Thai Me Up, Thai Me Down by Nathan Johnson As the author discovered, 2,500 years of spiritual rubbing can't be wrong print article      send to a friend

My Thai

None of the other patrons waiting in the lobby even noticed my daft entrance; while I stuck out like a sore thumb, they all seemed rather in tune with the new age music playing.  I strutted up to the front desk, a corporate fish out of water.  "I'm here for my spiritually uplifting, stress-relieving Thai massage," I said grinning. The receptionist was visibly unimpressed, but politely lead me to a room.

My masseur, Leonard Flagg, was extremely professional, and was happy to explain this and other components of the massage as we went along.

Starting at my feet and moving up, Leonard spent an hour and a half releasing tension in a myriad of awkward yet somehow logical positions. But everything seemed to make sense. Why was my foot pressed between his thigh and calf, I thought to myself at one point. Then he took my opposite knee and pushed it laterally, sending a stretching sensation of relief up and down my spine. My foot's position was merely a method of bracing me to provide a means to stretch the body in a way I never could have come up with on my own. Thank Buddha, my Thai massage was an overwhelmingly positive experience.

In a nutshell

According to tradition, Thai massage was first introduced around 2,500 years ago by a northern Indian doctor named Jivaka Kumar Bhaccha, a contemporary and friend of Buddha.

Thai massage is used to treat a variety of ailments, including headaches, back aches, gastrointestinal pains, menstrual cramps, and psychological problems such as paranoia or depression. It is also used simply as massage, as in my case.  Curiously, Thai massage is performed with the recipient on his or her back for the majority of the massage. In contrast to other forms of massage, Thai massage is a key component of an entire Thai 'medical system.' Historically, it was used in conjunction with any number of other remedies from this system to treat just about anything that afflicted the people of Thailand.

Unlike Deep Tissue, Swedish, and other well-known forms of massage, Thai massage actually involves very little "rubbing" at all.  Instead, the techniques used revolve more around compressions.  And fingers are not the only phalanges performing these compressions. The toes are well utilized in Thai massage, as are the elbows, often in awkward positions. 

But don't worry; this is not some kind of kinky conspiracy to get the whole body involved.  In fact, Thai massage is comparatively more puritan than its more commonly known therapeutic counterparts such as Swedish massage.  This is because its first practitioners were monks; Buddhist, that is.  "This (Thai massage) arose through the Theravada Buddhist monasteries in Thailand," explains Richard Gold, Ph.D., a Thai massage authority and founder of the Pacific Center of Health in San Diego.  "You had a lot of monks doing work on the populace or on each other, so touching the skin was not culturally accepted."

What to look for

Although there is no official certification for Thai massage, there is a national organization called the American Organization of Bodywork Therapies of Asia (AOBTA) that concerns itself with Thai massage.  According to Dr. Gold, those masseurs affiliated with AOBTA are typically quite reputable. "I would ask individuals to simply inquire of their practitioner as to what their background is - where they studied," he adds.

Also, be aware that there is more than one type of Thai massage. The variety discussed in this article is called Northern or 'Chiang Mai' style. Southern Thai massage, including the type normally performed in Bangkok, is more quick and abrupt, and those unaccustomed to it often consider it painful.

Key concepts of Thai Massage: a quick glance

Wind - a mélange of Chinese medicine's phen and Ayurvedic medicine's vata concepts.  An aspect of energy, wind is purportedly involved in such bodily functions as peristalsis and circulation of the blood. According to Thai massage philosophy, it is vital to health in the body and can become disturbed or trapped. The compressions administered in Thai massage are meant to help redistribute and harmonize wind in the body.

Metta - Kindness or love.  In historical times, Thai massage was considered a practical application of Metta, and this belief persists today.

Alpha States - Measurable neurological states equivalent to the meditative states achieved in Yoga. Thai massage is intended to transport the recipient through different alpha states. For you skeptics out there, allow me to translate this new-age sounding lingo. I went through these alpha states during my massage and I would describe the experience as being extremely, extremely relaxed - a sort of half-asleep yet cognizant state. According to Dr. Gold, he could have measured a change in my brainwaves.

The Mantra - Some literature on Thai massage describes this practice as a 'chant' recited by the masseur prior to the massage for the purpose of achieving a focused, meditative state of mind. My masseur seemed to be praying. Dr. Gold describes this practice as a request for wisdom and good fortune during the massage session.

Yoga for Lazy People?

Though one session was certainly not enough to cure my shin and shoulder problems for good, it did relax me for a few hours.  It may not cure cancer, but Thai massage has fittingly been coined 'Yoga for lazy people.'