understanding!



Practice, Practice, Practice


In the classroom, it is very common for students to notice new details and small subtleties during each internship that they missed the first, second or third time. New students learn faster when paired with an intern who has been through it at least once before, and interns learn more and deepen their understanding as they help new students and each other!

Once you have taken a course, you may return for free as many times as you want, regardless of the format, to repeat that course in whole, or for any individual days that you need!

Come back to improve in your own time!



Traditions Honored & Carried Forward


The Thai Massage Institute of Maui most directly honors this tradition from the director's first instructor in Thai massage, Pierce Salguero of his then-titled
Tao Mountain School of Thai Massage and Herbal Medicine.

Pierce Salguero was recognized with an instructor certification from the Shivagakomarpaj Institute, after years of participating and teaching classes. Upon returning to the US, he started teaching Thai massage during breaks while pursuing his Master's Degree at UVA in Charlottesville, VA. Classes were small, mostly in rented spaces, such as yoga and dance studios, and later University of VA campus buildings. Though there was no permanent school for daily and/or weekly classes as at the "Old Medicine Hospital" in Chaing Mai, Pierce always invited everyone back to intern his courses for free, honoring and carrying on the traditions for his students, as he best could.

The director of this institute considers this opportunity, this chance to come back and see the material again as many times as needed, as the absolute number one reason why he has the deeply evolved practice he has today... because he had a much better chance than most others to get a solid foundation in basic and advanced principles, and because he didn't have to get it all at once.

Experiencing the same material again with the instructor, with new eyes and ears, every few months, often reveals the next layer of understanding!

Each time you come back, you'll see and learn more than you did before!



Are there classes I cannot intern for free?


Most courses for continuing education qualify for internship, including:

  • A Introduction to Thai Massage (2 Days)
  • Thai Massage I: Basics - Intensive (40 Hours)
  • Thai Massage I: Basics - Extended (40 Hours)
  • Body Mechanics & Refinement (40 Hours)
  • Thai Massage II: Sen Theory (40 Hours)

  • 10-Day Basic Certification (80 Hours)

    Herbal courses do not qualify for free internship, due to the cost of supplying herbs for class, but students may return at a reduced cost:

  • A Introduction to Thai Herbal Massage (2 Days)


    Short classes offered only on a drop-in basis may not qualify.

    For these courses, a small fee may be paid per visit, as for a yoga or dance class.

    For example: ongoing weekly practices, or monthly public interest, networking and education classes. Essentially any class not a specific multi-day or week training.