Thai Massage
With over 2,500 years of history, Thai massage is one of the oldest forms of medicine on the planet. Although massage has been practiced in some form or another since the dawn of civilization, it was the Ayurvedic physician Jivaka Kumar Bhaccha, also known as Shivago Komparaj, who created Thai medicine as we know it today. Stories of his healing techniques during his service as Buddha’s personal physician have shaped and defined Thai massage and medicinal practices throughout the years.
Dr. Jivaka's healing methods used a combination of knowledge and techniques derived from the ancient Indian medicinal school known as Ayurveda, and traditional Chinese and Tibetan medicine. Buddhist monks recorded and kept his knowledge alive, teaching and developing the techniques at temples and monasteries in Thailand.
Thai massage is a natural holistic technique designed to promote health and wellbeing, and to aid recovery from illness, stress and injury. The practice can be used to alleviate stress, improve blood flow and circulation, strengthen and increase the muscles, and can also aid detoxification of the body. It works along the principle that energy flows through the body along ten major channels, or sen lines, and that if an obstruction occurs in any of these channels then the body is thrown into imbalance, causing pain, discomfort and disease. Similar schools of thought litter Asian medicine, from Japanese Shiatsu theory to the Chinese concept of Yin and Yang.
Blending a variety of styles handed down from Asian neighbors over several years, Thai massage uses the practitioner’s knowledge of these sen lines to relax, ease and treat the client’s body. Unlike the scooping and continuous strokes of western systems such as the Swedish massage, Thai massage uses point pressure, muscle stretching and compression in conjunction with light movement and gentle swaying motions.
Like Shiatsu, Thai massage relies on a “dialogue” being opened up between the practitioner and the client. The therapist supports the client through a series of muscular stretches that bear considerable resemblance to yoga poses. Indeed, due to the presence and assistance of the practitioner, the practice has become known as “Lazy Man’s Yoga.” Through this support and assistance, the client can experience the benefit of poses that would be difficult to achieve unassisted. In Thai massage, it is not just the hands that are used to free tension from the recipient’s body, but the therapist’s feet, forearms, knees, and elbows as well. A Thai massage generally takes place on a mat on the floor, and both the therapist and the client are fully clothed for the duration of the massage. No oils are required, though mood lighting and scented candles can help the client to relax.
Thai massage requires considerable focus and effort from both the practitioner and the client, and is definitely the most active form of massage to emerge from Asia. The influences and principles of other Asian massage and medicinal theories are evident, but Thai massage also has its own special energy and a vitality that is unique to the practice.
