Massage Message

Thai massage is a deep full body treatment which starts at the feet and gradually works its way up to the head and involves stretching using range of motion and yoga like poses in which the practitioner makes use of their hands, knees, legs, and feet. With emphasis on the breath, deep muscular stretching, and joint release, this ancient modality offers many of the same benefits as yoga without having to do the work. This is why it is also referred to as Thai yoga massage.Thai massage is a type of bodywork in which the patient remains fully clothed, in something comfortable, and lies on a cushioned but firm mat on the ground.

Thai massage, like the other Eastern modalities, is mainly centered around addressing energy flow and balance within the body. Thai massage is similar to Shiatsu in the sense that it helps align the energies throughout the body by using light pressure on certain points. This is known as acupressure and it helps the release of energy blockages in the body which may alleviate conditions including lower back pain, headaches, and arthritis. This gentle pressure, along with the stretching and compressions done in a rhythmic movement of gentle rocking make up what is known to people in Thailand as Nuat phaen boran or Thai massage.

The way that Thai massage releases those blockages is by targeting the major meridians of the human body. Meridians are channels in the body in which qi or energy is considered to flow. Its goal is to release and loosen these blocks along the meridians, bring harmony to the body, and feed the deficiencies along the energy lines. The release of the blocks allows the energy to flow without restraint and permits it to nourish the body and its organ systems. Besides balancing the body’s energy system, Thai massage, also adjusts the skeletal structure, relieves muscular and joint tension, and increases flexibility. Although it is considered more vigorous than traditional massage, the results are extremely energizing and relaxing.

Thai massage’s roots stretch back to India and is based on Ayurveda but had influence from traditional Chinese medicine as well. Due to its location near India and China and the country’s continual flow of people, ideas, and traditional medicine, there was influence from both of them. Ayurveda is a system of traditional medicine native to India and means the science of life. It was derived from the Sanskrit words ayur, which means life, and veda, which means science or knowledge.

Thai massage is believed to have been developed by Buddha’s physician, Jivaka Kumar Bhaccha, more than 2,500 years ago. With the spread of Buddhism into North India and then into most of South East Asia, it made its way to Thailand and there it is a branch of Traditional Thai Medicine, which is a natural, holistic approach to health and well-being. In Thailand, Thai massage is considered a discipline of the medical field, which is regulated by the government and used for the treatment of a wide variety of illnesses and conditions. As in other parts of the world, thai massage is also practiced by massage therapists in spas and resorts that is more directed toward the tourism industry in Thailand.