Thai Massage, like most Asian methods, is a technique used to give the massaged person an experience of the total body. It is similar to acupressure and Shiatsu combined with stretches and yogic Asanas. Its nickname has become, "yoga for the lazy".
The best thing about Thai massage is that, like yoga you get flexibility, inner organ massage, oxygenation of the blood and quieting of the mind. Through deep muscle stretching, joint release and emphasis on the breath, Thai massage offers many of the same benefits as
yoga.
An ingenious system of movements allows the therapist to manipulate the client without much effort. Every movement is designed to support the client as well as the therapist. It's amazing how much more we are able to move when another person is providing assistance and encouraging us to relax. It is an interactive form of bodywork, quite unlike any other Western or Eastern forms. While it does include work by the practitioner kneading muscles, what makes it particularly helpful is its unique stretching. You remain passive while the practitioner does the movements to you.
Thai Massage will strengthen the client physically and harmonize their energy so a new life experience can arise. It combines techniques often used separately in western physiotherapies such as Trigger Point Therapy, Myofacial Release Techniques and Neuro Muscular Therapy.
Thai Massage works on the major meridians, also called energy lines or Nadis, which run throughout the human body. It aims to harmonize the body, to loosen blocks, and to recoup deficiencies along the energy lines. In contrast to traditional Chinese medicine, which uses acupuncture to manipulate the pressure points, Thai Massage stimulates these same points with healing touch. Therefore, the points suffer less stress, and life energy, or Prana, is allowed to freely circulate.
Through application of pressure on energy lines and points, and a vast array of passive stretching movements performed with the hands, feet, knees and elbows, the body experiences profound relaxation, peripheral stimulation of internal organs, increased flexibility and increased flow of energy.
Along with influencing the energetic side, Thai Massage also works on the physical body. Starting at the feet and progressing up to the head, the client’s body will be moved, loosened and stretched. The combination of energetic and physical aspects is unique to Thai Massage, and so are its effects.
Thai Massage is a way to prevent sickness. It helps to dissolve blocks before they manifest psychologically or physically, and it also improves flexibility. Injured athletes, as well as those suffering from handicaps or stress are another target group. Essentially, anyone will benefit from this powerful technique.
It is a meditative practice for both client and practitioner, reflecting the states of loving kindness and compassion. Thai massage has always been taught as a spiritual practice done with prayers and as a meditation. A typical Thai massage is 2 hours covering the body quite completely. It is a unique and deep massage that transforms the body to a more flexible, relaxed, lighter and less painful being.
Concerning the treatment, Thai Massage is a floor massage. The fully dressed client lies on a pad or light mattress. The massage is given in silence to allow the therapist to understand the client and to give the client a chance to focus and learn about himself without distraction. To give and to experience Thai Massage is a meditative practice. At the end of the treatment, both the client and the therapist will feel relaxed and energized.