What is ThaiYoga Massage?

What is Thai yoga massage?

Thai yoga massage is a sacred dance. It is a holy communion between two people used to unblock energy stagnation. It is essentially an ancient Eastern healing technique used as a tool to awaken our spiritual flame and inner therapist. Learning the beautiful art of traditional Thai massage is not about memorizing a series of exercises, nor about thinking that we can cure someone of their sickness.

It is about learning to give from the heart with compassion and to have a deep understanding of the other person's suffering. We are all one. We are reflections of each other's strengths and weaknesses. We are all connected. Learning how to give and to receive....to touch...to breathe...to feel.

When we massage, we don't aim to heal, we aim to help others believe they can and will be healed. When we are connected, the healing process happens all by itself. We are just channels to remind each other of this. And thus the dance begins...

Feel the presence of their breath and of yours,

Feel the weight of their body and of yours,

Acknowledge the beauty of the soul,

Unify all and move and dance

Ever in ease, with no judgments,

For the good of all your brothers and sisters

Dayalu

The form

With the application of rhythmic pressure on certain energetic points and lines (sen) in the body and the yogic stretching of muscles and joint manipulation, blockages can be released and energy can be restored to its natural flow. The massage is usually on a mat on the floor, fully clothed in loose comfortable clothes, without oils and sometimes looks like applied hatha yoga or yoga for two.

In Thai massage, we use our hands, elbows, knees and feet to find the perfect touch needed for the moment. Because this massage is working on the different body layers (koshas) the release works on an emotional, energetic and physical level. The technique can be sometimes static (sinking deeply in a meditative state) or can move quite dynamically...depending.

This massage promotes general health and well-being. It has a double purpose. On the preventive side, it actives the free flow of energy and improves fluid circulation, digestion, breathing capacity, body posture, flexibility, as well as releasing nervous tension. On the therapeutic side, it can cure a large number of pathologies such as lower back pain, headaches, digestive problems, stress, insomnia, nervous imbalance, neck and shoulder muscular tightness...to name just a few...

The essence

The essence of touch and massage has existed since time began...among all living beings...we often even see trees bending to touch one another in the forest. And the essence of all traditions transcend time and space and originate from the One source...so yes we can say Thai massage is a tradition, but on the other hand, we need to go beyond the limitations of the mind that tradition creates and use the wisdom of the past to see what is needed in the present. For touch has always been there...did we just forget how to do it???

Thai massage is a vehicle for recalling that memory. We honor the "tradition" for enabling us the tools, yet we transcend all dogma of tradition to go beyond the limitations it can impose upon us.

When we talk about the essence of Thai massage we talk about its intrinsic nature...that which is felt and understood...the message behind the messenger...we often this of Thai massage as a treatment based on the "no pain, no gain" principle. Here we try to break this infamous conditioning of traditional Thai massage with the application of certain principles, which allow for a softer, deeper touch and opening.

The flow of the sacred dance

When we start a massage we are about to connect with another to embark on a healing journey. It is a sacred unfolding and we need to develop a sense of trust and relaxation, sensing and grounding.

Feeling and scanning start becoming more perceptive of energetic forces, from the moment we meet someone, we have a sensory perception of them, where they are…the energy they are emanating…with no verbal communication. Tuning into this can lead our hands to where they need to go.

Resource: www.thaiyoga.undervan.me