Is your body aching but don’t know where the exact area is? You can try traditional Thai massage. Thailand seized the chance to serve individuals with a heavenly gift of Buddhism in the nature of massage that began in the 1900s. It was introduced to Thailand exclusively for the purpose of making people feel calm and revitalized. From that point forward, it grew in popularity and became a craze.
Thai massages are meditative and therapeutic rather than pleasurable. However, it should not be that unpleasant; if it is, talk with the therapist and inform them their force is too strong. You must be honest with what you are feeling to help the therapist know what technique is suitable for you.
How To Describe Traditional Thai Massage?
✅ Bed or Table
Thai massage is not a massage in the western sense. Traditionally, there is no massage table, although it can be done on a table. There is also no undressing since the Thai massage is done fully dressed. And therefore, there is no need for draping either.
✅ Oil and Anatomy
There’s no massage oil used in Thai massage, and it is not much focused on anatomy and physiology. Thai massage is very convenient to practice. It can be done on a floor mat, a bed, a carpet, or even on the beach. And the reason why there is not as much focus on Anatomy is that all Asian therapy work is based on a different concept.
Western mostly focuses on skin, muscle tissue, and tendon, and Thai massage primarily works on the body’s energy lines. These energy lines, don’t drop on the anatomy chart. However, they are not an esoteric concept. Energy lines have been the basis of all Asian therapies, like Thai massage, shiatsu, yoga therapy, or acupuncture for hundreds or even thousands of years.
How Thai Massage Works On The Body?
There’s plenty of documentation that this system really works. As an example, Acupuncture is all based on working with energy lines. The Thai massage system includes elements from massage, yoga, acupressure, reflexology, physical therapy, and Chiropractic.
You can do Thai massage on very stiff people. It can also be done on the elderly, and yes, even on children as well. Thai massage is not limited to yogi types who can easily be turned into a pretzel, another often.
One myth about Thai massage is that it is intense and painful. But, Thai massage is only painful if the therapist is insensitive or is a follower of the no-pain-no-gain philosophy. This massage, in reality, is very nurturing and blissfully relaxing that you can put someone to sleep.
How Different Is Thai Massage Compared To Other Types Of Massages?
As mentioned above, Thai massage is not based on anatomy, but energy points rather. It focuses on reflexes and body spots that seem to have high-stress energy. But this doesn’t mean that the body’s anatomy and physiology have nothing to do with this type of massage.
The purpose of Thai massage is to primarily improve and correct the flow of energy in the body. To give you an example, let’s talk about the inner or the middle part of your thigh. If you are going to ask a Western therapist what they are working on, they will probably say that they are literally working on the thigh adductor muscles. While if you ask a Thai massage therapist the same question, they will say that they are working on the “inside sen line #2”. These two comparisons both talk about the same area, but they use totally different terminology to describe it and different purposes.
To simplify this, Eastern therapists don’t care what the name of the muscle is as long as they know which point line are they massaging.
What Are Massage Lines?
Thai massage is known for working on energy lines. But what are those energy lines or massage lines? Where are those exactly located? And what kind of energy are they talking about?
Basically, energy lines are not material things and they don’t show up on X-rays. They are also not spiritual things. So what are they? Energy lines are a subtle thing, kind of like your thoughts or feelings.
✏️ How do they form?
So how do they basically affect the body? When the mind receives an impulse that an emotion is developing, it will conduct life energy to where that emotion of feeling is building up. If you are healthy, life energy will flow continuously. But if you have compromised health, then blockages are formed. These blockages are the target of Thai massage.
✏️ Location
Where exactly are those lines? This is a critical discussion because not everybody agrees on the exact location. There is no precise spot where that blockage is. So in order for the therapist to point out the blockage, she must develop feelings and sensitivity, and intuition to work them effectively. This process is a gradual improvement because you need to spot every area of your body to release the energy line. It is a long healing process, which is why some Thai massages have several sessions until you are completely healed.
Hidden Gems You Must Get In Thai Massage
There are some areas of the body which are often neglected in most styles of massage therapies. These neglected body spots are very beneficial and can make you feel great.
🟢 Knee
The first hidden gem is the knee. There aren’t that many good knee techniques, if there’s any available, but the knee can experience all kinds of problems. For example, being overweight or arthritic conditions or there can be postural misalignment. If you are experiencing one of these, a couple of techniques must be done like a warming technique that can relax your knee. Next will be the massaging of the upper and lower part of your knee that can let the bones align and promote blood flow.
🟢 Abdomen
The abdomen is rarely touched. However, the abdomen is a very important spot on the body. First of all, the abdomen contains the largest concentration of organs in the body. This means that people store emotional trauma in this area and it is also the physical and the energetic center of the body. So, working on the abdomen is like working the entire body. Some techniques you may experience are the push-and-pull technique and the rocking technique. These two techniques are gentle but very powerful and massage the area.
🟢 Achilles tendon
Many people are stiff in this part, but they do not give proper attention to this. The Achilles tendon connects the calf muscle to the heal and there are several reasons why this area can be very tight and painful. One victim is someone who wears high heels frequently. The heel goes up and the front part of the foot slides down, which results in the tightening of the Achilles tendon and calf muscle. Other affected persons are the runners. If they don’t stretch enough before and after running, there can be tearing of the muscles and tendons. The most common technique here is the circular motion of the Achilles tendon.
🟢 Glutes
This may be an embarrassing spot, but it is advisable to have it massaged. The glutes or the butt are full of muscles to carry the weight of the body when sitting. There are also several nerve endings here that are why it is important to include them in every massage.
🟢 Sacrum
Most massage therapists don’t even touch this area. The sacrum is connected to the pelvis and needs a therapeutic massage. This is because the sacrum is the support basis for the entire spine. Another function of the sacrum is for the weight distribution changes from the upper body to the lower body, or simply, maintaining balance and stability.
Thai Massage Modern Tool: Hammer
There are different versions of massage hammers. One type is the one with a two-prong vibrating attachment, and they generally all have infrared heat lamps. There is also another type that has interchangeable parts where you can unscrew them to change the head.
The price of the massage hammer varies depending on how fancy the design is and how high its infrared frequency is. But, as long as the basic functionality is there, you don’t need to invest more. Lastly, the most important function that a massage must have is heat. The heat is essential in a massage session because it is a matter that penetrates the muscle that helps loosen up tight sections.
Types Of Pressure In Thai Massage
The body is known to have 72,000 body lines. These pathways are manipulated by the therapist using a range of yoga-like poses coupled with extensive dynamic and periodic pressures. This works by having the client take deep breaths to see where the air is traveling in the body.
🟡 Linear pressure
The linear pressure is done straight down at one point. It goes right into one spot only. Linear pressure can be done with your hands or thumbs or even your knees. If someone is quite muscular and really wants or enjoys the pressure in the right spot, then the technique will be very releasing for someone who is quite in pain. But to someone who is sensitive and doesn’t have a lot of muscles, then it could be quite painful to work with this pressure.
🟡 Motion pressure
Motion pressure, contrary to linear pressure, is a technique where the therapist distributes the pressure. It can be done in a circular motion using the palms, or by kneading in straight lines and not just pressing on one point. Depending on your tolerance, motion pressure is the most common type because the pressure is spread over a larger area of your body and makes it relaxed. You can also choose to combine the linear and motion pressure, especially if you have a lot of stress in your body.
Elements Of Thai Massage
There are four elements that are rolled into one system. These elements are often triggered in the form of line massage pressure; which is why combined pressures work better.
🔴 Long strokes
The massage element looks different in Thai massage compared to any other massage. The use of long stroking movements doesn’t work in Thai massage because you work through clothing. Instead, they use pressure or rolling, squeezing, and circling or rocking motions.
🔴 Stretches
Stretches are also called Thai yoga massage. There is a huge variety of stretches and many of them do look like plaid yoga. Other stretches may also look like a chiropractic adjustment. One type of stretch is twisting.
🔴 Energy line work
As mentioned earlier, the energy lines are the main point of Thai massage. It is not focused on a specific muscle, but on the energy points where the stress originates and spreads. This idea is to improve the energy flow throughout the body and remove blockages to activate or stimulate the body’s natural healing energy. In Thai massage, it is advisable to make creative combinations of strokes and stretches.
🔴 Feeling, Sensitivity, Intuition
Instead of muscle power, the Thai massage therapists must learn to combine the right feeling, touch sensitivity, and intuition. The other elements won’t work if the therapist doesn’t know how to feel the energy lines. If the therapist didn’t combine these three powers, the massage would be painful. You will just feel like the therapist is poking you and the session will be lifeless in actual practice.
Benefits Of Thai Massage
Thai massage is a type of massage that involves friction, reflexology, and receptive stretches. These improve your musculoskeletal range of motion. This can also help with your posture. Thai massage can also help people who suffer from severe headaches by making you relax, especially when paired with relaxing oils. Finally, there have been studies that show Thai massage can aid stroke patients. This promotes healthy sleep, improves digestion, and aligns their stability.
Thai Massage Touch Controversies
There are issues regarding Thai massage. These are inappropriate touching, off-limits areas, and proximity to sexual areas. These touch issues are like the therapist can’t touch the buttocks or near the breasts because it’s inappropriate and uncomfortable to other clients. They will think that it’s unprofessional. But generally speaking, avoiding these areas means you can’t have the optimum massage results.
That is why therapists need to ask the permission of their clients if they want to do a whole-body massage. And the new setup is requiring the clients to have at least three layers of clothing in between. This is also the reason why Thai massage is done with clothing compared to Western massage.
Remember that in Thai massage, touch is important because the therapist needs to work on feeling, sensitivity, and intuition. So if you really need a massage because your body is aching, you must try the full body massage. But of course, the sensitive parts of your body are naturally off-limits.
Bottom Line
Many individuals feel that Thai massage has health advantages such as reducing stress, increasing energy, and improving sports performance. Thai massage relaxes the entire body by using soft touch and stretching methods. However, if you are in discomfort for an extended period, you should see a doctor.