Origins
Thai Massage, Thai Yoga Massage, Thai Yoga Bodywork and Nuad Boran are all names for a unique method of physical and spiritual healing. In its original form it was transferred by Buddhist monks migrating from India to Thailand more than 2,000 years ago. Since then, Thai Massage has evolved and is now widely regarded as one of the best systems of therapeutic massage. In December 2019 UNESCO added traditional Thai massage to its Cultural Heritage of Humanity list.
Benefits
Thai massage is known to provide numerous benefits and improve overall well-being (sabai).
It helps to keep a person in good physical condition, increasing vitality, flexibility of joints and suppleness of muscles, and it helps relieve mental stress.
Thai massage provides an invigorating and balancing experience. The treatment can be varied to suit a wide range of physical needs and abilities and can be used as a form of physical therapy to increase the body’s range of movement and muscular strength.
Technique
The theory of Thai massage is based on ten energy lines in the human body. Massage treatment of the important acupressure points on these lines contributes to good health.
The massage treatment is done on a cushioned wooden platform. This allows the practitioner the necessary level of leverage required for the characteristic yoga-like stretches and postures of the recipient’s body.
During these postures the massage practitioner uses hands, elbows, knees and feet to apply firm rhythmic pressure and stretching of the entire body. This may include pulling fingers, toes, ears, cracking the knuckles, walking on the recipient’s back and arching the recipient’s back. A full massage treatment consists of a series of some 180 rhythmically sequenced actions.
The strength of massage is varied to match your needs. The practitioner will first enquire about your general health and note specific problems or painful areas. When treating a specific problem, the practitioner uses acupressure on the areas at the root of the problem. These areas are not necessarily the same as where the problem is being experienced.
Thai massage will provide a feeling of being refreshed and invigorated yet serene. Some slight discomfort may be felt especially in areas where there have been problems. This is all part of the natural process and will subside, leaving an overall sense of well-being. Drinking plenty of water is recommended to aid detoxification.
Thai Oil Massage – differs from European massage, which also uses oil and focuses on the muscles. Thai oil massage focuses on selected acupressure points on the whole body. The back, neck and shoulders, and the arms and legs are massaged using top quality oils.
What to Wear
In Thai massage – comfort is all-important and loose-fitting trousers and top are ideal for freedom of movement during the stretching and yoga-like postures. We provide you with clothing, purpose-made for massage, to wear during your treatment.
Thai oil massage – for your comfort we keep you covered with towels during massage, with only the area being treated being uncovered. The pelvic region is excluded from massage and we require that you wear underwear during massage.