Looking back at the Thai massage tradition, it is clear that it was not seen as mere work. Massage has always been considered as a spiritual practice with a close connection to the teachings of the Buddha. Massaging was understood as a physical application of Metta, a word ´Pali and ´Thai´ used in Theravada Buddhism to denote "loving kindness" and many devoted masseurs continue to work in that spirit today.
A true good masseuse develops his art in a meditative state. It begins with a Puja, a meditative prayer, to focus completely on the work, on the healing that is about to be undertaken; and works with full attention, awareness and concentration. This is an elusive state of mind, and even in Thailand there are few capable masters of this art. Most of these teachers are deeply religious people who practice Buddhist meditations as well.
This type of a massage is a sequence of pressure, circulatory compressions, joint mobility and stretching at different points of the energy lines called “sen”. The theory is that the body is impregnated with “Iom” or air, inhaled into the lungs and then travels through the body along 72.000 channels or “sen”. The therapist works on the main “sen” lines in coordination with the receiver's breathing to move the “Iom” through the body providing a state of relief and wellness.
Traditional Thai massage focuses on stretching, pulling and rocking movements. It incorporates use of the therapist’s hands, knees, legs and feet to apply deep muscle compression, joint mobilization and acupressure.
Here are some of the health benefits that can be obtained through a Thai massage:
- Lowering of stress level - chronic bouts of stress can lead to serious illnesses, which include depression and cardiovascular disease. Opting for a traditional Thai massage would be able to alleviate stress levels significantly by using gentle pressure and stretching techniques to provide total-body relaxation.
- Relieving a Range of Back Pains - being a complete full body massage and treatment modality, a traditional Thai massage can effectively alleviate or cure back pains structurally.
- Promoting Good Blood Circulation - by incorporating use of gentle, yoga-like stretches, a traditional Thai massage promotes great blood circulation, which oxygenates your body’s tissues. This in turn aids with the process of cell growth in your body, as well as improved heart health.
- Increasing Your Range of Motion
Apart from promoting blood circulation and lymph movement, the gradual and gentle stretches which are part of a traditional Thai massage can increase a person’s flexibility over a period of time, thus enabling an improvement in the individual’s range of motion.
The individual session is given on a mat on the floor. The recipient wears comfortable clothes to facilitate the movements and stretching.
Treatment duration is up to 90 minutes.
