At Baan Zen you will really unwind in a Thai traditional house, overlooking the lagoon

You will  practice gentle or more "technical" hatha yoga with Joy  a caring, experienced Sivananda yoga teacher or  treat yourself to a range of " well being " therapies such as Reiki or Chakras balancing

You will have to decide which type of lodging you wish - according to your budget and your expectation of confort - and book directly with the hotel or guest house of your choice.

Our workshop are rather an intimate small group holiday( 2 pax sometimes 4 pax ) where you can connect and share with like-minded people who have yoga,reiki or well being in common and where all levels of experience and ability are welcome either as an introduction , or a wonderful way to keep your practice alive whilst on holiday..

It is an alternative activity holiday with the emphasis on healthy fun, adventure and relaxation, and is ideal for singles, friends or couples who would like to retreat from the pressures of everyday life and return home feeling refreshed and ready to start again.

Before or after your stay in Koh Chang you may decide to discover the famous Angkor Vat in Cambodia ( only one day journey from Koh Chang ) or simply take guided nature walks in unspoilt tropical Koh Chang National Parc.

A few things you should be aware concerning the “Thai tradition "

1. Always take your shoes off before entering a temple building and leave them outside. It is not usually necessary to remove socks. This is available when entering a Thai house too . It’s a sign of “respect “

2. Dress respectfully. Do not, for example, wear shorts, open shirts or revealing clothes.

3. On entry it is polite to show respect to the Buddha and the monks by placing the palms of your hands together, as if praying, and bowing.

4. Sitting is usually on the floor so sit in a way so that your feet are pointing away from the Buddha and the monks. Ideally sit with your legs tucked under you or to one side.

5. You should never try to shake hands with or touch a monk. If you offer food or a gift to a monk, he will offer you a cloth on which to place the offering.

6. Never touch a Buddha image in a temple.

7. Always ask permission before taking photographs.!!
This rule apply everywhere in Thailand and—I would say—in the world

Understanding Thai People ( if possible )

Nam Jai น้ำใจ "Juice of the heart"

You could say everything starts with nam-jai, literally "juice of the heart" or "flow of the heart".

While independence is at the core of a Westerner's self-esteem and image, Thai judge themselves and others in Thai society primarily based on the degree to which they show nam-jai. Nam-jai is "generosity", a desire to give one's time, resources, and attention to others just for the good feeling it generates in both. A person who shows nam-jai will not ask for money or any kind of payment in exchange for her generosity. The Thais will even feel uneasy accepting a payment that is offered for her generosity, because this suggests that she did it for the payment instead of the good will.

Unless they are particularly cosmopolitan, the Thais you meet will assume that you are like them, and that you too must derive most of your self-esteem from your show of nam-jai. For example, your girlfriend is proud of you and wants to show you off as a generous person. Without asking you directly, she may give you opportunities to be generous. She may take you out to dinner with friends. She won't say "P' Bob, do you mind paying for my friends' meals?" Instead, she'll assume that you, as a person who has more money than her friends, will want to show your generosity by paying for all her friends.

We Westerners hate this type of behaviour. We see it as a shameless manipulation. Does she see you as her sugar daddy or what? Remember, from a Thai perspective, it gives people self-esteem to be generous. Your partner and her family are not trying to take advantage of you. They are doing the same thing they would do with a Thai man who they think might be able and willing to help the family.

In the common case where her family is poorer than you, you know that they will never be able to pay you back anywhere near the amount you've been shelling out to them. But the fact is that they will always remember your generosity. Many Westerners who struggle day-by-day over whether or not they are a "sugar daddy" suddenly let go when, one day, they are surprised to find themselves at the receiving end of nam-jai.

Sam neuk boon koon สำนึกบุญคุณ

What makes a nam-jai based sociey able to survive is the boon-koon system, specifically the value of sam-neuk-boon-koon. Sam-neuk-boon-koon is the balancing element that makes the system work.

Roughly speaking, Sam-neuk-boon-koon means to repay favours that people do for you (to "honour your debts" in Western terms). But there's more to it than that. Suppose Lek, a manager at ABC Company, does a favour for his old friend Gung by finding him a job at the company. Gung was raised to Sam-neuk-boon-koon and so he:

1. makes a commitment and makes himself available to repay Lek's favour when Lek needs something.

2. appreciates Lel's generosity by showing Lek respect, deference, and consideration in manner and speech.

3. frequently reminds himself of Lek's generous act and his own commitment to return the favour to Lek.

Thai society is a cycle of nam-jai and Sam-neuk-boon-koon supporting each other.

One final example to illustrate this concept: Suppose Gung puts in one or two weekends of overtime work - roughly the same amount of time that Lek spent to write a recommendation for Gung and get him a job. Now, suppose that Lek needs Gung to come in on many, many more weekends. If Gung was like a typical Westerner, he might get annoyed. He might think, "Wait a minute! I've paid my debt - enough is enough. It's Lek's problem, not mine. Now Lek is taking advantage of me." But Gung is Thai. He would come in on as many weekends as he possible can, because he wants to show his nam-jai to Lek.

Source: "Thailand Fever" by Chris Pirazzi and Vitida