Our Practitioners
“Thank you for visiting us online. You should know that I am very particular when it comes to receiving massage. That's why I am committed to bringing you the "Best of the Best". Its just one reason why I can offer you a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee, RISK FREE SCHEDULING. Let me introduce you to my team."
Nittha Moxham is a Certified Thai Massage Practitioner (CTMP) that started her professional career with Thai massage in 1996 after graduating from Bang San Pan Boran (a traditional Thai massage school in the northeastern region of Thailand).
Nittha traveled to the USA for the first time in 2009 to join her family. Once in the USA, Nittha completed formal internships at the Thai Institute of Healing Arts in Arlington, VA focusing on advanced thai massage techniques. Nittha is passionate about helping others. In Thailand, she often volunteered her time to massage the poor and elderly.
One of the reasons she enjoys offering massage therapy is that it provides her an opportunity to help people better understand how to take care of their body's to create wellness.
Nittha's calm personality, warm smile, and friendly presence makes us extremely proud to have her as a member of our family. These are also the reasons you'll enjoy the time you spend with her during your therapeutic massage session. She is available to help you through the healing arts of Thailand by scheduling an appointment at the Thai Institute of Healing Arts in Arlington, VA.
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Jillian Kolnitys is a Certified Massage Therapist (CMT) and a Certified Thai Massage Practitioner (CTMP) that started her professional career with massage therapy in the year 2000. Jillian is a graduate of the Utah College of Massage Therapy in Salt Lake City. After graduating, Jillian performed massage in many elite spa destinations across the USA. She has been employed at such locations as Michigan (her home state), Uta
h, Montana, Alaska, Georgia, Maryland, and Virginia.
In 2011, Jillian embarked on a life long journey with the Thai healing arts. She started her studies at the Thai Institute of Healing Arts in Arlington, VA learning traditional Thai massage, Thai culture, and the Thai traditions. As Jillian continues her formal education at the Thai Institute, she is following a traditional Thai model of learning that has been in place for 100's of years by apprenticing with a Thai Doctor of Massage. She is learning the Thai traditions both formally and informally through oral transmission. She's been fascinated with the depth of knowledge and effectiveness she's experienced in applying Thai massage with her clients.
Jillian has experience and a specialization with swedish massage, deep tissue massage, sports therapy massage, and structural integration along with her Thai massage background. She is the mother of 3 young beautiful children.
Whether she's performing massage in a top notch spa or for her family in the living room, Jillian puts her heart and passion into every session. She is always interested in fully understanding your individual goals so that she can customize her massage to meet your specific needs. To schedule an appointment with Jillian at the Thai Institute of Healing Arts you may call (703-522-8424) or schedule your massage appointment online.
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Wilailack ("Bell") Pimuk is a Certified Thai Massage Practitioner (CTMP) that started performing massage at a very young age in her native home country of Thailand. Bell was first introduced to massage at a young age - typical in Thailand. Parents teach their children how to perform massage as part of the oral tradition that has been handed down for centuries. This allows the child to help the parents with their discomforts, preparing the parents for the hard work ahead on the next day. As the child grows up, they will then teach their children the same techniques thus allow the healing arts of Thailand to live throughout generations.
Bell also formally studied Thai massage through an exhaustive program developed and sponsored by the Ministry of Public Health in Thailand. She completed several hundred hours of classroom and practical study before traveling to the USA to study at the Thai Institute of Healing Arts in Arlington, VA. In addition to Bell learning through the oral tradition and formally in classrooms, she has also completed a private apprenticeship with a Master Teacher and Doctor of Massage from Thailand - Sararut Pilakun Roylance.
Bell has relocated from Northern Thailand to Northern Virginia to focus on deepening her understanding of American culture, language, and to provide traditional Thai healing arts to the American people. Her warm smile and healing touch is sure to help ensure you achieve optimal health. To schedule an appointment with Bell at the Thai Institute of Healing Arts you may call (703-522-8424) or schedule your massage appointment online.
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Jeff Hawkins is a Certified Massage Therapist (CMT) and a Certified Thai Massage Practitioner (CTMP) that has studied Thai massage up to the Advanced level. He's experienced a long and vibrant career working with his hands. Jeff has performed massage in many elite spa destinations across Virginia. He has a passion for helping others to achieve health and wellness.
Jeff graduate from the Northern Virginia School of Therapeutic Massage and the Thai Institute of Healing Arts.
Jeff has completed intensive private studies with a Master Teacher from Thailand. He has studied in the oral tradition with teachers of Thai massage from multiple lineages.
Jeff was born in Winchester, VA and grew up in Silver Spring, MD. He is a native Washingtonian that enjoys knowing he's making a difference in the community with massage therapy. A large majority of his guests enjoy yoga as well as receive a regular massage with him. Jeff has noticed the mutual benefits people receive from combining both yoga and massage in their wellness plan. Whether it be chronic back pain, neck pain, stress relief, or a debilitating illness, Jeff is ready to help you feel your best.
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Sararut (Sara) Roylance is a Doctor of Massage in Thailand that has been performing massage since age 9. She first started learning massage as a child in her remote village of Udon
Thani, Thailand.
Since that time, Sara has completed formal training at several prestigious schools in Thailand with over 3000 hours of training and education. She has worked professionally in Thailand as a Massage Therapist and Instructor. Sara is currently a Senior Instructor, Director of Charitable Projects and our Director of Therapeutics with the Thai Institute of Healing Arts.
Prior to traveling to the USA, Sara was contracted by several top name Thai spas in Thailand to design their spas, train their employees, and manage their operations. While she enjoyed this work immensely, Sara's real passion is working with Guests to improve their health with Traditional Thai medical massage and related techniques. Sara is considered to be a Dr. of Massage in Thailand and is a traditional Thai medical doctoral candidate in the disciplines of doctor of herbal medicine, herbal pharmacy, and traditional OB/GYN (Thai midwifery).
More about Sara Roylance as a Senior Instructor.
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David Roylance is the Executive Director and Founder of Touch of Asia - Therapy Center and the Thai Institute of Healing Arts. David graduated from Salisbury State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Information Systems Management in 1997. He then started a career in the corporate world of Information Technology, progressing through the ranks of management. He always had a strong passion for helping others and found himself always looking for ways to help his employees grow in their career and gain further education.
David soon discovered the healing art of Thai massage on a trip to Thailand. He then studied Thai massage and became a Certified Thai Massage Practitioner in 2003 and Certified Thai Massage Instructor in 2004.
He has received recognition as a Certified Teacher of authentic Thai massage, Thai herbal massage, Advanced Techniques for Thai Massage, and Traditional Thai Herbal Medicine from the Thai Massage School Shivagakomarpaj (also known as the "Old Medicine Hospital") in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The Old Medicine Hospital is one of the most prestigious and well known Thai massage and traditional Thai medical hospitals in Thailand. Following strict cultural protocols, the Old Medicine Hospital does not issue teaching certification to anyone who is a non-Thai. David has been presented this rare certification in recognition of his dedication to Thai culture and traditional medicine. (See more about our lineage here.)
David has lived and worked with the Thai people since 2001. He has personally visited over 150 Thai temples in both the USA and Thailand. He currently lives in Thailand 3 months per year and speaks Thai. David is able to share his insights and cultural experiences from continuous interaction with the vibrant culture of Thailand including knowledge of the Thai healing arts.
David is regularly invited to venues all over the region and internationally as a guest speaker and Thai Massage Instructor. David has always felt charitable giving is an important component to any business that benefits from indigenous knowledge of another culture. Since first founding both businesses, David has initiated several charitable projects that give back to the people of Southeast Asia - especially Thailand.
More about David Roylance as our Executive Director.
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A trip to Thailand in Dec 2002 changed my life forever. People often ask, was it the culture, the sites, the sounds, the generosity of the Thai people, what was it that changed your life?…I’ll tell you what it was.
......I have got to tell you that all those aspects of Thailand and many more drastically changed my life back in Dec 2002. But what changed it more than any one singular item is the revelation I had when I received my very first Thai Massage.
See, I often struggled with back pain. Its related to an old injury I received while in college. I would wake up in the mornings with extreme lower back pain. It was so very bad that some days it kept me from work or even my hobbies and fun activities. I would be confined to my bed for at least a day or sometimes multiple days.
My visit to Thailand in Dec 2002 was supposed to be just a little 3-week trip to get acquainted with the country and enjoy some travel time. Within the first few days of my arrival to Thailand, I was introduced to Traditional Thai Massage. I went to a well-known Temple, Wat Po, that had a school and massage clinic right onsite.
“After just one Thai massage, I knew this was not only a technique that was going to help my aching back but that I wanted to learn the technique myself. I wanted to help others by sharing Thai massage.“
Not many people realize this; Thai massage has been practiced in Thailand for nearly 1000 years. Its been passed down from one generation to the next in an oral transmission. (Grand parent to Parent to Child, continuously in somewhat of a heredity cycle.)
“ It wasn’t until recently that the Western world even discovered Thai massage.“
In 2003, I launched Touch of Asia from my 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom condo. We were the very first to introduce this healing art to the Washington, DC, Virginia, Maryland area.
Now years later, we have a Healing Center that receives accolades from all across the country. We also founded the largest Thai massage school in the USA, the Thai Institute of Healing Arts.
Massage Therapists, Physical Therapists, Doctors, Nurses, Yoga Instructors, and all types of interested individuals come to learn. They travel from all over the country and international locations to receive high quality Thai massage instruction from us. (It’s been our pleasure and honor to share the Thai healing arts with others.)
“ I am very proud of the Thais and Westerners that are part of The Thai Institute family. We are very pleased to be able to offer you the very best in the healing arts. ”
Most of our staff have been performing massage from birth. Its part of the oral tradition that continues in Thailand, in our school and in our therapy centersat Touch of Asia in Sterling, VA and at the Thai Institute of Healing Arts in Arlington, VA.
“ So, whether it’s a back pain like mine or something else, neck pain, stress, headaches, muscle stiffness/soreness, chronic illness, we have the experience to help you. ”
I invite you to come get healthy through the Thai Healing Arts offered here at our massage center.
with metta (loving kindness),
David - Founder
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