Thai massage

"If somebody is ill in Siam (Thailand) the first thing he would do is to get his whole body treated by somebody who is trained in bodywork. This person will start working on the sick person's body by kneading it with his feet." - (Simon de la Loubere, 1690, French Ambassador at the Royal Court of Siam)

Thai Massage, or Nuad Boraen, or Traditional Thai Massage, or Thai Yoga Massage, is a unique and powerful healing art that has been an integral part of traditional Thai medicine for thousands of years. It combines acupressure massage with breathing techniques, gentle stretches and applied yoga postures.

Like most eastern healing traditions, Thai Massage is based on the balancing of the body's energy. In traditional Thai medicine the energy of the body flows through invisible lines, the Sen. There are thought to be 72,000 of these lines, and Thai Massage works by stimulating the flow of energy through 10 major energy lines, the Sip Sen.

There are two major styles of Thai Massage - Northern and Southern. Northern Thai Massage places more emphasis on stretches and is typically a long treatment, usually lasting 2-3 hours. The massage has a beautiful rhythm as the 'giver' uses hands, feet forearms elbows and knees in a treatment that flows like a dance between the 'giver' and 'receiver'.

No oils or lotions are used and the massage is performed with the recipient wearing loose fitting clothing while they lie on a cotton mat on the floor. Applied in a quiet meditative atmosphere, Thai massage creates space in the musculoskeletal structure, opening up the body and allowing it to regain flexibility and ease of movement.

Many people find that Thai massage has the following benefits:

• relaxes
• reduces stress
• improves circulation
• increases energy
• increases flexibility
• improves range of motion
• centers the mind and body