Pierce Salguero
I graduated from the University of Virginia in 1996 as an anthropologist with a focus on Asia, and traveled to this part of the world shortly afterward. I soon fell in love with Thailand’s unique culture and rich history, and what started as a short trip turned into a lengthy stay. I lived and studied there from 1997 to 2001, researching Thai medical traditions, learning formally and informally about Thai culture, and exploring an interest in Buddhism through extended stays at Thai meditation centers and monasteries.
During this time I received training as a practitioner of massage and herbal medicine in Chiang Mai, Thailand’s vibrant center of traditional medicine. I apprenticed with individual healers such as Lek Chaiya and Mama Nit, and completed a basic course, internship, and teacher certification at the renowned Shivagakomarpaj Traditional Medicine Hospital’s school of Thai medicine. With the blessing of my teacher, I founded Tao Mountain upon my return to the U.S. in 2002 as a branch of the Shivagakomarpaj lineage. When I started teaching, I wanted to provide for my students an experience as close as possible to the one I had during the time I spent living and studying in Asia.
Throughout this time abroad, I was conducting research into the history, philosophy, and practice of Thai medicine from both an academic and an practitioner’s standpoint. The fruits of this research have been my published books (please see below.)
I moved back to the U.S. primarily to pursue graduate studies, and for the past several years my academic research has remained focused on Asian medicine. Since my return, I received my Master’s Degree from the University of Virginia. I wrote my Master’s Thesis on the cultural history of Thai medicine, particularly focusing on the interplay between Ayurvedic and folk medicine in Thailand. (You can read this thesis in the Members Area.)
Now, I am researching Asian medicine in the History of Medicine Department at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. I am currently working on a Ph.D., with a concentration on the connections between Buddhism and medicine in East Asian communities. I am most interested in the formative period of 500 BC to 500 AD, the period of time which gave rise to the foundations of the traditional Asian healing systems which we know today. I am also interested in the interactions between traditional Asian medicine and Western biomedicine in contemporary times.
I am a member of the Association of Traditional Northern Thai Medicine, and the American Herbalists Guild. My courses are accredited by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB). I am also a member of several academic associations, including the International Association for the Study of Traditional Asian Medicine (IASTAM), the Association of Asian Studies (AAS), and the American Association for the History of Medicine (AAHM).
I am the author of A Thai Herbal, the only English-language guide to Thai Herbal Medicine,The Encyclopedia of Thai Massage, the most comprehensive book on Thai massage therapy in print, and The Spiritual Healing of Traditional Thailand, a detailed book on the history and spirituality of Thai medicine... all on sale via our Educational Materials Page . I have also recently finished a book entitled Traditional Thai Medicine: Buddhism, Animism, Ayurveda, which reviews current historical and anthropological research on Thai healing practices. I have in past years written numerous articles on Thai tradition in magazines such as Yoga Journal, Massage Magazine, Natural Awakenings, Whole Life Times, and others.
Download Pierce's Audio Correspondence Courses in the iHanuman Store:
Download An Excerpt from Pierce's Book, The Encyclopedia of Thai Massage
Download An Excerpt from Pierce's Book, A Thai Herbal
Download An Excerpt from Pierce's Book, The Spiritual Healing of Traditional Medicine
