Thai Massage: An Ancient Healing Tradition By Martin Clutterbuck

Thai Massage: An Ancient Healing Tradition
By Martin Clutterbuck

Ancient Massage or nuat phaen boran, as the Thais know it, is an integral part of local traditional medical techniques. Herbal medicine and saunas combine with all the resources of a centuries-old tradition of magic. Despite the obvious success of Western medical techniques, traditional medicine with its holistic approach to healing still has many adherents.

The three branches of this essentially Indian body of knowledge are vejja sastra (diagnosis) bhesajja sastra (herbal pharmacology) and hattha sastra (manipulation or massage). Thai masseurs claim as their principal mentor Jivara Kumarabacca, a contemporary of the Lord Buddha himself and personal physician to an Indian king.

The Buddhist scriptures describe some of his massage techniques, which the Lord Buddha was called in to approve as suitable for monks. The techniques themselves were almost certainly introduced to Thailand as part and parcel of Buddhism. Thai inscriptions from the reign of King Ramkhamhaeng the Great of Sukhothai (late 13th century) at Wat Pa Mamuange mention the planting of herbal gardens, and carvings illustrate the technique of massage. Good masseurs were very popular at the Ayuthayan court, where 18th century French missionaries noticed them.

After the great sacking of Bangkok of 1767, many of the treatises were lost, but King Rama I established Wat Chetupon (Wat Po) to preserve what could be gathered and remembered of the medical works, a tradition embellished by King Rama III with other disciplines to make the country’s frist university. To this day, Wat Po is the headquarters of the Thai Traditional Medical School and the principal training centre for masseurs based on the Indian traditions.

But many factors are now combining to weaken traditional structures of healing. Deforestation, for one thing, threatens many species of medicinal plant with extinction. At the same time, interest in preserving the old knowledge has waned. Traditional curricula are no longer the ticket to success that they were, with corresponding results as the standards and authenticity of the old body of knowledge decline.

In no area of traditional medicine is this more apparent than massage. Despite Wat Po’s reputation, if you ask your regular masseur whether he or she has learned in that august holy place, the answer is probably no, even if you engaged a masseur for an actual massage.

The traditional masseurs are understandably upset that they’re ancient and honourable profession has been dragged through the mud by the sex industry. A book encouraging young Thais to take up the healing art points out that such “masserus” don’t even know any massage. And training is very important; as misapplied pressure can result in serious injury. The untrained masseur can unwittingly break hones. Tear ligaments, even cause permanent disability. That said, with a true professional there is really nothing to fear.

In Phuket the younger girls on Nai Harn, Karon and Patong Beaches wisely compensate for any lack of knowledge with a light kneading which is certainly very pleasant, but which lacks the true satisfaction of real pressure. In general the best masseurs are the older and more experienced, yet they are often refused work at establishments offering a “glass case” selection of young girls.

The certified professionals, both men and women, ply their trade among Thais on an individual basis. (In fact, in some quarters it is viewed as improper to massage in public places such as the beach.) Thus their reputation spreads by word of mouth and their services can usually be obtained by asking around Thai friends. One test of a good masseur is that their services are so popular you have to queue for them.

The massage starts with the patient prostrate, usually with you on your back. The masseur works his way up from the feet. Each toe joint is stretched, and speaking generally, the more easily joints crack the suppler they are. There is some point massage applied to the soles. After the ankles are pressure massaged and stretched there is a pressure massage up the legs. It is these stretching techniques which, inexpertly applied, have given Thai massage its reputation for pain, as the broad muscles of the upper leg are strained too far. The expert masseur, however, uses his own feet as levers to apply large forces, which, because of their exact positioning, do no hurt at all. Similarly, the masseur may step on points below the groin, applying his full weight. If the points are correct, there is no pain, and you feel a pleasant tingling “rush” down the lags as the masseur steps off.

After the hands and arms have been similarly treated, you lie on your side. After more pressure there is a pull-up arm stretch where you might be lucky enough to hear cracking around the middle of your spine. This is repeated on the other side. Now that your are on your back, the masseur will apply the most delicious aspect of the massage as he works up the spine and eventually reaches the neck and shoulders, bringing blissful relief to these most stressed parts of your body. It is common for patients to fall asleep at this point.

Somewhere around here, the masseur may slip in facial massage, designed mostly to relieve headaches and throbbing temples.

Finally you sit up, and are massaged from the back. Some more frightening stretches include the masseur putting his knees under your back and twisting of your neck. Successful moves are rewarded with more satisfying clicks. In general, you must relax as much as possible, trusting yourself to the masseur’s ministrations.

The theory behind the whole technique rests on a concept of energy meridians, paths that impinge on all the major bodily systems. Points along these lines are related to other Eastern meditative systems which share the concept of a subtle body, a strand of thought common to Hindu, Taoist and Buddhist cultures. Whoever knows the meridians in Chinese acupuncture or the Prana Nadis in Yoga will find lots of similar elements. Pressure applied to the soles of the feet and hands have also earned Thai massage comparisons to reflexology.

In the Thai system, ten principal meridians radiate from the navel. Branching off from these is a subtle network of over 70,000 lesser meridians. The body is analyzed by the universal elements of earth, air, fire and water. Air, understood better as wind, or even as the Indian “breath” (prana), blow down the meridians with the masseur’s pressure, renovating the target area.

An increasing number of Thai doctors fully endorse Thai massage as a means of alleviating stress, stiffness, muscle pain and headaches. The more convinced extend that to circulatory, nervous, respiratory and digestive problems. (One curable ailment is constipation, the masseur applying a clockwise force to the intestines.)

It is still common for Thais with sprains and even broken limbs to engage the services of a “medical masseur (not least to condition muscles left inactive for long periods.) Thus the full therapeutic effects of ancient Thai massage are in dispute, the truth lying somewhere in between medical rationalism and old belief. Older masseurs talk of Katha or incantations administered with the massage.

The interested Westerner may take a look at The Art of Traditional Thai Massage by the German Asokananda (Harold Brust), published by Editions Duang Kamol, which is the most comprehensive English-language introduction to the subject. Anyone interested in acquiring the techniques themselves will probably be better off enrolling in one of the traditional schools such as that as Wat Po in Bangkok, where one-month courses cost 3,000 – 4,000 baht.

There are many places in Phuket to get a good traditional massage. Most of the luxury hotels offer it as an extra service, and the smaller hotels should be able to contact one of the freelancers, as mentioned above.

Sadly, a warning must be extended: many establishments displaying the “massage” sign do in fact perpetuate the myth that “Thai massage” means sex. In some establishments the masseurs are fully trained, but are warned to be flexible regarding the customer’s demands.

Green Leaf Thai Style Massage at 206/1-2 Phuket Road (opposite Ocean Department Store, tel. 211 083, 223 514) suffers from this ambiguity in the public eye, but in fact their masseurs are mostly older women. They charge a flat 200 baht per hour and are very popular with group tours from Taiwan. Recently opened is Rosie’s Original Thai Massage and Herb Sauna (Tel: 381 835) in Rawai, located in an outbuilding of the Rawai Bay Shore Hotel on Viset Road. The service, available from midday to midnight, is 150 baht per hour. It is worth combining this with a refreshing herbal sauna for only 50 baht.