About Our Founder
Kam Thye Chow
Founder of Lotus Palm School
Native of Malaysia, Kam Thye was raised in the tradition of Asian arts and healing customs. He had practiced Tai Chi Chuan and Chinese massage since the age of 13 and had studied Kung Fu and Chi Gong for more than 20 years.
Kam Thye was a resident of Thailand for many years and during this time followed the instructions of Asokananda, who was himself a pupil of the renowned Thai Massage masters, Chaiyuth Priyasith and Piched Boonthumme. Eventually, the pupil became the teacher and Kam Thye spent many years instructing martial arts and Thai Massage in North America, Asia and Europe.
In 1995 he founded the Lotus Palm School in Montreal, it became the first educational institution on the continent dedicated to the teachings and propagation of the art of Thai Yoga massage. His concise, compassionate, and safe approach to the art, is specifically designed to integrate Eastern knowledge of the mind, body and spirit with the Western understanding of the body.
In 2002, he published his first book, Thai Yoga Massage, which is paired with a comprehensive instructional DVD. The book has since been translated into seven languages and its consequent success prompted a second work in 2006, Thai Yoga Therapy for Your Body Type: An Ayurvedic Tradition. The second publication focused on Ayurveda and its implication in the therapeutic tradition of massage. In 2011, Kam Thye put to print his final book, Advanced Thai Yoga Massage, which reinforced his teachings with an in depth look at energy lines (“Sen lines”) and marma points. These writings remain the fundamental resources and reference points, for both teachers and students of Lotus Palm.
Kam Thye was also a celebrated artist, his illustrations and diagrams for Sen lines and Thai massage, appeared regularly in publications. He was also very pleased to have designed the Lotus Palm Thai yoga massage mats and many of the school’s logos. He was a proud Canadian and made every effort to support his community and always featured local and Canadian-made products in the Lotus Shop.
Kam Thye continued at Lotus Palm as both a consultant and teacher,
until his passing on March 27, 2018.