Thai massage is an ancient practice with roots that can be traced back over 2,500 years ago to India during the life of Buddha; however, its prevalence in modern massage in the West is relatively new.
It wasn’t until the 1990s that Thai massage started being utilized in countries outside of Thailand. In the past 20-or-so years, Thai massage has evolved from an obscure, fringe modality that was not included in massage school curriculums to a mainstream modality that can be found throughout the world.
In a profession that is strenuous, a modality that provides tools to enhance career longevity is very attractive to massage therapists. When practiced properly, Thai massage is equally beneficial for the giver and receiver, making this modality increasingly popular and in demand.
Because Thai massage requires a meditative state of mind and the focus of a martial artist, a Thai massage practitioner might ultimately experience great satisfaction and fulfillment in their career.
Thai Massage: More than Just Stretching
Most people think of Thai massage as assisted or passive stretching. Often referred to as “lazy man’s yoga” or “Thai yoga massage,” it’s no wonder that Thai massage has this reputation. One just needs to Google “Thai massage” and you will find pages and pages of the same few moves. Although these dynamic stretches create aesthetically pleasing images that look great on a website or brochure, there is so much more to Thai massage than these showy techniques.
Traditional Thai massage involves deep compressions and acupressure that are equally, if not more, important aspects of this work than passive stretching. As massage therapists, we know that before we put a client into a deep, passive stretch, it is critical to first warm up their muscles and tissue to avoid injury and defensive response. These compressions and acupressure are highly effective ways to reduce fascial restriction, ease muscle tension and activate the body’s relaxation response. In fact, it is not unusual for a Thai massage to include no passive stretching at all, especially if the client’s elemental constitution renders them contraindicated for deep stretch and passive movement.
The intelligent sequencing and order of techniques of Thai massage invite the body to relax and unwind effortlessly and efficiently. A Thai massage usually begins at the feet with the client lying supine. We begin with compressions and acupressure on the feet and legs, followed by acupressure along the sen lines. Once we have warmed the muscles and fascia, we can then begin passive stretching. We continue this order of techniques as we work our way up toward the head.
After 20 years of training, practicing and teaching, I have come to define Thai massage as an ancient and powerful method of healing that combines deep compressions, acupressure and passive yoga-like stretching to restore balance to the body and mind.
East Meets West
Thai massage is so different from a typical massage on the table I often feel like the word massage is insufficient to describe the experience. I tell my clients that receiving a Thai massage is like going to a chiropractor, acupuncturist, massage therapist and yoga class all at once! It is a unique and holistic bodywork experience.
Traditionally, there are esoteric explanations for practicing Thai massage in a certain way, influenced by the cultural and spiritual aspects of Thai culture. Each session begins with a ritual known as wai khru, a short mantra honoring the lineage of teachers of Thai massage. The practice of performing wai khru is seen in many other places in Thai life, including before martial arts matches and at yearly start of classes in elementary schools.
The sequencing of Thai massage techniques has esoteric meaning as well: It is said that the body is like a lotus flower, the lower body represented by the stem and the trunk and upper body by the flower, and that through this work we clear the mud from the stem to allow the flower to bloom. In other words, through acupressure along the energy channels of the body, we remove blocks so that life-force can flow without obstruction.
As Thai massage has made its way into modern mainstream massage, we are also able to appreciate the physiological aspects and benefits of this modality from a Western perspective. When studied and practiced in depth over time, it becomes apparent that Thai massage is an ancient form of what we now refer to as myofascial release. As the therapist performs slow, deep compressions with hands, feet, knees and elbows, the muscles and fascia soften, local circulation increases and trigger points are deactivated.
Next, the therapist performs acupressure along the sen, or energy, lines of the body, which we now know coincide with myofascial meridians. From a modern, Western and physiological perspective, working sen lines—or as I like to call them, the seams of the body—loosens stuck fascia and allows for greater mobility and less tension.
Finally, after performing compression and acupressure, the therapist may perform the passive yoga-like stretching that Thai massage is known for. With the client’s body warmed up and relaxed, the benefits of the passive stretching increase exponentially.
Ancient Modality, Modern Understanding
Every Asian healing tradition has an energy line approach to healing the body. This is because the ancient Asian healing modalities still practiced today pre-date modern anatomy and physiology, which did not appear until the ages of Hippocrates and Galen in Greece.
Astoundingly, modern science and physiology corroborate this ancient understanding of energy movement in the body, as we now know that energy lines are in fact myofascial meridians. The basic premise of approaching healing by working energy lines is this: The body is comprised of invisible channels that life-force flows through. When there are blocks along these channels, the energy cannot flow properly and dis-ease, stress and pain can manifest. When the channels are free from blocks, life-force can flow freely through the body and enhance a state of optimum health.
Life-force and energy lines in the body have many different names, depending on country and culture. For example, Traditional Chinese Medicine works with a meridian system and calls the life-force qi or chi. Ayurveda refers to energy lines as nadis and calls the life-force prana. In Thai massage and Thai traditional medicine we work with sen lines and refer to the life-force as lom, which translates as wind.
The goal of every Asian modality is to maintain and restore proper flow of life-force energy in the body, creating the optimal environment for healing and homeostasis to occur.
Benefits of Thai Massage for the Client
I believe the increased popularity and demand of Thai massage is due to consistent results experienced by the client. One of the first things I noticed when I began practicing Thai massage over 20 years ago was that I was getting relief for my clients faster, and the results were lasting longer than other types of massage I had practiced before.
While Thai massage contains some of the same benefits as table massage, it has unique qualities that make it stand out, such as emphasizing areas of the body that are often excluded or barely focused on in table massage. This is partly because during a Thai massage the client is fully clothed.
In this work, we spend a lot of time working the adductors, hamstrings, abdomen and anterior trunk. Although restriction and trigger points in these regions contribute to many clients’ chief complaints, therapists often spend very little time on these regions on the table. When we focus on these undertreated areas, clients experience quick and lasting relief.
Additionally, when we do employ passive stretching, it literally pulls clients out of their habitual patterns. When we combine acupressure and compressions with passive stretching, the client enjoys greater flexibility and improved posture.
Benefits of Thai Massage for Therapists
As I mentioned earlier, massage is strenuous. The top three reasons a massage therapist leaves the field are physical burnout, injury, or the inability to make this career financially sustainable full-time. Thai massage addresses all of these issues, giving therapists the tools necessary to stay long-term and thrive in their chosen careers.
Due to its ergonomic body mechanics, reminiscent of martial arts, and the use of gravity and leverage rather than muscle, the repetitive stress injuries and physical burnout that are all too common among massage therapists are prevented, with therapists often becoming stronger and more fit in the process.
Thai massage is also practiced in a meditative, relaxed way. I learned early on from a teacher that Thai massage is a two-way healing exchange: You cannot harbor any tension in your body or your mind while you are performing this type of massage; otherwise, the healing exchange is cut short.
I can think of no other profession that offers such a mutually beneficial relationship. Over 2,500 years later, it appears that Thai massage has all along contained the keys to career longevity and fulfillment, as well as increased personal growth and sense of groundedness.
When we practice the sabai way, with gratitude and ease, we are invited to experience the joy and satisfaction of sharing this work with our communities, supporting the health and vitality of all we touch.
About the Author
Jill Burynski has been a massage therapist since 1998. She teaches Thai Massage and is a 2018 inductee to the World Massage Hall of Fame. Jill has taken eight journeys to Thailand since 2003 and has studied at the Old Medicine Hospital, ITM & with Pichest Boonthume in Chiang Mai, Thailand. She founded Living Sabai, a school of Thai massage.