subject: Thai Massage and Yoga are Relatives [print this page] Thai Massage and Yoga are closely connected since they share the same origin. During the time of Buddha, about 2500 years ago, a physician from India traveled to Thailand and introduced what became referred to as Thai massage. His gift to Thailand was his skill of yoga and yoga therapy. Therefore the term Thai Yoga Massage is very appropriate, although this term is not used at all in Thailand but only by western practitioners.
Yoga itself never really made it in Thailand. Thailand does have a version of yoga, but it never became popular and hardly anyone practices it. So the Thai Massage arrived along with the yoga, but the massage flourished and the yoga disappeared into oblivion. In the last decade Westerners have set up many flourishing yoga schools in Thailand, but the students are all from outside of Thailand. It is only in the last few years that some Thais have taken an interest in the Indian version of yoga, and nowadays there are also yoga schools for Thais in the big cities.
Why don't the foreigners and Thais mix in the schools, you could ask? The language barrier is one reason, and another reason is that the Thai's approach to yoga and life typically is more easy going when compared with westerners who often take their yoga very seriously. The Thais feel that western yoga classes are more competitive than relaxed, social events.
What accounts for the recent popularity of Thai massage? For thousands of years massage and herbal medicine were standard and effective treatments in Thailand until modern medicine appeared on the scene. Over time Thai massage became less popular. It was only revived by foreigners who took an interest in this unique therapy. They began to write books about it, they produced Thai massage videos, and opened Thai massage schools.
The decoupling of Thai yoga massage from yoga had led to a degeneration of the quality of this healing art. For many centuries it was mainly practiced in the temples by monks. In recent decades it often became a thinly disguised come-on for sexual services. However at the same time western therapists started to take it very seriously as a massage therapy. They reintroduced yoga principles, and created a huge demand by westerners for Thai massage education and treatments in Thailand. There are countless Thai massage schools in Thailand, almost all of them catering exclusively to foreigners.
The Thai government has been making serious efforts to boost the standard of Thai massage by establishing training facilities for Thais, therapists and schools, issuing official certificates, and promoting higher standards.
Thai massage can be utilized as a purely physical system of stretches, manipulations and pressure points. But by adding yoga principles to the massage, it can be elevated to a real healing art. Mindfulness, awareness of one's own body and the client's body, engaging from one's "hara", the energetic center right behind the navel, awareness of one's breath, conscious channeling of healing energy, and an increased sensitivity of touch all greatly increase the quality and effectiveness of the treatment.
Thai massage can be so much more than a technique. When yoga principles are combined with Thai massage, it connects this ancient healing art with its roots. It is a perfect combination. After all, they are part of the same family.
Thai Massage and Yoga are Relatives
By: Shama Kern
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