jobonga health & wellbeing

NATURAL THERAPIES, MASSAGE & DAY SPA

thai massage

What is Thai Massage?
Thai yoga Therapy, or Thai massage is an ancient way of healing the body through the benefits of relaxation, realignment and stretches. It is a highly physical treatment. It blends the ancient knowledge of Ayurvedic, Thai and Chinese medicine. Thai massage is done through accrupressure points, energy lines and a series of movements that both stretch the limbs and unblock energy pathways.

Benefits of Thai Massage:
Deep relaxation; pressure on feet and legs is sedating.
Releases points of tension in the body which block the natural flow of energy, inducing homeostasis, balance, and harmony.
Releases stress and increases energy.
Increases flexibility and range of motion.
Assists alignment and postural integrity of the body.
Improves blood circulation.
Strengthens the internal organs.
Improves neurological function.
Promotes inner peace and a quiet mind.

Traditional Thai Massage, also called Thai Yoga Therapy, Nuad phaen boran or Nuat Thai, is a therapeutic technique that dates back thousands of years. Its precise origins are unknown, but practitioners traditionally trace their lineage to Jivaka Komalaboat, also known as Shivago, who was a personal physician to the Sangha, a friend and physician to the Buddha and renowned as a healer in Buddhist tradition.

Traditional Thai medicine is a natural, holistic approach to health and well-being, developed over thousands of years, which includes proper nutrition, physical exercise, the use of medicinal herbs and therapeutic massage. Traditional Thai medicine is not only concerned with curing diseases and ailments. Its primary goal is maintaining health and well-being, as ancient Thais believed that "the absence of illness is the best blessing". The medical knowledge developed by Thai people through many generations has come to be known as the ancient wisdom of Thailand.

Diagrams inscribed on the walls at the temple of Wat Po in Bangkok illustrate one of the fundamental principles of traditional Thai medicine, that is, that energy flows through the body along ten major channels or sen lines. If an obstruction occurs in any of these channels, it is believed, pain or disease results. In this sense, traditional Thai medicine is similar to many other ancient healing systems, which believe that illnesses are caused by an imbalance or obstruction within the individual, or by an imbalance between an individual and his environment.

Ancient Thais treated a number of ailments by using massage to restore the flow of energy throughout the body. Traditional Thai massage is a deep, full-body treatment, which includes both stretching of the joints and muscles, and applied pressure to the sen lines. Thai people used massage not only to treat illnesses, but also to maintain health and well-being.

There are hundreds of positions and techniques in the complete repertoire of Thai massage, including:
pressure along the sen or energy lines of the body
gentle soothing movement
yogic stretching
rhythmic rocking
range of motion work
joint compression and decompression

Practitioners are taught that the flow in transition between positions and the state of mind of the therapist are as important as the techniques themselves. A Thai massage treatment is a positive, energizing, uplifting experience for the client as well as the practitioner. A session is a flowing dialog between client and practitioner, akin to a dance or martial arts form. The client is passive and completely supported in all positions by the therapist.

Some people call Traditional Thai Massage "Lazy man's yoga", because the therapist is skilled at supporting the client in stretches that are yoga poses. In many cases, the client can experience the benefit of poses that would be difficult to achieve unassisted, because it can take years to develop the requisite strength, balance and flexibility to achieve the poses in a solo yoga practice. Also, the therapist works energy lines while the client is in the pose, which has a synergistic effect in opening and energizing the body. Clients that have an active yoga practice often find that regular Thai yoga therapy sessions enhance their practice, allow them to stretch and open more quickly and avoid injury.

Thai yoga therapy has many benefits including:

stress and pain relief
better resistance to injury
improved range of motion
release of lactic acid and other toxins from areas of accumulation
toning of internal organs
deep relaxation

Holistic Benefits of Traditional Thai Massage

Facilitates relaxation
Heightens awareness
Frees blockages in energy flow
Invigorates the nervous system
Relieves pain and muscle tension
Increases ability to absorb nutrition
Strengthens and rejuvenates the body
Improves circulation of blood and lymph
Increases flexibility (passive yoga postures)
Gives a general feeling of well being assisting in balancing body, mind, and spirit.
Enhances elimination of wastes and toxic debris from physical, mental and emotional strain
Thai massage can be particularly helpful in relieving:
Headaches, migraines, arthritis, whiplash pain, paralysis, numbness, sciatica, back pain and other conditions

Traditional Thai massage is an ideal system for:
yoga practitioners
athletes
dancers
people who suffer from stress, anxiety or chronic pain
anyone who wants to experience more vitality and body awareness
All stretching and pressure is done within the comfortable tolerance of the client, and the work is performed in soft comfortable garments on a mat on the floor.

Sessions are typically from 1 to 2 hours .

Links:

1. Massage Today - info - articles
   
2. Healing Life Styles - article
   
3. Traditional Thai Masage - more info