The Healing Benefits of Traditional Thai Massage

Thai massage

, also known as Nuad Phaen Boran, is an ancient massage that involves not only deep muscle massage, but stretching, elements of shiatsu, yoga, and acupressure as well. Nuad Phaen Boran actually translates into “ancient massage” or “traditional massage.”

Traditional Thai massage has been practised for over 2,500 years. It not only relaxes the body, but the mind as well. It actually began in India. The Buddhist monks practised both massage and other healing arts. This spread to families and as Buddhism spread to Asia, the traditional Thai massage became a part of both the religious and healing part of the religion. It is believed that traditional Thai massage made it to Thailand around the 3rd or 2nd century BC. Many times, monastery temples were built near medical schools so the art of massage was taught among both monks and medical students.

Traditional Thai massage focuses on the experience of the whole body. It works on the major energy lines, known as ‘Sen’. These Sen run throughout the body. By loosening blockages, the massage will help harmonize the body and recoup any deficiencies of the energy lines. Just as Chinese medicine uses acupuncture to help revive health, traditional Thai massage uses a similar system of pressure points to help heal and relieve stress. The Prana, or life energy, is allows to freely circulate through the body.

Traditional Thai massage has many benefits. Whether you are the receiver of the massage or the giver of the massage, you can feel joy, ease, and comfort. The massage will open up your chakras, allowing you to have a more peaceful mind as well as benefiting your health.

The giver of the traditional Thai massage also will receive generosity, compassion, equanimity, the feeling of oneness, the feeling of loving kindness, and the pride that can only be felt by a healer. The receiver will feel the joy of receiving as well as a calmness of rest and a refreshed spirit. Physically, the receiver feels a general increase in energy due to the opening of Sen and other blocked areas in the body. They will also feel relief from pain and muscle tension, blood and lymph circulation is improved, and the nervous system is balanced. An increase in flexibility is also possible.

Traditional Thai massage is a floor massage. The receiver usually is asked to lay on a pad or light mattress. By lying on the floor, the practitioner can easily manipulate the limbs of the receiver. Massages are given in silence, so the practitioner can better understand what the receiver needs are while the receiver can concentrate on learning about himself and his body. Practitioners start at the feet and moves toward the receiver’s head, making the body feel loosened and stretched. A massage can last between two and three hours. Sometimes it combines techniques used in western physical therapies such as Neuromuscular

therapy, Myofascial Release Techniques, and Remedial massage. Traditional Thai massage is great for athletes as it keeps them flexible and helps prevent and treat injuries. It also helps improve the flexibility and mobility of the handicapped.



November 13, 2009
By Annalisa Zisman
Annalisa Zisman, a proficient author and tutor, she is a leading practitioner for many massage courses. Annalisa specializes in Indian Head Massage, Thai Foot and Thai Herbal Compress Massage techniques.

Thai Massage

Spa Treatments and Their Benefits

There are many theories about the origins of the Spa. In Belgium there is a town called ‘Spa’ and many years ago it was believed that people in the town with iron deficiencies were cured by drinking Chalybeate spring water which contained minerals and iron, hence the connection between healing and the word `spa`. Another belief is that the word `spa` is an acronym for a Latin phrase ‘Salus Per Aqua’. It means health or healing through water. Historically the spa has been associated with water treatments.

In the modern world, the Spa has evolved tremendously and you can find a spa in almost any city in any country. Spas now offer a wide range of treatments extending beyond those associated with water. Some spas aim to provide you with total mind and body fitness including healthy eating and a complete body relaxation. These are its main benefits. Some spas offer a one-day experience, or alternatively two to three nights of pure peace and relaxation.

Some spas offer treatments to enhance your beauty and appearance. Examples are mud spa or wrap, facial spa, pedicure, manicure and many others. A body spa or wrap will have the effect of slimming and toning your body. With the appropriate ingredients used, it can even have a whitening effect on your skin. These treatments are particularly popular with women but men are already taking advantage of these treatments to enhance beauty and leave you feeling younger.

Nowadays, massage is an important ingredient of a spa as well as water. While you are soaking in the water, complimented with aromatherapy you can begin to let go of your worries and troubles. After which, you can immerse yourself in a full body massage where the masseuse aims to revitalize your body and relax your mind. Feeling refreshed and rejuvenated after these treatments are its main benefits.

Spa treatments that are associated with hydrotherapy have a number of health benefits. They help to soothe tired, sore or stiff joints and muscles better than a consistent therapy of warm water massage. An early morning soak in a spa hot tub provides temporary relief from arthritis pain and helps you feel better throughout the day. The heat from the warm water dilates blood vessels, increasing blood flow to damaged tissues and accelerates the body's natural healing process. Hot water reduces pain by stimulating the release of endorphins, the body's natural pain killers.

Many people plagued with sleeping problems are finding the answer in a spa where they can have a relaxing soak in warm water before going to bed to induce a good night’s sleep. This alternative to medicine or other sleep aids has created hundreds of happy customers who cannot imagine going to bed at night without that lovely, starlit soak in their spa just before sleep. It is truly a healthy way to end the day and prepare for the next with a good nights sleep

While some spas offer a range of generic products some spas are differentiated by the kinds of treatments they focus on. Some examples are destination spa, medical spa, health spa, beauty spa, day spa and their name tells you the focus of their treatments.

Spas have a healing and relaxing effect and can be a source of renewed health and pampering. Spas are increasingly offering their services on-line. Spend some time looking around at the various treatments available and having chosen something you like, treat yourself and your loved ones to a luxurious spa on a special occasion or just for the hell of it. It is guaranteed to spark up your life.



October 5, 2009
By Michiel Van Kets
Michiel Van Kets provides article for Annie Glasson who is the marketing manager at Endota Spa in Australia. She writes for Endota Spa which is the largest Spa network in Australia and is the only spa in 5 Australian states with winner of ‘franchisor of the year’ in 2004.

Full Body Massage

A great full body massage is made up of great neck massage plus great back massage plus great arms massage and so on till toes. This kind of massage even though, is an exhaustive exercise for the massaging therapist, it can be one of the best massage one could ever get in case of the recipient. A massage can be made good not by the looks of it, but by the feel. It is important for the one who is massaging to feel the response in the sense of touch than what could be assessed from sight.

Setting the mood of the room prior to the massaging is as important as massage itself. Select a dimly lit room which can easily be filled with the fragrance of few scented candles or beautiful little incense sticks. Light can be made a treat for the eyes with the help of few lamps and candles. A soothing background music at very low volume will be an even better addition to the existing atmosphere.

Have plenty of clothes and towels with you if you are planning on a full body massage, you can get them warm by heating them in microwave for a short span of time. Choose from various techniques of massaging and follow it throughout the body consistently. To begin with, let your partner remove all the clothes, which will often prove helpful. Its again a matter of choice if your partner prefers to stay in underwear. Make your partner lay on the bed or floor with their stomach facing downwards. Keep few towels to cover the private parts. Choose from various essential oil and have plenty of it ready with you. Pour a little oil in both of your hands and rub both of your hands against each other and slowly start stroking the neck and shoulders of your subject. Give special attention to the spot where neck and shoulder merge.

Massage the temples carefully. Now start massaging each shoulder separately. Massage with small and big circles concentrating on the shoulder plate. Now spread out your hands on both the side of the spine and slowly start pulling down towards the lower back maintaining gentle pressure. And for the return stroke, go back up kneading the areas you migh have missed till armpits. Repeat this a few times covering the whole back and making sure you are not pressurizing on the spine.

Pour some more oil and start from their shoulder and gently stroke till their hand. Gently go on kneading near biceps and above the wrists. You can even knead their palm. Repeat the same to the other hand too. Before you go down to the legs, its important the you have given lot of attention to the lower back area, as this part of the body takes up a lot of weight and pressure, and it needs to be relieved. You can additionally knead their humps and release the muscle knots if there are any. Start with the top of the leg and massage till the knees, knead the fleshy part of the thighs. Go back up and come down a few times repeating the same. From knees you can massage till the feet and knead the fleshy muscles behind the shin. Do not the miss the feet, oil every toe of the feet and finger massage the heel with your thumb.

You can ask your partner to turn over, cover the abdomen part with a towel and start going upwards via knee till thighs applying some more oil and kneading the flesh. Include soft strokes and go higher. Near the end of the thighs, move your hands outward to the hip line. You can just stroke the stomach area, but do not apply pressure. Start from the chest bone and massage until you reach the collar bone and move on sidewards till shoulders and then come back up till the jaw and temples.

Make sure you do this massage very slowly and cover the whole area of the body. If at all your partner fell asleep by the end, thats just another way of saying "thanks".



May 22, 2009
By: Jake Jarden
About The Author
Jake Jarden runs 'RelaxAndMeditate.net,' a publication offering information and advice on meditation and all aspects of living a healthy, well rounded lifestyle.....Visit his website at http://relaxandmeditate.net/scented-candles-essential-oils.php
Source: www.articlecity.com