I am truly fascinated by traditional ways of healing ourselves; a passion that has taken me all the way to Thailand in the search of an exceptional Thai massage school where I could fully emerge myself within this ancient practice used for hundreds of years. I decided to complete my Thai massage training in Chiang Mai at Shivagakomarpaj and Old Medicine Hospital. This was an amazing experience due to the school's long standing history and the level of  the teachers' expertise which provided the best learning environment.

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Thai massage is considered to be an artistic healing method that can be traced back to as early as the 3rd or 2nd Century B.C. It was first developed by Doctor Jivaka Kumar Bhaccha (Shivagakomarpaj), a doctor from northern India who started to spread this knowledge alongside Buddhism in Thailand which rapidly spread to other areas of Asia.

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What really attracted me to this artistic healing method was the fact that the concepts found within Yoga philosophy are also the foundation of Thai massage, more specifically the way that life energy or prana is carried through a chain of invisible and visible energy lines that run through the body. However, within Thai massage, only 10 main lines have been selected as well as a several points, which are targeted by the therapist in order to bring the whole body back to balance and to allow the patient to reach a sense of overall well being. 

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Through the use of assisted yoga stretches or postures, acupressure, and Indian Ayurvedic principles, disturbances found in the patient’s flow of vital energy can then be worked on, resulting in the removal of blockages and an overall stimulation of life force so that the body of the patient can utilise it in order to prevent or treat disease.

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How does it work?

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Another advantage of this form of massage is that it is performed with no oils or lotions and the patient remains fully clothed during the treatment while laying on a mattress or a soft surface on the floor, so the risk of allergy or discomfort is minimised. In general terms, it can last from 1 hour to 2 hours during which The massage professional will practice this therapeutic art under a meditative state in order to fully connect with the needs of the patient and provide it with the appropriate treatment. During the treatment, depending on the patient’s needs it can either be relaxing and gently stimulating or it can be an invigorating and deeply intense treatment that will ultimately bring an overall sense of peace and harmony.  

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I believe this is an exceptional complementary treatment that can be used in conjunction with any western style of medicine; I truly recommend it to all nurses, physiotherapists and those with a background in yoga and meditation, who are on the search of effective methods that foster and spread sustainable ways of preventing and healing common health problems. It is well known to help with a wide range of ailments including asthma, constipation, chronic stress and anxiety and during the recovery stage after a heart attack or a stroke, just to mention a very limited number of conditions.

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