WHAT IS THAI YOGA MASSAGE?
Traditional Thai Yoga Massage is an ancient healing art, handed down from teacher to pupil since the third century BC.
Thai Yoga Massage (TYM) uses an energy line system—the Ten Sen—through which the body's natural life force flows. Blockages in this life force cause aches, pains and disease.
The therapist uses hands, feet and elbows to apply pressure to important points on the energy lines, together with gentle stretching and applied Hatha Yoga. This releases blocked energy and frees the body's healing potential, restoring balance and harmony.
Originating in India and strongly linked to Buddhism, TYM is always practised in a meditative mood. It is said to be "the physical application of loving kindness".
What are the therapeutic benefits of Thai Yoga Massage?
TYM treats ailments such as headache, knee pain, back, shoulder and neck pain, premenstrual tension and others. It is especially effective for numbness or loss of feeling in conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis, or after a stroke, and can help with pain relief during labour.
The treatment improves flexibility, relaxes, restores and energises.
Who is Thai Yoga Massage for?
Contrary to popular preconceptions, TYM does not require practitioner or receiver to be flexible, athletic or strong. Each treatment is designed to suit client needs. As the basic principle is to balance the energy body with palming and thumbing techniques, this form of body work can be done on or by anyone: young, old, healthy or unwell!
TYM's wonderful yoga-based stretches are secondary and do not need to be integral to the treatment. However, for those able to receive them, these effective and beautiful stretches really enhance the experience and benefits.
Why become a Thai Yoga Massage Practitioner?
TYM is a shared experience, a gift for both the practitioner and the receiver, a chance to explore a meditative space through movement and breath.
Apart from the benefits to the receiver, giving TYM is hugely rewarding. The practice encourages givers to open their own bodies, to become centered, still and meditative within the rhythmic dance of the treatment. Many students report that their lives are transformed physically, and often emotionally and spiritually.
You can be any age, shape, or size to give and receive TYM. The richness and fullness of this practice enables practitioners to choose stretches and techniques that suit their clients' bodies and their own bodies. For example, a small practitioner might use feet and elbows to apply pressure to a large and heavy client without straining.
Even experienced "hands-on" professionals such as Yoga and Pilates Teachers, Personal Trainers, Shiatsu Practitioners, Osteopaths and Physiotherapists find that expanding their skillset with the complementary insights and techniques of TYM can be of great benefit to their clients.