Meet Our Instructors

Jill Burynski

Jill has been working in the field of holistic health and alternative medicine since 1992. Her career began in bodywork in 1996 after receiving her level II Reiki certification. By 1998 she was a Nationally Certified Massage Therapist graduating from the Florida School of Massage in Gainesville, FL. In 2001 she received her certification as a Holistic Health Practitioner from Mueller College of Holistic Studies in San Diego, CA.

Jill, a longtime yoga practitioner, wanted to integrate the benefits of yoga with the effectiveness of massage and bodywork which led her to specialize in Thai Massage. In 2003, she took her first trip to Thailand to study at the Old Medicine Hospital in Chiang Mai.

After this, Jill went on to become a spa trainer and consultant creating spa treatments and protocols to spas nationwide. She also completed two yoga teacher trainings in two states. These experiences helped her to realize her love of teaching.

In 2008, Jill returned to Thailand to continue her studies of Thai Massage and become a Thai Massage Teacher approved by the Thai Ministry of Education. In addition to being an approved provider of continuing education for the NCBTMB and the Florida Department of Health, Jill is also a massage and bodywork instructor for the State of North Carolina and a reviewer for Elsevier Massage Therapy Textbooks.

In 2009, Jill founded Living Sabai, a continuing education company for massage therapists. She teaches Thai massage CE trainings at numerous massage schools and has been a presenter at several massage conventions.

Jill continues to return to Thailand regularly to study with her teachers and bring massage therapists on study abroad trips for advanced training. Jill resides with her family in Asheville, NC.

Jess Barnwell

Jess Barnwell (she/her/hers) is a Thai Instructor and an Advanced Practitioner from Asheville, NC. She has studied Thai Bodywork for the past ten years, beginning her journey with Living Sabai, then continued on to study in Thailand at ITM in Chiang Mai, OmSala, and with Thai Master Pischet Boonthumme and Aon Boonthaumme. Jess brings a calming energy to her classes, and provides a grounded atmosphere that allows time and space for technique and intention to soak in.

Thai Bodywork has helped facilitate true healing in her own body, as well as connect her to a community she holds dear. Because of this, she loves to share this work with others who may also be deeply impacted, and is passionate about furthering her student’s knowledge and experience in this ancient modality.

As bodyworkers we develop personal styles and rhythms. Jess leans toward a slow, deep, rhythmic approach to Thai. Incorporating deep sustained compressions, allowing the body and spirit to feel safe and unguarded, she guides the client through supported passive stretches, breath work, and a dance between giver and receiver. It is her belief that when we nurture ourselves and allow others to nurture us through healing, we can welcome our very best selves and walk the Earth in authenticity.

Marijean Rue

Marijean Rue has been a licensed massage therapist since 2010 and a Thai Massage instructor since 2017. After discovering Thai Massage through Living Sabai early in her career, she transformed her practice through its ergonomic techniques and therapeutic depth. Marijean became Living Sabai’s first instructor after founder Jill Burynski and has been an integral part of the teaching team ever since.

She teaches continuing education as well as at massage schools, sharing her deep knowledge with clarity and generosity. Since 2019, Marijean has traveled regularly to Thailand to further her studies and to lead Living Sabai study-abroad trips.

Marijean is known for her wealth of knowledge, supportive teaching style, and passion for helping therapists expand their skills and sustain long, healthy careers in bodywork.

 NCBTMB provider # 45102-09

Heather Rowell

Graduating from the NC School of Advanced Bodywork in 2016, Heather immediately dove into the world of Thai Massage. She attended all of Living Sabai’s CE classes and completed the Advanced Thai Massage Certification by 2017. Heather has traveled to Chiang Mai, Thailand multiple times to study at the International Training Massage School (ITM), Omsala, and the Sunshine School, learning advanced techniques, including Abdominal Chi Massage.

In the midst of this deep learning, Heather has dominated the rising American Massage Championships at the state and national level. She has won more than 15 awards and medals, including Overall #1 Massage Therapist in the USA for 2024. She is now the Co-Director of the NC State Massage Championship. Heather owns a private practice, Organic Touch Inc, in Mint Hill, NC offering private coaching and mentorship in addition to teaching CE classes for Living Sabai and practicing bodywork.

Heather brings a passion for Thai culture and massage to all of her classes. Her unique way of incorporating both Eastern & Western holistic practices is what sets her and her practice apart. She agrees with the Thai “Sabai” approach to massage, that when done properly, it is beneficial for both the giver and receiver.

John Terribili

John Terribili is an advanced practitioner of Thai massage, having transitioned from a successful 25-year career in IT. His journey into bodywork began in 2018 at The Healing Arts and Massage School in Raleigh, NC, where he first encountered Thai massage. After obtaining his license in 2020, he immediately began training with Living Sabai. The moment he took his first 3-Day Intensive class, he was hooked! Over the next two years, John completed all of Living Sabai’s classes and served as a teacher’s assistant in many courses. In February 2023, he took part in the Study Abroad program, expanding his education at ITM, OmSala, and Boonthumme Thai Massage school, where he had the privilege of studying under renowned instructor Pichest Boonthumme and his son, Aon Boonthumme.

Today, John runs his own Thai bodywork practice in a community bodywork collective in Durham, NC. His approach to Thai massage is slow, meditative, and calming, focusing on helping clients release trauma held in the body. In addition to Thai massage, he is a certified Yin yoga instructor and appreciates the deep complementarity between the two practices.

Passionate about sharing the healing art of Thai bodywork, John’s teaching style mirrors the calm and thoughtful energy he brings to his sessions. He lives in Durham, NC, with his family.

Sarah Brant

Sarah has been practicing bodywork since graduating from Southeastern Institute in Charlotte, NC in 2013. She went on to work for Eden Therapy and Massage before opening her own practice, Turning Pointe Massage, in 2016. Sarah is a retired classically trained ballerina and Black Belt in Tang Soo Do, now combining her passions into educating others on the importance of self care, body movement, and stretching! She was recommended by a teacher to take a Thai Massage CE class and from her first class with Living Sabai in June of 2019, she knew that she was meant for Thai Massage!  She immediately began taking all of Living Sabai’s courses, falling in love with being a TA, and finally traveling to Chaing Mai, Thailand in January 2023 for the Study Abroad trip. There she studied at ITM and OmSala. Her favorite part of teaching is watching students fall in love with Thai massage and find a revitalization for their practices.

In her spare time, Sarah enjoys camping with her husband, son, and Australian Shepherd. As a family they love to travel, mountain bike, and listen to live music.

Theresa Moore

Theresa Moore has worked in natural wellness since the early 1990s and has been a licensed Massage Therapist since 1997. She brings decades of experience across private practice, spa, corporate wellness, and athletic settings, including ongoing work with the Cornell University Women’s Swim and Dive Team at the Ivy League Championships.

Thai massage has become Theresa’s primary focus, a path she began in the early 2000s. She has completed extensive training in Thai massage, Thai foot massage, herbal compress therapy, pregnancy and postpartum Thai massage,Thai medical theory and Reusi Dat Ton. Her teachers include Living Sabai, Naj Jacobson, Rose Griscom, David Wells, and instructors at ITM and OM Sala in Chiang Mai, Thailand. 

In addition to her massage work, Theresa is a 600+ hour trained yoga teacher with specialties in prenatal and postpartum yoga, Kundalini, and chakra-based movement, and she is a Reiki Master Teacher. Known for her infectious warmth, grounded presence, and ability to truly connect with students, Theresa creates a supportive and embodied learning environment that invites confidence, curiosity, and deep respect for Thai massage traditions.

When she’s not practicing or teaching you can find her tending to the animals on her farm, working in her garden or spending time with her family.