Thai Massage for Dummies

Written by: Marsella Agatha

As we might continue to place upon ourselves the stresses on daily basis, the nurturing hands of masseuses would be an extraordinary method to sooth your senses and free the tension within the body. Thai massage as one of the wide variety of massages, is renowned for the healing treatments for mind and body which has been proved for over years.

Thai massage originated in India then made its way to Thailand through the transmission of Buddhism. This exhilarating treatment has been traditionally practiced by the monks to induce a calming effect on the minds as it gives relaxation with meditative quality. Thai massage bases its treatments on numerous practices, namely Chinese acupuncture, Ayurveda and Yoga; this treatment bases its principles on maintaining the flow of circulation in the body by focusing on the ten invisible energy lines called Sen. According to Mr. Lex Red, the teacher of Chang Daeng Thai massage school, it is vital to remove any blockages along these energy lines to enhance a smooth flow of blood circulation and energy throughout the human body system.

Among the plethora massages that exist, none intrigued me as much as Thai massage. Therefore, I had been contemplating on the idea of experiencing this form of heavenly practice on one of the last days of this In Search of Chiang Mai trip. Chang Daeng Thai massage was recommended by our guesthouse host, Aunty Sin, a convenient place just fifteen minutes away from our guesthouse.

They offer several types of massage namely Thai, foot, and oil massage. The use of oil is not essential in the traditional Thai massage yet nowadays, it is acceptable to blend the use of oil in the modern Thai massage. The appliance of oil will enhance numerous benefits, i.e. softens the skin, nourishes the skin, gets rid of dry spots on your skin, and eliminates toxins from your body. The relaxation process is enhanced with the choice of being massaged on a paddled floor mattress or bed. Mr. Lex Red distinguished between those two; the first is designed for a stronger pressure massage while the latter is designed for the light or medium. Another characteristic of Thai massage is that it does not require the removal of clothes as an authentic loose fitted clothing will be loaned - to facilitate comfort during massage.

The massage begins on the right leg and ends on the left, each spanning 25 minutes. Followed by a hand massage for 10 to 15 minutes and then back massage for another 20 minutes. The final 10 to 15 minutes is spent massaging the head. Each Thai massage movement also incorporates slow stretching movements which are carried out continuously to ensure a release of tension in the body, thus leading to a complete relaxation and soul rejuvenation.

Some of the techniques are very much feels like Yoga; the practitioner will manipulate the client into different yoga positions throughout the session. It gets painful on each of the tense areas. In my case, it was around my leg: I could not help but scream when the thumb of the masseuse pressed my nervous muscle in order to release the blocked energy along the Sen lines. With that said, the massage did relief the tension in my legs, and my body as a whole – this becoming a testament to Thai massage’s effectiveness. For only 450 baht (RM 45), one can experience two full hours worth of Thai massage, which acts as a very effective form of stress relief. A refreshed spirit, calmness, balanced nervous system and an increased energy are some of the tremendous benefits that can be reaped from the overwhelming bodywork experience of Thai massage.

In Chiang Mai, you can stumble across Thai massage parlours at almost every corner, however not all of them are equally professional. The original Thai massage, involves many specific steps, ability to know specific parts of the human's body and also a lot of experience. Therefore, it is vital to try to find a masseuse who knows how to do the real Thai massage in order to reap the full benefits of this uniquely Thai experience.