Thai Massage, affectionately called ‘the Lazy Person’s Yoga’, dates back centuries as an ancient practice rooted in Ayurveda, the science of life and sister science of yoga. It integrates acupressure and passive stretching and clears the energetic lines of the whole body. A practice of metta - lovingkindness - between practitioner and receiver, Thai Massage balances the energy within the body and is therapeutic for a variety of ailments, aches and pains.
Some things you may notice if you get a Thai Massage:
You can stay clothed. You’ll want to wear something comfortable, loose fitting/stretchy, and women will be more comfortable without a bra. You’ll still want to remove all of your jewelry, and prepare for your massage with fresh clothes and clean hygiene just as you would for any other form of bodywork since we will be in close contact.
Thai Massage is done without or with very little oil. Sometimes I use salve or a touch of oil just on the hands and feet. You lay down on a floor mattress rather than a massage table. Because of the nature of the massage, your practitioner will be moving around - and moving you around - in ways that require their entire body, and can’t be done on a massage table
We start with clean feet! Not only will I be touching your feet (unless you request that does not happen) - in many sequences, we actually start with the feet and work up - but I’ll be using their feet to massage you! I clean my feet before our session; I offer an epsom salt foot bath at the beginning of your session so that you can freshen up if you are coming from somewhere and would prefer to soak them before we get started
Communication. Since some of the stretches involved have the opportunity to be quite deep, a good practitioner will be checking in to make sure things feel just right. You’ll also need to share about any areas of concern in your body (old injuries, current restrictions) to make the experience as safe and enjoyable as possible.
You may leave feeling… energized, taller, and have more clarity. You may feel reduced stress. You may feel like a puddle of mush. You may sleep better. You may feel into your heart and have an upwelling of emotion or release. You may feel like you’ve let go of negative emotions such as anxiety, anger, or depression. Allow whatever comes up to be, and just take notice.
You’ll probably have continued effects the next day(s). Because the energy clearing that happens continues to resonate through your body, you may notice feeling even better the following day after your Thai Massage.
Benefits
Each style of massage has its own specialty that it targets, whether calming the nervous system, targeting fascia and deep tissue blockages, or simply feeling good. Thai Massage is especially effective for:
Relieving lower back and joint pain. There are a lot of approaches used in Thai massage that really help to loosen and relieve the lower back from compression. A lot of work that is done by moving the legs and manipulating the body in different positions helps to release tightness held in the lower back. Joint pain is also lessened by the gentle stretches that are part of the sequences.
Improving blood and lymph circulation. Because Thai Massage is like getting yoga done to you, it increases circulation in both the blood and lymph systems.
Clearing energetic blockages. Working along energetic lines of the body, similar to the meridians known from Chinese medicine, this practice helps to create a whole-body sense of renewal and boost of energy.
Improving range of motion and flexibility. Whether you are an athlete looking to improve performance or in a stage of life where you feel like your range of motion is reduced, Thai Massage has been documented to show improvement in these areas.
Relief from headaches. Studies have shown that Thai Massage can ease symptoms from migraine and tension headaches for several days to weeks afterwards.
Intrigued? Book a session with Natalie in her warm and welcoming space at Mountain Yoga Studio in downtown Susanville, CA.