Getting Beyond The Sequence In Thai Bodywork
If you’re reading this, then you’ve probably experienced a Traditional Thai Yoga Massage, have heard about this wonderful modality, or you’re simply curious and want to find out more. My understanding of this modality of bodywork has developed and changed. As I have studied more, I have discovered that Thai massage is so much more than just a sequence, thumbing “energy” lines and deep stretches. Most of these aspects don’t apply to the true performance of a Thai treatment. There is so much more beyond all of this.
I first studied Thai Massage over 20 years ago. Prior to this time, I had received different bodywork treatments, and despite the skill of the therapist, I always came away feeling that something was missing. Sometimes my feet were missed, other times, my head, or it would be my hands. Other times, it would feel as if I was having moisturiser applied - the feeling of having a wonderful massage oil rubbed into the skin is incredible. I prefer deep pressure, so being lightly stroked isn’t my thing.
My friend, who eventually became my teacher, was herself an aspiring Thai Massage therapist and had visited the country many times. She invited me to have a treatment with her but I declined, due to my previous experiences. After a few weeks, I relented and opted to have treatment; it took me into another world. It was one of the most incredible massages I’d had. I left feeling rejuvenated and light. It was after this treatment that I decided that I needed to learn what this magic of Thai Yoga Massage was.
“I learned to see the body as being composed of Earth and Water, being animated by Fire and Wind.”
Over the years of learning and practicing, I came to understand what was and wasn’t Traditional Thai Yoga Massage. What distinguished, and in my eyes, separated Thai Massage from other modalities were several distinct attributes - it’s a holistic treatment; it was performed on a mat on the floor; clients are clothed. Oil isn’t used, stretches are abundant and a necessary part of any treatment, and it was extremely important to work on all the sen lines, starting from the feet to the head. If a treatment didn’t conform to these specifications, then it wasn’t Thai.
But I’m curious and I always want to learn more so I can do more and better. I learned that Thai bodywork has its roots in traditional Thai medical theory. I learned to see the body as being composed of Earth and Water, being animated by Fire and Wind. That the sên are physical channels and not ethereal energy lines in the body. Using Thai element theory, Thai point theory along with an understanding of the causation of dis-ease, to guide how the treatment is conducted for a patient, is what makes the work Thai.
With an understanding of traditional Thai medical theory, Thai anatomy, and physiology, someone with a Fire imbalance, may need to have coconut oil rubbed over them. Not exactly what most people would consider being a Thai Massage however, what makes the modality Thai, is the deeper knowledge and application of theory.
“We can understand element theory by observing the world. Everything - our bodies, the food we eat, even our thoughts are comprised of the elements”
There are five primary roots of traditional Thai medicine: Medicinal Sciences, which includes the knowledge of herbs; Physical Therapies, which includes Thai bodywork, cupping, scrapping; Divination Sciences, the use of Vedic astrology, palm reading, etc to understand the issues of the body; Spirit Medicine, which relies on the use of invocations and incantations; and finally, Buddhism, from which is derived element theory.
We can understand element theory by observing the world. Everything - our bodies, the food we eat, even our thoughts are comprised of the elements Earth (tâat Din), Water (tâat Nám), Fire (tâat Fai), Wind (tâat Lom), and Space (Aa-gàat tâat). The balance or imbalance of these elements within the body is the root cause or all health or disease. Keep in mind, we can find elemental theory in the traditional medicines of many cultures, including those in China, India, Africa, and is not unique to Thailand.
So how does a Thai Yoga Massage treatment, differ from a Thai bodywork treatment grounded in Thai medical and element theory?
“When treating a patient, there is no sequence”
For starters, the consultation is very different. Not only is a Thai medical theory consultation longer, it includes a traditional disease diagnosis. Thai bodywork is treated as an integral part of traditional medicine; there’s no separation between bodywork and other therapies, as there is in modern Western healing arts. The expectation is that a healer diagnoses a range of pathologies through a traditional medicine lens.
A typical patient intake process can include one or more of the following diagnoses:
Five senses
Digestive
Pulse
Tongue
Other Diagnostic markers
When treating a patient, there is no sequence. A treatment will tend not to start at the feet and move up the body, finishing with the head. The focus of the treatment is on those aspects discovered during the intake process.
Another important difference is Thai bodywork treatment has its foundation in the five layers of the body. When working on an area, the goal of the therapist is to work each layer to where it is open before proceeding to the next. This may mean I’ll not work all layers, as the preceding layer is not open.
The five layers that are worked in order are:
The skin
Tissue (primarily the fat, fascia, and muscle)
The Sên (the channels and grooves between large muscle groups)
Bone (through the range of motion and traction)
Organs (addressed through the abdomen)
Finally, another important difference is that a Thai element bodywork treatment is not concerned with treating the entire body. There are parts of the body that will already be open. The focus, therefore, is on those areas that are closed or experiencing dis-ease.
This treatment is slower, direct, and attentive. I’m excited to offer this modality, as I have seen significant improvements in the wellbeing of those patients who have received it. I will still offer a relaxing Thai Yoga Massage, however, I’d encourage you to try this.
