I have been practicing Thai massage for years now. And the deeper I get into the practice, the more I am fascinated by it. Here are 5 things that I love about Thai massage.
The stretches
I came to Thai massage through my love for yoga so I can’t help myself but love the similarities between both. Because Thai massage is done on the floor, so the possibilities to comfortably stretch are basically endless. Combining the stretches with acupressure and working along the energy lines in the body is what makes Thai massage so effective. During the years of practice I have seen many a times how in the course of a single treatment shoulders drop, upper backs soften, hips let go and legs become longer.
The enormous versatility
When I first began practicing Thai massage, I was using the sequences my teacher taught me. With time, practice and further study though, I began observing, sensing and intuiting my way into any one treatment. There are so many techniques available in Thai massage. I can choose from the basic but most powerful ones, to the dramatic impressive moves and anything in-between. And in this way each treatment can be tailored specifically to the person on the mat and whatever they bring to me today. There are techniques to relieve pain and others to calm the mind. There are those to envigorate the body and uplift the mood. So every client can receive what they need and it’s never boring or repetitive.
The movement
There is so much going on in a Thai massage. The movement is like a fluid dance between the giver and the receiver. It is subtle but all encompassing. There is pulsing and rolling, lifting and bending, drawing and shifting and twisting.. It’s a lot about trust and letting go, surrendering but also being empowered at the same time.
The pausing
I love the longer treatments in Thai massage. They present a possibility to pause, not to rush and constantly do in order to cover more ground and finish in time. Pausing allows the body to adjust and to soften under my pressure. Applying acupressure and staying still invites the body to let go of the tension. It can take a bit of time, a bit of patience and waiting but when it happens it feels like a sigh. Ah, finally, a relief. I love that moment.
The metta
Metta means loving-kindness, it’s a concept from Buddhism which is at the heart of Thai massage. It means that my goal is not to fix you, there is nothing to fix and anyway I can’t do it even if there was. The goal, or rather the intention of Thai massage is to give metta, to give loving-kindness. Metta makes space for the healing to happen on its own, supports the receiver’s own resources to recover and grow. And that is why Thai massage is also a spiritual practice. It takes place not only on the physical plane. It is a spiritual exchange too.
These are 5 things that I love about Thai massage. If you are tempted to try it or you want to experience it again, do get in touch. I am very much looking forward to sharing it with you.
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Photo by Michael Fenton on Unsplash
