Traditional Thai Massage
As one of the oldest forms of manual medicine, Thai bodywork (known as naud phaen boran or Nuad Bo'Rarn) dates back about 2500 years in Thailand, though the roots came from India with the Buddhist doctor Jivaka Kumar Bhaccha. The massage developed in two styles: Southern Style, taught at Wat Pho in Bangkok, and Northern Style, taught at the Massage Hospital of the Foundation of Shivago Komarpaj in Chang Mai. The basis of this bodywork is energetic, not physical. The purpose of Thai techniques is to clear blockages in the energy lines called sen (similar to Chinese meridians) and to stimulate specific points of energy called nadis. Nuad Bo'Rarn is one of the four main components of traditional Thai medicine (the others are nutrition, herbal medicine, and spiritual practices). The benefits of Thai yoga massage include reducing stress, increasing energy and flexibility, improving range of motion, improving circulation, and centering the mind and body.
 describes the art as a spiritual practice closely connected with the teachings of the Buddha. Giving this massage was considered a physical application of metta or "loving kindness." Good Thai bodywork practitioners work in a meditative mood, remaining spiritually aware, so they have the ability to treat people according to their different needs.The massage is given on a padded mat on the floor with you wearing clothing in which you can move easily. No oil is also used and sessions can last from one to three hours. See a comparison of Thai massage videos. Robert Noah and Judi Calvert, "Thai Yoga Massage with Kam Thye Chow," Massage Magazine, Learn more at The History & Culture of Thai Yoga Massage. |
September/October 2003, pp. 76-80.
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