If you are looking to get a massage, but don’t know which one you should choose, one of the options you will commonly see is a Traditional Thai massage. Other massages you might come across include the Swedish massage and the sports massage, but here is what to expect if you choose a Thai massage.
The Thai massage is commonly referred to as the “lazy man’s yoga”, and has been considered a medical treatment in Thailand for a long time. All the best massage places have this massage available for patients to choose from.
What to Expect with A Thai Massage?
With a Thai massage, the specialist massages the patient with a number of different stretches that span across the whole body. You would first put on a loose-fitting shirt and pants and lie on a mat or table spread out as wide as your specialist allows. The spa might also provide this clothing for you.
With the Thai massage underway, the specialist may kneel on the backs of your legs and pull your arms so that your back arches and your chest will open up. The specialist might also place your shoulder underneath one of your heels so that you can lift up your leg and stretch your hamstring out. The massages also involve stroking and kneading muscles and manipulating joints. Not only is stretching involved, but also rocking, swaying, and deep breathing.
Thai massages are known to stimulate the “sen” or energy pathways inside the body. Thus, the Thai massage works to activate deep pressure points in order to help your body relax and remove toxins. The massage works to release blockages in ten of these “sen” points. Sen is similar to “meridians” that are featured in old-fashioned Chinese medicines.
Pressure is applied to select points on the body so that it’s four elements can be at balance. These elements are earth, fire, water, and air. These are the traditional four elements adopted by many ancient civilizations that are required to be in balance so that one’s mind, spirit, and body are at ease.
This might feel like an intense massage at first. If you have first undergone a Swedish massage and don’t typically stretch in order to exercise, this will feel rather new to you. This type of massage isn’t just pressure that somebody else applies to you, but it’s the use of strategic, selective pressure that helps the body balance itself with muscles being loosened and joints being limbered. Furthermore, Thai massages require a good amount of interaction between the patient and the specialist.
In order to help you move around the mat or table effectively, the massage specialist will use his or her body so that you are in a better position to stretch in ways that produce the required results.
Who Came Up with the Thai Massage?
Surprisingly, Thai massage is not known to originate from a Thai practitioner, but from an Indian doctor named Shivago Kumar Bhucca, who was a documented Buddhist. This massage was meant to help monks become comfortable sitting through meditation for long hours.
The massage has been known to be a big part of Thailand’s medicine scene up until the early 20th century, when the Thai Department of Health underwent some major changes. Thai massage is still popular to this day and it is worth considering for people who are often sore from being at work.
