Thai massage is one of the three main branches of the ancient Thai medical system. The teachings of Jivaka Kumar Bhaccha are said to have reached Thailand from India along with Buddhism in the 2ndor 3rdcentury BC. The bulk of the recorded history of Thai massage was lost in 1767 but surviving records are now inscribed in stone within the temple of Pra Chetuphon in Bangkok – the Temple of the Reclining Buddah. This is the birthplace of Thai massage and the centre of traditional Thai medicine.
Traditional Thai medicine is based on the concept of an energy system comprising 72,000 Sen lines, which are similar to the Ayurvedic system of Nadhis – lines through which energy is transformed and distributed in the human body. Thai yoga massage has been developed to stimulate, open and balance the flow of energy through the Sen lines to help the body towards natural self-healing. This is achieved through rhythmical manipulation of those energy lines, mobilization of joints, passive stretches and applied Hatha Yoga asanas. Thai Yoga Massage works with the four divine states of mind described in Buddhist teachings. These are:
- Loving kindness
- Compassion
- Vicarious joy (felt or enjoyed through imagined participation in the experience of others)
- Equanimity (calmness of mind).
Thai massage is traditionally taught and practised with the aim of embodying these states in action. For this reason, the massage is sometimes referred to as “meditation in movement”. The benefits include:
- Increased flexibility & range of movement
- Elimination of muscle pain & spasm
- Improved postural alignment
- Calmed nervous system & promotion of deep relaxation
-Significant release of deep, emotional distress
- Stimulation of blood circulation & lymph drainage
- Stimulation of internal organs
- Relief of fatigue, swollen limbs, painful joints & headaches
Om namah shivayah
