The Healing Benefits of Traditional Thai Massage

Thai massage, also known as Nuad Phaen Boran, is an ancient massage that involves not only deep muscle massage, but stretching, elements of shiatsu, yoga, and acupressure as well. Nuad Phaen Boran actually translates into “ancient massage” or “traditional massage.”

Traditional Thai massage has been practised for over 2,500 years. It not only relaxes the body, but the mind as well. It actually began in India. The Buddhist monks practised both massage and other healing arts. This spread to families and as Buddhism spread to Asia, the traditional Thai massage became a part of both the religious and healing part of the religion. It is believed that traditional Thai massage made it to Thailand around the 3rd or 2nd century BC. Many times, monastery temples were built near medical schools so the art of massage was taught among both monks and medical students.

Traditional Thai massage focuses on the experience of the whole body. It works on the major energy lines, known as ‘Sen’. These Sen run throughout the body. By loosening blockages, the massage will help harmonize the body and recoup any deficiencies of the energy lines. Just as Chinese medicine uses acupuncture to help revive health, traditional Thai massage uses a similar system of pressure points to help heal and relieve stress. The Prana, or life energy, is allows to freely circulate through the body.

Traditional Thai massage has many benefits. Whether you are the receiver of the massage or the giver of the massage, you can feel joy, ease, and comfort. The massage will open up your chakras, allowing you to have a more peaceful mind as well as benefiting your health.

The giver of the traditional Thai massage also will receive generosity, compassion, equanimity, the feeling of oneness, the feeling of loving kindness, and the pride that can only be felt by a healer. The receiver will feel the joy of receiving as well as a calmness of rest and a refreshed spirit. Physically, the receiver feels a general increase in energy due to the opening of Sen and other blocked areas in the body. They will also feel relief from pain and muscle tension, blood and lymph circulation is improved, and the nervous system is balanced. An increase in flexibility is also possible.

Traditional Thai massage is a floor massage. The receiver usually is asked to lay on a pad or light mattress. By lying on the floor, the practitioner can easily manipulate the limbs of the receiver. Massages are given in silence, so the practitioner can better understand what the receiver needs are while the receiver can concentrate on learning about himself and his body. Practitioners start at the feet and moves toward the receiver’s head, making the body feel loosened and stretched. A massage can last between two and three hours. Sometimes it combines techniques used in western physical therapies such as Neuromuscular therapy, Myofascial Release Techniques, and Remedial massage. Traditional Thai massage is great for athletes as it keeps them flexible and helps prevent and treat injuries. It also helps improve the flexibility and mobility of the handicapped.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/the-healing-benefits-of-traditional-thai-massage-157570.html

About the Author:
Annalisa Zisman, a proficient author and tutor, she is a leading practitioner for many massage courses. Annalisa specializes in Indian Head Massage, Thai Foot and Thai Herbal Compress Massage techniques.

A tourists guide to Thai massage

The ancient art of therapeutic massage was first developed in India some 2,500 years ago and brought to Thailand by Buddhist monks about 1,800 years back. Well known for its healing properties, Thai traditional massage is developing into a global brand.

More and more westerners come here to be trained in this kneading art, with Wat Pho in Bangkok probably the most well-known place for receiving instruction. Chiang Mai in the north also offers a wealth of more or less accredited schools, teaching a softer northern style massage technique. There are courses however in Phuket, Pattaya and Samui.

Tourists and visitors to Thailand soon observe that the practice of mutual rubdowns is an everyday custom practiced openly and without embarrassment. Mothers kneading babies, teens their grandparents, vendors and motorcycle taxi drivers their colleagues’ tired shoulders or even easy chairs on the pavement offering instant foot massages for weary pedestrians. Thailand travel and tourist information

Then there is in-flight massage service on the national carrier and the mechanical massage chairs in airports or shopping malls. Put in a 10 baht coin and get three minutes of shaky back massage – just make sure you don’t fall asleep mid-massage.

But possibly the oddest place for a foreigner to be offered a massage is while standing in front of the urinal at an upmarket nightclub or restaurant. The toilet attendant will sneakily approach you from behind to place a hot towel on your neck and then start rubbing your shoulders.

Traditional Thai massage is for the most part practiced by women, but is also an important job for the blind. “Women can massage any clients regardless of age or gender, but male masseurs who can see may unintentionally be seduced by their visual perception,” says Aree Sanyaluck, massage teacher in Chiang Mai. “Unsighted masseurs are able to concentrate better and have purer intentions.”

Anyone who tells of their Thai massage experience to those who aren’t familiar with this art will likely get nudge-nudge quips about ‘special’ services. It is important to distinguish between massage with clothes on and with clothes off. Sadly, Thailand is better known for the latter, especially in some parts of Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket. But this is a misrepresentation.

Both kinds are social more than individual occasions with patrons chatting to each other through the partitioning or even to the masseuse who welcomes any distraction to lessen her boring routine. Visits to the flashy palaces offering more carnal pleasures as part of the massage routine are also usually done in groups, often to round off an evening of drinking and eating.

But back to the real tradition Thai massage, this is offered by skilled massage persons in all tourist areas, such as Phuket, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Krabi, Samui and Pattaya. They are very inexpensive and a two hour treatment will cover all 104 main energy points in the body using a kneading, yoga type positions, stretching and other techniques. Then there is the soothing oil massage and of course foot massage, which is similar to reflexology. Guide to massage in Phuket

Lately there has been a boom in the spa industry in Thailand, especially in Chiang Mai, Bangkok and Phuket, where massage is central to many of the treatments on offer and although probably more expensive they are a very relaxing and pampering experience.

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Author : Andy Burrows is a Thailand expert who never misses a week without getting a relaxing Thai massage.