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Thai Massage
Thai Massage, or Yoga Massage as it is often referred to, is an ancient method
of massage that actually developed in India. The founder of Thai Massage is
believed to be a doctor from northern India known as Jivaka Kumar Bhaccha (also
known as Shivago), who was a contemporary of the Buddha, and whose teachings
date back to over 2,500 years ago. Often described as the “lazy man’s yoga,”
Thai Massage is a natural, holistic approach to health and wellness that is
dedicated to maintaining the overall health of the patient. It is based on the
philosophy of the ancient Thais that “the absence of illness is the best blessing.”
Although not based on the Chinese medical theory of the body system of meridians,
Thai massage is based on the concept that invisible energy lines run through
the body. Its Indian origin is obvious as the philosophy of Yoga is evident
in Thai Massage. Yoga philosophy states that Prana, or life energy, is absorbed
by an individual through the air that they breathe and the food that they eat.
From there, Prana flows through an individual through a network of energy lines
known as the Prada Nadis. Out of the 72,000 energy lines that are found in the
human body, Thai Massage focuses on the 10 vital energy lines that contain important
acupressure points. Therefore Thai Massage uses the manipulation of these lines
and points to relieve pain, treat a variety of diseases, and maintain the overall
health of the patient.
Although similar to acupuncture, Thai Massage has an important distinguishing
trademark. Rather than manipulating these important pressure points, Thai Massage
seeks to stimulate these points through touch. Consequently, these pressure
points suffer from less stress and Prana is able to freely circulate throughout
these points. Based on the principle that illness is caused by disturbances
in a person’s Prana, Thai Massage improves a person’s general health by stimulating
the free flow of Prana by breaking blockades that prevent the balance of Prana
found in healthy individuals. It is a practice that seeks to harmonize the body.
A practice that was traditionally linked to the teachings of the Buddha, Thai
Massage is a spiritual exercise that provides spiritual benefits for both the
recipient of the treatment as well as the individual performing the massage.
The giving of the massage is believed to be the physical application of Metta,
a Theravada Buddhist term that can be translated as loving kindness, and a good
masseur performs this task in a meditative mood. By performing an activity that
mediates your energy lines and Prana, both the client and the masseuse derive
spiritual benefits from Thai Massage and should reach deep states of meditation
during treatment.
Besides the spiritual and energetic benefits of Thai Massage, the client’s
physical health is also enhanced by the Thai Massage treatment. By using techniques
that are often employed in such Western physiotherapies as Trigger Point treatments,
Myofascial techniques, and Manual Therapy, Thai Massage has a number of health
benefits that includes:
- Relief of muscular pain and stress.
- Improving your resistance to injury.
- Increasing flexibility and range of motion.
- Releasing lactic acid and other toxins from your body.
- Toning of internal organs.
The treatment is performed on the floor, where the client lies on either a
pad or a light mattress. Unlike Swedish Massage, the client is fully dressed,
with the exception of their feet, throughout Thai Massage. Using their hands,
feet, elbows, knees, and legs, the masseur assists the client in a number of
different poses that will improve the balance of their energy. Although kneading
of the muscles plays an important role in Thai Massage, the masseur also applies
pressure to the acupressure points of the patient as well as assists the client
in a number of different stretches that often resemble Yoga movements.
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