Thai Massage – Traditional yet Powerful
Theory
Thai massage practitioners use the theory relating to “Lom” to help their recipients feel fresh and reenergized. “Lom” translates to “air” and it is the stimulation of various “vessels” in order to accomplish this goal. In fact, there are supposedly 72, 000 “vessels” that run through the body.
Traditionally, the “sen” (vessel) lines originate from the navel and spread throughout the entire body and carry energy and air with them.
The Aim
The primary aim of a Thai massage is to relax the body and mind by making the person feel completely relaxed. Thai massages use a combination of channeled pressure points and many yoga techniques to help relieve the person of any stress and/or pain.
Clothes
The first step in a Thai massage is to change clothes. This is done mainly because the normal clothes you may wear are not flexible enough to be used in a Thai massage. Hence, special loose and comfortable clothes are given to the receiver of the massage to wear. They are specially made to feel very comfortable on the skin.
The Massage Area
The massage area is usually of two types; large multi-client rooms or single private rooms. Larger multi-client rooms are cheaper and is the usually preference of most receivers. Single private rooms are usually for people who have certain insecurities or wish not to be disturbed by anyone else. The massage table itself is either a mat or a firm mattress. This keeps the receiver flat and comfortable.
The Massage
Thai massages usually consist of two parts; Yoga techniques and pressure point stimulation. The yoga techniques are done in order to promote stretching and increase the flexibility of the body. The release of air in the exhales is one way these stretches help to relieve stress and pain.
The recipient may have their ears, toes, hands, fingers, knuckles and legs pulled and/or stretched. The back may even be walked on very gently and in controlled positions.
Pressure point stimulation is used to relieve pain in various parts of the body. Major sen lines are manipulated in order to relieve the recipient of stress.
