THAI MASSAGE THERAPY

Traditional Thai Massage is an ancient healing science from Asia. It was developed more than 2500 years ago by a friend of the historical buddha in India and has spread all through Thailand during the third century B.C. Since then it has been practices by monks, folk healers, midwifes, shamanes, medical practitioners and lately by healthcare professionals and wellness-workers.

  • Thai Massage is also known as Nuad phaen boran. The following paragraph is from wikipedia.org, the free encyclopedia:
    "Nuat phaen boran" which accurately translates as ancient massage and traditional massage is also know now as Thai massage, Thai ancient massage, ancient massage, traditional Thai massage, Thai yoga massage, yoga massage, Thai classical massage, Thai bodywork, passive yoga, or assisted yoga.

 

What is a Thai Massage like? Again, let's look at what wikipedia.org writes about that:

  • The massage recipient changes into pajamas and lies on a mat or firm mattress on the floor. (It can be done solo or in a group of a dozen or so patients in the same large room.) The massage giver leans on the recipient's body using hands and forearms to apply firm rhythmic pressure to almost every part of the receiver's body. The massage generally follows the SEN lines on the body (these are energy lines comparable to Chinese Meridians). In some gestures, the legs and feet of the giver are used to fixate the body or limbs of the recipient. In other gestures, hands fixate the body, while the feet do the massaging action. Usually no oil is applied, but sometimes a hot herbal compress is used to warm and sooth the receiver's body. A full course of Thai massage typically lasts two hours or more, and includes pulling fingers, toes, ears etc., cracking the knuckles, walking on the recipient's back, arching the recipient's back in a rolling action etc. There is a standard procedure and rhythm to the massage. Sometimes in a large group massage, the practitioners do the procedures in unison.

Thai Massage and buddhism

PictureThere's a strong link between Thai massage and Buddhism - obviously for historical reasons. Thailand is a Buddhist country and the temple schools have always been a center of education and medical care for the population. Not only did monks teach laymen about Buddhism, they also taught about massage techniques. Nowadays, not every Thai massage practitioner is a Buddhist, but most still pray old Buddhist pali prayers before performing a massage. The meaning of these prayers is to ask the "father of Thai massage", Jivaka Kumar Bhacca for guidance in treating the patient and wishing him health and happiness.