Many people come for massage with me and tell me ‘I’ve had a Thai massage before but I haven’t had Thai yoga massage’. So what is the difference?
The answer: None.
Thai massage, Thai yoga massage, traditional Thai massage, Thai yoga therapy are all names used in the West for the same thing. That said though, the treatments that you might receive under any of those names can be very different. So here are some of the variations.
On a table or on the floor
Possibly the most significant adaptation of Thai massage in the West is to offer the treatment on a table. That might be because people here are used to receiving massages that way. So the idea of lying on a futon on the floor might seem a bit unusual. But perhaps more importantly, the reason might be that our sedentary lifestyle makes it difficult for many people to come down or up from the floor.
The obvious upside of this is that people with limited mobility can still receive the benefits of a massage. But the downside is that many of the techniques and stretches in Thai massage can’t be done on a table at all.
1h or 2h
Traditionally Thai massage is long. At least 2 hours, sometimes even more. I have heard it can go up to 5 hours.
For our Western mind and busy way of living a 1 hour treatment might seem enough or even too much. So there are very few places offering longer massages. Maybe 1.5h, not more. Thai massage is very thorough, though, and requires more time to do it properly.
Bodywork or energy work
In Thailand, Thai Massage is considered to be energy work rather than bodywork. The most important work in Thai massage follows an intricate network “pathways” or “lines” throughout the body. The Thai Massage therapist uses acupressure points along these lines to stimulate or relax the body’s energy. This affects the client’s mind and body and promotes the natural healing process. Even the yoga-like postures and other stretching that are an integral part of Thai Massage are considered primarily for their effects on the energy lines, and only secondarily for their ability to improve flexibility and strength.
Many people come to Thai massage for the stretches. But a treatment that focuses on the fancy stuff and ignores the energy lines completely misses the point.
Related articles:
I really need to say this – the main principle in Thai massage
For our body to heal we need to be in a healing state
Image by Tomasz Mikołajczyk from Pixabay
