Diploma of Eastern Therapies and Bodywork

Site Search

Quick Links

Newsletter Signup

Program Overview

Curriculum

Recognitions

Study Options

Clinical Training

Post-Graduation

Admissions

International Students

Academic Calendar

Class Schedule

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Current Newsletter | Newsletter Archive

You are here » Home

The Diploma of Eastern Therapies and Bodywork (ETB) is a 4-semester program that provides in-depth training in the disciplines of Traditional Thai Massage, Ayurvedic Marmatherapy and Yanumoja Yogatherapy.

The ETB diploma program is comprised of 4 unique components, the first 3 of which - Foundations of Yogatherapy, Traditional Thai Massage and Fundamentals of Ayurvedic Marmatherapy - can be taken as independent certificate programs. At the onset, students may enrol in any independent certificate program or may apply for admission into the full Diploma of Eastern Therapies and Bodywork. The diploma-specific coursework is an additional semester that integrates all disciplines and applies them to the maintenance of health and the treatment of disease. This semester also includes a course on business development and management to prepare students for practitioner careers.

Eastern Therapeutic practitioners recognize 3 layers of being: the physical, the energetic (systems, pathways and elements) and the spiritual (heart consciousness). The physical is addressed through diet and herbs, as well as touch, pressure, movement and the manipulation of tissues, organs, joints and various other systems of the body. The energetic is addressed through working with the various energy systems, pathways and elements. The spiritual is addressed through awareness, resonance, intent, visualization, meditation and ritual.

This program is delivered over 4 semesters of 3-4 months each in length. At the onset, students may enrol in any independent certificate program or may apply for admission into the full Diploma of Eastern Therapies and Bodywork. The diploma-specific coursework is an additional semester that integrates all disciplines and applies them to the maintenance of health and the treatment of disease. Additionally, to prepare for career entry as bodywork therapists, students are required to complete a 45-hour business course in which they create a business plan and develop marketing and recordkeeping skills

Each semester of the Diploma of Eastern Therapies and Bodywork is comprised of one program of study (FYT, TTM, FAM or IETB, which is the recommended flow of study). Due to the physical demands of each program coupled with homework and assignments, without exception students may only participate in one program per semester.

The following courses comprise the Diploma of Eastern Therapies and Bodywork. All courses must be completed for a student to be eligible for graduation with a Diploma of Eastern Therapies and Bodywork. Students must complete the General Introduction and all 3 certificate programs in order to be eligible for the fourth and final component: Integrative Eastern Therapeutic Bodywork. Please see Study Options below for more information.

General Introduction		Total Requirements
Foundations in Eastern Therapies and Bodywork		1.2 credits	18 hours
	During this course, students learn the general background and cultural context for Eastern Therapies and Bodywork with specific attention to Indian, Chinese and T'ai indigenous medicines. This course offers an introduction to the theoretical principles and the history of spirituality and medicine. Both energy medicine and healing are defined, and basic energetic anatomy is explored, all through a comparative approach of Yogic, Ayurvedic, Thai and basic Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) systems.


Total		1.2 credits	18 hours

Foundations of Yogatherapy		Total Requirements
Yogatherapy Foundations		0.6 credit	9 hours
	In this course, students learn the general background and cultural context for Yogatherapy as they explore the history of yoga and therapeutic yoga and delve deeply into yogic philosophy (e.g. Classical vs. Tantric, 8 Limbs in Yogatherapy, Yanumoja, and journeywork and themes).




The Yogic Body, East and West		3 credits	45 hours
	Students learn Eastern and Western anatomy as it relates to Yogatherapy. They integrate anatomy, indications and contraindications through experiential learning strategies and explore theory and application of alignment principles, hands-on corrections, modifications, restorative postures and chair yoga. Equal weight is given to Yogic Energetic anatomy and Western anatomical perspectives.
Breath and Meditation: Theory and Techniques		1.2 credits	18 hours
	In this course, students explore theory and practice techniques of breath and meditation. They learn diagnosis and therapeutics as they relate to breath and meditation, integrating knowledge of energetic systems, brain functions, and physiological affects of various techniques.
Yogatherapy: Diagnostics, Therapeutics and Facilitation		8 credits	120 hours
	This course gives students an in-depth opportunity to develop practical skills of facilitation, diagnosis, and therapeutic application and planning through peer practice, case studies and public clinic.
Technique Hours		4 credits	60 hours
	Students of yoga and Yogatherapy continually deepen their skill development through regular practice and application of the various techniques and principles. Throughout the duration of the program, students maintain both a documented weekly yoga practice in classes and at home.
Yoga Teacher Training: Group Facilitation Skills		2.7 credits	40 hours
	This intensive course translates skills of one-on-one facilitation with clients/students into a group setting. The course covers theory and skills in group facilitation, applied techniques, sequencing, class development, modifications, special needs, and multi-level classes.
Total		19.5 credits	292 hours

Traditional Thai Massage		Total Requirements
History of Thai Medicine and Massage		0.6 credit	9 hours
	Students learn the general background and cultural context for Thai massage with a deepening of the historical connections of Thai medicine to TCM, Ayurveda and Yoga. As well, students study the significance of Indigenous Medicine (Shamanism) and Buddhism to Thai Massage. In particular, students follow Thai Massage development from earliest historical records to modern day practice and have an in-depth historical connection to the Shivagokomarpaj Lineage.




Classic Routine		3 credits	45 hours
	This course introduces the 10 major Sen (meridians in the Thai tradition) with their names, locations, physical and energetic associations and functions. Students learn indications and contraindications in Thai massage as well as the 4 principles that govern application of the massage. Pressure application techniques and basic practitioner stances become the foundation for the physical work. From this foundation, students integrate the "classic routine" - a flow of movements, stretches and acupressure techniques that work the client's entire body from toes to head, front and back.
Practical Thai Massage (i)		4 credits	60 hours
	Students of Thai massage need to first master the movements and techniques learned in the classic routine, and then begin to apply them in clinic settings in order to deepen their understanding and application of the material. To help students integrate material learned thus far, this portion of the course is supervised practice with case studies.
Advanced Thai		3.2 credits	48 hours
	Students explore advanced energetic physiology, diagnostics and therapeutics in traditional Thai massage. In particular, this course focuses on advanced Sen theory - breaks and blockage in the Sen, energetic associations of each Sen and therapeutic options for clients. Students also learn intermediate and advanced Thai massage techniques.
Practical Thai Massage (ii)		6 credits	90 hours
	This course allows students to master the movements and techniques learned in the intermediate and advanced routines, and then apply them in clinic settings. This portion of the course is comprised of case studies and supervised practice on clients.
Thai Massage Applications		3 credits	45 hours
	Listed on Traditional Thai Massage Certificate Program page.
Total		19.8 credits	297 hours

Fundamentals of Ayurveda		Total Requirements
History of Ayurveda		0.6 credit	9 hours
	Students deepen their knowledge of history and learn the general background and cultural context for Ayurvedic Marmatherapy. In particular, this course focuses on the associations of Ayurveda and Marma healing to classic texts of Charaka, Shushruta and the Vedas.




Basic Ayurveda		2.8 credits	41 hours
	This course explores basic energetic anatomy in the Ayurvedic medicine system. Students also begin the life-long journey of pulse diagnosis and are introduced to basic Ayurvedic theory of dosha (physiological forces) management and the location, names and functions of Marma.
Practical Ayurveda (i)		2.4 credits	36 hours
	Students integrate and deepen their basic Ayurvedic theoretical and practical knowledge through supervised peer practice and case studies.
Intermediate Ayurveda Theory		3.6 credits	54 hours
	Intermediate Ayurvedic anatomy and physiology (sub-doshas, tissues, channels, Marma) are explored in this course. Concepts behind cleansing and rejuvenation therapy are introduced, and students learn the practical techniques of Marmatherapy oil massage.
Practical Ayurveda (ii)		2.4 credits	36 hours
	This course allows students to practice and integrate theory and techniques from Intermediate Ayurveda Theory through supervised peer practice and case studies.
Vital Energies of Plants		2.6 credits	40 hours
	Students learn the theory of plants as they relate to Ayurvedic energy medicine, and the application of plants in diet as well as external therapies. Students wild-craft plants and prepare medicated oils, pastes and poultices. Physical techniques are explored and include Pinda Sweda (one and two person massage) and Basti Deep Oil Well.
Practical Ayurveda (iii)		2.4 credits	36 hours
	This course allows students to practice and integrate theory and techniques from Vital Energies of Plants through supervised peer and client practice and case studies.
Total		16.8 credits	252 hours

Integrative Eastern Therapeutic Bodywork		Total Requirements
Health, Disease and Well-being		1.6 credits	24 hours
	Students learn and integrate the health and disease process, exploring physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects. In particular, this course examines the disease process as seen through the eyes of Yoga (karma, chakras, nadis), Ayurveda (doshas, sub-doshas, pathways, tissues, channels, Marma) and Thai Shamanism and disease (phi, kwan, etc.).




Diagnostic Tools		3 credits	45 hours
	In this practical training component students learn and practice basic diagnostic tools in the Eastern Therapeutic traditions including tongue, pulse and Marma according to Ayurvedic models, touch diagnosis, observations, questions, intuition and Marma diagnosis.
ETB Practicum		2.4 credits	36 hours
	Case studies and supervised peer practice are used in this course to integrate theory on health, disease and well-being. Students also refine diagnostic tools and skills.
Integrative Bodywork		0.8 credit	12 hours
	This course enables students to approach the theory and application of the 3 traditions within Eastern Therapeutic Bodywork as an integrative practice. In particular, the course explores energetics of Yogatherapy as applied to Thai massage (e.g. Vayus, elements, heating/cooling, chakras), physiological impacts of Yogatherapy in Thai massage, and also Ayurveda and Marmatherapy as applied to Thai massage.
Ethics Through the Eyes of Yoga, Meditation, and Theravada Buddhism (Thai)		1.4 credits	21 hours
	This course is a practical exposure to traditional Thai and Indian ethics that guide the client/practitioner relationship. This is achieved through ongoing practices of ceremony and compassion-meditation as experiential examples of ethics as it relates to Eastern medicine. The course includes lectures and discourse on ethics from these vantage points.
Business for Bodywork Therapists		3 credit	45 hours
	In this business course students learn essential tools for entering into business upon graduation. Students learn about business planning, marketing strategies, business set-up and record keeping. Students also explore variables involved in being a professional in their field of training, and the requirements to maintain a dynamic business that responds to the market-needs and business-trends.
Client/Practitioner Interactions		0.4 credit	6 hours
	In this course students develop and deepen client-practitioner interactive skills including the art of listening, record keeping, follow-up, boundaries, and transference and counter-transference.
ETB Clinic		7.2 credits	108 hours
	Students truly benefit from extended and in-depth supervised practice as they deepen techniques and skills in diagnosis, therapeutic application, follow-up and client interactions. This component includes case studies, peer practice, and client interactions in the clinical setting.
Total		19.8 credits	297 hours

International Association of Yoga Therapists

Pacific Rim College is a Registered Yoga School with the Yoga Alliance. The Foundations of Yogatherapy contains a Yoga Teacher Training component that is recognized by the Yoga Alliance at the 200-hour level. Additionally, PRC is a member school of the International Association of Yoga Therapists.

The Diploma of Eastern Therapies and Bodywork is 4 semesters in length. New student intakes are in January and September, and all new students must complete the one-week General Introduction. Each of the semester-long components serves as an independent certificate program. Upon completion of all 3 certificate programs (Foundations of Yogatherapy, Traditional Thai Massage and Fundamentals of Ayurvedic Marmatherapy), students are eligible to enrol in the final semester of Integrative Eastern Therapeutic Bodywork leading to a Diploma of Eastern Therapies and Bodywork. Students do not have to complete the certificate programs in any particular order to be eligible for the diploma program.

Students of the Diploma of Eastern Therapies and Bodywork can complete clinical training in PRC's on-campus Student Clinic.

Please click here for more information on Clinical Training at PRC.

The Diploma of Eastern Therapeutic Bodywork program equips students with an understanding of the meaning of "healing" and the sources of disease/illness/imbalance within the framework of energy medicine. Students learn Yogatherapy, Thai Massage, and Ayurvedic Marmatherapy in a comparative and complementary framework, including diagnostic techniques unique to each and tongue and pulse diagnosis. To facilitate the healing process in clients, graduates have the ability to determine how and when to apply (or not apply) each modality in a clinical setting, and how each modality complements the other.

Graduates of the Diploma of Eastern Therapies and Bodywork have a multitude of skills to draw on as practitioners, helping to create work opportunities in a variety of settings. Graduates may find work in the fields of sports injury/recovery, rehabilitation for injuries and post-surgical conditions, and general support for trauma, illness and disease recovery on physical, mental and emotional levels. Occupational settings may include spas and retreat centres, professional clinics, community health centres, sports and injury recovery centres and more.

ETB graduates are able to return and participate as interns in classes free of charge. Internships offer opportunities for further exploration and to deepen knowledge and skills for continuous practice. Interns may attend open lectures, and may be asked to help in the classroom. Workshops and some lectures are excluded, and space is limited. Advanced booking through the Program Director is necessary.

Admission into the Diploma of Eastern Therapies and Bodywork at Pacific Rim College is on a competitive basis. Entering students must have a high school diploma or an equivalency test, or adequate post-secondary education, and all non-native English speaking applicants must demonstrate a mastery of written and spoken English. Any foreign applicant may be required to submit an official score report from an English proficiency exam such as TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Test System). Furthermore, applicants must be physically able to complete the movements and techniques taught in the program, must have been engaged in regular yoga practice in any style for at least a year, and need to complete the Foundations of Yogatherapy Certificate, the Traditional Thai Massage Certificate and the Fundamentals of Ayurvedic Marmatherapy Certificate prior to entering into the final semester of the ETB program.

Pacific Rim College is determined to produce only the highest quality health practitioners. As a result, we reserve the right to admit and to retain only students who demonstrate the potential to achieve at the upper-most level. Applicants will be evaluated based on merits such as high academic achievement, emotional maturity, humanitarian activities, morality, community involvement and health-related experience.

To apply for admission into the Diploma of Eastern Therapies and Bodywork, please click on the button below and complete an online or paper application. Applicants are encouraged to apply by July 15 for September enrolment. Applications will still be considered after this date, but enrolment space will be limited. Upon favourable review of your application by our admissions committee, you may be contacted for an interview, which can be carried out via telephone if a person-to-person interview is not possible.

Applicants who hold a current Yoga Alliance recognized 200-hour teacher training certificate and who want to be considered for exemption from the YTT intensive portion of Foundations of Yogatherapy must submit with their application a copy of their certificate along with curriculum of the teacher training program. The certificate and curriculum will be taken into consideration together in awarding the exemption.

All successful applicants must submit a non-refundable enrolment deposit of $700 within 2 weeks of acceptance or by the 15th of the month preceding enrolment, whichever comes first. Enrolment space will not be reserved without this deposit. This deposit is credited toward tuition fees for the fourth and final semester of the ETB diploma program only. Should a student decide not to enrol in the fourth semester or be dismissed prior to the semester, the enrolment deposit will be forfeited and cannot be used to offset any charges the student may have on account. Should a student decide to defer studies at any time, the deposit will be held until the student resumes studies provided that it is within one calendar year of the deferral. The returning student will, however, lose the reduced tuition fee of $3400 for the final ETB semester and will instead be required to pay a tuition fee of $3800. If a deferred student does not return within one calendar year, the enrolment deposit will be forfeited.

International students are welcome to attend Pacific Rim College and are encouraged to apply. Canadian law requires foreign students to have a valid study permit to study in Canada. Pacific Rim College provides international students with the necessary documentation to receive a valid study permit. In some cases students can apply for and obtain a permit upon entering Canada.

The general program schedule for each component of the Diploma of Eastern Therapies and Bodywork is as follows. Please note, a minimum of 8 students is required for the fourth and final semester of the diploma program to be offered. Without exception, students can only complete one program per semester.

Fall 2011 Intake
Foundations of Yogatherapy (FYT): September 2011 - December 2011
Traditional Thai Massage (TTM): January 2012 - April 2012
Fundamentals of Ayurvedic Marmatherapy (FAM): September 2012 - December 2012
Eastern Therapies and Bodywork (final semester of Diploma Program): January 2013 - April 2013

Fall 2012 Intake
Foundations of Yogatherapy (FYT): September 2012 - December 2012
Traditional Thai Massage (TTM): January 2013 - April 2013
Fundamentals of Ayurvedic Marmatherapy (FAM): September 2013 - December 2013
Eastern Therapies and Bodywork (final semester of Diploma Program): January 2014 - April 2014

Fall 2013 Intake
Foundations of Yogatherapy (FYT): September 2013 - December 2013
Traditional Thai Massage (TTM): January 2014 - April 2014
Fundamentals of Ayurvedic Marmatherapy (FAM): September 2014 - December 2014
Eastern Therapies and Bodywork (final semester of Diploma Program): January 2015 - April 2015

	Winter 2013 - TTM	Winter 2013 - IETB	Fall 2013 - FYT	Weekly Schedule
Orientation	January 8	NA	August 26	FYT and TTM classes are held Mondays and Wednesdays (8:30am-5:30pm) and Fridays (8:30am-12:30pm). FAM and IETB classes are held Tuesdays and Thursdays (8:30am-5:30pm) and Fridays (1:30-5:30pm).
General Introduction	January 8-10	NA	August 26-August 28
First Class Day	January 14	January 15	August 29
Holidays	March 4-8 (Reading Break) March 29 (Good Friday)	March 4-8 (Reading Break) March 29 (Good Friday)	September 2 (Labour Day) October 14-18 (Reading Break) November 11 (Remembrance Day)
Last Day of Class	April 17	April 18	December 12
Other	Workshops: April 20-21, April 27-28, May 4-5	NA	YTT: TBA

Please click below for the class schedules for the Diploma of Eastern Therapies and Bodywork.

The total tuition per component is as follows. Full tuition payment is due by the end of the day of the "First Class Day" as indicated in the Academic Calendar above.

General Introduction	$280

Foundations of Yogatherapy	$4500*

Traditional Thai Massage	$4500

Fundamentals of Ayurvedic Marmatherapy	$3800

Integrative Eastern Therapeutic Bodywork	$4500**

Total (ETB)	$17,580**

*Tuition is $3800 for students who have been exempted from YTT intensive. Please see Admissions section (above) for details.
**Students who apply for the ETB diploma at the outset of their studies, and who do not defer program studies at any time, will receive a $400 discount in the IETB semester, bringing the IETB tuition to $4100.

Please click here for a description of Academic Fees.

Diploma of Eastern Therapies and Bodywork

Total Requirements

General Introduction
Foundations of Yogatherapy (FYT)
Traditional Thai Massage (TTM)
Fundamentals of Ayurvedic Marmatherapy (FAM)
Integrative Eastern Therapeutic Bodywork

1.2 credits
19.5 credits
19.8 credits
16.8 credits
19.8 credits

18 hours
292 hours
297 hours
252 hours
297 hours

77.1 credits

This program is approved for Canada Student Loans. British Columbia residents can apply for student loans online through StudentAid BC by clicking here. Students can also pick up a paper application from PRC or any other academic institution registered with Canada Student Loans. For non-British Columbia residents, please visit www.hrsdc.gc.ca for information about Canada Student Loans.

For a list of all financial aid programs available to PRC students, please visit our Financial Aid page.