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Traditional Thai Yoga Massage
Traditional
THAI YOGA MASSAGE.
Traditional Thai massage, or ancient massage (Nuad phaen boran) has a long history of which the earliest roots lie not in Thailand but in India.
The legendary founder of the art was a North Indian doctor known as Jivaka Kumar Bhacca. He was a contemporary of the Buddha, and a physician to both the Sangha (order of Theravada Buddhist monks and nuns) and the Magadha king, Bimbisara over 2,500 years ago. He’s actually mentioned in the Pali canon, the scriptures of Theravada Buddhism which is practised mainly in Sri Lanka, Burma, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand.
It is believed that his teachings reached what is now Thailand roundabout 3rd or 2nd century B.C. The Sangha used the massage to facilitate deeper meditation and maintain all round health.
As Buddhism Became established over time temples grew in importance as spiritual and medical centres. The ancient oral tradition was written down on palm leaves which were almost all destroyed by an invading Burmese army in 1767. In 1832 King Rama 3rd ordered the remnants of this healing tradition to be inscribed in stone. Today you can see these 60 tablets at Wat Pho, Bangkok’s oldest temple and headquarters for Thai traditional medicine.
In Thailand in the eighties Thai massage started to emerge from the state of obscurity it had been pushed into by the advance of western medicine. The limits of western style medicine became apparent bringing about a revival of interest in alternative health care. So called ‘Alternative’ concepts have been mainstream in Asian cultures for thousands of years. In the remote countryside the flame of serious Thai massage was kept burning by masters practising in the spirit of the ancient master teachers.
Increasing interest has bought Thai Massage Back in force.
The theoretical foundation of traditional Thai massage is based on the concept of
invisible energy (Sen) lines running through the body, Ten of these Sen lines are especially important as well as a number of important acupressure points. Massaging these lines and points makes it possible to treat certain diseases and to relieve pain or to help restore general well being through stimulation of the free flowing subtle energy (Prana or Chi).
Thai Massage doesn’t primarily work with the physical body but with the energy body (Pranamaya Kosha also in addition it frequently touches the memory and sub-conscious bodies (Manamaya and Vijnanamaya Koshas) facilitating emotional release.
Generally Thai massage activates our Skeletal, Muscular systems for locomotion, our
digestive, respiratory, lymphatic and urinary systems for waste, and nervous, secretory, endocrine and reproductive systems, for our co-ordination, control and new life. It also influences the peripheral nervous system including sensory and motor nerves-cranial and spinal nerves.
Touch produces a kinetic vibration throughout the whole body resonating into joints and vertebrae. Meaningful touch through intention of healing reminds us of the caring that we want to feel in life and reassures us that it is still there.
The giving of massage was understood to be a physical application of ‘Metta’, the Pali (and Thai) word used in Theravada Buddhism to denote ‘Loving kindness’.
Devoted masseurs still work in such a spirit today. There’s a world of difference between a massage performed in a meditative mood and a massage done just as a job.
Unlike Swedish massage muscular relaxation is only a secondary goal, the
kneading of muscles is almost absent from Thai massage. Energy points are pressed or general pressure is used instead. There’s a lot of stretching involved and many of the
exercises resemble ‘Applied Hatha Yoga’. I often utilise herbal compresses from Thailand for treating muscular tension or as a prerequisite for working directly on tender areas that require deep treatment. In the west massage is most often done on a nude body, Thai massage is done with clothes on, the recipient should wear light loose clothing. The traditional and best place for the massage is on the floor on a comfortable but firm mattress or mat.
My work as massage therapist evolved directly from over 20 years as a practitioner of various yoga’s, meditation and Thai Chi Chuan. These techniques have enabled me to move on and expand from working with my own internal energy to working with the energy of others.
I have studied Northern Style Traditional Thai Massage at the foundation of Dr Shivagokomarpaj (The Thai Traditional Hospital) in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and through Asokananda (one of the worlds most foremost teachers) , in association with the international society of Thai Yoga Massage, also in Northern Thailand.
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Benefits of traditional
THAI MASSAGE
Deep relaxation,
Decreases stress,
Increases energy,
Increases range of joint movement,
Assists posture and alignment,
Improves circulation,
Relieves pain Restores vitality,
Strengthens internal organs,
Revitalizes Chakras/endocrine system,
Reconnects & balances the energy of the body, mind & spirit.
Janta Wheelhouse
for
traditional Thai Yoga Massage
Member of the Foundation of Dr. Shivagokomarpaj
Chiang Mai, Thailand