Sharpening the Claws

January 2027

12-day Zenthai Post Graduate Gathering

with Osteopathic & East Asian Insights
Siem Reap, Cambodia

Zenthai Post Grad Retreat - Cambodia

Dr. Haidee Benning (Osteopath) is your host for this Cambodia gathering, bringing 30years of clinical experience. Sally Meredith & Yuta Takahara (leaders of the VIC Zenthai Program) will be accompanying.

An opportunity to enhance your Zen Thai Shiatsu Practice with daily classes that are jam packed with Osteopathic and traditional East Asian cultural wisdom for assimilation and integration.

A sharpening of your claws... This offering highlights a process of mastery and adaptability.

Experience a practical and detailed understanding of anatomy and physiology with Dr Haidee Benning (Osteopath), with an emphasis on refining your assessment, diagnostic and palpation skills and building confidence in your ability to develop treatment plans and support our clients with 'take home' rehabilitation and management advice “off the mat”.

Deepen your understanding of the East Asian roots of our Zenthai practice through learning about the Khmer civilisation (both past and present), Hinduism and Buddhism, and being introduced to some of the traditional medicine practices still used to this day that date back to vedic times and the ancient Angkor Period.

As our knowledge of the body and its physiology from both a western medical and traditional eastern perspective grows, the goal is that our enhanced wisdom will better inform our own intuitive and creative flow in living practice. As we learn, integrate and abide by these principles, our capacity to facilitate a deeply healing, nurturing and supportive experience magnifes.

12 days in the Angkor Empire of Siem Reap, Cambodia

Join us to explore the incredible UNESCO world heritage site of Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world. Originally a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu which later became a Buddhist site.

During our time in Siem Reap, we will visit many other amazing temple complexes including Angkor Tom, Bayon, and Ta Prohm to name a few. We will also visit one of the most revered spiritual sites in Cambodia, Phnom Kulen, a pilgrimage mountain for the Cambodian people.

We have a beautiful large home in a quiet area of Siem Reap. It is only a short Tuk Tuk ride (10min max) to downtown / pub street / riverside area where all the action is.

There are two different room options, twin share ($3600AUD), or single room to yourself ($3750AUD).
Each bedroom has an aircon unit, and its own ensuite.

The practice area / learning area is also air-conditioned.

Couples are welcome and cots / baby mattresses on the floor for babies / little ones are also available at a small additional cost.

Where: Siem Reap, Cambodia

When: Jan 2027 (exact dates TBC)

Investment:

$3600AUD Twin Share or $3750AUD Single room.
All meals, accommodation, excursions and manuals included.

Upon successful application you will be required to make a deposit to secure your place. $600 deposit for twin room share, or $750 deposit for single room.

Please note: This gathering is a postgraduate offering for those who have undergone the 9-month Zenthai Therapist Program.

"It is our hope that you will integrate this wisdom and ultimately transcend these principles to seamlessly incorporate them into your own approach to treatment, service of others, and for life in general!"

~ With warmth and smiles from Haidee, Sally and Yuta

Endless opportunities to...

Refine your competence and confidence

Immerse into East Asian culture

Connect through movement

Enjoy nature adventures and cultural activities

Get inspired and nourished

Meet your teachers and Hosts

Sally grew up with Yoga and Dance as part of her childhood and is an experienced yoga teacher. She joined the Zen Thai Shiatsu community in 2015 and has been teaching alongside master Gwynny in the Sunshine Coast and on Bali trainings for many years, With her husband Yuta she has also brought the Zenthai Therapist Program to VIC where they lead the training from their beloved "Shed Dojo" in Beaconsfield, VIC. As well as running the Therapist Program in VIC, Sally and Yuta also take a group to Japan each year for a travelling retreat of Yoga, Zenthai, hotsprings, Zen Temples, Japanese culture and spirituality and food! Sally also has an online yoga platform: www.aliveyogi.com where she shares many valuable classes on a wide range of themes. Sally's gifts as a teacher both of Yoga and Zen Thai Shiatsu lie in her open hearted incredibly generous capacity to make everyone feel welcome, valued, seen and supported. She teaches from a place of integrity and sincerity with a level of generosity that is rarely
seen and deeply appreciated by all.

Alongside his Zen Thai Shiatsu Practice, Yuta has also studied Shiatsu, Thai massage, Reiki, Dance and Yoga. His embodied practice and teaching is deeply informed by his intuitive capacity to read the bodies energetic, emotional and physiological needs in the moment. Yuta along with his wife Sally facilitate the Zen Thai Shiatsu Therapist training program in Victoria and also hosts annual visits to Japan where he shares his Japanese culture, history and spirituality. When teaching and assisting other Zen Thai Shiatsu students Yuta has a deeply valued ability to encourage a spacious introspective reflection that tunes in and refines ones capacity to settle, balance and restore vitality with therapeutic touch. Observing and learning from Yuta inspires one to seek meditative stillness within the creative
flow and truly tap into the limitless healing capacity that exists within us all.

Haidee has worked in Natural Medicine for over 30 years. Throughout the 90s she worked as a Remedial and Sports Massage Therapist in a wide range of settings from private hospitals, nursing homes and rehab centres to elite athletes and sporting teams. In the late 90s she returned to Uni to study Osteopathic Medicine where she obtained her bachelor and masters degree. Passionate about Anatomy, Neurology and Clinical Sciences, she also spent time teaching Osteopathic students, Myotherapy students,, Naturopathic students and Post Graduate Degree Medicine Students. In 2011 - 2016 whilst living in France, Haidee also studied Ayurvedic Medicine in both France and India. For over 20 years Haidee worked in private practice in the Geelong, Surfcoast and Shipwreck Coast region of southwest Vic. Haidee joined the Zen Thai Shiatsu Family in 2023 when she completed her Therapist training with Sally and Yuta in Melbourne. Haidee has also completed several additional Zen Thai Shiatsu training programs with Gwyn, Sally, and Merryn in both Australia and Bali and is delighted to support fellow Practitioners and Therapists to grow and enhancing their skills with her
clinical experience, osteopathic and ayurvedic understanding.seen and deeply appreciated by all.