Zenthai Shiatsu Level 1 Course
w Andrea Rao
at Casa Chango Mexico
Individuals, couples and groups of friends!
January 2-7, 2026
Zenthai Shiatsu Level 1: Immersive Retreat in Mexico
A 4-day (5 nights) immersive experience in nature, through movement, touch, and community – A space to slow down, learn, and reconnect.
This foundation course is a deep dive into Zenthai Shiatsu: a floor-based system of bodywork influenced by Zen Shiatsu, Traditional Thai Massage, and Osteopathy. It is an embodied integration of movement, touch, and mindfulness, offering a poetic way to experience the Five Elements Theory of Ancient Chinese Tradition.
Taught in a retreat-like setting, the training weaves together bodywork practices with mindful movement inspired by Yoga Asana, Qigong, martial arts, and animal movement, creating an immersive exploration of touch, presence, and therapeutic practice.
Over four days, you will learn a complete 90-minute sequence, gaining practical tools and insights into structural and energetic therapy. You’ll cultivate inner awareness, refine your sense of touch, and connect with a vibrant conscious community.
Note: Level One & Elements Foundations are a pre-requisite to the 9-month Therapist Training offered across Australia & Europe.
Who is this course for?
Zenthai Shiatsu Level 1 is more than just a course; it’s an experiential journey for those who wish to step out of routine and rediscover connection, presence, and care.
This training weaves the intuitive wisdom of various ancient healing traditions into a modern, practical, and embodied approach. It’s designed for manual therapists wanting to expand their skills, yoga practitioners and teachers seeking to deepen their embodiment and ability to support others, and those interested in energetic and structural therapy, but not limited to that.
You don’t need any previous experience in Yoga or massage. Whether you’re a seasoned practitioner or just taking your first steps into bodywork, this course is for you if you feel called towards a holistic vision of health and want to awaken your natural therapeutic abilities.
Beyond offering practical and profound tools, this training is often experienced as a transformative time, a chance to slow down, reconnect with yourself, your body, and a heart-centered community.
Inclusions:
- Detailed course manual and material
- Instructional video of material covered
- Level One Zenthai Shiatsu Certificate
- Morning tea
- Dynamic morning yoga sessions
- Giving and receiving of quality body work
- Cultivating inner awareness
- Deepening the sense of touch
- Over 1.5 hours of quality bodywork techniques and sequences
- Practical focus on Zenthai techniques and the principles of the practice
Note: Level One & Elements Foundations are a pre-requisite to the 9-month Therapist Training offered across Australia & Europe.
What you will walk away with
- A complete Zenthai Shiatsu bodywork sequence (90 minutes), with plenty of hands-on practice in offering and receiving, all guided through clear teachings, live demos, and step-by-step instruction.
- Refined skills of touch, sensitivity, and presence in bodywork.
- Greater awareness of your own body and mind, supporting your ongoing growth.
- Plenty of integrated, hands-on experience to embody the teachings.
- A comprehensive student manual and access to online video resources.
- A certificate of completion, opening the path to further Zenthai studies.
- Connection with the broader
- Zenthai network through the online community
What is the schedule like?
The course is rich and immersive, offering a deep and valuable learning experience to explore together. To ensure we can move through the material at a steady and grounded pace, the days are intentionally structured as full days.
The morning begins at 8:30 am with a Movement Class lasting approximately one hour, designed to help participants arrive fully into their bodies and prepare for the day ahead. After a short tea break, we will gather again for the first main teaching session. The morning will include both theoretical content and practical exploration, gradually moving into hands-on bodywork practice.
Practical sessions will include live demonstrations of techniques and gestures by the teacher, followed by partnered practice where participants can explore and integrate what has been taught. There will also be guided bodywork sessions in which participants follow both verbal instructions and visual demonstrations.
We will continue until lunch, with a lunch break of approximately 1.5 hours.
After lunch, we will return for the second session of the day until about 5:30pm. The afternoon will continue with a blend of theory and practice, allowing participants to deepen their understanding through both learning and direct experience. Further demonstrations, guided exercises, and partnered practice will support the integration of the day’s material.
Regular breaks are included throughout the day to support both learning and well-being.
Evenings are free, offering space to rest, integrate the experience, connect with fellow participants, or simply enjoy and explore the beauty of the surrounding area.
Your Facilitator:
Curious by nature and inspired by human connection, Andrea is passionate about exploring life through movement, nature, shared experiences, and personal growth. Andrea believes in living fully, staying open to what life brings, and continuously growing into a more authentic and fully expressed version of himself.
With a background in physiotherapy and a Master’s degree in Sports Physiotherapy, Andrea’s approach combines a scientific understanding of the body with the holistic practice of Zenthai Shiatsu.
Zenthai Shiatsu has deeply shaped Andrea’s work, as well as the way he lives and relates to others.
Through this practice, Andrea supports people in reconnecting with their body, releasing tension, and finding a deeper sense of balance through movement and bodywork.
Andrea’s work includes bodywork sessions as well as movement classes, Zenthai Shiatsu courses, and workshops.
Attending the Zenthai Level 1 course and the Elements module with Andrea was a great opportunity to deepen my own practice. The course offered a balanced space for practice and reflection.
Andrea has a calm, gentle and grounded presence and to be around him its fun! :-). I really appreciated the whole team, everyone enriched the journey with their own perspective and held the space with generosity and warmth. I found myself learning more than expected. The classes invited self-enquiry, kindness and trust. I loved the teachings and I have very much enjoyed sharing and practicing with a group of lovely people. The location was beautiful, calm, comfortable and surrounded by vibrant nature.
I leave with new inspiration, practical tools and gratitude! Thank you 😊Martina, yoga teacher & massage therapist
I am beyond grateful to have been part of this training and to have discovered the gift of Zenthai Shiatsu. Since completing the course, I have already had several opportunities to practice and share it with others, and each time I am reminded of the magic and depth of this work.
Andrea’s humble, genuine, and grounded way of teaching made it easy to learn and fully engage with the experience. His presence created a safe and supportive environment, allowing both confidence and curiosity to grow throughout the training.
It was also beautiful to witness the collaboration between Andrea, Lucy, and the assistant teachers. The way they shared the space and supported one another created a strong sense of community and connection within the group.
This experience left a deep impression on me, and I would highly recommend it to anyone wishing to explore Zenthai Shiatsu in a meaningful and authentic way.Hannah
Click on the photos below to see some demonstrations of Zenthai Shiatsu and testimonials from students.
What’s Included:
- Private or shared accommodations at our new eco-friendly resort. Click here to take a look at your options.
- Daily cleaning service.
- Airport shuttle to/from Casa Chango.
- Arrive on January 2. Depart on January 7.
- 3 nourishing meals a day in our beautiful open-air kitchen. Click here to learn more about meals.
- Daily Classes
- Eco Tour of Casa Chango
- Use of all community areas:
- Swimming pool & hot tub Kitchen and dining area
- Lounge area with couches, books, and games
- Open-air gym and yoga/dance studio
- Lots of hammocks for lounging
- Our private hiking trail down to the Colotepec River
- High Speed Starlink Internet – Starlink provides high-speed, low-latency internet access to people all over the world, especially those in rural and remote areas that currently lack access to reliable internet.
- Access to our network of Spanish teachers who provide private or group classes on-site.
- Access to our on-site massage space and network of body-work practitioners for hire who come on-site.
- Recommendations and guidance to enjoy all that Puerto Escondido has to offer. Beaches, nature excursions, tours, surf lessons, networking events, dance classes, and so much more. Click here for an idea of what you have to look forward to.
Not Included:
- Transportation
- Click here for travel tips and recommendations on booking flights.
- Taxis, ‘colectivo’ shuttles, and motorbike/car rentals make it easy to explore are all available locally.
- Massages, Spanish lessons and other excursions are booked separately and directly with the providers as needed.
Links for more information:
- Accommodations
- Meals and Food
- Gettin here. Travel advice.
- Weather in Puerto Escondido
- Testimonials
- Excursions
ECO RETREAT CENTER
Casa Chango is an Eco Retreat Center. We do our best to live in harmony with the natural world. We are mostly off grid, and use solar power. We have dry composting toilets and use the humanure and food waste to create soil to feed the amazing plants and trees all around the property. We ask all of our staff and guests to come with the mindset of learning about and respecting nature. The gray water from our sinks and showers filter out to water the plants. Therefore we ask you to bring natural shampoos, conditioners, and toothpaste to your retreat. All of our buildings were designed and built to be cool and comfortable, and we hope you enjoy your stay with us.
Casa Chango is an animal friendly place. There are several friendly animals on site including dogs and cats. They will not enter your rooms, but they will be on property and in common areas during your retreat. Animal lovers will be in their happy place.
Native insects and other critter friends live in this area of Mexico. We fumigate to keep insects away and out of your rooms. We also acknowledge that the insects are an important part of keeping nature in balance. Most of the community spaces at Casa Chango, including the gym, dining area, pool, lounge are open air which means there are no walls. You can expect to see a variety of native insects, birds, and lizards during your visit. We hope you enjoy the experience of living more connected to nature
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