Traditional Thai Massage
Performance
Traditional Thai Massage is performed with the receiver lying on a mat on the floor while the practitioner uses many parts of their body — including their hands, feet, elbows, forearms, and knees — to apply leaning pressure using their entire body weight (Apfelbaum 2004). Since the receiver is on the floor, the practitioner also has the space to guide them into a variety of stretching positions, guiding joints through their complete range of motion (Burynski 2018). Reflexology and energy work are also important components that work to promote healing and relaxation in patients’ bodies. Reflexology is the study of pressure points, primarily in the feet, that impact distant areas of the body. Though it is not proven scientifically, this connectivity is theorized to be due to energy lines running up and down the body. In Thai medicine, these energy lines are referred to as “sen”, and they are targeted throughout the massage to clear any congestion that may be causing disease or pain.
The Traditional Thai Massage is a healing practice in Thailand that dates back to the 1700s. Influenced by Chinese, Indian, and Indigenous Thai culture, this massage technique uniquely combines pressured touch with stretching, reflexology, and energy flow. It was originally developed to cure injuries from agrarian labor and continues to be a form of healing throughout Thailand today. Rituals and customs within the practice reflect the country’s culture and Buddhist belief system. Within the broader practice are distinct styles that vary in intensity and technique according to region or lineage. Both men and women learn to become practitioners, either formally or informally, and go on to massage natives and tourists alike.
Distinct Styles
Within the practice are distinct styles according to region or practitioner-patient relationship. The most significant distinctions are found between the North and South styles of massage, as well as the Royal and Commoner styles.
Northern vs. Southern
The northern style was developed by Sintorn Chaichakan to align with
the slower, more laborious, and agrarian lifestyle of Northern Thailand
(Burynski 2018). The Northern Thai Massage is gentler and more focused
on stretching than its southern counterpart. The southern style is
regarded as the original, founded in the teachings at Wat Pho. This style
includes more firm acupressure and energy (“sen”) work. The technique
is also more specific to the physical condition of the patient.
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Royal vs. Commoner
This distinction reflects interpersonal cultural norms regarding class
status but is rarely seen outside of Thailand.* The royal style was developed to treat members of the royal family with respect by using only the hands, avoiding stretching postures, avoiding touching the patient’s head, and keeping a distance from the patient’s body (Burynski 2018). The commoner style differs in that it includes the use of feet, elbows, and knees and allows for stretching and touching of the patient’s head.
* This maintenance of social hierarchy within folklore performance contrasts other performances in which traditional social norms are intentionally reversed, such as the Carnival en Santiago de Cuba (Bettelheim 1991).
Learning the Thai Massage
Informal — Oral and written knowledge is passed down from an experienced healer, or tradition bearer, to an apprentice that is usually of the same village. The knowledge is not typically shared outside of this relationship. This creates intertextual variation from region to region, which is typical of traditional Thai medicine culture. (Salguero 2011)
Formal — There are many schools throughout the country teaching Traditional Thai Medicine, and the Thai Massage more specifically, in formal 4-year bachelor’s programs (Peltzer 2019).
Lineage Membership - In both informal and formal knowledge sharing, lineage is important. Schools will often subscribe to a specific style or lineage in their teaching, like a village’s local healers, and practitioners often indicate the lineage that they learned from. (Salguero 2011)
Definitions
Tradition Bearer: "These
people may know a specific text better than others or may be elders or people
especially experienced in a particular type of performance." (Sims and Stephens 2011)
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Intertextuality: the relationship between different texts (Gross 2001)
Influences & Rituals
Buddhism
Buddhism is the dominant religion in Thailand and its values are reflected in the principles of the Thai Massage. There’s a strong focus on compassion and the cessation of suffering in Buddhism that can be seen in the massage practice as a relationship between patient and practitioner that fosters healing from pain.
Jivaka Kumar Bhacca — Buddha’s Physician
Jivaka was a well-known and respected Ayurvedic practitioner often regarded by Thais as the “Father of Medicine”. Many massage therapists now honor Jivaka by performing Wai Khru before the massage. Wai Khru is a ritual in which students pay respect and seek guidance from their teachers by reciting a mantra, either silently or aloud (Burynski 2018).
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Ayurveda
Ayurveda is a religious and natural system of medicine that originated in India that focuses on the relationship between mind, body, and spirit. These holistic principles can be seen in the Thai Massage as it mixes scientific and spiritual practices.
Yoga
Yoga is a spiritual and physical practice combining postures and breathing exercises to conduct energy work throughout the body. Yogic postures form the base of many stretching techniques performed in the Thai Massage.
Chinese Bodywork
Elements of Chinese bodywork appear in Thai Massage, such as reflexology and acupressure. These ancient healing techniques work to relieve muscle tension and improve blood and energy circulation.
Animism
Animism is a belief system that has been present in Thailand for a very long time, since before the arrival of Buddhism from India. The main belief of animism is that spirits exist in all natural phenomena and can be communicated with through shamans and healers.
