Thai Yoga Massage

“

Go inside and listen to your body, because your body will never lie to you. Your mind will play tricks, but the way you feel in your heart, in your guts, is the truth.

Don Miguel Ruiz, The Four Agreements

Thai Yoga Massage

What is Thai Yoga Massage?

Thai yoga massage is a bodywork modality that is a blend of massage, yoga, and meditation. Thai massage is preformed on a futon mat and can be described as an assisted yoga session. While the recipient lets their body relax the Thai practitioner uses a unique and magical combination of gentle rocking, gentle and deep stretching, breath work, rhythmic motion, soft-tissue manipulation, energy balancing, and acupressure to release restrictions and bring balance to the body.

Appearing in the temples of Thailand over 2,500 years ago. This therapeutic art was directly rooted in the Indian healing traditions of Ayurvedic medicine. The father founder of Thai Yoga Massage, Jivaka Kumarbhaccha was a renowned doctor and yogi, he treated the Buddha, among others. After the Buddha’s death, the earliest Buddhist monks traveled to Southeast Asia and were accompanied by Ayurvedic doctors. These doctors practiced a healing art, that would later evolve into traditional Thai Massage. Over the years, Thai yoga massage has developed and evolved into a deeply renowned traditional healing modality around the world and involves a unique and magical combination of gentle rocking, deep stretching, and rhythmic compression.

Most clients report that after a session they feel taller, more looser and experience an overall sense of freedom and well being in their body. Often touted for its ability to realign the body and relieve aches and pains, all of my clients leave feeling relaxed and rejuvenated!

What should I expect from a typical Thai Massage session? 
Thai Yoga Massage is performed on a futon mat on the floor; both client and practitioner are dressed in comfortable clothing allowing ease of movement and flexibility. We begin your session by going over your health history and talking about your goals for your session.  The Thai practitioner will massage and passively stretch your body as you allow yourself to relax and melt into the floor. The massage is preformed in a rhythmic flow that allows your body to first relax and then open up more easily when stretched.  Thai massage will leave you feeling lighter and more relaxed, similar to how you may feel after a yoga class; but we do all the work! 

Benefits of Thai Massage

• Improves Circulation
• Myofascial release
• Assist with sports injuries, recovery, rebuilding strength, and preventing recurring issues
• Relieves muscular tension and spasms
• Stimulates the Metabolism
• Improves the Immune System
• Helps to balance the body energetically 
• Relaxing and calming 
• Increases joint mobility and flexibility 
• Tonifies organs
• Relieves emotional tension
• Releasing both deep and superficial tension
• Enhancing the body’s natural energy flow

Will Thai Yoga Massage Hurt?
No, Thai massage should never hurt or be uncomfortable. There will be tension but deep breathing will allow the body to open up. A Thai practitioner is trained to respond to the limitations of the individual client and never stretch them past their comfort level. You are always able to dictate how deep or how far your muscles are pushed. The repetitive flowing pressure along the meridians allows your body to relax first which in turn helps increase your flexibility when your muscles are stretched. This will leave your stiff body feeling refreshed and much more flexible after your session. 

Can I receive Thai Massage during my pregnancy?
Thai massage can be modified to accommodate an expecting mother throughout each trimester. As the baby grows and common discomforts arise a Prenatal Thai massage is a wonderful way for a women to relieve muscle tension and bond with her baby. We will tailor your pregnancy Thai massage session to your specific needs but we tend to focus on hip openers, releasing low back tension, increasing circulation, and relaxation while working pregnant women.


What is the recommended session length?
We offer both 60 and 90 minute Thai yoga massage sessions. A traditional full body Thai massage is 90 minutes to allow the practitioner to address the entire body. We recommend beginning with a 90 minute session. For clients who would like to focus on a particular part of the body we can modify our sessions to 60 minutes to spend more time focusing on your problem area.

For more information or to schedule a session :

bodyworkandthai@gmail.com