Asokananda (Harald Brust), a native German, was arguably the leading Western teacher of Traditional Thai Yoga Massage. He researched and taught Thai massage, yoga and Vipassana meditation for more than 15 years. He personally trained and authorized some of the most established teachers of Thai massage in the West, including Soul D. Raye from California, Chow Kam Thye from Montreal/Canada, Laurino Bertelli and Andrea Baglioni from Bologna/Italy, Kira Balaskas from London, Prabhat Menon from Mumbai/India and Vera Lier from Germany. His book The Art of Traditional Thai Massage, published in Bangkok in 1990, was the first publication ever in any language other than Thai. "This book is an excellent introduction to Thai massage, and with its companion Part II (Thai Massage for Advanced Practitioners) includes clear instructions and excellent BW photographs of various techniques. East meets West in methodical thinking and presentation." willie@northcoast.com in amazon.com readers' review. "Asokananda...is internationally known and respected for his teaching and his book, The Art of Traditional Thai Massage ... is the best that I have read on the subject." Clare Maxwell-Hudson in MASSAGE and HEALTH REVIEW, Summer 1998. Asokananda studied community development in Germany. Since 1978 he has spent most of his time in Asia. He studied Vipassana meditation with Sayadaw U Janaka in Burma, yoga with Yogavacara Rahula in Sri Lanka and Thai massage with Piched Boonthumme and Chaiyuth Priyasith in Thailand. He was temporarily ordained as a Buddhist monk in Sri Lanka. Asokananda passed away on the 24th June 2005 after a sudden illness.

More than our teacher. More than our friend.

Asokananda died on Friday, 24 June 2005.

Deeply respected for his spiritual life, studies and teachings, we wish his light will forever stay with us. Through each massage we give, every student we teach, we will always be thankful for what he simply allowed us to discover and share, everyday.
OM MANI PADME HUM
May all beings develop understanding of suffering and impermanence within our human condition. May all beings have the chance to grieve when suffering is unbearable, knowing that this is also impermanent, and that going through it mindfully is a way to develop an open heart towards ourselves and others, and eventually to overcome it.
Even if we are timeless, and the count of years, or months' has nothing to do with our real experience, because the conception of time is finally not more than a conventional form that we must learn in order to play the rules of this world, after a year of his passing I want to seat, to meditate and chant, in the memory of a being who pointed out a way for me, finding an excuse to bring back to the present moment the huge strength and wisdom that he allowed me to share with him. In whatever condition he may find himself in, with an immense feeling of gratitude towards Asokananda from the vastness of my heart.
Today, still out of grief and sorrow.
Just an invitation to chant and meditate together.

Maria, 22 May 2006