
What Are The Origins Of Thai Massage?
What is known now as Thai Massage, also known as Nuad Boran (ancient massage), began evolving over two thousand years ago as a healing art in Thailand. The practice's founding father was an Ayurvedic doctor named Jivaka Kumar Bhacca. Jivaka was from India, and was a widely respected healer, and considered to be the founding father of medicine in Thailand. He is even reported to have worked with the Buddha.
Thai massage is more than just massage, it is also a healing art combining assisted yoga postures, acupressure, energy balancing and Indian Ayurvedic principles. In history, this practice was used to treat royalty. Numerous records were kept regarding these practices, however, most of them were lost during the Burmese invasion. A few hundred years ago, many were restored or replicated, and are on display today at the Wat Po temple complex in Bangkok.
What Makes Thai Massage So Effective?
Thai massage not only feels amazing, but is incredibly rejuvenating as well. The basis for the practice centers around the belief that we all have an energy force (called Lom) running through our bodies along passageways (called Sen) and that when those passageways are blocked, we will experience illness and discomfort. Thai massage seeks to unblock those passageways, restoring health and vitality to the receiver.
If you have not experienced massage therapy, or you have been thinking about trying a new massage therapy, Thai massage is worth looking into. It has gained much popularity over the last few years. In addition to Thai massage, there are other styles as well, such as Swedish, deep tissue, sports massage and prenatal massage.
What Are The Benefits Of Massage?
The benefits of massage are numerous. Aside from the fact that it feels wonderful and can relax those tired, sore muscles, it also improves circulation, digestion and can relieve many types of chronic pain. Improved immune function, sleep and mood are also benefits of massage. It has also been shown to help reduce depression and anxiety in many people.
If you would like to experience massage for yourself, Christy Howington at the Downtown Athletic Club in Amarillo is a certified, experienced massage therapist. Thai massage is among her specialties.