Known as nuad phaen boran in the Thai language, the English name Thai massage may seem a misnomer to practitioners of traditional Western-style massage therapy. Clients remain fully clothed. You do not use oils (although some practitioners use hot herb packs), and the focus is not necessarily on specific muscle groups.Quoted From: https://www.amtamassage.org/publications/massage-therapy-journal/thai-massage-article/
"Two years ago, Raleigh, North Carolina-based massage therapist Assunta Rosler, then 58, took her first intensive on-the-mat Thai massage workshop, a form of bodywork featuring stretching and traction, traditionally practiced on the floor. She struggled to get to the floor, however, because of arthritic knees.
"I couldn"t go from standing to squatting," she says. "I couldn"t get back up. I had to sit, roll to my knees, and lean on something."
As she continued to take courses and practice, though, Thai massage began to work on her. Rosler had an eye-opening moment as she was practicing a common Thai massage stretch. Squatting on her toes behind her seated client, Rosler placed her knees into the client"s back. With her hands on the client"s shoulders, she pulled the client backward over her knees, similar to a passive cobra stretch in yoga. Rosler realized, to her surprise, that she was securely in a squat position, without knee pain.
Thus, she learned a valuable lesson: Even though Thai massage requires specific physical strength, stamina and flexibility of the practitioner, the focus on good body mechanics, alignment, stretching with gravity, and mindful breath can actually help the practitioner develop the very qualities it requires."
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